Taylor spins a story full of magic, and the hotel is such a beautiful backdrop. Every single paragraph seemed to bring new feats of imagination, with an incredible amount of detail.

However, what I really loved was following Jani on her journey - she’s stubborn, impulsive, and pretty much everything I love in fantasy protagonists.

Overall, I really enjoyed Hotel Magnifique. It was fun, imaginative, and had so much detail that I absolutely adored. I think it would have been ever so slightly better if there had been a bit more emphasis on building up the presence of the secondary characters. However, I loved every second.

In a word - magical.

In a Nutshell: This could have been outstanding. It ends up above average. But as it is a debut work and aimed at the Teen/YA crowd, I’ll cut it some slack.

Story:
17 year old Jani is doing all she can to take care of her 13 year old sister Zosa after the death of her mother a few years ago. But even her best efforts lead to a minimally fulfilling existence. When she hears that the legendary Hotel Magnifique is going to be in town and hiring new staff, Jani decides that she will secure a job for them both there, no matter how. After all, the hotel appears just for one night in a decade and she can’t miss this chance.
Luck works in her favour and she somehow finds herself on the staff of the hotel. But while the hotel is as opulent as outsiders claimed, there seems to be something sinister and dangerous underlying its magic. What has Jani got herself and Zosa into? What’s the secret behind the mystical maître who runs the hotel?
The story is written in the first person perspective of Jani.

First things first. The blurb proudly declares: “perfect for fans of Caraval and The Night Circus.” I have read neither of these books yet, so don’t expect any comparisons in this review. My thoughts are of this book on its own merit as a YA Dark Fantasy.

One of the main qualities that a fantasy book ought to have is extraordinary world-building. And this book fulfils the criterion really well. The magical details of the hotel and its various rooms, the info about how the magic is used/contained, the various magicians and their techniques – I enjoyed all of these embellishments. The use of French words/names enhanced the mystical feel of the hotel. The story is set in a fictional country named “Verdanne” and moves across Verdanne and other made-up locations. Each of the places is well-carved and distinct, adding to the fantastical feel of the book.

The characters were either striking or insipid. The maître of the hotel is an intriguing character and serves his purpose in the story well. Unfortunately, most of the remaining striking characters are secondary in the story, getting only a few pages of focus. I would have loved to learn more about Beatrice the gear-spinning ‘mechanique’, Issig the ice blaster, and even Jani’s sister Zosa, whose few appearances livened up the story. Jani’s love interest is a character named Bel, who is appealing but unvarying. He generates a vibe that makes you want to know more about him but the book leaves him as a somewhat flatly-developed character, coming in only when the plot needs him. He is severely underutilised in the narrative, though he gets the most page space next to Jani.

This leaves me with Jani. Now what do I say about her?! Jani’s character is the most fleshed out in the story. Unfortunately, this doesn’t necessarily translate to making her likeable or relatable. Jani is irritating, naïve and impulsive. She doesn’t use her head before jumping into a situation and loves jumping to conclusions without understanding all the facts. She also demands that things go as per her wishes, even if circumstances demand a more restrained approach. In other words, Jani reminded me of many teenagers I know in real life. You see my conundrum here? The author nailed Jani’s character as per her age, but this didn’t lead to an enjoyable reading experience for me because for a major chunk of the book, all I wanted to do was give Jani a whack out of frustration. I simply couldn’t see how Bel tolerated her uneven personality. Well, they don’t say ‘love is blind’ for nothing! That said, the romance part of the book is cute and doesn’t overwhelm the main story. Plus, Jani redeems herself and saves everyone in the end, like all main characters are supposed to do.

The writing style is where the author’s inexperience clearly shows. The prologue and the epilogue (and the last few chapters of the climax) are outstanding. If the entire book had maintained this level of engagement on my attention, this would have been a 4.5 star book at the minimum. Sadly, it doesn’t. The initial chapters after the girls’ entry into the hotel follow a similar pattern. Jani has this insatiable curiosity that leads her to new places/rooms in the hotel, then there’s a description of what she finds there, and/or how she escapes when she isn't supposed to do what she did or be where she was. This starts dragging the story down as there was a constant feeling of déjà vu. The second half turns the tables and incorporates a lot more action and mystique into the narrative. The pace is also much faster in the latter half. There are a few plot holes but nothing major.

