Name: D.'s review of Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor
Item: Hotel Magnifique
Rating: 2
Author: D.

Emily J. Taylor

For fans of Caraval and The Night Circus, this decadent and darkly enchanting YA fantasy, set against the backdrop of a Belle Époque-inspired hotel, 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.

Hotel Magnifique

Eslie

“Then I realized a kitchen maid was braver than me, and frankly, it pissed me off.” - Hellas

“I’m thrilled you find me so amusing.”

“I can already tell you’re much too curious for this place.” -Bel

zoe troxler

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

“May your artéfact guide you toward your soul's desire.”

Admittedly, I did pick up this book with a slight negative bias due to the poor reviews it seems to have received in the book community (and my immediate circle :( ). So, call it masochism if you will, but I already had quite low expectations before I even started.

The story gets off to an interesting (although at this point quite played-out) start reminiscent of 

 and Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. It is clear right from the start that Taylor has an obsession -and skill- with building a visual world, possibly from her career as a creative director, where colors play a big role. Which would be fine and even an asset, except there is a strange emphasis on describing every single character with the color of their skin first regardless of its relevance to the plot (which in most cases here, it isn’t at all). Once you notice it, it is impossible not to see it every time. It gets very annoying, very fast.

As the story progresses, we are faced with an even more pressing problem: How much damage can a single person cause before she faces any kind of consequence? In this little number, we test the limits.

I hate, hate, hate that [her special power is “good luck.” (hide spoiler)] Firstly, because I am jealous and would want the exact same thing. But also because, along with other details in the book, this was just too convenient. It is a lazy way out to have the main character do everything she wants, go anywhere she wants, break any rules without consequences. It was just unsatisfying to me.

What saved the book from a one star read for me in the end was the undeniable visual creativity it provided, both in the plot and in the physical sense. I was lucky to have a gorgeous edition of this book from Owlcrate, which has a reversible dust jacket with character art, a mysterious inner cover, and beautiful endpapers. Unfortunately, this was a visually strong but executionally weak book.

“May your artéfact guide you toward your soul's desire.”

---------------------------------

Admittedly, I did pick up this book with a slight negative bias due to the poor reviews it seems to have received in the book community (and my immediate circle :( ). So, call it masochism if you will, but I already had quite low expectations before I even started.

The story gets off to an interesting (although at this point quite played-out) start reminiscent of Caraval, Night Circus, and Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. It is clear right from the start that Taylor has an obsession -and skill- with building a visual world, possibly from her career as a creative director, where colors play a big role. Which would be fine and even an asset, except there is a strange emphasis on describing every single character with the color of their skin first regardless of its relevance to the plot (which in most cases here, it isn’t at all). Once you notice it, it is impossible not to see it every time. It gets very annoying, very fast.

As the story progresses, we are faced with an even more pressing problem: How much damage can a single person cause before she faces any kind of consequence? In this little number, we test the limits.
I hate, hate, hate that [her special power is “good luck.” (hide spoiler)] Firstly, because I am jealous and would want the exact same thing. But also because, along with other details in the book, this was just too convenient. It is a lazy way out to have the main character do everything she wants, go anywhere she wants, break any rules without consequences. It was just unsatisfying to me.

What saved the book from a one star read for me in the end was the undeniable visual creativity it provided, both in the plot and in the physical sense. I was lucky to have a gorgeous edition of this book from Owlcrate, which has a reversible dust jacket with character art, a mysterious inner cover, and beautiful endpapers. Unfortunately, this was a visually strong but executionally weak book.

I enjoyed this one - a firmly YA novel with a lot of heart and a magical, twisting story!

Caroline Clutterbuck Kapulkin

Loved this book so much! I drew me in and was really good. Sometimes the mfc annoyed me but it was still amazing. 

Jodie Reads

Emily J. Taylor has outdone herself with this beautifully exciting novel. I loved the characters, I fell in love with the writing style, the concept for the story was perfect, and the world and plot felt thought-through and fleshed-out. The events and twists that occur in this book are foreshadowed in an intelligent way, and leaves you guessing the true nature of everything you see. The only reason this doesn’t get five stars from me, is that the big climactic ending of the story felt too rushed. We spend the vast majority of the book world-building and discovering things about the hotel with Jani, and we go through some many different small things that happen, that the ending doesn’t feel significant. But, overall, an amazing read that I couldn’t put down.

Charlotte Squire

Gillian Rose

4.5 stars

This was so much fun! It was a really dark kinda Night Circus story. I was all in almost immediately. The way the magic was described as well as the hotel, it totally captivated me. And there was a sister story at the heart of it, which was lovely. And there was some slight spice which I appreciated.

