Sometimes magic isn't what you think it is. This YA Dark Fantasy in the magical realm leads us to a mysterious hotel that can come and go as it pleases.

What seems like the adventure of a lifetime and a solution to a problem for sisters Jani and Zosa turns out to be a magical mystery that takes them to places and situations that they could not even imagine. The sisters are barely making it in the port city of Durc after the death of their mother. One day, Jani sees an ad that the Hotel Magnifique is hiring. This legendary Hotel travels by way of magic and only the luckiest and richest people will ever step through its doors. Zosa gets hired to sing at the Hotel and Jani comes along with her to keep Zosa safe. But the longer they stay, the more sinister the hotel appears. The sisters are separated and Jani now has to figure out how to get back to her . Bel, who is the hotel's doorman, the famous Maitre, and the rest of the staff all have as many secrets as the building they work in. The heart of this story is definitely the love that the two sisters have for each other. There is some light romance for Jani and Bel as well. This is a dark magical mystery that is lush, extravagant and richly detailed. The world building was well done and the fast pace of the storyline kept the pages turning. I can see why some are comparing this to the Night Circus as well as Caraval. I would also add in a dash of Howl's Moving Castle as well. Definitely a fun read for fans of those books.

Unique premise and a vivid and magical setting. The mystery and intrigue made it hard to put down. The magic system was slightly confusing.

I sadly was unable to finish this book because I struggled so much to connect to the story, characters, and kept putting this down. I was extremely disinterested in all content and tried this in ebook and audio but had to officially DNF it.

Hotel Magnifique is a magical YA fantasy filled with romance, sisterhood, and dark secrets. The story follows Jani as she and her sister Zosa get a job at the notorious Hotel Magnifique. At first Jani and Zosa are excited to start work at such a magical and wondrous place, but they soon find out that there is a lot going on behind the scenes and that the hotel's magic and its management are more dangerous and less intriguing then they thought.

I loved the magic of Hotel Magnifique. It is some of the most imaginative magic I've read in YA in a while. The story is also filled with an excellent cast of characters that amplify Jani's conflicts and triumphs. Hotel Magnifique contains many common YA tropes most readers will be familiar with. These tropes don't make the story bad in my opinion, but they also didn't make the book stand out for me either. 

If you want to read a fun YA fantasy with interesting magic and a French aesthetic, I'd recommend Hotel Magnifique.

The synopsis for Hotel Magnifique immediately caught my eye - a magic hotel, two sisters, and comparisons to The Night Circus and Caraval? I was sold.

The descriptions of the hotel were lush and vibrant, and I kept wanting to hear more about this fascinating world. Taylor did a great job of slowly unraveling the layers of Hotel Magnifique, luring the reader in before revealing increasingly dangerous secrets. And I did love the bond between Jani and Zosa. But it just felt like this book could have been so much more. The secondary characters were intriguing, but we never got more than a brief glimpse of them. Furthermore, the middle of the book was a bit of slog. However, I still did enjoy reading this one

Hotel Magnifique would be a good book to pick up if you’re in the mood for a dark YA fantasy with an intriguing mystery and some romance.

*Disclaimer: I received an advance digital copy of this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This one was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the world. Characters were okay too but didn’t really stick out to me.

Overall it was okay.

I recommend it to fans of YA fantasy.

If you’re a fan of dark circus books such as the night circus, carvall or doll house, hotel magnifique is perfect for you. Dark twisty circus vibes throughout.

I am a Night Circus fan and I LOVED THIS BOOK!! It was magical and kept me up reading all night long. I highly recommend this to all those who loved Night Circus.

Thank you to Netgalley and Razorbill for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

From the prologue, I was absolutely entranced by this book and the Hotel. I love the way we were introduced to the world and how it progressed from there. Jani is such a fun character to watch (and slightly annoying if you have a personality like mine), and I loved seeing her story progress simply from the love of her sister. The way that the sibling love is the crux of the story was refreshing, even with a side plot of romance added in.