All in all, I found the first half of the book (except for the prologue) slow and repetitive and enjoyed only the details of the Hotel Magnifique. This half rates at 3 stars for me. The second half was much more delightful and I liked it to a great extent. This portion gets 4 stars.

Thus, 3.5 stars for the book, rounding up though I feel there was a lot of potential here that went to waste.

Recommended to readers who want a dash of light romance, an outstanding fantastical world, and are indifferent about a slow start or the lack of a loveable main character.

Trigger note: There are a few gruesome scenes in the story. If you are squeamish about such content, stay away.

My thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “Hotel Magnifique”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

"I've heard the guests sip on liquid gold from Champagne flutes for breakfast"...
"They say the pillows don't have feathers, they're all stuffed with spun clouds—"
"Heard each night, you cross the world thrice over—"
"And all their fancy doormen are princes from some far-off land—"

There was much to like about this book, but ultimately the extremely annoying protagonist prevented me from enjoying it to the full.

The concept of the enchanted, travelling hotel was excellent, and the world-building and details were mostly well executed, if a little confusing at times. The basic plot was engaging, and the use of French as the language of the imaginary world was a nice touch. There were many other imaginative ideas throughout, especially in relation to the workings of the hotel. I particularly enjoyed how the glamour and magic of the hotel and its quirks were described (marvellous magical oranges that shatter? Yeah!).

Unfortunately, the narrator-protagonist was unbearably annoying, and so consistently so that it seriously marred the reading experience. She is described as a seventeen-year-old who has fended for herself (and her younger sister) since the age of thirteen, including holding down a fairly unpleasant job to pay for their livelihoods. Yet what we actually see when she starts work at the hotel seems more like a toddler who has not yet learned to respect the word "no", talks back to her bosses and runs off at the first opportunity to the precise places she has been explicitly instructed not to go. She does this on repeated occasions, and despite knowing that very bad things will happen if she loses her job. I can only assume her actions are meant to portray her as brave; unfortunately they mostly come across as idiotic.

The target audience is also unclear. On the one hand we have this childish protagonist behaving ridiculously and not learning from her own mistakes - even when she seriously hurts others in the process. On the other, her flirtation/relationship with the love interest is relatively mature - on the rare occasions when she is not too busy being unjustifiably outraged at him - and would feel more at home in a Young Adult book.

I also found the constant references to people's skin colour when describing them quite grating and certainly unnecessary to either the plot or the atmosphere.

The epilogue provided an effective and satisfying ending.

Firstly, I would like to thank Pushkin Press and NetGalley for an eArc of this title.

I don't think there is a better way of describing this book than The Night Circus meets Caraval - as the book perfectly intertwines both elements together. It's mystical and magical all entwined together.

The biggest parallels can be seen with Caraval - the story of two sisters where the eldest must save the youngest when she has been whisked away to a mysterious location. However, I would also add that this story would be perfect for fans of Spirited Away. As our eldest sister learns more and more about Hotel Magnifique she learns its gruesome background. Such as its mysterious owner, suspicious contracts, signing away names, and forgetting the outside world.

This book heavily relies on tropes and similarities to other books - however, that is one of the things that makes this book enticing and intriguing. It's what makes you want to read more and more. Its completely fantastical elements make you wonder what it would be like to visit such a place and experience its plethora of different rooms.

However, no book is ultimately perfect. Really my only disappointment in the book was its lack of depth. I wanted to know more about the characters, and their fears and motivations. Everything felt very surface level even down to the final confrontation. I needed the book to be about 100 pages more to fully give me everything I expected. But despite that - the book was an enjoyable read that will be appreciated by a wide range of audiences.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for Arc. Hotel Magnifique was an amazing and magical read, filled with beautiful prose and enchanting world. Magic system was so intriguing and definitely my favourite part of the book! I couldn’t get enough of this book it was very unique, I want to read more about this world!
I got pulled into the story instantly and I felt the magical atmosphere all around while reading.
Characters are well developed and I loved Jani and Bel.
Hotel Magnifique is my favourite read so far in 2022 and I will be on my way to buy a physical copy as soon as it’s released in UK. I can’t wait to reread it!

Hotel Magnifique first piqued my interest a few months back at the sole mention of its likeness to both Caraval and The Night Circus, both of which are fantastic books in their own right. Hotel Magnifique is no exception; it's as whimsical and enchanting as The Night Circus, with a plot that definitely resembles Caraval. A travelling hotel that appears one day and is gone the next, a mysterious and legendary maître d'hôtel, a strong sisterly dynamic, and a handsome and snarky bellhop that keeps secrets and loves to bicker with and annoy the female MC. It's Caraval but make it ✨hotel✨ and I'm here for it. To say this is up my street is an understatement!

