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The Vermilion Emporium
The heart-wrenching story of The Radium Girls meets the enchanting world of Howl’s Moving Castle. Jamie Pacton’s fantasy debut is a story of timeless love and deadly consequences.
It was a day for finding things . . .
On the morning Twain, a lonely boy with a knack for danger, discovers a strand of starlight on the cliffs outside Severon, a mysterious curiosity shop appears in town. Meanwhile, Quinta, the ordinary daughter of an extraordinary circus performer, chases rumors of the shop, The Vermilion Emporium, desperate for a way to live up to her mother’s magical legacy.
When Quinta meets Twain outside the Emporium, two things happen: One, Quinta starts to fall for this starlight boy, who uses his charm to hide his scars. Two, they enter the store and discover a book that teaches them how to weave starlight into lace.
Soon, their lace catches the eye of the Casorina, the ruler of Severon. She commissions Quinta and Twain to make her a starlight dress and will reward them handsomely enough to make their dreams come true. However, they can’t sew a dress without more material, and the secret to starlight’s origins has been lost for centuries. As Quinta and Twain search the Emporium for answers, though, they discover the secret might not have been lost—but destroyed. And likely, for good reason.
It was a day for finding things . . .
On the morning Twain, a lonely boy with a knack for danger, discovers a strand of starlight on the cliffs outside Severon, a mysterious curiosity shop appears in town. Meanwhile, Quinta, the ordinary daughter of an extraordinary circus performer, chases rumors of the shop, The Vermilion Emporium, desperate for a way to live up to her mother’s magical legacy.
When Quinta meets Twain outside the Emporium, two things happen: One, Quinta starts to fall for this starlight boy, who uses his charm to hide his scars. Two, they enter the store and discover a book that teaches them how to weave starlight into lace.
Soon, their lace catches the eye of the Casorina, the ruler of Severon. She commissions Quinta and Twain to make her a starlight dress and will reward them handsomely enough to make their dreams come true. However, they can’t sew a dress without more material, and the secret to starlight’s origins has been lost for centuries. As Quinta and Twain search the Emporium for answers, though, they discover the secret might not have been lost—but destroyed. And likely, for good reason.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published November 22, 2022
45 people are currently reading
5622 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
July 27, 2021
I absolutely cannot wait to share this whimsical, magical story of romance, danger, and adventure with you all!
November 9, 2024
I mean WOW! The writing is so good! You will fall for the characters without even trying.
I love the characters. They are imperfect. They're flawed but that's how perfect they are. And the romance. Damn. The writing is such an adventure I say!
I haven't enjoyed a young reader's book in such a long time. And this book is bringing me right on track on what I have been missing out.
The character development is really good. For the main characters, I say they are imperfect perfect. I adore them. You can also expect good participance of the other side characters as well. Don't want to spoil things but there are characters you'd enjoy hating.
Talking about hate, I hate cliffhangers. Author, are you planning to torture me?! When is the next book coming out?! I need the advance reading copy of the next book as well!
There's love. There's adventure. There's mystery. There's magic, yes.
I love Twain so much. Quinta, will you excuse me please!
I want to protect these characters so much yet they are much stronger than what I initially thought about them.
We all survived the dangers. However, the ending got me crying cos, ahem, it left me hanging.
Damn.
Anya, Ruby, Chloe. I need to see you all grow and have more adventures. Quinta and Twain will be okay.
Stay safe.
(Damn. I am so invested.)
Thank you, Peachtree/Peachtree Teen, for the advance reading copy.
I love the characters. They are imperfect. They're flawed but that's how perfect they are. And the romance. Damn. The writing is such an adventure I say!
I haven't enjoyed a young reader's book in such a long time. And this book is bringing me right on track on what I have been missing out.
The character development is really good. For the main characters, I say they are imperfect perfect. I adore them. You can also expect good participance of the other side characters as well. Don't want to spoil things but there are characters you'd enjoy hating.
Talking about hate, I hate cliffhangers. Author, are you planning to torture me?! When is the next book coming out?! I need the advance reading copy of the next book as well!
There's love. There's adventure. There's mystery. There's magic, yes.
I love Twain so much. Quinta, will you excuse me please!
I want to protect these characters so much yet they are much stronger than what I initially thought about them.
We all survived the dangers. However, the ending got me crying cos, ahem, it left me hanging.
Damn.
Anya, Ruby, Chloe. I need to see you all grow and have more adventures. Quinta and Twain will be okay.
Stay safe.
(Damn. I am so invested.)
Thank you, Peachtree/Peachtree Teen, for the advance reading copy.
August 30, 2022
to preface: i think this is sincerely a case of "it's not the book, it's me." i imagine that there are people out there who will adore this! i just regret that i'm not one of them.
i think my main dilemma with this book is that a lot of it reads like a middle grade story—and i get why it couldn't be marketed as that, what with the swearing and blood and implied sex, but a lot of its other aspects just don't fit with the expectations that i have for YA books.
(this will contain spoilers)
(+) on the bright side, i did really, really like the premise! i always love unique magic systems, and i thought the setting and culture that the author created was so interesting. i wouldn't go so far as to compare it to howl's moving castle, personally, but it did have its own sense of whimsy nonetheless. the opening scene—with the ML scaling a cliffside to retrieve bird feathers—was so nice and atmospheric!
(-) that said, there was far too much exposition in the first few chapters. world building is a necessity, of course, but when it's all crammed in at the beginning and spouted off like a history lesson, it comes across as unnatural.
not just that, but the character exposition—the MCs' tragic backstories, their life history, etc.—was treated similarly. i feel like that sort of thing should be conveyed throughout the course of the story; otherwise, it just comes across as forced and doesn't make the characters feel realistic.
(-) i also didn't like the way emotions were written. the author did a lot more telling than showing, which is something that i associate with middle grade fiction (hence my earlier remarks).
i felt that some reactions to shocking situations were just... not well done. at one point the ML causes a dude to fall from a great height, and this is the reaction of said dude's friend:
"'You killed my friend!' [he] roared, fumbling to put his glasses back on. 'Do you know who his father is? You're dead!'"
it that a normal response? no crying, no despair, no frantically running down to check if he is, indeed, dead? even the ML wasn't fazed for very long. it felt unnatural, but it might just be me.
(-) the FL was a bit too inconsistent for my tastes. at the start of the book, she was this dour, love-hating girl whose mentality was (for some reason) that she was "someone who always let you down." she also only ever did one-night stands, which i guess made her an awful person. as she put it to the ML:
"You don't understand. I always leave the people I sleep with. I'm a one-night girl."
i'm not sure why she had to say this in the absolute cringiest way ever, nor why she acts like she is the root of all evil for it. but she's a teenage girl, so i guess i can let it slide; we all thought the world was falling down around us at that age.
(-) the romance... oh, the romance. i admittedly do not like insta-love, but this is an aspect that i'm sure some other readers might actually enjoy.
the ML and FL were holding hands literally minutes after meeting each other. maybe an hour or two after that, the FL thought she was falling in love with the ML. like, what? for a girl who thought that people in love were "fools" just earlier that SAME DAY, she sure is quite the romantic, saying stuff like:
"She wanted to go to him, wrap him in her arms, and tell him that since they'd found each other, perhaps they'd never be alone again."
the fact that the book tried to acknowledge this absurdity does not, in fact, make it easier to stomach. actually, i think it makes it worse:
"It was totally ludicrous to be feeling anything for someone she'd known for less than a day, but that was the way of things sometimes, wasn't it?"
no. no, that's not the way of things.
(-) i didn't find the FL's motivations... at all motivating? the gist of it is that her now-dead mother told her that she was going to be great one day, so the FL is obsessed with becoming rich and powerful. that feels a bit extreme considering the fact that "great" can mean literally anything—i think it's a pretty subjective word. either way, her life goal is to fulfill her interpretation of the weird destiny that her mother spoke into existence.
because of this, in almost every single chapter from the FL's POV, the phrase "You are meant for great things" is there, written in italics like it's supposed to mean something deep. literally—nearly EVERY chapter.
(-) the FL and ML didn't face any major hurdles, so they never grew, and i found that boring.
the FL had never made lace in her life but did it perfectly on the first try; the ML and FL agonized over how to find more starlight, and in the end the ML just had some innate ability to do so. they never had to grow, or better themselves, or change in any way to accomplish their goals. where is the fun in that? they had some minor struggles (being kidnapped, being attacked and harassed), but even that didn't really cause any character growth?
