What a strange little story. I love when authors tell stories in a unique way and it works. This one is told through multiple characters related to the overarching story. At first, I was nervous because I thought it would make it difficult to really get into this, but it honestly all connected really nicely for me. I did miss some of the characters and wish we could've stayed with them a little longer, but I think that's actually a good thing. Scifi is such a difficult genre because I feel like there are only so many stories that can be told with it, but this one managed to be a unique title in a crowded space.

This was a fun, easy read that felt a bit like taking a vacation in space (I know that's on the nose, but it's true!). A great slump buster.

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis!

The Abeona is a glory of a ship, a hotel floating through space, filled with hotel employees, and guests.
It starts with Carl, how he found his way as a young boy onto the ship and grew up onboard, and from there we meet a bevy of other characters, Uwade, Dunk and others...
There is an underlying mystery of secrets messages and groups hunting the sender, or senders down...
As much as I enjoyed the individual pieces, it never really came together for me. There was just a little too much happening that never completely pulled itself together and felt a bit jumbled as a result.

I enjoyed the writing. The story is creative and has a bit of a Doctor Who vibe. I will definitely be watching this author.

I really love a quirky hotel-as-setting-and-character story. In this cozy, sci-fi version we get the perspectives of several residents and visitors on the Grand Abeona whose stories serve as loosely connected vignettes of life on the ship and how our characters ended up there. There are hints of darker things lurking beneath the surface in the wider world outside the hotel but we don't get any more than hints.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

"Floating Hotel" by Grace Curtis is a captivating space adventure that revolves around the Grand Abeona Hotel, a colossal, spacefaring establishment traveling through the galaxy. Each chapter focuses on a different passenger or crew member, creating a mosaic of narratives that collectively unravel a central mystery. The book's tone and whimsical character ensemble draw comparisons to Josiah Bancroft’s “Books of Babel” series, with elements of airships, class divides, and a rich tapestry of personalities.

Curtis excels in creating a vividly detailed universe. The Grand Abeona Hotel itself is an enchanting setting, evoking a sense of both grandeur and intimacy. The author paints a vibrant picture of life aboard this floating sanctuary amidst an oppressive Galactic Empire. The descriptions of the hotel, with its warm and loving design, contrast sharply with the sterile and harsh environments typically depicted in space operas, enhancing the book's cozy atmosphere.

Each character aboard the Grand Abeona Hotel is given a unique voice and backstory, contributing to the book's rich narrative fabric. Characters like Carl the manager, Uwade at the reception, and Dunk the sous-chef are memorable and endearing. Their personal histories and aspirations provide depth and relatability, though the sheer number of perspectives can occasionally overwhelm the reader. While some characters shine brilliantly, others, particularly the undercover agents, lack the same depth and connection.

The novel's structure, with its frequent shifts in perspective, can be disorienting but also serves to underscore the interconnectedness of the hotel’s inhabitants. This approach adds a layer of complexity, though it sometimes detracts from character development. The central mystery woven through these varied narratives acts as a unifying thread, maintaining the reader's engagement and curiosity.

Curtis’s work deftly explores themes of class divide, resistance against tyranny, and the nuances of found family. The cozy tone, interspersed with darker elements, creates a dynamic reading experience. While the story delves into serious issues, it maintains a sense of charm and hopefulness, embodied by the diverse cast of characters and their interactions.

The pacing of "Floating Hotel" fluctuates, with a leisurely start that gradually picks up momentum. The initial chapters may feel slow, but they effectively set the stage for the unfolding drama. As the plot progresses, the stakes rise, and the narrative becomes increasingly compelling. However, the rapid introduction of multiple characters can make the story feel fragmented at times, and the big reveal near the end may seem rushed and less impactful.

One of the book's significant strengths is its worldbuilding and the cozy yet adventurous atmosphere Curtis creates. The characters, though numerous, are well-crafted and engaging. The primary weakness lies in the execution of the multiple POVs, which occasionally hampers character development and narrative cohesion. Additionally, the plot's complexity might have benefited from a more focused storyline, allowing for deeper exploration of key themes and characters.

"Floating Hotel" is a unique addition to the sci-fi genre, blending elements of cozy mystery and space adventure. Grace Curtis has crafted a world that feels both fantastical and familiar, filled with characters who are charmingly imperfect and richly detailed. While the book's ambitious scope occasionally detracts from its execution, it remains an enjoyable read with a heartwarming core. Fans of character-driven narratives and whimsical settings will find much to love aboard the Grand Abeona Hotel.

A huge spaceship that cruises the planets on a set course that hasn’t varied for years attracts a lot of interesting guests and the occasional conference. The beginning focuses on introducing much of the crew and how they arrived at working on the Abeona. As the character intros continue to guests onboard the ship, we start to see the plot and the reason for the ship’s course of ports. The ending felt a bit rushed compared to the slow unfolding of all the people working on the ship.

This book was adorably fun and entertaining. I love that we got SO many POV's throughout the book. The writing is don well, the story is told well, and overall the book is good, I gave it a 3.75 stars.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. I'm always keen for a space adventure, but I usually prefer more action. I liked these slice-of-life stories, with a hint of mystery and intrigue thrown in. I don't think the characters themselves will stick in my mind for too long, but the overall story definitely will. I'm excited to read more books by Curtis in the future.