Loved the book!! It was magical, intriguing, suspenseful and unpredictable. Everything I love in a story. It kept me wanting to read "just one more page". 

The only thing that bothered me was the first-person narrative, I don't know why, but it irritated me, especially in the beginning. But other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this wonderful piece of art 💕. 

Elsie

Loved the book!! It was magical, intriguing, suspenseful and unpredictable. Everything I love in a story. It kept me wanting to read "just one more page". 

The only thing that bothered me was the first-person narrative, I don't know why, but it irritated me, especially in the beginning. But other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this wonderful piece of art 💕. 

Anna Ureta

If you liked, Caraval, The Night Circus, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle you'll like this book. 

It is YA so I wasn't super into it but I know some people do love the YA genre :)

Kimberly Burgess 

Reminded me of how I felt reading Caraval for the first time -fun and unique and magical, and increasingly dark and mysterious as you go. There were pieces of the story I wish were fleshed out better, and characters I wished had a little more dimension, but overall this book was a whimsical experience 🥰

mahek 

This story will take you on an adventure of life time. Each room of the hotel is beautifully described. This magical Hotel is a beautiful as its full of secrets. Welcom to elsewhere.

Amber

One of the most intriguing and suspenseful books I have ever read. 10/10. 

nela

Ashley Wendt

Hotel Magnifique was filled with mystery and enchantment and danger. I adores the tiny romance. It did remind me a bit of the Night Circus, just with a hotel and less imagery.

Elisa Bieg

I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.


Hotel Magnifique tells the story of the eponymous hotel, and the two sisters who thought it their chance to a better life. 
Jani and Zosa are two orphans who came to the city with big dreams after the death of their mother when Jani was thirteen and Zosa nine; but like many they had to settle for menial jobs and minimum wage in order to survive. After a few years of this difficult life, they hear news that revive their hopes for a better life: the Hotel Magnifique is coming to town! 
Filled with magic, the hotel changes location every 24 hours. Finding a job there would be a dream for the sisters, but only one of them gets hired. After applying and being rejected, Jani blackmails her way into a two-week trial for a staff position to avoid her younger sister having to go on her own, and she starts breaking rules and digging through the magic to follow her suspicions that something is just not right in the hotel. 

This is a very descriptive book. The descriptions of the hotel and its incredible spelled rooms are the best part of the book. They do sound really magical and make you wish there really was such a place. 

Unfortunately the rest of the book didn’t quite meet my expectations: considering such a well thought-out setting, I thought the narrative lacked atmosphere and tension; and the characters weren’t well fleshed-out, which kept the whole story feeling a little remote. 

Not necessarily a criticism per se, but I also felt it read younger than its intended audience — more MG, but with a few slightly more mature themes here and there. 

I’d be interested in hearing it on audio however, as I feel like a good voice actor could really bring this story to life.

Nicole Dykeman

I wanted so badly to like this book. The problem is one of two things: 1. I'm getting to old for YA. 2. The writing and plotting is too juvenile. I might be interested in something this author writes in the future, once she has had more experience. As it is, this novel relies too heavily on tropes to carry the narrative forward. Long story short, the author failed to sell it to me in the beginning, and because of that, the rest of the story stands on wobbly legs at best. 

SPOILERS BELOW 

Our protagonist Jani is absolutely infuriating. She's like a bull in a china shop at this hotel. Constantly knocking things over and stumbling into places she is not supposed to be. She's clumsy as hell and completely oblivious, curious to a fault. So suddenly, when her memories are "erased," and she's supposed to become the master of hiding her emotions, it's not believable at all. Taylor keeps information from her protagonist at the expense of keeping important details from her audience. There's no reason why Bel couldn't have just laid everything out on Jani's first night there, from the details of her contract to the rules she has to follow to not draw attention to herself.

Just before the climax, there's a lengthy, awfully convenient info-dump of backstory from a random character who immediately perishes after relaying said backstory. At the last second, the goonies who have come to collect Jani on the villain's behalf give her a deadline instead, allowing her a too-narratively-convenient three hours to develop and enact a plan. She proceeds to get a makeover (see: put on a fancy dress and a wig), make DIRECT EYE CONTACT with the main antagonist, and he does not recognize her. 

Also, I love a "there was only one bed" trope as much as the next person, but "the magic mattress is shrinking because it wants us to touch skin to skin" is the single most convoluted way to force together a couple with practically no chemistry. That eye roll hurt me physically.