(-) the whole situation with their country's queen was also not well done, imo. for context: the queen saw the ML and FL holding a piece of lace made from starlight. when they told her that they had made it, she immediately whisked them away to her palace so that they could make her a dress.
this, specifically, felt very middle grade fantasy to me. why didn't the queen ask for ANY proof of their skill? the fact that the MCs immediately agreed to her request can be excused as them being seventeen years old and foolhardy, but the adult queen taking them at face value is a bit... unrealistic?
for all she knows, they could be lying. they could have stolen or just happened to stumble across the handkerchief. i find it difficult to believe that she would accept their story without any sort of concrete proof of their abilities. if a magical art has been lost for centuries, i feel like most sane people aren't going to believe that two random teenagers are the ones who found it again.
(-) the villains were another thing that felt middle grade. they almost read like caricatures; i half expected them to start twirling their mustaches and monologuing about their nefarious plans. one did, indeed, start saying his evil aspirations aloud, although thankfully it was only like one sentence.
(-) this isn't that big of a deal, but i also noticed that the way characters were described was oddly inconsistent? for the first few chapters, people were described by their race—"white woman," "black girl"—and then for the rest of the book there was no mention of race at all, even for newly-introduced characters; instead they were described as having freckles, or light-brown skin, etc. i personally feel like the latter is better for fantasy, but at the very least the way of describing characters should remain consistent throughout the book.
at the end of the day, this book was just not for me! i can see why some enjoyed it, but while the premise was there, the execution left something to be desired.
✷ arc courtesy of netgalley & peachtree teen!
i think my main dilemma with this book is that a lot of it reads like a middle grade story—and i get why it couldn't be marketed as that, what with the swearing and blood and implied sex, but a lot of its other aspects just don't fit with the expectations that i have for YA books.
(this will contain spoilers)
(+) on the bright side, i did really, really like the premise! i always love unique magic systems, and i thought the setting and culture that the author created was so interesting. i wouldn't go so far as to compare it to howl's moving castle, personally, but it did have its own sense of whimsy nonetheless. the opening scene—with the ML scaling a cliffside to retrieve bird feathers—was so nice and atmospheric!
(-) that said, there was far too much exposition in the first few chapters. world building is a necessity, of course, but when it's all crammed in at the beginning and spouted off like a history lesson, it comes across as unnatural.
not just that, but the character exposition—the MCs' tragic backstories, their life history, etc.—was treated similarly. i feel like that sort of thing should be conveyed throughout the course of the story; otherwise, it just comes across as forced and doesn't make the characters feel realistic.
(-) i also didn't like the way emotions were written. the author did a lot more telling than showing, which is something that i associate with middle grade fiction (hence my earlier remarks).
i felt that some reactions to shocking situations were just... not well done. at one point the ML causes a dude to fall from a great height, and this is the reaction of said dude's friend:
"'You killed my friend!' [he] roared, fumbling to put his glasses back on. 'Do you know who his father is? You're dead!'"
it that a normal response? no crying, no despair, no frantically running down to check if he is, indeed, dead? even the ML wasn't fazed for very long. it felt unnatural, but it might just be me.
(-) the FL was a bit too inconsistent for my tastes. at the start of the book, she was this dour, love-hating girl whose mentality was (for some reason) that she was "someone who always let you down." she also only ever did one-night stands, which i guess made her an awful person. as she put it to the ML:
"You don't understand. I always leave the people I sleep with. I'm a one-night girl."
i'm not sure why she had to say this in the absolute cringiest way ever, nor why she acts like she is the root of all evil for it. but she's a teenage girl, so i guess i can let it slide; we all thought the world was falling down around us at that age.
(-) the romance... oh, the romance. i admittedly do not like insta-love, but this is an aspect that i'm sure some other readers might actually enjoy.
the ML and FL were holding hands literally minutes after meeting each other. maybe an hour or two after that, the FL thought she was falling in love with the ML. like, what? for a girl who thought that people in love were "fools" just earlier that SAME DAY, she sure is quite the romantic, saying stuff like:
"She wanted to go to him, wrap him in her arms, and tell him that since they'd found each other, perhaps they'd never be alone again."
the fact that the book tried to acknowledge this absurdity does not, in fact, make it easier to stomach. actually, i think it makes it worse:
"It was totally ludicrous to be feeling anything for someone she'd known for less than a day, but that was the way of things sometimes, wasn't it?"
no. no, that's not the way of things.
(-) i didn't find the FL's motivations... at all motivating? the gist of it is that her now-dead mother told her that she was going to be great one day, so the FL is obsessed with becoming rich and powerful. that feels a bit extreme considering the fact that "great" can mean literally anything—i think it's a pretty subjective word. either way, her life goal is to fulfill her interpretation of the weird destiny that her mother spoke into existence.
because of this, in almost every single chapter from the FL's POV, the phrase "You are meant for great things" is there, written in italics like it's supposed to mean something deep. literally—nearly EVERY chapter.
(-) the FL and ML didn't face any major hurdles, so they never grew, and i found that boring.
the FL had never made lace in her life but did it perfectly on the first try; the ML and FL agonized over how to find more starlight, and in the end the ML just had some innate ability to do so. they never had to grow, or better themselves, or change in any way to accomplish their goals. where is the fun in that? they had some minor struggles (being kidnapped, being attacked and harassed), but even that didn't really cause any character growth?
(-) the whole situation with their country's queen was also not well done, imo. for context: the queen saw the ML and FL holding a piece of lace made from starlight. when they told her that they had made it, she immediately whisked them away to her palace so that they could make her a dress.
this, specifically, felt very middle grade fantasy to me. why didn't the queen ask for ANY proof of their skill? the fact that the MCs immediately agreed to her request can be excused as them being seventeen years old and foolhardy, but the adult queen taking them at face value is a bit... unrealistic?
for all she knows, they could be lying. they could have stolen or just happened to stumble across the handkerchief. i find it difficult to believe that she would accept their story without any sort of concrete proof of their abilities. if a magical art has been lost for centuries, i feel like most sane people aren't going to believe that two random teenagers are the ones who found it again.
(-) the villains were another thing that felt middle grade. they almost read like caricatures; i half expected them to start twirling their mustaches and monologuing about their nefarious plans. one did, indeed, start saying his evil aspirations aloud, although thankfully it was only like one sentence.
(-) this isn't that big of a deal, but i also noticed that the way characters were described was oddly inconsistent? for the first few chapters, people were described by their race—"white woman," "black girl"—and then for the rest of the book there was no mention of race at all, even for newly-introduced characters; instead they were described as having freckles, or light-brown skin, etc. i personally feel like the latter is better for fantasy, but at the very least the way of describing characters should remain consistent throughout the book.
at the end of the day, this book was just not for me! i can see why some enjoyed it, but while the premise was there, the execution left something to be desired.
✷ arc courtesy of netgalley & peachtree teen!
September 29, 2022
4.5 STARS
Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was delightful and a delightful read. It's whimsical and heartwarming and magical.
The world-building was excellent, particularly with the Vermilion Emporium. Outside of that shop, additional detail could have been helpful, but it made sense based on Twain and Quinta's limited experience outside of Severon.
Twain and Quinta were well-developed characters with detailed backstories. You could understand their motivations and character flaws based on their backgrounds. The romance in the book isn't spicy or dramatic but rather sweet and steady, growing until it reaches a crescendo.
I took away half a star (and considered a 4-star review) because a couple of areas started to drag for me. However, I only felt that way for a short while before the book picked back up again.
Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was delightful and a delightful read. It's whimsical and heartwarming and magical.
The world-building was excellent, particularly with the Vermilion Emporium. Outside of that shop, additional detail could have been helpful, but it made sense based on Twain and Quinta's limited experience outside of Severon.
Twain and Quinta were well-developed characters with detailed backstories. You could understand their motivations and character flaws based on their backgrounds. The romance in the book isn't spicy or dramatic but rather sweet and steady, growing until it reaches a crescendo.
I took away half a star (and considered a 4-star review) because a couple of areas started to drag for me. However, I only felt that way for a short while before the book picked back up again.
August 19, 2023
Have you ever had a dream that feels too far out of reach? One made of impossible feats and feelings of untapped potential? What if you could capture that into a thread, which you could thread into a lace unlike any other material? Quinta and Twian are about to go on such a journey, with many perils in their paths. What truths will they find out not only about themselves, but the world they live in?