I had such a blast reading this book! The very first few chapters got stuck into the action from the get go, but as the book started to set the scene of the hotel it slowed down a little, which wasn't a bad thing as such, but not a huge amount of stuff actually happened. The halfway mark was where the book got good; it took a much darker turn than I initially expected, and I got completely lost in the pages, the magic, the characters. I absolutely flew through this book today and loved the entirety of the second half.

I quite liked Jani as a whole, I don't think she had a great deal of personality, but the dynamic between her and Zosa was what I enjoyed most; I wish there was a little more interaction between them. Their sisterly bond definitely reminded me of Scarlett and Tella, but unfortunately, it wasn't as prominent due to Zosa's somewhat absence throughout the book. However, Jani's dedication to Zosa, and her courage and determination to overcome obstacles was admirable. Whilst the villain of the story is definitely dangerous and evil, I found his arc a little disappointing. Maybe I wanted him to be a little more illusive and hidden, but maybe I'm wanting a little too much Caraval to seep through the pages. Bel was absolutely my favourite character.

The ending wrapped up a bit too quickly for my liking and I actually had to go back and read the chapter again as it felt like I missed something. But for a standalone fantasy book, it's neat, tidy, and a satisfying ending despite being rather predictable. Very much enjoyed this one!

3.5*
I received a free ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Hotel Magnifique was a fun time, and I really enjoyed it! The world building is super creative, with a fascinating magic system that I almost would have liked even more insight in, and the most lavish and extraordinary settings. The hotel in the center of the story is full of extraordinary, magical things, and I just couldn't help but love it (I'm a simple person, a bit of flair and I'm sold). The beautiful settings combined with the surprisingly dark story made for a feel of dark, twisted fairytale, reminiscent of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which I liked a lot. This is also where the comparasion to Caraval is coming from, and I definitely see the similarities; if you liked one, you would undoubtedly like the other!

The plot was really good as well, it works very well with the setting, and it had so many twists and turns that were all that perfect combination of unpredictable, but not so unpredictable it feels forced or unrealistic. However, the story did feel rushed and lacking in depth at times. It's a combination of the pacing being weird, with things happening really quickly leaving the reader no time to digest important events before the plot has moved on, and actions of the characters lacking repercussions in a really strange way. There is constant talk of what could happen if Jani does a certain thing, followed by Jani doing that exact thing and nothing happening, and it makes the story feel weirdly inconsistent. The stakes never felt particularly high, even though they were meant to be, and it took away from my enjoyment of the story.

The characters are my least favorite aspect of Hotel Magnifique; they're all fairly bland and very similar in terms of personality. There are good guys and bad guys, everyone falls in under one of those two personality types, and it's just not very interesting. Jani is a bit annoying as a main character, as well, she kept making stupid, reckless decisions in the first half. The romance, on the other hand, was surprisingly sweet and realistic for being YA (this is out-of-character for me). It wasn't too much instalove, it was clear from the beginning who the love interest was but Jani refrained from simping too much until they got to know each other better, and I actually really liked their interactions. He did however compliment her on being mature at one point, which is a bit of a red flag considering he is (from my understanding) significantly older. Wee woo wee woo, this is the grooming police.

Overall, I'm impressed by the creativity and less impressed by the execution. I did have a fun time reading this, however, and considering it's a debut, I think the author has great potential, and I'm looking forward to reading more by her in the future!

Welcome to Hotel Magnifique, where magic and adventure awaits. You will see marvellous feats of magic in this hotel and live out your wildest dreams - what could go wrong?

When Jani sees an advertisement for job openings at Hotel Magnifique, she believes this is just what she and her sister, Zosa, need. A chance to work at the most magnificent hotel, travel everywhere, and experience magic firsthand.

She soon realises there is much more to the Hotel than she ever realised, and that she and her sister are in real danger. Jani must do whatever it takes to save them, and everyone she has grown to care for, before life at the Hotel destroys everything.

This was a masterpiece of a novel, brimming with magic and adventure. You are swept up into the stunning but menacing world of Hotel Magnifique, where fear coats every interaction and danger simmers beneath the surface.

