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Jessica S. Olson
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A Forgery of Roses Hardcover – March 29, 2022

by Jessica S. Olson (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 286 ratings
See all formats and editions
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"A deliciously twisted gothic fantasy you'll want to read again and again, with characters you'll adore, prose that'll spellbind you, romance you'll swoon over, and a mystery that'll keep you guessing until the last stunning twist."
—Diana Urban, author of These Deadly Games

From the author of Sing Me Forgotten comes a lush new fantasy novel with art-based magic, romance, and murder…

Myra has a gift many would kidnap, blackmail, and worse to control: she’s a portrait artist whose paintings alter people’s bodies. Guarding that secret is the only way to keep her younger sister safe now that their parents are gone. But one frigid night, the governor’s wife discovers the truth and threatens to expose Myra if she does not complete a special portrait that would resurrect the governor's dead son.

Once she arrives at the legendary stone mansion, however, it becomes clear the boy’s death was no accident. A killer stalks these halls--one disturbingly obsessed with portrait magic. Desperate to get out of the manor as quickly as possible, Myra turns to the governor’s older son for help completing the painting before the secret she spent her life concealing makes her the killer’s next victim.

“A heady blend of the fantastical, the murderous, and the romantic.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review

“Marvelously magical and steeping with mystery.” —Adalyn Grace, author of All the Stars and Teeth

Also by Jessica S. Olson:
Sing Me Forgotten
Previous page
  1. Print length
    384 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Inkyard Press
  4. Publication date
    March 29, 2022
  5. Grade level
    7 - 9
  6. Reading age
    13 - 17 years
  7. Dimensions
    5.97 x 1.13 x 9.2 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    1335418660
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1335418661
  10. See all details
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From the Publisher

Adalyn Grace calls the book marvelously magical and steeping with mystery.
Diana Urban says [it] is a deliciously twisted fantasy you’ll want to read again and again.
Lyndall Clipstone says [it] paints a narrative of romance and mystery [and] suspense.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Olson's newest offering is a satisfying dark fantasy of art, science, romance, and murder. Myra Whitlock is an art Prodigy like her mysteriously disappeared mother. In her world, Prodigies are an aberration to the Higher Power (called Artist), because of their ability to heal physical injury through the act of painting. Myra has been secretly called to bring the Governor's heir back to life by painting his portrait. She accepts the assignment for the money it will bring, which will pay for a doctor to diagnose her dying sister. Myra's inability to heal her sister reveals the intricacies of Prodigy magic: one can only fully heal another when the cause of the injury or illness is known. What follows is Myra's journey to find a murderer and a motive in the Governor's manor, and to fulfill her destiny. Olson weaves intense action and tender emotion in her multifaceted work. Descriptions of what a Prodigy feels when the magic overtakes them-experiencing everything the subject felt in injury/death-pierce with anatomical precision. Secondary characters such as pale red-haired August (the Governor's other son), the charismatic Forger, and Myra's spirited sister are as vibrant as the protagonist herself, allowing readers to hope for different outcomes throughout. The time period is perplexing, as there are carriages and corsets but also telephones and a hospital ICU, but it doesn't detract from the seamless storytelling and unexpected climax. Characters' race and ethnicity are not specified. VERDICT A triumphant second novel, Olson's not-to-be-missed tale of intrigue has something for everyone.-Jane Millerα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

2023 Lone Star Reading List selection

“A heady blend of the fantastical, the murderous, and the romantic.”—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review

"A triumphant second novel, Olson’s not-to-be-missed tale of intrigue has something for everyone."—School Library Journal, STARRED review

"Marvelously magical and steeping with mystery, A Forgery of Roses checks all the boxes you could want in a fantasy. With a highly creative magic system reminiscent ofThe Picture of Dorian Gray and a lush romance, Olson’s newest is an absolute stunner that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser."—Adalyn Grace, New York Times bestselling author of All the Stars and Teeth

"A Forgery of Roses is a haunted gallery filled with secrets, ominous footsteps through a fog-wreathed city at midnight, and the fierce magic of a sister's love. Jessica Olson paints a multilayered narrative of romance and mystery that will hold readers in suspense until the final chapters."—Lyndall Clipstone, author of Lakesedge

“A deliciously twisted gothic fantasy you’ll want to read again and again, with characters you’ll adore, prose that’ll spellbind you, romance you’ll swoon over, and a mystery that’ll keep you guessing until the last stunning twist. A Forgery of Roses is totally addicting and captivating, and I already can’t wait to re-read it!” —Diana Urban, author of These Deadly Games

"Both fascinating and novel... it will attract fantasy fans as well as the artistically inclined."—Booklist

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Inkyard Press; Original edition (March 29, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1335418660
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1335418661
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 - 17 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.97 x 1.13 x 9.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 286 ratings

About the author

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Jessica S. Olson

Jessica S. Olson

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Jessica S. Olson claims New Hampshire as her home, but has somehow found herself in Texas, where she spends most of her time singing praises to the inventor of the air conditioner. When she's not hiding from the heat, she's corralling her four wild—but adorable—children, dreaming up stories about kissing and murder and magic, and eating peanut butter by the spoonful straight from the jar. She earned a bachelor’s in English with minors in editing and French. She is the author of Sing Me Forgotten and A Forgery of Roses.