This story has an amazing jumping off point, a solid cast of characters, and just when you think it's about to get tropey the story shifts in an unexpected way that keeps you guessing. Why then, you must be asking yourself, would I only give this novel a 3.75?! Perils are only exciting when they are peppered throughout. In this novel nothing goes right for our main characters, and I mean NOTHING. By the end I was rooting for just one subplot to go their way rather than unfurling into telenovela levels of drama only to find myself rolling my eyes and trying to figure out if this trouble was worse than the last. I love good drama, but when it drags the story beyond to a point where you're just trying to survive it I find the reading becomes more of a chore than a cheer.
3.75 stars rounded to 4. Recommended for fans of extreme fantasy who don't mind a bit of PG romance, ages 12+. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story has an amazing jumping off point, a solid cast of characters, and just when you think it's about to get tropey the story shifts in an unexpected way that keeps you guessing. Why then, you must be asking yourself, would I only give this novel a 3.75?! Perils are only exciting when they are peppered throughout. In this novel nothing goes right for our main characters, and I mean NOTHING. By the end I was rooting for just one subplot to go their way rather than unfurling into telenovela levels of drama only to find myself rolling my eyes and trying to figure out if this trouble was worse than the last. I love good drama, but when it drags the story beyond to a point where you're just trying to survive it I find the reading becomes more of a chore than a cheer.
3.75 stars rounded to 4. Recommended for fans of extreme fantasy who don't mind a bit of PG romance, ages 12+. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 30, 2022
What did I just read?
I am really sorry to say I did not enjoy this book overall. Maybe it was the book, maybe it was me, maybe it was moon - who knows?
I want to start with the description of the book - because that had me hooked. "The heart-wrenching story of The Radium Girls meets the enchanting world of Howl’s Moving Castle." Yes please! Unfortunately, for a book compared The Radium Girls, that comparison was only present from about the 70% mark. Prior to that point, you get some vague mystery about the cost of magic, which obviously if you know about Radium Girls you can make some guesses to, but it isn't overwhelming in the book until far down the line. Second Unfortunately, for a book that's described as Howl's Moving Castle, the actual Emporium plays a pretty minor role. It's again not until the very end of the book that you learn about the emporium moving through cities, traveling here and there and get to see what it can do.
I'm going to keep going through the blurb before I complain about the other issues I had with this book. "Meanwhile, Quinta, the ordinary daughter of an extraordinary circus performer, " we only know her mother was extraordinary cause they say it. There's no real explanation about her abilities and she died collecting magic so you have to wonder about that. I would have loved more info about this circus other than "It was a big deal and then they all broke up" and if there was that detail it wasn't memorable enough to note it.
"When Quinta meets Twain outside the Emporium, two things happen: One, Quinta starts to fall for this starlight boy, " - She does but like immediately. The ML and FL meet and are literally holding hands like a paragraph later. Then after a month of knowing each other and a month away from each other are proclaiming their love for each other and ready to spend their lives together. Two months! I've had outfits for years longer than that and I'm still not sure I like them!
Onto the actual book content. The characters were obviously intended to be YA, as evidenced Quinta's apparent reputation as a one-night girl. The text literally says "She was not a girl who stayed longer than one night, and she made a point to avoid anyone who might want more than that". In case you forget this fact about her, you're remind a little later with the line "Quinta never held hands with boys (that was not how a one-night only girl worked)" and a third time where it says "She wasn't sure about friends forever - even if she wanted to know this boy more, she was a one-night girl -" Phew, I was worried I'd forget she was a one-night girl. At least she's self aware because she tells Twain "You don't understand. I always leave the people I sleep with. I'm a one-night girl." And if that isn't clear about who she is, I don't know how else to make it clearer. However I do know that it is the cringiest dialogue I've read in sometime. (But just to REALLY drive the point home, "She was a one-night girl" appears another time later in the book.) Also I have to bring attention to the quote "Stop being a creep, and help me," because that cemented these are absolutely teenagers doing fellow kid things.
Despite being labelled YA, the writing felt a mix of MG and also entirely unnecessary sentences. Two scenes and their come to mind:
1) "Now who wants a cup of coffee? I need one if I'm going to make it through any more studying." Both Quinta and Damian agreed to that, and they set off to get the strongest cup of coffee they could find. - The last bit of that sentence wholly reminded me of when your family member goes on for ten minutes and you're begging them to get to the point before your soul leaves your body.
2) 2-3 pages of getting ice cream. The dialogue in the scene itself is mostly fine but "Damian took a huge lick of his strawberry cone." "She took a small bite of her lemon and lavender ice cream" "Twain had ordered a chocolate and toffee ice cream and most of it was already gone." Who. cares?! Now if the sexcapades of Quinta and the teen lingo didn't solidify this as YA, the recurrent appearances of two bullies really give us rich-kid-jerks vibes from the most quality of teen high school dramas. They really did not need to be there.
I had real issues with some of the descriptions in the book. I cannot for the life of me picture what Quinta or Twain actually look like. We know she's a one night girl but that's hard to paint a visual to. There were a few points in the book where the author made reference to a character's ethnicity: a tall, broad white woman; showed a beautiful white woman wearing a flowing dress and sitting; young white men came stumbling down the stairs; belonging to a very pretty Black girl nearly; a white girl with a long braid hanging past her shoulders. She gripped the hand of the Black girl. These skin tone references do not add to anything! Literally nothing other than we know Black and white people exist in this world, which I would have assumed they did anyway. So what was the purpose of this? In most books I've read, when the author makes obvious reference to something particular about a character, skin colour, hair colour, tattoos etc etc it's because there is some relevance to that in the world building. Like characters from the magic using community having white hair or something. This wasn't the case so again, why really bring attention to it?
Even beyond characters, the world description was really lacking. We know this small island has problems keeping itself protected and that's kind of that. We know there is the Casorina, the ruler of Severon and within Severon are these districts but that's kind of it. Nothing about the world, the politics, the societal hierarchy is really delved into and it's left feeling a flat as a result.
It's the author's fantasy debut and I hope their next book goes well. For me this particular book was a flat world where the most interesting aspects of the book, which nod to The Radium Girls and Howl's Moving Castle, don't appear until 70% and even later % in the book but throughout is riddled with unnecessary text and cringy dialogue.
(I couldn't find where to put this in above but this made me laugh so hard. *Spoiler warning*
Twain covered Sorchia - his grandmother (he was till having a hard time seeing her as that) - with a blue silk shawl and rested her on a settee near the bookshelf door. "We will have to bury her, but I'm not sure where." Quinta went to him, taking his hand. "We'll figure that out soon. First, let's eat, bandage out wounds and make some of this starlight tea." - You have a literal body in the house! Sort it out first! Don't put the dead body out the way and then say "right, how about some food?" What is wrong with these two!?)
I am really sorry to say I did not enjoy this book overall. Maybe it was the book, maybe it was me, maybe it was moon - who knows?
I want to start with the description of the book - because that had me hooked. "The heart-wrenching story of The Radium Girls meets the enchanting world of Howl’s Moving Castle." Yes please! Unfortunately, for a book compared The Radium Girls, that comparison was only present from about the 70% mark. Prior to that point, you get some vague mystery about the cost of magic, which obviously if you know about Radium Girls you can make some guesses to, but it isn't overwhelming in the book until far down the line. Second Unfortunately, for a book that's described as Howl's Moving Castle, the actual Emporium plays a pretty minor role. It's again not until the very end of the book that you learn about the emporium moving through cities, traveling here and there and get to see what it can do.
I'm going to keep going through the blurb before I complain about the other issues I had with this book. "Meanwhile, Quinta, the ordinary daughter of an extraordinary circus performer, " we only know her mother was extraordinary cause they say it. There's no real explanation about her abilities and she died collecting magic so you have to wonder about that. I would have loved more info about this circus other than "It was a big deal and then they all broke up" and if there was that detail it wasn't memorable enough to note it.
"When Quinta meets Twain outside the Emporium, two things happen: One, Quinta starts to fall for this starlight boy, " - She does but like immediately. The ML and FL meet and are literally holding hands like a paragraph later. Then after a month of knowing each other and a month away from each other are proclaiming their love for each other and ready to spend their lives together. Two months! I've had outfits for years longer than that and I'm still not sure I like them!
Onto the actual book content. The characters were obviously intended to be YA, as evidenced Quinta's apparent reputation as a one-night girl. The text literally says "She was not a girl who stayed longer than one night, and she made a point to avoid anyone who might want more than that". In case you forget this fact about her, you're remind a little later with the line "Quinta never held hands with boys (that was not how a one-night only girl worked)" and a third time where it says "She wasn't sure about friends forever - even if she wanted to know this boy more, she was a one-night girl -" Phew, I was worried I'd forget she was a one-night girl. At least she's self aware because she tells Twain "You don't understand. I always leave the people I sleep with. I'm a one-night girl." And if that isn't clear about who she is, I don't know how else to make it clearer. However I do know that it is the cringiest dialogue I've read in sometime. (But just to REALLY drive the point home, "She was a one-night girl" appears another time later in the book.) Also I have to bring attention to the quote "Stop being a creep, and help me," because that cemented these are absolutely teenagers doing fellow kid things.
