A review by camiclarkbooks
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Emily J. Taylor’s YA fantasy debut, “Hotel Magnifique,“ is a rich YA fantasy about being careful what you wish for.

Seventeen year old Jani is barely able to care for herself and her younger sister Zosa. That changes when the infamous Hotel Magnifique appears in their town. The hotel is legendary for all of its enchantments and ability to travel to a new destination every morning. 

The sisters decide to interview for staff positions and are whisked away on a magical adventure. But once inside the hotel, Jani learns that the staff contracts are unbreakable and the hotel harbors sinister secrets that she needs to reveal.

Allied with the handsome but frustrating doorman Bel, Jani searches for answers on how to break the staff contracts to save her sister—and all the staff—from the hotel and the ruthless maître d’hôtel. Jani will have to risk everything for a chance at success, but failure would mean a fate worse than not returning home with her sister.

Taylor crafted an amazing world in “Hotel Magnifique” and gave beautiful descriptions of each new location that the hotel traveled to. She also introduced an interesting magic system that is reminiscent of Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha and Small Science. 

Taylor’s characters were on the bland side, which I was not particularly surprised by since this is her debut novel. There isn’t anything necessarily “wrong” with them, but they make all the decisions you expect them to make, which doesn’t leave a lot of room for the reader to be surprised.

“Hotel Magnifique” is a great debut novel, with lush descriptions and a fascinating concept. It’s too bad that “Hotel Magnifique” appears to be a standalone novel. I would love to see more stories set in the world that Taylor created!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings