excellent book. was so excited to receive this ARC. it became one of my top favorite reads. cannot wait to read more from this author.

3.75 rounded up

In "Floating Hotel," Grace Curtis weaves a compelling space opera that combines the warmth of a found family with the thrilling undertones of a mystery in a world wary of imperial restrictions. Set aboard the Grand Abeona Hotel—a luxury spaceship that traverses the stars—this novel offers interstellar intrigue amidst the everyday life of guests and staff.

Carl, the hotel's manager, is at the heart of the story, whose destiny is deeply entangled with that of the Abeona. Characters like Uwade, Dunk, and Ooly enrich the narrative with colourful backstories, making the hotel a nexus for their individual and collective arcs. The contrast between guests and staff also highlights the huge inequalities in this world that echoes the wealth gap in our world.

Curtis ambitiously navigates multiple perspectives, which, while broadening the narrative scope, occasionally - for me - detracted from deeper character development. I love character-driven plots and wanted to get much closer to Carl. While I like knowing more about each staff member, the frequent shifting of viewpoints initially led me to set the book aside. I'm glad I picked it up again because I found myself more immersed in the plot's progression as the story progressed.

Despite its early hurdles (in my opinion), "Floating Hotel" is punctuated with memorable scenes and thoughtful dialogues. The lyrical narrative style stands out in this genre, and the mystery and dynamics aboard the Abeona eventually make for a compelling read that culminates in a satisfyingly peculiar ending.

Overall, I rate "Floating Hotel" 3.75 out of 5 stars. This novel is perfect for readers who appreciate a backdrop of mystery with a foreground rich in character vignettes set within grand, fantastical settings. It's a cosy yet occasionally sharp read—the kind that, as you'll discover, truly "has teeth." ;)

I've now bought Grace Curtis's "Frontier" and will look out for her future publications.

I'm incredibly late in reviewing this book. But I read it exactly when I needed it, to the point where, the second I finished my free review copy, I rushed to order a special edition online.

It was poetry. I can't find another word to describe it. A lullaby of a book that wove the lives of so many people into a gentle song. So many perspectives, so many people, each with a yearning, each connecting.

I have been looking forward to reading this for a while. I'm not even sure how I heard of Grace Curtis, but once I read the premise I was hooked. Talk about a story which feels like straight out of a Doctor Who episode. Featuring multiple POVs, Floating Hotel is like a Space Titanic with a dose of rebellion. While there's a slow build up to the impetus of the story, the first half reads more cozy SF about the hotel guests. The things we hide from others, how we appear in one interaction, and all our motivations.

I picked up this book on a whim – the blurb sounded interesting enough – and then promptly forgot about it until a few days ago. I cannot express how glad I am that I did.

Floating Hotel is very much not what I expected – heavy on the character exploration, integrating charming and telling flashbacks with present-day interactions aboard the Abeona to show both the passing of time and the impact of life before coming on board. I was anticipating some mystery, perhaps some murder, but I wouldn’t trade a second of Floating Hotel.

As an avid SFF reader who is big on both world-building and character development, this book was a strange sweet spot. While the present-day plot of the novel isn’t grandiose or action-packed, I was enticed by the mystery. Truthfully, around the halfway mark, I stopped worrying about who the Lamplighter could be and was more interested in learning about the rest of the staff members.

There is something about Grace Curtis’s writing that just clicked for me. The description consistently focuses on the small details to tell the biggest pieces of the story– a half smirk or the flatness of a waiter’s wrist or the crumple of paper in a fist – and I felt myself slipping into this world effortlessly. Because of this level of description, almost filtering out the gaudy or grand details one would usually expect, I felt more able to visualize this book than I have with others in a very long time.

Not to mention the varied and fascinating cast of characters. Their daily life is heavy on mundanity, wildly contrasting criminal pasts to show the power of comraderie and found family at its peak. Every POV offered some new insight into the Abeona, into the Manager and the other staff, into life in this galaxy and how unchanged the human race remains even in 2814.

I cannot forget to mention my deep love for Omar Mataz’s overdramatic but expertly executed phrasings, the semi-grotesque but wholly endearing way the characters are physically described, and just… the name Kipple Pittsburgh. These things will live on with me for all of time.