Despite being labelled YA, the writing felt a mix of MG and also entirely unnecessary sentences. Two scenes and their come to mind:
1) "Now who wants a cup of coffee? I need one if I'm going to make it through any more studying." Both Quinta and Damian agreed to that, and they set off to get the strongest cup of coffee they could find. - The last bit of that sentence wholly reminded me of when your family member goes on for ten minutes and you're begging them to get to the point before your soul leaves your body.
2) 2-3 pages of getting ice cream. The dialogue in the scene itself is mostly fine but "Damian took a huge lick of his strawberry cone." "She took a small bite of her lemon and lavender ice cream" "Twain had ordered a chocolate and toffee ice cream and most of it was already gone." Who. cares?! Now if the sexcapades of Quinta and the teen lingo didn't solidify this as YA, the recurrent appearances of two bullies really give us rich-kid-jerks vibes from the most quality of teen high school dramas. They really did not need to be there.
I had real issues with some of the descriptions in the book. I cannot for the life of me picture what Quinta or Twain actually look like. We know she's a one night girl but that's hard to paint a visual to. There were a few points in the book where the author made reference to a character's ethnicity: a tall, broad white woman; showed a beautiful white woman wearing a flowing dress and sitting; young white men came stumbling down the stairs; belonging to a very pretty Black girl nearly; a white girl with a long braid hanging past her shoulders. She gripped the hand of the Black girl. These skin tone references do not add to anything! Literally nothing other than we know Black and white people exist in this world, which I would have assumed they did anyway. So what was the purpose of this? In most books I've read, when the author makes obvious reference to something particular about a character, skin colour, hair colour, tattoos etc etc it's because there is some relevance to that in the world building. Like characters from the magic using community having white hair or something. This wasn't the case so again, why really bring attention to it?
Even beyond characters, the world description was really lacking. We know this small island has problems keeping itself protected and that's kind of that. We know there is the Casorina, the ruler of Severon and within Severon are these districts but that's kind of it. Nothing about the world, the politics, the societal hierarchy is really delved into and it's left feeling a flat as a result.
It's the author's fantasy debut and I hope their next book goes well. For me this particular book was a flat world where the most interesting aspects of the book, which nod to The Radium Girls and Howl's Moving Castle, don't appear until 70% and even later % in the book but throughout is riddled with unnecessary text and cringy dialogue.
(I couldn't find where to put this in above but this made me laugh so hard. *Spoiler warning*
Twain covered Sorchia - his grandmother (he was till having a hard time seeing her as that) - with a blue silk shawl and rested her on a settee near the bookshelf door. "We will have to bury her, but I'm not sure where." Quinta went to him, taking his hand. "We'll figure that out soon. First, let's eat, bandage out wounds and make some of this starlight tea." - You have a literal body in the house! Sort it out first! Don't put the dead body out the way and then say "right, how about some food?" What is wrong with these two!?)
July 24, 2022
The Vermilion Emporium 4/5
I really enjoyed reading about the characters and all the plot twists. Also, I love books with magic and it was nice to see the characters explore the magic in their world.
I really liked both Twain and Quinta, and I enjoyed reading about their relationship, even though i don’t usually like insta love. I will say though that the book did drag on quite a bit but still an enjoyable read!
“There will always be magic between us,” she whispered…
Definitely recommend!
I really enjoyed reading about the characters and all the plot twists. Also, I love books with magic and it was nice to see the characters explore the magic in their world.
I really liked both Twain and Quinta, and I enjoyed reading about their relationship, even though i don’t usually like insta love. I will say though that the book did drag on quite a bit but still an enjoyable read!
“There will always be magic between us,” she whispered…
Definitely recommend!
June 27, 2024
Reseña completa:
La misma noche en que Twain descubre un valiosísimo hilo de luz de estrellas en los acantilados, aparece en la ciudad una misteriosa y mágica tienda: El Emporio Escarlata, donde también conocerá a Quinta, una noven que esperaba encontrar en ese lugar algo que la ayude a estar a la altura del legado mágico de su madre. Allí, descubrirán un libro que les enseñará a tejer la luz de las estrellas, pero cuando la gobernante de la ciudad les encargue un vestido hecho de ese material a cambio de hacer realidad sus sueños, ambos se lanzarán en busca del secreto mejor guardado, olvidado hace siglos, e iniciarán una aventura llena de peligros que intentarán separarlos... y acabar con ellos.
Esta es una de esas lecturas que me ha terminado resultado frustrante: empezó genial, con drama, magia, misterio y una trama de esas que sientes que tiene muchísimo potencial, si encima le sumamos la promesa de un romance, aún mejor; pero... me temo que la ejecución no ha sido tan especial como esperaba, ni ha logrado estar a la altura para encandilarme.
La misma noche en que Twain descubre un valiosísimo hilo de luz de estrellas en los acantilados, aparece en la ciudad una misteriosa y mágica tienda: El Emporio Escarlata, donde también conocerá a Quinta, una noven que esperaba encontrar en ese lugar algo que la ayude a estar a la altura del legado mágico de su madre. Allí, descubrirán un libro que les enseñará a tejer la luz de las estrellas, pero cuando la gobernante de la ciudad les encargue un vestido hecho de ese material a cambio de hacer realidad sus sueños, ambos se lanzarán en busca del secreto mejor guardado, olvidado hace siglos, e iniciarán una aventura llena de peligros que intentarán separarlos... y acabar con ellos.
Esta es una de esas lecturas que me ha terminado resultado frustrante: empezó genial, con drama, magia, misterio y una trama de esas que sientes que tiene muchísimo potencial, si encima le sumamos la promesa de un romance, aún mejor; pero... me temo que la ejecución no ha sido tan especial como esperaba, ni ha logrado estar a la altura para encandilarme.
March 5, 2023
This is a fun adventure story with two likable lead characters. I appreciated that Quinta was prickly without being downright annoying, and Twain was wild and adventurous without being completely flighty or unreliable. I also loved the aesthetic of the magical lace-making, and the "bigger on the inside" Vermilion Emporium with its thousands of rooms.
At the same time, the second part of the story was less enjoyable than the first. It almost felt like another book tacked onto the first one. The last third (or even quarter?) introduces a whole bunch of new characters, including a major villain, as well as new aspects of the magic system. In the Author's Note, Jamie Pacton talked about how she combined several historical sources, including Venetian lacemakers and the 1940s Radium Girls, to create this story, and I'm wondering if that was the source of some of the plot messiness. Too many different flavors in the soup?
At the same time, the second part of the story was less enjoyable than the first. It almost felt like another book tacked onto the first one. The last third (or even quarter?) introduces a whole bunch of new characters, including a major villain, as well as new aspects of the magic system. In the Author's Note, Jamie Pacton talked about how she combined several historical sources, including Venetian lacemakers and the 1940s Radium Girls, to create this story, and I'm wondering if that was the source of some of the plot messiness. Too many different flavors in the soup?
January 20, 2023
DNF at 65%
This wasn't bad by any means, it was actually pretty whimsical and well written, but I just had no interest in it. It started off pretty strong but my desire to go back to the story pretty much died off as I continued.
This wasn't bad by any means, it was actually pretty whimsical and well written, but I just had no interest in it. It started off pretty strong but my desire to go back to the story pretty much died off as I continued.
September 10, 2023
Oh this book!!!! I absolutely love this book with all my heart!!! Quinta and Twain are two perfect characters who were meant for each other. There is so much magic in this book it’s practically bursting at the spine!!!
The story is beautiful, magical, and romantic. This has been described as part Howl’s Moving Castle and that is exactly right!!! I enjoyed every step of the way to the ending. Then the ending really stole my heart and I cannot wait to reread this one!!!
I recommend this to those who loved Howls Moving Castle, those who love a healthy dose of magic, and romance. This is just too beautiful to miss!!!!
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion.
The story is beautiful, magical, and romantic. This has been described as part Howl’s Moving Castle and that is exactly right!!! I enjoyed every step of the way to the ending. Then the ending really stole my heart and I cannot wait to reread this one!!!
I recommend this to those who loved Howls Moving Castle, those who love a healthy dose of magic, and romance. This is just too beautiful to miss!!!!
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion.
