Stephanie Jane recenzis The Road To Vermilion Lake de Vic Cavalli
Gorgeous imagery
3 steloj
I was intrigued by the isolated setting of The Road To Vermilion Lake and liked the first half of this book as we are taken through the Canadian wilderness alongside the road builders. Imagery, such as centuries-old dormant cacti pods being blasted into the sky as thousands of tons of rock is cleared, illustrates the massive endeavour to force a road through just seven miles of terrain, all so a resort can be built on the shores of a lake. Seeing all this from the point of view of a first aider provides an unusual angle, especially into the ease in which many construction accidents could be avoided - just wear the safety goggles folks!
I liked Thomas as a character. He is earnest, but comes across as a reliable narrator. Johnny is refreshingly different as the woman who captures his heart. The project's architect, she is more than just …
I was intrigued by the isolated setting of The Road To Vermilion Lake and liked the first half of this book as we are taken through the Canadian wilderness alongside the road builders. Imagery, such as centuries-old dormant cacti pods being blasted into the sky as thousands of tons of rock is cleared, illustrates the massive endeavour to force a road through just seven miles of terrain, all so a resort can be built on the shores of a lake. Seeing all this from the point of view of a first aider provides an unusual angle, especially into the ease in which many construction accidents could be avoided - just wear the safety goggles folks!
I liked Thomas as a character. He is earnest, but comes across as a reliable narrator. Johnny is refreshingly different as the woman who captures his heart. The project's architect, she is more than just a pretty face and Cavalli doesn't turn her into an insipid doormat the moment love appears over the horizon although her insistence on being 'medieval' when this seemed to only come down to chastity and a liking for Gregorian chants is odd. I did have a problem with quite a lot of Thomas and Johnny's dialogue. Perhaps these people do have a particularly formal way of speaking, but I thought their conversations often felt unnatural and this held me back from completely believing their romance. I wasn't always convinced by the female supporting characters either. Sally's and especially Carole's appearances felt more like plot devices than genuine interactions and a couple of times I wondered if The Road To Vermilion Lake was a retelling of a mythical or biblical story I hadn't recognised.
I admit my interest in The Road To Vermilion Lake sadly waned during the second half as Thomas and Johnny discussing Catholicism and their relationship became the main focus. As readers, we are given extensive explanation of their emotions while formerly important secondary storylines conveniently resolve themselves. Perhaps romance readers would get more from this novel than I did and it does have its good points. However, overall, this just wasn't really one for me.