04/04/2022
Olson (Sing Me Forgotten) crafts a lush and atmospheric murder mystery in this take on Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. Seventeen-year-old Myra Whitlock has a powerful gift: she can alter living bodies through her paintings. But in the fictional city of Lalverton—where the governor considers her gift a blasphemy—Myra has been forced to become a portraitist’s assistant, knowing that to expose her power would be akin to targeting Myra and her ill younger sister, Lucy, just like their mother, who disappeared a year before. When she inadvertently reveals her gift to the governor’s wife, Myra has no choice but to accept the woman’s offer: if Myra can paint a portrait that can resurrect the governor’s murdered son, Wilburt, she will receive enough money to find better care for Lucy and ensure the woman’s silence. Together with August Harris, the governor’s forgotten eldest son, who experiences anxiety, Myra must work to solve Wilburt’s murder so she can fulfill her bargain—before his killer catches up with her. Though an uninspiring romantic subplot detracts from the twisting, secret-layered narrative, its gothic ambiance and the strong bond between Myra and Lucy delivers. Protagonists read as white. Ages 13–up. Agent: Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis. (Mar.)
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 of The 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
★ 02/01/2022
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 Miller
Billie Fulford-Brown captures the gothic ambiance of this audiobook. When her parents disappear, Myra and her young sister are plunged into poverty. Fulford-Brown presents Myra as a scared young woman who is desperate to earn money. She is a portrait artist who, through magic, can alter her subject’s actual appearance to match the portrait she paints. When the governor’s son dies, his mother demands that Myra bring him back to life through a painting. To do so, Myra must discover the cause of the young man’s death. Fulford-Brown instills in Myra an unwavering persistence to solve that mystery. She fully conveys the responsibility that Myra feels for her sister’s welfare, a commitment that is central to every decision Myra makes. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Billie Fulford-Brown captures the gothic ambiance of this audiobook. When her parents disappear, Myra and her young sister are plunged into poverty. Fulford-Brown presents Myra as a scared young woman who is desperate to earn money. She is a portrait artist who, through magic, can alter her subject’s actual appearance to match the portrait she paints. When the governor’s son dies, his mother demands that Myra bring him back to life through a painting. To do so, Myra must discover the cause of the young man’s death. Fulford-Brown instills in Myra an unwavering persistence to solve that mystery. She fully conveys the responsibility that Myra feels for her sister’s welfare, a commitment that is central to every decision Myra makes. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
★ 2021-12-15
Magic, romance, and mystery intertwine in this stand-alone historical fantasy.
It’s been one year since Myra’s parents vanished without a trace, and she has been left alone to take care of her ailing younger sister, Lucy. Barely making ends meet, Myra survives as a painter’s apprentice in the same studio where her own mother used to work. But just like her mother’s, Myra’s artistry holds a big secret: As a Prodigy, Myra can use her painting to change the bodies of humans and animals. If she is found out, her life could be in danger from those who would exploit her abilities—or destroy her as an abomination. But when the governor’s wife offers Myra money (and threatens to expose her secret) to bring Will, her recently deceased son, back to life, Myra has no choice but to comply. In doing so, she meets August, Will’s painfully shy brother, and—once Myra realizes that Will’s death was not an accident—they immerse themselves in a world of dangerous secrets. This effortless blend of fantasy, sisterly love, sweet romance, and murder mystery is a gorgeous take on Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. The novel focuses on Myra’s touching relationships with Lucy and August, the twisting murder investigation, and, above all, Myra’s own empowering journey. The main characters are cued as White; the story thoughtfully addresses Lucy’s chronic illness and August’s anxiety.
A heady blend of the fantastical, the murderous, and the romantic. (Fantasy. 14-adult)
