The Vermilion Emporium

September 15, 2022
What price magic? Set against an imaginative background and inspired by the Radium Girls, this is a love story between two broken, orphaned older teens who discover magic both literal and figurative when they meet. When Twain discovers a strand of starlight and Quinta finds a book of starlight lace patterns at the Vermilion Emporium (possibly the most creative and least utilized magic shop in YA fantasy), they discover a secret--that starlight lace once conferred power, although magic was last seen in Severon a couple of hundred years ago. Together they set out to make a dress of starlight for the Casorina who rules their land. Both Quinta and Twain are appealing and easy to root for. Unfortunately, every conflict resolves rapidly, compelling obstacles are nearly nonexistent, and love blossoms immediately so that the only barrier is Quinta's love-'em-and- leave-'em attitude (her sexual experience, which includes past male and female lovers and many one-night stands, is, refreshingly, never an issue for her or for Twain). The world is a vibrant, multiracial, magical place, but uneven pacing makes the first half drag while the latter portion of the book rockets along and provides all the conflict and tension. With this work Pacton pivots from realistic fiction to fantasy, and the often lovely writing creates a feast for the senses despite the plot's weaknesses. Much potential, mixed payoff. (author's note) (Fantasy. 13-18)

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Starred review from September 26, 2022
Pacton (Lucky Girl) deftly recalls the Radium Girls in this unique examination of class inequality and exploitation set against a provocative landscape. Light-brown-skinned Twain, 17, is desperate to leave Severon, where he’s plagued by his dead brother’s financial debts. He’s sure that the thread of starlight he found on the cliffs by the coast is his ticket out. While evading his brother’s debt collectors, he stumbles upon the Vermilion Emporium, a mysterious curiosities shop, where he encounters pale-skinned photographer’s assistant Quinta, 17, who yearns to live up to the “great destiny” her deceased mother foretold for her. The two hit it off immediately, and together they explore the shop, which unlocks Twain’s knack for finding starlight threads and Quinta’s affinity for weaving them into a magical lace capable of working miracles. After successfully completing a commissioned dress for Severon’s ruler, they’re thrust into the spotlight, making them a target for those craving the starlight lace’s power. The protagonists’ easy, undeniable chemistry, the shop’s fanciful impossibilities, and the heartbreaking price exacted by the starlight offer romance, whimsy, and introspection via a hauntingly romantic fantasy adventure. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kate Testerman, KT Literary.

October 1, 2022
Grades 8-11 Pacton's charming but uneven fantasy debut follows two teenage orphans who hope to better their lives by rediscovering their homeland's lost magic. Twain makes a scant living selling valuable razorbill feathers, but he strikes gold when he finds a starlight strand. Once plentiful enough to be woven into magical garments, starlight hasn't been seen for centuries. Meanwhile, Quinta wants to live up to her mother's magical legacy, but her best lead is a business card for an elusive magical shop, the Vermilion Emporium. Together, Twain and Quinta find the mysterious Emporium and discover a book on weaving starlight into lace. As their lacemaking catches the eye of powerful people, they need more starlight--but its origin is more terrible than they imagined. Pacton infuses the emporium with lovely, enticing strangeness, though the wider world building is underdeveloped. Pacton occasionally misses the mark when balancing lighthearted whimsy, which reads with the uncomplicated ease of middle-grade fantasy, with later scenes of violence and suffering. For teens who relish a heavy dose of darkness in their cozies.

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