The tension ratchets up with each chapter, as you learn more about the magic running through the hotel and the mysterious maitre of the Hotel, Alastair. There are a core group of characters you can't help but root for, a little band of misfits that find each other. There are absolutely despicable characters that are so well written you seeth with anger. The magic system is fascinating and intricately woven into the story.

Overal, this was a fantastic read and a must-read for any fantasy fan.

*3.5 rounded up*

Buzzwords: travelling magical hotel, sisters, sinister secrets, YA

The magic was what made this book pretty special. There’s guest rooms with very specific themes such as magical forests. A room where the kettle is always filled with boiling water, and one where there’s a bathtub of champagne!

I liked our MC and how much she cared for her sister throughout. There was a nice focus on memory and storytelling which was interesting, and gave us a way to know the characters backstories without it feeling too info dumpy. I’m also a sucker for a found family and it made me happy to see the bonds formed throughout the book.

I enjoyed the plot as a whole, but it fell a little flat for me in the 2nd half. I think it’s definitely to do with how the tone of the writing seemed to target different audiences throughout. Sometimes the book read very young YA, but other times it was pretty dark with some horrific and gory scenes of dismemberment. I also wish we’d have gotten to find out more about the other characters. There’s mention of a F/F romance and a M/M romance, but we never get to see this on page, it’s just mentioned in passing. Would have been nice to include (imo!)

Despite that, this was a fun YA read and I enjoyed my time reading it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings below…









TW: eye gore, dismemberment, torture, memory loss, death, blood

I was incredibly excited for this book, but after a fascinating prologue, it just wasn't working for me. I didn't really care much about the protagonist so I struggled to get very far.

However, this is still a book I'm curious about. It didn't work for me now, but I'm hoping it will in the future.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. The cover and description originally drew me in - and I wanted to love it.

I will say that I enjoyed it, however I wish there was more. The world building was lack luster. I felt like I never really got to know any of the characters.

There were times in the story when I wished more details were given - it would’ve made the whole story richer.

So while I enjoyed it, I definitely didn’t enjoy it as much as I anticipated.

I've seen a few reviews that say this book is basically THE NIGHT CIRCUS but with sisters and a hotel. It's been years since I've read that book, so I have no idea how accurate that assessment is, but my impression of this book was that it took ages to go anywhere.

For example, that third paragraph of blurb - the goal, the stakes, the tension supposedly pushing the book forward - doesn't come in until midway through. Up until then, the book is basically Jani wandering around (somehow, basically pure dumb luck, not getting into all the trouble she deserves) and getting a tour of the magic of the hotel (so it lives up to its name of Magnifique) and getting a bit uneasy at all the strange things. However, it's not enough to create a tension to propel the book forward.

Plus she doesn't really have a goal. She's initially perfectly happy to work until the hotel goes to their old home and then leave. This lack of goal and a villain (the maître doesn't really become a villain until the halfway point when the book starts to gain momentum) does make the opening of the book more like a showing off of the setting rather than something to invest in and feel like you're being propelled through a story.

The romance with Bel also frustrated me. Mostly because he kept so many secrets for no good reason than the plot needed them to come out later. None of his excuses (on the rare occasions he gave them) held water, and it undermined not only the secrets but him, making him largely into a vessel for plot information (rather than a way to add *drama* and *tension*) into their relationship.

All this said, the magic in the hotel is pretty snazzy. The artefacts are quite cool and the various windows do give a sheen of glamour and fun to the setting. It's also an easy to read book, one I was able to get through pretty fast. The second half, once there's a goal and a villain, are also much better, because there is finally something to strive for, pushing the book onwards with pace. Unfortunately, it is rather let down by the meandering start.

This book was INCREDIBLE! I’m not going to lie I didn’t understand the hype around it untill I started it and then I couldn’t put it down finishing the whole book in one day. The way the book is written is magic in itself how the hote is described and the characters it’s like your there watching everything through your own eyes. I really enjoyed the characters and for a change I really understood all of them. Everything about this books was just amazing!

This one missed the mark. I think this concept had a lot of potential, which is why I was so excited to pick this one up, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me.