June 6, 2024
La idea me parece chulísima, y tiene una magia la mar de interesante... si se molestaran en explicarla un poquito o, al menos, de dónde sale, por qué unos la tienen y otros no. Creo que tenía una premisa muy buena pero la ejecución me ha frustrado un poco.
October 27, 2022
Got an arc from ALA
Oh man this was bonkers (I say affectionately)
I knew it was going to be magical with the howl’s moving castle comp and it was, but the description on the back of the book is barely the first half of the store and there’s so much more it’s WILD. I loved it.
4.5/5 rounded up
Oh man this was bonkers (I say affectionately)
I knew it was going to be magical with the howl’s moving castle comp and it was, but the description on the back of the book is barely the first half of the store and there’s so much more it’s WILD. I loved it.
4.5/5 rounded up
May 5, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up!
This book was both really good and entirely unlike what I expected in some ways. This is the story of Quinta and Twain, the only survivor in a line of magic users and an orphan climbing cliffs for rare feathers respectively. When they both stumble upon the same magic shop called the Vermilion Emporium, the two team up to find and weave starlight to make magical lace, but the costs of magic aren't always clear, and the lace draws in all those who want its power.
Our characters are so amazing in this book. We learn a lot about their emotions and pasts, but not so much that it takes away from the current story. Quinta and Twain are both incredibly deep and determined, which always a great mix to read about. Aside from that, the side characters were also featured a lot in ways that I loved, which is surprising since the vast majority of the story centers the POV characters and only them.
This romance is insta-love, but more like instant attraction. Quinta and Twain do have feelings for each other within a couple of hours and kiss early on, but they don't actually get together because of her history and his future, so there are just a lot of really sweet moments and tension. The fact that their relationship isn't immediate was a great decision as the reader can enjoy their chemistry without getting bored because there's nowhere new for it to go. I also loved the bonds the MCs formed with the side characters, like with the seamstresses later on, Sorchia, and the Casorina.
Plot was really where this book became unpredictable (in a good way). The first half of this book is pretty romantic and cozy, but the last third is much more risky and dangerous. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I was surprised with the direction it took! I loved where the story went, but I was honestly expecting something more peaceful. 🤣 Pacton did a great job making the book keep going even after what would've been the natural end to a book that was entirely cozy fantasy. She wove mystery into the plot early on to make sure it could stand on its own, and I love that.
This was readable and so amazing.
I'd recommend this to people who like fantasy without the epic nature, but still magic usage and whimsy! This was compared to Howl's Moving Castle, and although I'm not familiar with everything about the movie or book, I can safely say I agree. This was so much fun, and I couldn't guess what was coming next!
This book was both really good and entirely unlike what I expected in some ways. This is the story of Quinta and Twain, the only survivor in a line of magic users and an orphan climbing cliffs for rare feathers respectively. When they both stumble upon the same magic shop called the Vermilion Emporium, the two team up to find and weave starlight to make magical lace, but the costs of magic aren't always clear, and the lace draws in all those who want its power.
Our characters are so amazing in this book. We learn a lot about their emotions and pasts, but not so much that it takes away from the current story. Quinta and Twain are both incredibly deep and determined, which always a great mix to read about. Aside from that, the side characters were also featured a lot in ways that I loved, which is surprising since the vast majority of the story centers the POV characters and only them.
This romance is insta-love, but more like instant attraction. Quinta and Twain do have feelings for each other within a couple of hours and kiss early on, but they don't actually get together because of her history and his future, so there are just a lot of really sweet moments and tension. The fact that their relationship isn't immediate was a great decision as the reader can enjoy their chemistry without getting bored because there's nowhere new for it to go. I also loved the bonds the MCs formed with the side characters, like with the seamstresses later on, Sorchia, and the Casorina.
Plot was really where this book became unpredictable (in a good way). The first half of this book is pretty romantic and cozy, but the last third is much more risky and dangerous. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I was surprised with the direction it took! I loved where the story went, but I was honestly expecting something more peaceful. 🤣 Pacton did a great job making the book keep going even after what would've been the natural end to a book that was entirely cozy fantasy. She wove mystery into the plot early on to make sure it could stand on its own, and I love that.
This was readable and so amazing.
I'd recommend this to people who like fantasy without the epic nature, but still magic usage and whimsy! This was compared to Howl's Moving Castle, and although I'm not familiar with everything about the movie or book, I can safely say I agree. This was so much fun, and I couldn't guess what was coming next!
September 19, 2023
One of my favourite vibes for fantasy books is "Ghibli-style fantasy romance", and this is exactly that. I could so easily picture this as a beautiful animated movie, as it's so full of whimsy. And I absolutely loved the romance. I would highly recommend this if you're looking for a cosy fall read.
October 23, 2022
Wow! This was such a passionate, rich, and formidable novel! The world is full of magic and whimsy that filled my heart.
The author juxtaposes an enduring romance between Quinta and Twain with a splash of jeopardy, creating this sweeping story and it's powerful characters as captivating and poignant. If anything though some of the descriptions, whilst beautifully written, lingered long and I found my attention slipping and fading at times.
Jamie Pacton's debut is nothing short of enchanting. Her vivid storytelling of hope and despair, light and dark, love and loss, shines brightly on every page, weaving a fresh and exciting tale of magic.
Thankyou to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The author juxtaposes an enduring romance between Quinta and Twain with a splash of jeopardy, creating this sweeping story and it's powerful characters as captivating and poignant. If anything though some of the descriptions, whilst beautifully written, lingered long and I found my attention slipping and fading at times.
Jamie Pacton's debut is nothing short of enchanting. Her vivid storytelling of hope and despair, light and dark, love and loss, shines brightly on every page, weaving a fresh and exciting tale of magic.
Thankyou to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 2, 2022
Upon reading the premise for The Vermillion Emporium, I instantly requested an arc. The imagery is reminiscent of The Night Circus by Erin Morginstern.
Though TNC didn’t quite live up to my expectations or tastes, I did rather enjoy the world/setting and I’ve been searching for a book that will serve this. The black and white imagery, fancy dresses, and magical rooms of TVE called me back to the memories of TNC. I savored the clothing, tents, food, and overall world building. However, most all other aspects fell short.
Character description was a bit spotty. I couldn’t properly envision the ethnicities of the MCs as they had inconsistent descriptions. Particularly with skin color. Also, side characters would be randomly called out as “black man” or “white girl.” I wasn’t sure if this was just flat out lack of sensitivity readers or if it had to do with the language of this fantasy world. It was never explained therefore I have to assume the former.
Character emotion lacked over all. Most notably in the beginning chapters. The ML causes multiple deaths and is then seen in the next chapter to flirt with the FL. For that reason, I lost respect for him. The romance was too instant for me. They were holding hands within seconds of meeting each other. And the male lead was overly friendly and flirty in a way that made me uncomfortable.
The exposition is laid out in awkward chunks rather than cleverly woven in. There is zero subtext, the characters say exactly what they feel. Often, they’re feeling way too much, way too fast.
I found that the political aspects of the world were not fleshed out in a way that made much sense. And all of the authority figures were conveniently dull–minded. Many plot devices were included to make the MCs mission easier. Ex: the making of starlight lace. It’s this easiness that prevented them from having any sort of character growth at the end of the novel. I’m a character reader, and they were the same at the start of the story as they were at the end.
Overall, this story has a lot of potential, but it is either shelved in the wrong genre or needs some editing to get it up to modern day YA standards. Would be cute as a MG if edited for sexual content (which didn’t elevate the story anyways.)
Though TNC didn’t quite live up to my expectations or tastes, I did rather enjoy the world/setting and I’ve been searching for a book that will serve this. The black and white imagery, fancy dresses, and magical rooms of TVE called me back to the memories of TNC. I savored the clothing, tents, food, and overall world building. However, most all other aspects fell short.
Character description was a bit spotty. I couldn’t properly envision the ethnicities of the MCs as they had inconsistent descriptions. Particularly with skin color. Also, side characters would be randomly called out as “black man” or “white girl.” I wasn’t sure if this was just flat out lack of sensitivity readers or if it had to do with the language of this fantasy world. It was never explained therefore I have to assume the former.
Character emotion lacked over all. Most notably in the beginning chapters. The ML causes multiple deaths and is then seen in the next chapter to flirt with the FL. For that reason, I lost respect for him. The romance was too instant for me. They were holding hands within seconds of meeting each other. And the male lead was overly friendly and flirty in a way that made me uncomfortable.
The exposition is laid out in awkward chunks rather than cleverly woven in. There is zero subtext, the characters say exactly what they feel. Often, they’re feeling way too much, way too fast.