Jessica is represented by Christa Heschke of McIntosh & Otis Literary Agency, and can be found @jessicaolson123 on Twitter and Instagram.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
286 global ratings
That plot twist!!!
5 Stars
That plot twist!!!
YESSS!! I thoroughly enjoyed this read! It was such a creative idea behind it and I LOVED the mystery and suspense of it all!! There’s a mystery right from the start that I was trying to piece together throughout the entire book but additional things that came up I was also trying to figure out.I DID NOT SEE THE PLOT TWIST & if you’ve been following me for a bit, you know, those are my favorite!!!
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Top reviews from the United States

Changley Cavins
5.0 out of 5 stars That plot twist!!!
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
YESSS!! I thoroughly enjoyed this read! It was such a creative idea behind it and I LOVED the mystery and suspense of it all!! There’s a mystery right from the start that I was trying to piece together throughout the entire book but additional things that came up I was also trying to figure out.

I DID NOT SEE THE PLOT TWIST & if you’ve been following me for a bit, you know, those are my favorite!!!
Customer image
Changley Cavins
5.0 out of 5 stars That plot twist!!!
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2023
YESSS!! I thoroughly enjoyed this read! It was such a creative idea behind it and I LOVED the mystery and suspense of it all!! There’s a mystery right from the start that I was trying to piece together throughout the entire book but additional things that came up I was also trying to figure out.

I DID NOT SEE THE PLOT TWIST & if you’ve been following me for a bit, you know, those are my favorite!!!
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
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Alix
4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable gothic murder mystery
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2022
Verified Purchase
A Forgery of Roses is a gothic whodunnit filled with portrait magic, a haunted floor, grotesque paintings, disappearances, a sweet romance, and an abundance of secrets.

Our heroine, Myra, is a talented artist who is willing to do anything for her sister who is seriously ill. Although I was slightly annoyed by the amount of times she talked about her sister and how poor they are. Like we get it, you don’t need to constantly remind us of your motivations. The hero tries to be the perfect son but always fails. He is unable to live up to his parents’ expectations. He has social anxiety and I appreciated the discussion around his anxiety and panic attacks. Although his inability to stand up to his parents did annoy me especially when it resulted in direct harm to the heroine. The romance is sweet but I wasn’t really invested in it. The other parts of the story were more interesting than the romance.

I found the reveal to be quite clever. I had an idea who was involved but I didn’t expect it to play out the way it did. While everything is resolved at the end, the epilogue is open-ended enough for a sequel, so I’m curious if the author will go that route. While this is YA, it didn’t read that youngish. Overall, this is an enjoyable story that is part murder mystery, part fantasy, and part gothic.
2 people found this helpful
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Cecilia Rodriguez
3.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy mystery
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2024
Verified Purchase
Narrated by Myra Whitlock, set in a fantasy world where magic is connected to painting.
Forbidden by the Governor, Prodigies are forced to hide their abilities.
When the Governor’s wife offers a commission, Myra reluctantly accepts.
One person found this helpful
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Beka
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2023
Verified Purchase
The story is amazing and keeps you hooked!
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Rachel
4.0 out of 5 stars So vividly detailed, and such a new interesting element!
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2023
Verified Purchase
This was a beautiful book. Full of mystery and such vivid detail, I had dreams about the book! This was such a new concept too, very in inventive and I don't know another book like it! Very enjoyable read; kept me wanting to know what would happen next!
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Heather Novotny
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2022
Verified Purchase
A Forgery of Roses is amazing! I was hooked from the first sentence. I really enjoyed the storyline and characters. I highly recommend this book!
One person found this helpful
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Karly Farr
4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2022
Verified Purchase
A story with a lot of different elements that blend perfectly together! Art, murder mystery, romance, and magic.
After Sing Me Forgotten, I have been waiting for the next book from this author and this one didn’t disappoint. The characters are relatable, especially August. I feel that this book gives a very very accurate representation of anxiety, and it was nice to see. A character who is simply an introvert, and doesn’t need feel the need to change. 👏👏
One person found this helpful
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Paige G.
3.0 out of 5 stars book review
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2022
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Forgery of Roses

Author: Jessica S. Olson

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For…: young adult readers, fantasy, retelling, romance, mystery, thriller

Publication Date: March 29, 2022

Genre: YA Fantasy

Age Relevance: 14+ (death, gore, romance, violence, animal injury)

Explanation of Above: The book has a theme of death and does feature some gore and violence. There is also some slight romance. There is some small mention of animal injury as well, but it is quickly fixed.

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Pages: 368

Synopsis: She’s an artist whose portraits alter people’s real-life bodies, a talent she must hide from those who would kidnap, blackmail, and worse in order to control it. Guarding that secret is the only way to keep her younger sister safe now that their parents are gone.

But one frigid night, the governor’s wife discovers the truth and threatens to expose Myra if she does not complete a special portrait that would resurrect the governor’s dead son. Desperate, Myra ventures to his legendary stone mansion.

Once she arrives, however, it becomes clear the boy’s death was no accident. Someone dangerous lurks within these glittering halls. Someone harboring a disturbing obsession with portrait magic.

Myra cannot do the painting until she knows what really happened, so she turns to the governor’s older son, a captivating redheaded poet. Together, they delve into the family’s most shadowed affairs, racing to uncover the truth before the secret Myra spent her life concealing makes her the killer’s next victim.

Review: This book has an interesting premise and Magic system. I think the most promising thing about this book is the promise of the book and how well it could become. The book had well done atmosphere and the world building was ok. The book also has fairly good character development. The book is also a slight retelling of The Picture of Dorian Grey.

However this book is just downright confusing as hell. The book immediately jumps into the story and doesn’t really explain anything about what’s going on. The book does require you to read the synopsis in order to know the basics of what is happening. The pacing is very slow and the characters are not very well developed at all. And a lot of stuff just happened but without any lead up to it. There’s also something that is entirely missing from the book and I think that missing detail are the details. The book gives great atmosphere it’s very Gothic and gory and twisty, but without any details there is no impact for the reader in this book.

Verdict: It’s ok, but it wasn’t for me.
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