I claimed a copy of this book, and although it was out of my comfort zone, I enjoyed it greatly. I will try to be as vague as possible to avoid any spoilers, but the gist of it is Jani and Zosa are sisters looking to escape their dreary life and take up the opportunity to apply to be workers at Hotel Magnifique. Zosa gets a job as a singer, while Jani gets a job to be a maid. But they get themselves into more than they realized with the hotel.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I think the magic system was easy to understand, as you get bits and pieces at a time, and it makes the setting and world-building all the better as you learn more about it. As Jani notices odd occurrences, you notice that there is something strange happening about the hotel. While being a magical read, it becomes darker as everything unfolds. But as a counterpart, the romance is an excellent way to ease this tension, as the scenes between Bel and Jani fit into the story and make an excellent slow-burn as it progresses. Also loved the side characters, especially Zosa and Beatrice.
My only complaint is the epilogue, it did tie up the story nicely, but I could have used a chapter or two more that went into the future of the hotel. Despite this, it was a great standalone fantasy novel.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I think the magic system was easy to understand, as you get bits and pieces at a time, and it makes the setting and world-building all the better as you learn more about it. As Jani notices odd occurrences, you notice that there is something strange happening about the hotel. While being a magical read, it becomes darker as everything unfolds. But as a counterpart, the romance is an excellent way to ease this tension, as the scenes between Bel and Jani fit into the story and make an excellent slow-burn as it progresses. Also loved the side characters, especially Zosa and Beatrice.
My only complaint is the epilogue, it did tie up the story nicely, but I could have used a chapter or two more that went into the future of the hotel. Despite this, it was a great standalone fantasy novel.