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A review by elizajaquays
The Vermilion Emporium by Jamie Pacton
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
The Vermilion Emporium wasn't a bad book, it just was very much not for me. However, I know that the reasons I didn't care for it are going to be the reason some people fall in love with it.
Every paragraph paints beautiful depictions of the world, lingering on all of the charm and whimsy of magical objects, and describing them in great detail. I found myself having to skim through the paragraphs because if you give me that much description, I disengage with the story rather than get drawn into the magic.
Because of this, the pacing felt off, the first half was incredibly slow where not a whole lot happened--Quinta and Twain are just running around looking for starlight and exploring the city. And then in the last half when things take off, it fluctuates between being rushed and more drawn out. I suspect if I were more engaged with the story, I wouldn't have had these issues.
When Quinta and Twain met, they were instantly attracted to each other, but then she kept trying to keep him at arm's length and then within a few days she was falling in love with him, leading to a relationship that didn't read as super believable to me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree for the opportunity to read an ARC of this. I'm sad to say that it was a 2.5 star read that I'm rounding up to 3 stars.
Every paragraph paints beautiful depictions of the world, lingering on all of the charm and whimsy of magical objects, and describing them in great detail. I found myself having to skim through the paragraphs because if you give me that much description, I disengage with the story rather than get drawn into the magic.
Because of this, the pacing felt off, the first half was incredibly slow where not a whole lot happened--Quinta and Twain are just running around looking for starlight and exploring the city. And then in the last half when things take off, it fluctuates between being rushed and more drawn out. I suspect if I were more engaged with the story, I wouldn't have had these issues.
When Quinta and Twain met, they were instantly attracted to each other, but then she kept trying to keep him at arm's length and then within a few days she was falling in love with him, leading to a relationship that didn't read as super believable to me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree for the opportunity to read an ARC of this. I'm sad to say that it was a 2.5 star read that I'm rounding up to 3 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence