Thank you to Peachtree Teen for providing this book as a digital galley in exchange for an honest review!
One Sentence Summary:
When Quinta and Twain discover that they can pool their abilities to make long-gone magical lace, the two grapple with admiration and selfishness from those around them and a mystery around the shop that taught them how to do so.
My Review:
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, so 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! 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 really surprised at how it got pretty dark with those comp titles! I loved where the story went, but I was expecting more peaceful traveling, although it wouldn’t have felt complete if I did get that. 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 compulsively 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!
⭐⭐⭐⭐✨/5
The Fiction Feature 