TBR Pile Review: Floating Hotel, by Grace Curtis

Description

Welcome to the Grand Abeona Hotel: home of the finest food, the sweetest service, and the very best views the galaxy has to offer. Year round it moves from planet to planet, system to system, pampering guests across the furthest reaches of the milky way. The last word in sub-orbital luxury – and a magnet for intrigue. Intrigues such as:

Why are there love poems in the lobby intray?

How many Imperial spies are currently on board?

What is the true purpose of the Problem Solver’s conference?

And perhaps most pertinently – who is driving the ship?

At the centre of these mysteries stands Carl, one time stowaway, longtime manager, devoted caretaker to the hotel. It’s the love of his life and the only place he’s ever called home. But as forces beyond Carl’s comprehension converge on the Abeona, he has to face one final question: when is it time to let go?

My Review

I bought myself this last Friday from Waterstones. I actually went into a shop! In a shopping centre! It was a shock to the system, I can tell you. So obviously I had to buy books. I only bought five, and this is a Waterstones signed and exclusive edition – signed, with sprayed edges in a purple ombre. I’ve already got a copy on pre-order from Goldsboro Books (signed, first edition, first printing, but no special features), but we all know I’m a completist so why not?

We start with Carl a young boy living on a dying planet, mined to death with a population mired in poverty. Carl sees the Grand Abeona Hotel above him, and finds a way to get aboard. He’s taken in by Nina, the manager of the hotel. Forty years later, Carl in the manager, and the hotel is struggling. They’re understaffed, the place is looking a bit shabby, and half the rooms are empty. All of the staff have their secrets, their traumas and complex stories of their own. And they really don’t want people asking questions.

This is a bit of a problem, because the antics of a dissenter, called the Lamplighter, against the Empire and the undying Emperor has drawn the attention of government agents to the hotel and they’ve sent a couple of killers to seek out the Lamplighter to stop their inflammatory and sarcastic ‘dispatches’. An organisation of ‘rebels’ has also sent an agent, to save the Lamplighter and get them to safety.

We follow the adventures of Carl and his crew as they travel through the galaxy, serving their guests and trying to not get arrested. In the process, a couple of geeks (a linguist and a mathematician) discover a message from Andromada, a rebel is tortured and Carl finds out who Nina was, and why she opened the Grand Abeona. We also discover the Emperor’s secret and that there are some dodgy films out there in space.

I still don’t get who sent the poems though. I think it was Kipple, declaring their love for Carl or possibly all of the crew. Kipple is a really secret character who has the biggest secrets of everyone.

I enjoyed the novel. The writing and characterisation are excellent, while the plot is simple. The tiny twists that bring a little light into the situation are a joy to find and put together. I loved the joy and enthusiasm from Mara and Ooly as they discover the meaning of the mysterious code and start working together. I enjoyed the adventures of Daphne and Rogan as they get to know each other and go exploring. We learn more about the history of the hotel and Nina from their adventures, as well as their own histories and how they ended up on the Hotel. There are multiple small stories woven through the novel that combine to create the whole.

I enjoyed Grace Curtis’ first book, Frontier, and I have been happily rewarded by reading her second book. I look forward to more from her.