I found that the political aspects of the world were not fleshed out in a way that made much sense. And all of the authority figures were conveniently dull–minded. Many plot devices were included to make the MCs mission easier. Ex: the making of starlight lace. It’s this easiness that prevented them from having any sort of character growth at the end of the novel. I’m a character reader, and they were the same at the start of the story as they were at the end.
Overall, this story has a lot of potential, but it is either shelved in the wrong genre or needs some editing to get it up to modern day YA standards. Would be cute as a MG if edited for sexual content (which didn’t elevate the story anyways.)
July 12, 2022
I usually don’t give 5-star reviews to fantasy novels, never mind read them to begin with. And the YA genre has been out of my wheelhouse for some time now. But I was assigned this book for work, and I am so grateful we found each other. This book has changed my perspective of fantasy. It is a magical journey of love, pain, and suffering, but all within the framework of a true passion for storytelling.
Twain and Quinta are two orphans living out separate lives in the streets of a city called Severon. Twain yearns to leave the city and escape his brother’s debts while Quinta is haunted by her mother’s past, and a strange oracle that she is “meant for great things.” Their paths cross at The Vermilion Emporium, a magic shop that mysteriously appears in town, and their lives are immediately changed forever.
Jamie Pacton, the author, mentions that she was inspired by Erin Morgentstern’s The Night Circus, and this book is very reflective of Morgenstern’s style. But I would argue that the main force of the novel, unlike Morgenstern’s previous works, is not the magic itself, but the love that the characters show for one another. They are both imperfect people who have hurt others in the past, but the connection they share is written so beautifully, you could argue that the magic of the book itself has nothing to do with the supernatural.
This book, while in the YA category, reads like a novel geared toward an adult audience. The themes presented in the book: death, loss, torture, etc.; are expertly explored and even honored. And the language is stunning. If the consistently-changing plot doesn’t keep you hooked, the language will.
Is it cheesy at times? Yes. A bit dramatic? Sure. But overall I loved reading this book, and can’t wait to work with it further. Be sure to check it out on audio for the real magic to be brought to life!
Twain and Quinta are two orphans living out separate lives in the streets of a city called Severon. Twain yearns to leave the city and escape his brother’s debts while Quinta is haunted by her mother’s past, and a strange oracle that she is “meant for great things.” Their paths cross at The Vermilion Emporium, a magic shop that mysteriously appears in town, and their lives are immediately changed forever.
Jamie Pacton, the author, mentions that she was inspired by Erin Morgentstern’s The Night Circus, and this book is very reflective of Morgenstern’s style. But I would argue that the main force of the novel, unlike Morgenstern’s previous works, is not the magic itself, but the love that the characters show for one another. They are both imperfect people who have hurt others in the past, but the connection they share is written so beautifully, you could argue that the magic of the book itself has nothing to do with the supernatural.
This book, while in the YA category, reads like a novel geared toward an adult audience. The themes presented in the book: death, loss, torture, etc.; are expertly explored and even honored. And the language is stunning. If the consistently-changing plot doesn’t keep you hooked, the language will.
Is it cheesy at times? Yes. A bit dramatic? Sure. But overall I loved reading this book, and can’t wait to work with it further. Be sure to check it out on audio for the real magic to be brought to life!
September 8, 2023
3,5
La storia di Quinta e Twain, due ragazzi senza famiglia, soli e abbandonati a sé stessi, in un mondo che ha da tempo perso la magia, legata alla luce delle stelle, è stata davvero ricca di incanto, come fosse una vera e propria favola.
Probabilmente mi sarebbe piaciuto ancora di più se lo avessi letto anni fa: nonostante sia un bel libro, in alcuni momenti mi sono sentita un po' fuori target.
Le descrizioni del mondo creato dall'autrice sono magiche (si vedono gli omaggi e i richiami al Circo della notte, libro che l'autrice di avere amato!), seppure nella loro semplicità.
Il sistema magico, nonostante non sia particolarmente spiegato (ripeto, il romanzo è impostato come fosse una sorta di fiaba, quindi non ricerca particolari dettagli o spiegazioni) mi è piaciuto molto, anche perché è davvero particolare.
La magia in questione riguarda la luce di stelle, racchiusa in fili, che sembra essere scomparsa dal mondo ma, grazie ai nostri protagonisti, potrebbe riuscire a tornarvici. Anche se, come ogni magia, avrà il suo (caro) prezzo.
Più di tutto, ho amato l'Emporio Vermiglio, un negozio incantato capace di comparire e scomparire a suo piacimento, con stanza e corridoi in continuo mutamento..enorme, praticamente infinito.
Leggere delle avventure dei due protagonisti all'interno del negozio è stata forse la cosa più interessante del romanzo (e ammetto che avrei voluto scoprire sempre nuove stanze, tanto mi sono piaciute!) e l'ho apprezzata davvero tantissimo! La scrittura, inoltre, è super scorrevole e il libro si fa leggere molto velocemente.
I due protagonisti, nonostante il "cliché" del colpo di fulmine, mi sono piaciuti. I personaggi secondari, seppure piacevoli, non sono particolarmente delineati o approfonditi, anche se ho trovato molto interessante il personaggio di Marcel (sul quale avrei davvero voluto sapere di più, specialmente visto il finale!)
In conclusione posso dire che è un romanzo assolutamente consigliato, specialmente per un pubblico giovane (direi dai 14 anni!). Molto, molto carino!
La storia di Quinta e Twain, due ragazzi senza famiglia, soli e abbandonati a sé stessi, in un mondo che ha da tempo perso la magia, legata alla luce delle stelle, è stata davvero ricca di incanto, come fosse una vera e propria favola.
Probabilmente mi sarebbe piaciuto ancora di più se lo avessi letto anni fa: nonostante sia un bel libro, in alcuni momenti mi sono sentita un po' fuori target.
Le descrizioni del mondo creato dall'autrice sono magiche (si vedono gli omaggi e i richiami al Circo della notte, libro che l'autrice di avere amato!), seppure nella loro semplicità.
Il sistema magico, nonostante non sia particolarmente spiegato (ripeto, il romanzo è impostato come fosse una sorta di fiaba, quindi non ricerca particolari dettagli o spiegazioni) mi è piaciuto molto, anche perché è davvero particolare.
La magia in questione riguarda la luce di stelle, racchiusa in fili, che sembra essere scomparsa dal mondo ma, grazie ai nostri protagonisti, potrebbe riuscire a tornarvici. Anche se, come ogni magia, avrà il suo (caro) prezzo.
Più di tutto, ho amato l'Emporio Vermiglio, un negozio incantato capace di comparire e scomparire a suo piacimento, con stanza e corridoi in continuo mutamento..enorme, praticamente infinito.
Leggere delle avventure dei due protagonisti all'interno del negozio è stata forse la cosa più interessante del romanzo (e ammetto che avrei voluto scoprire sempre nuove stanze, tanto mi sono piaciute!) e l'ho apprezzata davvero tantissimo! La scrittura, inoltre, è super scorrevole e il libro si fa leggere molto velocemente.
I due protagonisti, nonostante il "cliché" del colpo di fulmine, mi sono piaciuti. I personaggi secondari, seppure piacevoli, non sono particolarmente delineati o approfonditi, anche se ho trovato molto interessante il personaggio di Marcel (sul quale avrei davvero voluto sapere di più, specialmente visto il finale!)
In conclusione posso dire che è un romanzo assolutamente consigliato, specialmente per un pubblico giovane (direi dai 14 anni!). Molto, molto carino!
October 31, 2022
Dangling on a cliff, struggling to gather rare feathers that can be used to pay the rent and buy food, Twain sees a sparkle, a glimmer. He reaches deep and pulls a strand of starlight from the depths of the cliffs. In town, Quinta is searching for a shop, the Vermilion Emporium, that, while on her death bed, her mother told her to find, a shop that Quinta hopes will help her capture her mother’s magical legacy and live up to her last words: “You are meant for great things.” When Twain searches for what to do with the starlight he’s found, he meets Quinta outside the Emporium’s doors. Together, they enter and begin to discover the magic of starlight, the lace it becomes, and the dangers that lurk in its use.
I desperately wanted to like this story more than I did. The Vermilion Emporium started off with a bang. A big enough bang that I texted a friend who purchases for a public library and said “Reading the ARC. You definitely want to buy a copy for the library. I’ll let you know if you want more copies!” I would say, for her library system, one copy will be enough. I do not see The Vermilion Emporium catching fire the way Stephanie Garber’s Caraval or Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus did. Pacing, too many undeveloped secondary characters, and a setting that should have been explored in greater detail all contributed to pulling what could have been an outstanding read down to a “well, it was good” one.