I had really high hopes for this after all the hype on Booktok, but it ended up being only okay. The premis was very interesting and it gave "Howl's Moving Castle" but evil hotel vibes, however the execution was really lackluster. I didnt feel connected to the characters and sometimes even forgot who was who. The plot felt rushed and the magic system felt both vague and convoluted. I did enjoy the ending and the last 1/4 of the book! 

Ashlei Cottom-Moran

Holly

It's giving Caraval but darker. I love it.

Heather Harrington

I'll admit, this was mostly a cover pick-up for me, but I thought the premise sounded promising. While I liked it, it was very meh. I found the writing very repetitive and the characters bland. I also thought the world-building and magic could've been fleshed out more. Since this was compared to The Night Circus, I expected the pacing to be slow, and it was. For how long this book is, not much happens at all. The ending was interesting, and I liked all the action but getting there was a bit of a bore. I did enjoy the banter between Jani and Bel, but the chemistry between them was non-existent, so I didn't believe the romance. The highlight of this was the sisterly relationship between Jani and Zosa. I loved how determined Jani was to save Zosa despite what it cost her. Overall, it was fine but just needed some work.

Liz Griffin

Perfectly lived up to its Caraval and The Night Circus comps. Audiobook was well done. Ending/epilogue seemed to wrap things up a little too neatly for my taste, but I would definitely read a sequel/companion novel about the sister!

Victoria Justice

Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hotel Magnifique follows Jani amd Zosa, who desperate to escape their mundane lives in Durc, accept jobs at the Hotel Magnifique, a magical hotel that changes location every night at mightnight. However, Jani soon discovers that not everything is as it seems and she has to risk everything to save her sister and the rest of the staff.

The premise of this book sounded amazing, Caraval meets the Night Circus. However, I found the beginning of this book was a little too similar and I therefore found it to be slightly boring. Once the story started unfolding and taking a darker side, the pacing picked up and I found myself enjoying it more, but the ending felt a little rushed to me.

Jani's character was irritating at times. Literally everything she attempted ended in disaster! I have never read a character as unlucky as her (and she is credited in the book as a lucky character in the past). Her love for her sister powers her through all these mistakes, and I did find myself pleased with the ending she achieves through the book.

All in all, I'm glad I read this book, and I did enjoy it, there was just a few little niggles with plotting and pacing that made me rate it down to 3.5 stars.

Elizabeth Neill

This was not my favorite book at all, I really liked the idea of the book and I could see where the author wanted to go with it. I was the target audience for this and that is probably why I couldn't really connect with the characters. Jani was one of those female characters that you just wanted to shake, she was very selfish and I really felt by for here sister Zosa. 

Thank you Edelweiss and the publisher for letting me read and review this book

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Hotel Magnifique

Author: Emily J. Taylor

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Bisexual love interest, Lesbian side character

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, magic, disappearing places that reappear somewhere else

Publication Date: April 5, 2022

Genre: YA Fantasy

Age Relevance: 14+ (death, parental death, grief, violence, gore, language, romance)

Explanation of Above: The book mentions the main character’s mother’s death and the grief of it is mentioned here and there throughout the book. There is violence in the form of physical blows and knives shown in the book, as well as blood gore and death. There are only a handful of curse words in the book and there is some romance in the book.

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 391

Synopsis: 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.

Review: I really liked this read! It felt so much like Caraval, but with a Spirited Away feel to it. I loved the concept and I thought the magic was super interesting. The book had a great moral to it about “grass is greener” and it’ll definitely be a reread of mine. I also loved the character development and world building.

The only issue I had with the book is that the book was a little slow in the beginning, but it quickly sped up and the action was non-stop after that!

Verdict: It was amazing!


Elizabeth Jones

An enchanting hotel that appears in a different place each morning sounds like the dream vacation. I enjoyed the concept of the hotel and the behind the scenes look with the employees. I have mixed feelings about this novel that stem mostly from the Heroine Jani. She seemed like a relatable character, but she continued to make rash, immature, and sometimes selfish decisions throughout the novel. I found myself liking and disliking her, which isn't a bad thing, but it made her frustrating to read. I wish the magic system was more concretely explained and I wasn't a fan of the romance. It felt stiff and predictable, but it did have its purpose to the story. I started the novel with high hopes and interest. This waned in the middle, but in the last quarter my interest was renewed. Overall, I would recommend this novel to fans of YA Fantasy and I know many who will enjoy this, it was just not for me. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor