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A review by taryn_g
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars
When I picked up Hotel Magnifique, it seemed like it was quite promising despite my worries that the description seemed a little too similar The Night Circus. And while it actually wasn’t all that similar, it also just didn’t do it for me.
There were a lot of things that I didn’t love throughout the story, but I think it boils down to the story feeling lacking to me. The first thing that jumped out at me was that it seemed as though the book wasn’t sure what it wanted to be. After a slow start, the story has the makings of what I would describe as a magical thriller, which seemed interesting. Our MC, Jani, has been contracted to work in a hotel where she begins to realize the wonders of magic are covering something more sinister. But just as this thriller angle is picking up, I felt that it flatlined.
The next portion of the book is basically just Jani trying to get by day to day in the hotel, which wasn’t all that interesting to read about. Finally, over halfway through, we’re introduced to the main conflict, which is precipitated by a plot twist I found rather predictable. The conflict itself wasn’t particularly thrilling, but it was alright. I do think its resolution, however, was kind of anticlimactic.
Beyond these things, the characters weren’t my favorites. I found Jani to be a little boring, and the romance will Bel seemed forced to me. I didn’t find myself cheering for them to get together; I was rather apathetic towards their relationship. Also, I didn’t love the writing style, especially the way characters are described (it felt like everyone was described in the same manner and the descriptions were rarely deeper than hair color/skin color/eye color), but I can acknowledge that this is a debut novel, and the author’s style will likely adapt as they write more books.
However, all that being said, I still didn’t *dislike* this book. I did enjoy some of the more thriller aspects, and do wish that had gone on a little more. I thought that the magic system was interesting, especially the way the artéfacts are worked in. The focus on Jani’s relationships with her mother and sister was also nicely done.
All in all, probably not a book that I will recommend often, unless I encounter someone looking for some specific plots or tropes.
2022: 28
When I picked up Hotel Magnifique, it seemed like it was quite promising despite my worries that the description seemed a little too similar The Night Circus. And while it actually wasn’t all that similar, it also just didn’t do it for me.
There were a lot of things that I didn’t love throughout the story, but I think it boils down to the story feeling lacking to me. The first thing that jumped out at me was that it seemed as though the book wasn’t sure what it wanted to be. After a slow start, the story has the makings of what I would describe as a magical thriller, which seemed interesting. Our MC, Jani, has been contracted to work in a hotel where she begins to realize the wonders of magic are covering something more sinister. But just as this thriller angle is picking up, I felt that it flatlined.
The next portion of the book is basically just Jani trying to get by day to day in the hotel, which wasn’t all that interesting to read about. Finally, over halfway through, we’re introduced to the main conflict, which is precipitated by a plot twist I found rather predictable. The conflict itself wasn’t particularly thrilling, but it was alright. I do think its resolution, however, was kind of anticlimactic.
Beyond these things, the characters weren’t my favorites. I found Jani to be a little boring, and the romance will Bel seemed forced to me. I didn’t find myself cheering for them to get together; I was rather apathetic towards their relationship. Also, I didn’t love the writing style, especially the way characters are described (it felt like everyone was described in the same manner and the descriptions were rarely deeper than hair color/skin color/eye color), but I can acknowledge that this is a debut novel, and the author’s style will likely adapt as they write more books.
However, all that being said, I still didn’t *dislike* this book. I did enjoy some of the more thriller aspects, and do wish that had gone on a little more. I thought that the magic system was interesting, especially the way the artéfacts are worked in. The focus on Jani’s relationships with her mother and sister was also nicely done.
All in all, probably not a book that I will recommend often, unless I encounter someone looking for some specific plots or tropes.
2022: 28
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Blood