I loved the pace of the book and how there felt like there was zero downtime or filler. I do wish that the romance had been a little more fluffed out though; it felt as though it was a bit rushed, and I like when characters really get to know each other before falling in love. In the end though, I was sold on the romance and loved how the story wrapped up.

I did love the plot and the way it kept giving surprises and twists that you had never imagined. It felt like the plot was its own Hotel of sorts. You never knew what was about to happen or what you would stumble upon, just like a guest in Hotel Magnifique.

If you love fantasy standalones, definitely check this magical experience out!

TLDR:

Hotel Magnifique is a debut YA Fantasy novel by Emily J. Taylor.

Notable Elements:

Whimsical
Sisterly Bond
Magic
Contracts

Likes:

Relationship-Focused — All of Jani’s actions are motivated and sincere to her character; her bond to her sister shines through the grand-spectacle plot.

Unquestionably Imaginative — I could picture every awe-inspiring detail of the Hotel. The book’s setting is beautifully imagined and expertly executed.

Perfect Plot Twists — There are a number of jaw-dropping moments, where I couldn’t believe what I was reading.

Dislikes:

Late-Onset-Investment — It took a little longer than I would have preferred to fully immerse in the story, but once I did, I couldn’t stop reading. The excitement begins on page one, but the investment comes a little later.

Final Thoughts:

I loved this book! I’m so impressed with this magical debut, and I can’t wait to read Emily J. Taylor’s next book.

Rating:

4.5/5.0

I love to read books that keep me on my toes in a space where I'm never quite certain what is actually happening. A quick and enjoyable read that kept me entertained from start to finish. Will definitely recommend to others!

the creepy yet luring vibes this book gave me. Reminded me a bit of miss Peregrine and the song by the eagles... hotel california lol. I loved the darkness within. it was so interesting to see the characters work together to get thru the obstacles. I liked the world and the pace of the story. The magic was super interesting, I wish I got more about the origins. Looking forward to more by this author.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an e-ARC of Hotel Magnifique!

DNF.

Honestly. the DNF'ing is a me-problem. This book was definitely magical & will be perfect for some readers. Unfortunately, it didn't hold my interest.

I really loved this book. The fantasy level was out of this world and it felt like I was truly at this hotel. The characters were fully developed and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The cover is what drew me in and I'm glad it did because this was such a spectacular book. I'm still not over how much world building took place, but I loved it all.

Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor is set during the Belle Epoque era -- the time frame is loosely 1871-1880 according to google. It's this young adult book about a magical hotel and a young woman who would do just about anything to be a part of that hotel. Jani has always wanted more than her life gave her. She has had big dreams. However, her life is ordinary. She works at a tanner in the town of Durc taking care of her younger sister Zosa. One day, the world brims with possibility when the Hotel Magnifique comes to town. Jani and her sister apply for jobs at the magical hotel -- but turns out the jobs come with cost. Once you start working for the hotel -- you can never leave. Jani has to find out the hotel's secrets in order to save her sister, Zosa. She only really has one friend at her side -- the doorman Bel.

I listened to the audiobook version of Hotel Magnifique. It is narrated by Suzy Jackson -- who I do genuinely like as a narrator. However, as I have been just flying through the Volumes audiobooks before the app basically stops functioning, I just was not able to give this audiobook it's full due. I listened to it sped up. This book did not really hold my attention. I found it hard to concentrate on or really care about any of it. Even if I didn't listen, I don't know that I would have enjoyed this more. In theory, I should have loved this given the comparison to The Night Circus. In reality -- it had a cool concept, just lacked oomph for me.

# Hotel Magnefique

4/5

I really enjoyed this book! There was so much about the book that felt so familiar to me, it made it easier to read through the book and understand the fantastical aspects of it. I loved the whimsy with this underlying dark and sinister feeling in the back.

I loved the world and felt that it was so developed, I could easily picture everything and really feel like that I was there. I loved the mystery aspect and loved all of the red herrings we got as to who was the big bad and who I should be afraid of or worried about. I loved that at the heart of this novel was Jani and Zosa’s bond, it was such a driving force and I loved that it never changed.

