Hotel Magnifique
Ratings19
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings19
Average rating3.7
“Hotel Magnifique opened the door to a sumptuous and glittering world of magic and mysteries and left me enchanted. Perfect for fans of Caraval and The Night Circus.” –Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows and Small Favors Decadent and darkly enchanting, this lavish YA fantasy debut follows seventeen-year-old Jani as she uncovers the deeply disturbing secrets of the legendary Hotel Magnifique. All her life, Jani has dreamed of Elsewhere. Just barely scraping by with her job at a tannery, she’s resigned to a dreary life in the port town of Durc, caring for her younger sister Zosa. That is, until the Hotel Magnifique comes to town. The hotel is legendary not only for its whimsical enchantments, but also for its ability to travel—appearing in a different destination every morning. While Jani and Zosa can’t afford the exorbitant costs of a guest’s stay, they can interview to join the staff, and are soon whisked away on the greatest adventure of their lives. But once inside, Jani quickly discovers their contracts are unbreakable and that beneath the marvelous glamour, the hotel is hiding dangerous secrets. With the vexingly handsome doorman Bel as her only ally, Jani embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of the magic at the heart of the hotel and free Zosa—and the other staff—from the cruelty of the ruthless maître d’hôtel. To succeed, she’ll have to risk everything she loves, but failure would mean a fate far worse than never returning home.
Reviews with the most likes.
I will go on an unpopular rant here: what had potential otherwise failed to deliver as a rather Mary Sue protagonist (Jani) falls in love with an equally as bland partner. Im in the minority of reviewers clearly, but I just couldn't find myself that attached to any of the characters or their plights. That said, the book had scenes I enjoyed and bursted with potential in other ways, but characterization is a soft spot for me, and when characters don't stand out or feel otherwise one-dimensional, the plot fades away and I'm left with....well, boredom. So would I give Taylor's Hotel Magnifique one star? Not quite, because it wasn't all bad. But it wasn't a solid 3 either, so I'm left in the middle. A little bland, a little one-dimensional, a little potential, and a whole lotta “meh.”
Fantastische setting. Heel mooie world building, en magic system. Van in het begin helemaal mee met het verhaal.
It seemed to take a while to get going. One of the ‘secrets' was pretty obvious and when that secret came out, things started moving quicker. That action was really pleasing and made me happy with the book. However at the end there was some little bits of backstory that I wanted that we didn't get. Overall the hotel and the people in it were interesting characters and it ended on a good note.
The publisher provided me with the opportunity to read this (via Edelweiss+).
4.5 stars. The world building in this did not disappoint. Moved at a fast pace and I found myself accidentally staying up past my bedtime to finish it.
