Hotel Magnifique

Emily J. Taylor

Apr 2022 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“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.

Ratings and reviews

Hotel Magnifique is a stunning original YA fantasy that will have you dreaming of French ballrooms and magic. The story revolves around Jani, whose sister is chosen to work for the Hotel Magnifique, which magically transports itself to a different destination every day. Although Jani is not chosen, she bargains with the handsome doorman, and he allows her in on a trial basis. Once inside, she discovers that there are dark secrets behind the glittery exterior. Here is an enchanting excerpt from the Prologue: "The alley was gone. A strange, slender building stood in its place, squeezed into the narrow space, fitting in seamlessly with the crumbling structures on either side. A figure peeled away from a shadow near the entrance. The courier drew the boy behind her. “Are you the person I’m supposed to meet?” Whoever it was raised a slim object. A blood-red taper candle flared to life, illuminating a young man’s cool blue eyes and pale face. The courier searched for a match to explain the flame; no one could light a candle from nothing. Unless—Shimmering golden smoke billowed from the tip. It spilled onto the street, snaking around the courier. Tiny globes buzzed and flickered like fireflies or dust motes catching moonlight. Or something else. Scents gusted by: peppermint oil, then burnt sugar, as if caramel were bubbling too long on a stove, followed by a whiff of citrus left to rot." Overall, Hotel Magnifique is a YA fantasy that will appeal to fans of Caraval or Studio Ghibli. In particular, there were elements on the fantasy that reminded me of Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away, which are my two favorite Studio Ghibli movies. One highlight of this book is the amazing worldbuilding and lovely descriptions. I was doubtful at first that this book would be able to deliver, but it absolutely wowed me. There are magical elements here that I had not seen in any other YA fantasy before. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA fantasy, I highly recommend that you check out this book, which is available now!

I audibly sighed with joy and hugged this book to my chest when I finished it. It was such a refreshing story, quite unlike anything else I've ever read. Even so, fans of Caraval, Shadow and Bone, and The Night Circus will adore this story. Sisters Jani and Zosa attempt to escape the monotony of their unremarkable lives by joining the staff of the Hotel Magnifique but they have no idea what they've really signed up for. In a place so full of magic that up is down and left is right, it's nearly impossible to know who to trust and what is real. Everything is just as magnificent as the Hotel Magnifique itself. Both the world-building and the characters are well developed. The magic system is incredible and complex, but still very easy to understand. The action and suspense are nonstop and guaranteed to have you pulling an all-nighter because I assure you... you will not be able to put it down. There are so many mysteries and twists woven together so beautifully. They fit seamlessly into the plot. I'm honestly flabbergasted that this book is a debut novel for this author. And the romance!! This book had the BEST slow burn I have read in a very long time. The banter, the tension, the delicate balance of trust and secrets... it was phenomenal. I truly devoured this book and I urge everyone to preorder and read it immediately upon release. This one is an instant bestseller.

Solid Debut After reading the premise and first look, I knew I had to read this book. The world building is well done and provides the dark, magical atmosphere that I felt myself transported into. I found myself gasping at some of the plot twists and revelations, but also found some of the world to be copies of others that I've read before. The book started off slowly, but the pacing picked up quickly. I loved the characters and felt they were well drawn. The romance was slow build, just as I prefer, but I think the book needed to be longer to give more time to Bel and Jani's relationship. There are ethical questions and issues that pulled the plot along and I felt all the emotions Jani and the supporting characters felt when facing the painful new realities that living at the hotel brought. I think this novel could be classified as upper middle grade; I was anticipating a darker magical world than I experienced in Hotel Magnifique. I also wish to have "visited" the places traveled to more as I think this would have deepened the world created. About half way through, I thought this was going to be the first in a duology or series, but the ending wrapped up very quickly maybe too quickly. I did appreciate the epilogue and maybe companion novels will be written in the future to bring me back to this world.

About the author

Emily J. Taylor was born and raised in California and has since refused to stay put. She’s lived in four states and on two continents, all of which have conveniently given her an endless amount of story fodder. She currently works as a creative director in Minneapolis, where she spends the long winters dreaming up glittering worlds to spin into dark tales. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @emilycanwrite, or find her on her website at emilyjtaylorauthor.com.