When I reached the halfway point of the book and was reading what should have been the climactic scene, I told my husband “How can this be the climax? It is way too early in the book.” And it was to early. And the later climatic scene was not nearly as gasp-worthy and was far more of an expected-next-step-in-the-story. It was illustrative of the rocky pacing: start with a bang, drag along for a bit as the world and plot are laid out, too-soon climatic scene, another drag as resolution is searched for, the actual climatic scene that was far less heart stopping and left me feeling “meh,” and then the conclusion that wrapped up the threads of starlight quite neatly.
With the secondary characters, either have them, develop them, and have them be instrumental to the story or just eliminate them. The owner of the Emporium remained a mystery until the end when it was shown her part was far bigger that she was developed to be. The Casorina, ruler of Twain and Quinta’s country, who played a large part in the story movement but appeared out of nowhere like a “we need someone to do X. Oh, let’s have the ruler of the country do it but you don’t get to know enough about her to really trust that she is who she says she is and would really do this thing for two poor children in her country.” Mrs. Davenport, who (pun intended) wove herself into each of the character’s stories but seemed wooden and frivolous so I didn’t give her the attention she needed – because the author didn’t give Mrs. Davenport the development she needed to emphasize her importance! That was just three. Horace and Gustav, Marcel, Damian, Queen Mathilde: every one of these other characters felt plopped into the story and not given the word-count or build-up to properly belong there and make me care about them (or loathe them or worry for them or whatever).
As I read an advance copy, I am hoping that the rumors of a map in the finished book are indeed true. The visual may help a bit but the setting unquestionably needed focus and definition. While the store itself was described okay (even it could have used more zest), the country and surrounding territories and the political relationships between them were lacking. It was hard to fully appreciate the danger of the second half of the book when we were just plopped into it with an MC. More development needed to happen before the too-early-climatic-scene so that readers could fully appreciate the horror our MC was entering.
Again, I really wanted to love this one. The library where I used to work selected The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women for their next library-reads-together book. As the author states in her author’s note that The Vermilion Emporium was inspired by that historical event and the book detailing it, I had hoped to shout from the rooftops about the YA fantasy that could be linked with adult nonfiction book. Instead, I will whisper about it with caution. The Vermilion Emporium was good but not great. I was saddened to not discover something fresh and new within its pages. I imagine that folks who have not read Night Circus, Caraval, or Howl’s Moving Castle will be far more enchanted with The Vermilion Emporium than I was.
I desperately wanted to like this story more than I did. The Vermilion Emporium started off with a bang. A big enough bang that I texted a friend who purchases for a public library and said “Reading the ARC. You definitely want to buy a copy for the library. I’ll let you know if you want more copies!” I would say, for her library system, one copy will be enough. I do not see The Vermilion Emporium catching fire the way Stephanie Garber’s Caraval or Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus did. Pacing, too many undeveloped secondary characters, and a setting that should have been explored in greater detail all contributed to pulling what could have been an outstanding read down to a “well, it was good” one.
When I reached the halfway point of the book and was reading what should have been the climactic scene, I told my husband “How can this be the climax? It is way too early in the book.” And it was to early. And the later climatic scene was not nearly as gasp-worthy and was far more of an expected-next-step-in-the-story. It was illustrative of the rocky pacing: start with a bang, drag along for a bit as the world and plot are laid out, too-soon climatic scene, another drag as resolution is searched for, the actual climatic scene that was far less heart stopping and left me feeling “meh,” and then the conclusion that wrapped up the threads of starlight quite neatly.
With the secondary characters, either have them, develop them, and have them be instrumental to the story or just eliminate them. The owner of the Emporium remained a mystery until the end when it was shown her part was far bigger that she was developed to be. The Casorina, ruler of Twain and Quinta’s country, who played a large part in the story movement but appeared out of nowhere like a “we need someone to do X. Oh, let’s have the ruler of the country do it but you don’t get to know enough about her to really trust that she is who she says she is and would really do this thing for two poor children in her country.” Mrs. Davenport, who (pun intended) wove herself into each of the character’s stories but seemed wooden and frivolous so I didn’t give her the attention she needed – because the author didn’t give Mrs. Davenport the development she needed to emphasize her importance! That was just three. Horace and Gustav, Marcel, Damian, Queen Mathilde: every one of these other characters felt plopped into the story and not given the word-count or build-up to properly belong there and make me care about them (or loathe them or worry for them or whatever).
As I read an advance copy, I am hoping that the rumors of a map in the finished book are indeed true. The visual may help a bit but the setting unquestionably needed focus and definition. While the store itself was described okay (even it could have used more zest), the country and surrounding territories and the political relationships between them were lacking. It was hard to fully appreciate the danger of the second half of the book when we were just plopped into it with an MC. More development needed to happen before the too-early-climatic-scene so that readers could fully appreciate the horror our MC was entering.
Again, I really wanted to love this one. The library where I used to work selected The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women for their next library-reads-together book. As the author states in her author’s note that The Vermilion Emporium was inspired by that historical event and the book detailing it, I had hoped to shout from the rooftops about the YA fantasy that could be linked with adult nonfiction book. Instead, I will whisper about it with caution. The Vermilion Emporium was good but not great. I was saddened to not discover something fresh and new within its pages. I imagine that folks who have not read Night Circus, Caraval, or Howl’s Moving Castle will be far more enchanted with The Vermilion Emporium than I was.
November 6, 2022
I didn’t know what to expect when I got approved for The Vermilion Emporium. It seemed a little like The Night Circus to me (some would probably also say Caraval since they are often comped, but I haven’t read Caraval yet!). I was so pleasantly surprised and delighted by the story and appreciate so much having been approved for it. The Vermilion Emporium reminded me of movies like Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium or The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. So I was definitely curious what I would discover along with Twain and Quinta. I found a world full of magic and starlight, literally! And a love so wholesome and unconditional I was surprised how deeply I was touched by the pure simplicity of it.
I give this book 5 stars because it never felt like the plot lagged and characters were so lovable. I will say Twain and Quinta do seem a little bit younger than they are meant to be, than their lives thus far in the story should have them feeling. But this can easily be explained by the world in which they live, we cannot expect all fantasy characters to grow the same way from life experiences since not everyone in our world does either! Anyone who loves The Night Circus will absolutely adore this book.
This is a world I would be so happy to return to, and apparently Jamie Pacton is writing a return to Twain and Quinta’s world, set 25 years after Vermilion Emporium, called THE ABSINTHE UNDERGROUND, set to release in spring 2024! I will absolutely be preordering that (as well as stalking NetGalley to see if I can get my hands on a review copy). I think I have found a new auto-buy author and I cannot wait to see what Pacton delivers next!
I give this book 5 stars because it never felt like the plot lagged and characters were so lovable. I will say Twain and Quinta do seem a little bit younger than they are meant to be, than their lives thus far in the story should have them feeling. But this can easily be explained by the world in which they live, we cannot expect all fantasy characters to grow the same way from life experiences since not everyone in our world does either! Anyone who loves The Night Circus will absolutely adore this book.
This is a world I would be so happy to return to, and apparently Jamie Pacton is writing a return to Twain and Quinta’s world, set 25 years after Vermilion Emporium, called THE ABSINTHE UNDERGROUND, set to release in spring 2024! I will absolutely be preordering that (as well as stalking NetGalley to see if I can get my hands on a review copy). I think I have found a new auto-buy author and I cannot wait to see what Pacton delivers next!
September 2, 2023
Recensione sulla mia pagina Bookstagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CwsRMycsD...
Twain Vernier vicino alla scogliera trova qualcosa di inaspettato, un filamento argento luminoso, un vero filo di luce stellare. Un’arcana scoperta, che insieme al misterioso libro rinvenuto nell’Emporio Vermiglio, dà origine ad una storia fantasy dalla trama originale, che spinge il lettore a divorare le pagine per scoprire il mistero che aleggia sul ricamo di pizzo.
Un bel fantasy Young adult scorrevole e veloce, dalla bellissima copertina che mi ha conquistata non appena l’ho vista.
L’atmosfera onirica, il lato mistery e l’aspetto romantico del libro, lo rendono stravagante e dolce, che intreccia in maniera sapiente la magia ad un mondo di luci e ombre, in un perfetto incantesimo capace di sedurre il lettore.
Mi è piaciuto molto
Consigliato
*Ringrazio la CE per la copia cartacea e la collaborazione
https://www.instagram.com/p/CwsRMycsD...
