In a world where magic is dangerous and mysterious, only one place purports to be a safe haven for viewing all that sorcery and spells are capable of. That place is Hotel Magnifique, a mysterious resort that only appears once every ten years, gives out a scarce handful of invitations, and whisks away its guests for a luxurious and decadent tour of all the kingdoms and wonders of the world. It's also the place that Jani sees as her ticket out of Durc, where she labors at the tannery and supports her younger sister Zosa. But when Jani manages to secure a position for herself and her sister at the magnificent hotel, she must learn firsthand that the hotel's glamourous illusions hide a much darker secret.
If I had to summarize "Hotel Magnifique" in just a few words, it would be "YA fantasy junk food." That is to say, Emily Taylor does an amazing job describing an opulant, ostentatious, sumptuous, and every other fancy word you can think of world. Her descriptions of the various characters and settings are deserving of three stars just on its own steam; they are just so unique and engrossing. The cover itself just hints at the type of prose you can expect to see in this book, very eye-catching and glamorous.
When it comes to the actual plot, however, it's not as layered. That's not to say that it's bad, but if you are a hardened YA veteran such as myself, you would probably be able to guess the majority of the plot within the first one hundred pages. Taylor hits almost all of the typical YA fantasy cliches, the broody romantic interest, the mysterious man behind mirror, the sinister secret he is hiding, but she dresses it all up in so much glitter and beautiful imagery that you can't help but still be mildly entertained by it.
Would I shelve this book among my all-time favorites? No. But would I curl up to read this for a few moments of escapism and nostalgia of when I used to hunt for these types of books all the time in my local library? Absolutely.
If I had to summarize "Hotel Magnifique" in just a few words, it would be "YA fantasy junk food." That is to say, Emily Taylor does an amazing job describing an opulant, ostentatious, sumptuous, and every other fancy word you can think of world. Her descriptions of the various characters and settings are deserving of three stars just on its own steam; they are just so unique and engrossing. The cover itself just hints at the type of prose you can expect to see in this book, very eye-catching and glamorous.
When it comes to the actual plot, however, it's not as layered. That's not to say that it's bad, but if you are a hardened YA veteran such as myself, you would probably be able to guess the majority of the plot within the first one hundred pages. Taylor hits almost all of the typical YA fantasy cliches, the broody romantic interest, the mysterious man behind mirror, the sinister secret he is hiding, but she dresses it all up in so much glitter and beautiful imagery that you can't help but still be mildly entertained by it.
Would I shelve this book among my all-time favorites? No. But would I curl up to read this for a few moments of escapism and nostalgia of when I used to hunt for these types of books all the time in my local library? Absolutely.