~Summary~
Jani will do anything to keep her sister Zosa safe, so when Zosa earns a job working for the elusive Hotel Magnifique, Jani sees it as an incredible opportunity for them both to escape their poverty stricken lives. At first the hotel is a dream come true and everything that Jani could have hoped for them. But before long she realizes that the contracts they signed to take their new jobs at the hotel prevent them from leaving. Dangerous things are at play and Jani must find a way for her and her sister to escape, before it’s too late.
~My Thoughts~
There is so much I loved from this book!
First off, the plot was epic. There were so many twists and I loved the direction the author took every one. Plot-lines that start out innocent but then gradually become more grotesque and twisted as the story goes on are by far the most atmospheric because by the end basically anything goes which is creepy but also a lot of fun. I also loved the magic system. It was so creative and like nothing I’d ever read before. I felt like the author did an incredible job of fully fleshing it out without bogging down the narrative.
One thing that I found funny was how the Maitre’s real name is Alistair? I felt like he was this big mysterious entity at the start of the book and then we find out his name is Alistair and for some reason I just couldn’t take him as seriously after that. And on the topic of names, for a good chunk of the book I couldn’t remember the main character’s name so I was constantly having to turn back to the dust jacket to find out. I did like how the novel was told in first person but feel like Jani’s name could have been reinforced more than it was. And lastly, I really liked the world-building but would have liked to have a map as the hotel changes location many times throughout the book and I would have liked to track it’s whereabouts.
I’ve seen this book compared a lot to Caraval by Stephanie Garber however I would personally recommend it to fans of Where Dreams Descend as I feel like the atmosphere and reading experience is similar between the two. Overall, I really enjoyed Hotel Magnifique and can’t wait to see what’s next from this author!
The Art of Reading 