Floating Hotel: A Cozy Cosmic Odyssey
Grace Curtis' Floating Hotel is a delightful blend of character-driven storytelling and gentle sci-fi. Set aboard a spaceship transformed into a hotel, the novel introduces us to a colorful cast of characters, each with their own reasons for seeking refuge in this unique environment.

Curtis excels at creating a world that feels both familiar and utterly alien. The Grand Abeona Hotel, a floating oasis drifting through space, is a character in its own right. Its intricate details and the way it shapes the lives of its inhabitants are meticulously crafted. The author’s prose is evocative, painting vivid pictures of the ship’s interior and the breathtaking vistas of the cosmos.

While the plot is not the central focus, the interconnected lives of the hotel staff and guests gradually unfold, revealing a tapestry of hopes, dreams, and secrets. The pacing is leisurely, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the daily rhythms of life aboard the ship. The characters are endearingly flawed and complex, making their journeys both relatable and compelling.

However, the book's greatest strength lies in its atmosphere. It's a cozy, contemplative read that offers a much-needed respite from the frenetic pace of modern life. Floating Hotel is a testament to the power of human connection, even in the most unexpected of places.

While some readers may find the plot lacking in dramatic tension, those seeking a heartwarming and thought-provoking story will find much to appreciate in this novel. Curtis' Floating Hotel is a gentle exploration of the human condition, set against the backdrop of a breathtaking cosmic landscape.

This is very much one of those "good vibes found family" books that really seem to satisfy a need these days - for me there just wasn't enough "there" there, though. I needed more substance.

This a a good read for fans of Becky chambers or Mur Lafferty . Filled with interesting characters and complicated politics this is a fun read to lose yourself in. My kind of beach read!

This was a fun, cozy(ish) slice-of-life space book, with a few mysteries thrown in. It's a quieter story that focuses on the characters but I loved just getting to follow these characters throughout the spaceship and their daily lives. I would say there might be too many characters/povs to follow, as sometimes it was hard to keep them all straight and remember certain subplots. The worldbuilding isn't vast, but enough to build interest in what's going on. This didn't quite fill the Becky Chambers-shaped hole in my heart but it came close. If you love character-driven found family stories, then this is for you.

3.5 STARS

CW: blood, violence, murder, death, torture, colonization

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This is pitched as a cozy story about a spaceship hotel and the staff and guests and it was pretty much that. Each chapter is about a different person and we get a mosaic view of the hotel and what is happening. In that way, it reminded me of The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan but I'm sure there are a plethora of other books which also choose similar narrative situations.

I must admit from the get-go, that I was probably in the wrong mood for this book. I think, had I been in the right reading mood, I would have loved this but as it stands, I was more or less bored throughout much of the story. I liked the characters, liked learning about their pasts, how they came to the hotel and what their tasks were and who they had (good or bad) relationships with. One thing that I would have wished for a bit more is having the hotel stand out more as an independent character. I have to draw parallels to The Ten Percent Thief again because in that book the city that was written about was great and through each chapter, the character of the city became more fleshed out. And that was missing for me in this book.

There was also this other plot of someone on board distributing messages that criticize the Empire which obviously is a big no-no and then agents turn up to find out who it is and arrest that person. There's also some world building about movies and media about aliens being outlawed, which was honestly talked about so little I can't really tell you more about it even if I wanted to. I thought that was a very interesting theme but it wasn't explored as much as I hoped so I was left a little disappointed.

As opposed to my disappointment about that particular aspect of the story, I was pleasantly surprised with the ending and I found it very engaging. I did predict who the secret dissenter was (because it was fairly obvious) but I wasn't necessarily bothered that I did. The end also definitely left some openings for a potential sequel and I would definitely be interested in that because the story would surely be very different from this one and I really want to know some more worldbuilding aspects about this universe and the Empire and some things that are revealed over the course of this book.

Overall, I think this book is recommendable for anyone looking for some cozy sci-fi. The story, albeit rather slow, keeps readers engaged with a little mystery and features charming characters that you'll grow fond of in no time.

Since I love the Wayfarer books by Becky Chambers, I was ready to dive into this! And oooh, this checked all the boxes! Cozy sci-fi, found family, and a bit of mystery! ✨ I'll be purchasing this as a physical copy so I can display it on my shelf and force-feed it to friends. Lovely!

A fun and cozy sci-fi romp. I liked how low-stakes things felt; it was just what I was looking for. If you're looking for the sci-fi equivalent of Legends & Lattes, this is your book!

Floating Hotel is a cozy sci-fi that moves at a pace not unlike its time jumps. It is reminiscent of Hotel Magnifique and a little bit Cloud Atlas but with less action and plot movement. Rather than a continuously linear story, it is more of a character anthology that moves across stories through the linking of one character to the next - seemingly frozen in time.

3.25

Curtis's debut novel [book:Frontier|62807190] was a surprise hit for me when I read it last year, and while I didn't like this quite as much I still really appreciate what Curtis brings to the sci-fi genre. Like Frontier, Floating Hotel features a vignette style narrative in this case introducing workers and guests on the Grand Abeona Hotel. The book starts as almost a character study and then transitions into a spy thriller. It's charming with a cozy atmosphere that makes the gory details even more jarring and I had such a great time reading this. I cannot wait to see what Grace Curtis comes up with next!