Author: Grace Curtis
Published: 2024
Target audience: Adults (Appropriate 15+)
Whimsy and mystery meets ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ in space. Grace Curtis’ novel ‘Floating Hotel’ is an enchanting slice-of-life revolving around the motley crew and customers of the Grand Abeona Hotel. The Abeona is a luxury spaceship traveling from planet to planet year round, pampering guests with the finest food and best views the galaxy has to offer. Brought to life with lyrical prose and evocative description, ‘Floating Hotel’ is a cosy tale of misfits, rebels, and found family that will especially appeal to fans of Becky Chambers and Martha Wells.
The heart of this book lies in the distinct and endearing connections between the hotel staff and patrons. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character - Carl the soft-hearted manager, Uwade the capable concierge, Azad the jaded visiting scholar, Dunk the ex-miltary sous-chef, and more. Their individual chapters explore each character’s past and what led them to the Abeona to carve out their own new identity, purpose, and haven. ‘Floating Hotel’ explores the easy camaraderie and tolerated coexistence between people who are not only coworkers but also crew mates who live together, as well as the unexpected challenges that arise when working in customer service. From encounters with peculiar guests to dealing with customer vehicles parked in the wrong spot, between the never-ending repairs and balancing staffing issues - all are depicted in a humorously relatable manner that is a delight to read.
But there are also mysteries afoot and matters amiss. A hotel cook receives a warning about Imperial spies aboard, visiting scholars are made to swear an oath of silence before their annual conference, love poems keep arriving in the lobby inbox, and what happened to the previous hotel manager? These questions entangle in an enthralling cosy sci-fi story threaded with growing dread and urgency. All this is set against a galaxy-spanning backdrop of mining planet-colonies, an interplanetary Empire headed by a paranoid tyrant, decadent aristocrats, anonymous dissidents, fickle fortunes, riots and wars, and, above all, humanity in all its myriads. It is a richly descriptive and riveting read.
Written by English author Grace Curtis, ‘Floating Hotel’ is a charming tale full of intrigue and heart. I certainly recommend this book and am keen to read more from this author!