Twain Vernier vicino alla scogliera trova qualcosa di inaspettato, un filamento argento luminoso, un vero filo di luce stellare. Un’arcana scoperta, che insieme al misterioso libro rinvenuto nell’Emporio Vermiglio, dà origine ad una storia fantasy dalla trama originale, che spinge il lettore a divorare le pagine per scoprire il mistero che aleggia sul ricamo di pizzo.
Un bel fantasy Young adult scorrevole e veloce, dalla bellissima copertina che mi ha conquistata non appena l’ho vista.
L’atmosfera onirica, il lato mistery e l’aspetto romantico del libro, lo rendono stravagante e dolce, che intreccia in maniera sapiente la magia ad un mondo di luci e ombre, in un perfetto incantesimo capace di sedurre il lettore.
Mi è piaciuto molto
Consigliato
*Ringrazio la CE per la copia cartacea e la collaborazione
August 21, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.
This book wasn't at all what I was expecting and I was very pleasantly surprised! Each scene kept me hooked and I adored how involved each character was in the plot. And I know that insta-love isn't a popular trope but it was done so fantastically in this story that it was hard to remember how quickly the romance was moving. I highly recommend this book!
This book wasn't at all what I was expecting and I was very pleasantly surprised! Each scene kept me hooked and I adored how involved each character was in the plot. And I know that insta-love isn't a popular trope but it was done so fantastically in this story that it was hard to remember how quickly the romance was moving. I highly recommend this book!
Read
January 22, 2025What a lovely read about finding things. Readers who appreciate the way young adults can fall in love will be charmed by Quinta and Twain; readers who love adventure and the bravery required will find wonder in these pages. Mostly, though, this reader really appreciated the beating heart of this novel: how magic can be twisted and used for evil in the same way it can be used for love and healing. What a memorable read this will be! Starlight as a concept is very awe-some!
June 19, 2022
The Vermilion Emporium is sure to stun readers with its beautiful world, sparkling magic, and fluttering romance--all while pulling readers deeper and deeper with its underlying veins of darkness. Jamie Pacton's fantasy debut lives up to its pitch of Howl's Moving Castle meets Radium Girls as Quinta and Twain embark on a wondrous adventure of starlight, lace, and finding your destiny.
March 31, 2024
3,5
An interesting and unique premise, starting out strong in the first half, but becoming weird and very different in the second half.
The Vermilion Emporium is more unique than a lot of young adult fantasy out there. Set in a world where magic is mostly lost, but very much coveted. It once upon a time existed in the form of magical lace, woven from strands of starlight.
although a lot of the more basic plot point are not entirely unique, such as the romance and the main characters needing to find their way to this magic, the world itself feels pretty unique.
This led to a pretty strong first half of the book. where we get to know our main characters, this world and follow them on their mission.
Where this book started to unravel for me was around the halfway point, where an event happens which could easily be the climax, but was instead the kick off point for a rather strange and slightly disappointing second half.
Adding to this disappointment we also have the fact that all the villains/antagonists feel very stale. Taking what they want, and blaming the victim they already wronged when things don't go their way. These villains quickly annoyed and bored me.
These downsides are truly disappointing because the premise of this book had potential, the magical system is interesting and the characters were definitely likable. And sadly after a strong first half, the second half just did not live up to my wishes or expectations for this book overall.
An interesting and unique premise, starting out strong in the first half, but becoming weird and very different in the second half.
The Vermilion Emporium is more unique than a lot of young adult fantasy out there. Set in a world where magic is mostly lost, but very much coveted. It once upon a time existed in the form of magical lace, woven from strands of starlight.
although a lot of the more basic plot point are not entirely unique, such as the romance and the main characters needing to find their way to this magic, the world itself feels pretty unique.
This led to a pretty strong first half of the book. where we get to know our main characters, this world and follow them on their mission.
Where this book started to unravel for me was around the halfway point, where an event happens which could easily be the climax, but was instead the kick off point for a rather strange and slightly disappointing second half.
Adding to this disappointment we also have the fact that all the villains/antagonists feel very stale. Taking what they want, and blaming the victim they already wronged when things don't go their way. These villains quickly annoyed and bored me.
These downsides are truly disappointing because the premise of this book had potential, the magical system is interesting and the characters were definitely likable. And sadly after a strong first half, the second half just did not live up to my wishes or expectations for this book overall.
October 13, 2023
It takes so much for me to give up in the middle of a book. This book succeeded, I genuinely could not force myself to read anymore.
The insta-love was almost criminal, the plot was boring and without stakes, and the characters other than one were both predictable and inconsistent.
If the book had been split into a duology, genuinely every issue could have been solved. The plot felt like it went in a hugely different direction at about the halfway point, the characters and their emotions could have been spread out more, and the romance could have come to a head right at the end of the first installment.
Choices were made with this book that I just really don't agree with.
The insta-love was almost criminal, the plot was boring and without stakes, and the characters other than one were both predictable and inconsistent.
If the book had been split into a duology, genuinely every issue could have been solved. The plot felt like it went in a hugely different direction at about the halfway point, the characters and their emotions could have been spread out more, and the romance could have come to a head right at the end of the first installment.
Choices were made with this book that I just really don't agree with.
May 29, 2024
UN FINAL EN PARTE INESPERADO.
Adoro los momentos entre Twain y Quinta, ha sido muy cliché pero aún así me ha dejado el corazón supercalentito.
No creo que sea capaz de encontrar más palabras para describir lo mucho que me ha encantado esta historia, solo puedo decir que para nada ha sido como lo esperaba y ha superado mis expectativas.
Adoro los momentos entre Twain y Quinta, ha sido muy cliché pero aún así me ha dejado el corazón supercalentito.
No creo que sea capaz de encontrar más palabras para describir lo mucho que me ha encantado esta historia, solo puedo decir que para nada ha sido como lo esperaba y ha superado mis expectativas.
November 12, 2022
With such an interesting and unique premise, and comps to Howl’s Moving Castle, I just knew this would be a whimsical read, and it absolutely was. The story isn’t like most fantasy reads that feature a huge expansive world, instead, it’s a bit slower and grounded more in the two main leads, Twain and Quinta. Each of them was interesting for different reasons, but I loved how they complimented each other well. Both of them had this magnetism with each other, the chemistry truly being executed well even from their first meeting.
The love story is slow and steady, but folds in depth as both prickly characters learn to trust and fall with each other. Like Howl’s Moving Castle, you’ll have to be ok with knowing there’s some fantastical magical elements, but not having them fully explained in a system with rules. Likewise, some of the side characters are over the top and often quite dramatic, but it’s still fun and manages to endear readers to the story instead of knocking them out of it and giving us some hard eye roll urges.
What I didn’t love as much was the second half of them book which I felt dragged out the conflict for too long and introduced characters I think we’re meant to like almost too late in the game to matter. I also didn’t love the ending — we literally have someone DIE but the first thing Quinta and Twain want to do is brew some magic tea and eat…while the body is like…there…It just didn’t make any sense at all and didn’t see aligned with their characters. The fact that there’s zero resolution with the other kingdom also seemed like an odd choice. Just a few sentences could have neatly tied it up.
All in all, this was fun and whimsical, if you can be ok going with vibes and fun storytelling over a set world and magic world, this is a great book to get lost in. Thank you PRH audio, Peachtree Teen, and Netgalley for my ALC and galley! Rating: 3.5/5, rounding up to 4.
The love story is slow and steady, but folds in depth as both prickly characters learn to trust and fall with each other. Like Howl’s Moving Castle, you’ll have to be ok with knowing there’s some fantastical magical elements, but not having them fully explained in a system with rules. Likewise, some of the side characters are over the top and often quite dramatic, but it’s still fun and manages to endear readers to the story instead of knocking them out of it and giving us some hard eye roll urges.
What I didn’t love as much was the second half of them book which I felt dragged out the conflict for too long and introduced characters I think we’re meant to like almost too late in the game to matter. I also didn’t love the ending — we literally have someone DIE but the first thing Quinta and Twain want to do is brew some magic tea and eat…while the body is like…there…It just didn’t make any sense at all and didn’t see aligned with their characters. The fact that there’s zero resolution with the other kingdom also seemed like an odd choice. Just a few sentences could have neatly tied it up.
All in all, this was fun and whimsical, if you can be ok going with vibes and fun storytelling over a set world and magic world, this is a great book to get lost in. Thank you PRH audio, Peachtree Teen, and Netgalley for my ALC and galley! Rating: 3.5/5, rounding up to 4.
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