The biggest issue for me was probably the two lead characters, narrator Jani and love interest Bel. A typical interaction between these two goes something a little like this:

Jani: Tell me everything now
Bel: No
Bel: Also don’t do this blatantly stupid thing that will make both our lives harder if you’re caught
Jani: Screw you I’m doing the thing
Jani: Oops I got caught help me

Repeat ad infinitum and you’ve basically got the whole book down. I didn’t like Jani at all, mainly due to her constant need to make the worst possible decision at any given moment. Bel couldn’t seem to decide whether he was aloof or earnest, and while those two traits don’t necessarily have to be mutually exclusive they didn’t gel well here. There were moments where he really shone, but they felt at odds with the rest of the book and the rest of his characterisation. The two of them together didn’t come across as a convincing romance to me. An alliance? Yes. A friendship? Yes! A romance? He was a boy, she was a girl, and in this day and age we need something more than that.

Something that I dislike in stories is when the mystery that the main character is stumbling around is preserved solely through characters who are in the know simply refusing to explain things when asked directly even when surely it would make things easier for everyone if they just answered the question. When this happens, there being a mystery at all feels contrived, and my investment in finding out the answers along with the main character is crushed by my irritation with the whole situation. This was most of the plot of this book. See the paraphrased script above. The end result of this was that when Jani finally found someone who was willing to answer her questions, we ended up with what was effectively a multi-page monologue from them as they explained the entire backstory. I just think this could’ve been avoided, y’know?

This book has its moments. I liked Bel’s ex boyfriend a lot, and I wish he’d been a more major character because I found him really interesting. The writing style was clear and easy to read, which was a big help in letting me fly through this book in just three sittings (two of which were on the same day). Also, at one point Jani says that some oranges are ‘misinformed’, which makes sense in context but is a hilarious thing to say either way and is a line that’s definitely going to take up permanent residence in my brain. I also liked some of the themes that were touched on, such as the lengths that siblings can be willing to go for one another, or how truly going home is impossible, but I would’ve preferred these themes to have been explored in more depth than they ultimately were.

In sum, this wasn’t for me, and I wouldn’t really recommend it either.

For any fans of Caraval and The Night Circus then you'll love this book!

I love how it's based in a Hotel filled with whimsical enchanments! The setting's and the world building was brilliant, i felt like i was living inside the book! Drawing me in instantly. I really enjoyed the magical story and the characters.

This book was so magical. One of my favourite parts was finding out all about the hotel, I would honestly read a book just describing all the different rooms and what they do. I also need a room at the hotel! It felt like the odds were stacked against Jani most of the way through and I honestly couldn't see a way through it! The book surprised me so much and I love the relationship between Jani and Bell, and also the relationship Jani has with her sister.

I n0rmally don't love it when books compare themselves to Night Circus. Its my favorite book so I don't think anything really lives up. I felt like this one had the feels of The Night Circus. The writing was beautiful! The opening chapter was awesome and really drew you in. I can not wait to buy this book and look through it. The eBook had really cool pictures in it which I always appreciate in a book. This book was unique in its own right. All the characters were a joy to read about. Great read highly recommend.

An enchanting and wonderfully delightful story filled with magic, mystery and mayhem. Hotel Magnifique is pitched as a book for the fans of Caraval and The Night Circus, a fact which I can absolutely attest to. Caraval is one of my favourite series, and I’ve been looking for something similar ever since I finished it. Hotel Magnifique creates that same sense of awe and wonder as Caraval does, yet this is slightly more sinister and darker.

The story follows our main character, Jani and her sister Zosa who seek to be a part of the illustrious travelling hotel. When the sisters manage to obtain access to the hotel, they begin to realise that things are not what they seem and the hotel may not be as wonderful as they have been led to believe. Filled with illusions, secrets and magic, Hotel Magnifique is both exciting and captivating. I enjoyed it immensely and can see myself rereading it in the future. 5/5 stars!

Hotel Magnifique takes you on a very interesting and immersive ride.
I loved the ambience and whimsy of the Hotel and the magic involved in developing it. The entire vibe of the theme was amazing.

I loved the idea of a travelling hotel, with a beautiful facade but dark and deadly secrets.

But I had problems with the characters in this story. On surface level, they appear interesting and different, but they all were very one dimensional and lacked depth.

The main character especially, was a train wreck. She was always messing things up for others.

I also found the plot to be very predictable.

There are a lot of elements in the story, designed to catch the interest of the readers; but everything fell just a little bit short in a lot of things. This decreased my reading experience.

Overall, for me, it was a good book. But I was not amazed or overwhelmed by it.

Definitely a new favourite author for me, I loved the mystique, the rich writing style, the slow burn, world building and the characters. Such a unique concept and very well written. Reminded me of the Night circus and the hunger games. Highly recommend