Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

Hotel Magnifique (Hotel Magnifique, #1)

by Emily J. Taylor

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.

Reviewed by Terri M. LeBlanc on

Share

What a fantastic cover and what an amazing story! While this is comped to The Night Circus, I felt it is strong enough to stand on its own. And while it doesn't have elements of The Night Circus, the romance and mystery didn't have the same strong pull as The Night Circus. 

That's not to say I didn't enjoy this title. But this feels firmly in the YA realm. The characters are strong. There is light romance (the will-they-or-won't-they/forbidden love kind). And there is the element of the youngest members of the hotel being identified as the ones that will save the world (you know, the special snowflake(s)…or in this case the Hotel Magnifique. 

The whole world made me think of Paris during 20s with a splash of the darker side of New Orleans. It was delightful and I loved every minute of it.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • 5 June, 2022: Started reading
  • 12 June, 2022: Finished reading
  • 12 July, 2022: Reviewed