Hotel Magnifique
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4.3 • 38 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
All that glitters can be dark and mysterious in this strange YA fantasy adventure. Motherless and impoverished teens Jani and Zosa are languishing in a backwater town when an exclusive hotel suddenly sets up shop overnight. The sisters excitedly take jobs at the swank establishment, but soon discover that not only is the hotel wildly extravagant, the place also has the mystical ability to move locations every night. And once trapped inside the building’s strange and whimsical walls, the girls realize that this is only the start to the hotel’s incredible magic. We loved following Jani and Zosa on their spellbinding adventure as they expose the sinister secrets lurking behind the hotel’s magnificent exterior and champagne-filled fountains. An emotionally complex story of sisterly love and overcoming evil, Hotel Magnifique definitely lives up to its title.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Janine Lafayette, 17, wants better things for her and her 13-year-old sister, Zosa, than Jani's tannery job's wages can provide, so she's elated when the legendary Hotel Magnifique, which changes location daily, appears in a Durc alleyway. Those born with magic, dubbed suminaires, can have difficulty controlling their power, but the hotel's "blindingly pale" maître, Alastair, has enchanted the building to allow him and the suminaires he employs to safely perform astonishing feats. Invite-only stays at the hotel cost a fortune, but if Jani and Zosa, who have olive skin, become staff, they can travel the world with the hotel while saving for the future. Zosa secures a job singing, and Jani persuades handsome, mysterious copper-skinned doorman Bel to hire her as a maid, but soon after the teens sign their contracts, Jani realizes that they're trapped and that nearly everything they've heard about the hotel is a lie. Clear and creative worldbuilding, exquisite set pieces, and emotionally complex, intersectionally diverse characters complement the twist-riddled plot of Taylor's spellbinding debut. The stakes mount in tandem with Jani and Bel's romantic tension, captivating readers and catapulting the tale to a spectacular, cathartic close. Ages 12–up. Agents: Alexandra Machinist and Hillary Jacobson, ICM Partners.
Customer Reviews
Very good
Five stars
A delightful, original YA Fantasy Romance!
HOLY WOW!! This book was SO MUCH MORE THAN I EXPECTED!!! I am just left sitting here in awe!!!
The freaking world building is absolutely FANTASTIC!!!! With the hotel and all its magical oddities and how things change all the time. The hotel is so cool!!!
The characters, I loved and hated the characters so much!! I mean they were so real and affected me like they were meant to. I loved how at the center of the story is the two sisters who enter the hotel and end up separated and trying to get back to each other. Then there is Bel. I LOVED Bel. He tried so hard to help Jani, he truly cared what happened to her. Watching their relationship grow into a romance was one of my favorite things. But Jani made so many friends in the hotel. But then, of course there were the nasty people.
The whole concept was so original!! The idea of the Hotel Magnifique and how when guests left they forgot everything that happened there. Then the staff, when they entered, they forgot everything about their life before. That was such an interesting concept. As the story goes along more and more becomes revealed and it’s so surprising and unexpected!! You HAVE to read this!!!! It’s definitely a favorite book for me!!!!