My biggest issue was that I felt like Jani didn’t grow as a character. She kept getting into antics and problems and suffering the consequences from it, but then continuing to get in trouble not five pages later. At some point it wasn’t her being curious or worried, it was her being reckless and borderline stupid because she kept putting herself in dangerous situation that also put her sister in danger.

Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor will probably remain one of my favourite books of 2022. The story was incredibly well paced and the anticipation of what was to happen next kept mounting with each page I turned. The magic system that Taylor implemented was incredibly interesting. The plot was filled with twists and turns, and you never knew who was on each other’s side. The dark, mysterious atmosphere was compelling, and I found myself wanting to visit Elsewhere. I found it interesting that it seemed like it could be set in the Victorian or Edwardian eras, but it also felt like it could be set in present day. The sisterly bond between Jani and Zosa, and the romantic tie of Jani and Bel were both incredibly well written. It was a refreshing change to have a romantic couple that were working more as a team rather than trying to sleep with each other. I really enjoyed how many sibling pairs there were in this story and how that manipulated the story line as it progressed. I could not put this book down., and I recommended it to several friends even while I blazed through it. I cannot wait to share it with more people in the coming days and weeks. If you enjoy a face paced, dark, magical, intriguing mystery this is a great story for you. I personally found it relatively clean and more intriguing rather than horrifying. If you are easily scared like I am, but love this genre, look no further for your next book to read. I received an eARC and physical ARC from Penguin Teen. All views are 100% my own. I did also purchase an exclusive edition of this book because I loved it so much.

Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor, Razorbill Books, 400 pages ($18.99) Ages 12 and up.

Emily J. Taylor makes an impressive debut with this dazzling fantasy of an enchanted hotel that appears in a new destination every morning, full of wonders that are described in vivid detail – but concealing sinister secrets.

The memorable heroine of the tale is 17-year-old Jani Lafayette, who has been working in a tannery ("huddled over crusted alum pots and wells of dye") in the grubby port town of Durc to support herself and her 13-year-old sister Zosa when a newspaper ad announces the Hotel Magnifique is coming to town and invites guests to "pack a bag for Elsewhere & prepare to depart by midnight." Only the wealthy can afford to visit as guests; Zosa's beautiful voice wins her a role in the hotel's stage show and she signs a contract in purple ink mixed with her blood. Jani argues her way into a job as a maid despite warnings from Bel, the handsome young doorman, that she should just leave.

Taylor weaves a marvelous enchantment here, of magicians known as suminaires and the "artefacts" that feed their magic, and sets her tale in a European-flavored backdrop with marvelous place names (Devil's Tongue Basin, Palamar, the Cloud Forest of Aritangua, the city of Torvast in the Grimmuld Highlands) and invented words (coins called "dublonnes" for one). The wonders of the hotel include ever-changing rooms, champagne fountains, a mammoth glass aviary, complex puzzles, an enchanted moon window that shows guests the home they will return to. The intricate plot is full of delicious surprises, creepy villains, touches of horror and a slow-burning romance.

**3.5 stars**
I think I would have liked this better if I had not read a VERY similar story just recently so this was like an echo of that other book and I felt a little bored since at times the action/plot was slow to have anything happen (But I will say that this cover is gorgeous and I would have purchased a copy based on that alone since I am a cover snob). I can say that this is a good choice for anyone who likes the magic of the Caraval series because everything in the Hotel is impossible magic and the descriptions were very detailed and intriguing. I do like that the plot was wrapped up very nicely so I am pretty sure this is a standalone, a nice thing in a world of having to wait forever for a sequel or real ending.

Overall this was an interesting story that I can see lots of people enjoying the magic, character development, angsty relationships and underlying mystery. Welcome to the Hotel Magnifique, where nothing is as it seems.

This is an intriguing YA read. Overall, I really enjoyed it and was interested enough to keep reading until the end.