I love you, Floating Hotel. I love you, Grace Curtis. I love you DAW and Netgalley for giving me access to this arc in exchange for an honest review.

What a cute, interesting read! A cozy scifi that focuses on a different passenger or crew member every chapter! I haven't read anything like this yet, so I fully enjoyed this! I look forward to what else this author does!

This was fantastic!! It was part mystery, part heist, with a wonderful cast of colorful characters. The author does a fantastic job of painting a picture of each of the characters as well as the Grand Abeona Hotel. The book follows a different character from the crew or guests for each chapter, which I personally loved. It was really nice to get a different perspective from a bunch of different people. I also loved that each chapter gave us some insight into the character's back story. I felt like we really got to know them. I am not a sci-fi person by any means but this was so good. I would recommend checking it out even if you're not into sci-fi, you'll still love this.

As I lost myself in the world of the floating hotel, I found myself swept away by its magic, forgetting the cares of the world outside its walls. It's a reminder of the transformative power of fiction to transport us to new and wondrous places. The "Floating Hotel" is a captivating and unforgettable read that will linger in my mind long after I've turned the final page. Grace Curtis has crafted a masterpiece that is equal parts enchanting and thought-provoking. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone in search of an immersive and uplifting literary escape. I received a complimentary copy of this book from DAW through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you so much!

Unfortunately I could not get into this book and did not finish it. I did not enjoy the format, finding too many POVs detracted from the overall coherence and point (or at least, interest, for me) of the story. I also do not feel the 'cozy' vibe is correct as I stopped reading when Dunk's POV veered into a segment describing ox slaughtering. (I can not read books containing animal abuse).

Thanks in any case for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Grand Abeona Hotel flies from port to port, staffed by an eccentric cast and hosting guests with strange stories. Each chapter of this fantastic novel is a vignette from a different character from the hotel, slowly revealing the world, plot and the mysteries of the Hotel itself. Fascinating, engaging, and incredibly well written, this book is perfect for fans of Becky Chambers.

In Brief
In this cozy science fiction novel, Curtis paints a picture of a crumbling luxury space hotel that has seen better days and gently weaves a bit of mystery in as agents are onboard to find the anonymous Lamplighter spreading supposed truths about the Emperor. The Grand Abeona Hotel was the epitome of luxury, but, years later and under the management of Carl, a boy the ship’s late owner took in long before her death, it’s falling into disrepair and now travels on a fixed orbit. But it’s the characters who step to the forefront, crew members and guests telling their stories, detailing their daily lives, and unwittingly piecing together the identity of the Lamplighter. But it all also comes back to Carl, who stands at the center of these stories, who loves the Abeona more than anything, but who will have to face the hardest choice of his life. Despite the very real stakes in Floating Hotel, it also managed to feel very low stakes. The characters shine, though they never really step out of their assigned roles. The story moves in a flowing, fluid way, always moving forward, but also uncovering tidbits that were unknown in previous chapters. The pieces are deftly mixed together, offering softness and coziness among the sharp pieces that make things exciting now and then. This is a fun, easy read, and it really lets the characters shine.

Extended Thoughts
One of my favorite topics to read about in science fiction is interstellar travel. Set almost entirely on a hotel that travels around in space, Floating Hotel was not one I could pass up. This might not be set in any patch of space I know, but the idea that space is populated and has a massive space ship that travels around, picking up guests all over the place, fascinated me. I went into this knowing it would be a cozy sci-fi story, but I was unprepared for the subtle story of rebellion, a chapter with almost too many numbers for me, and a novel where nearly every chapter was told by a different character.

The Grand Abeona Hotel simply appeared one day, the guests greeted by Nina, the women who created it. Frequented by those who could afford it, it wasn’t a place for runaway child Carl, but Nina found a place for him. Years later, Nina is gone and Carl is in charge. He doesn’t strike anyone as the most capable manager, but he cares about the people, picking up something of a ragtag crew. It’s a luxury space hotel that now appears to be showing its age and wear and tear, and it currently hosts an interesting set of guests. There’s a number of guests aboard hunting down the Lamplighter, either to protect them for spreading dispatches against the Emperor and other figures or detain them for the same reason. At the same time, there’s a conference whose members are, strangely, sworn to secrecy and given the task of pairing up to solve a challenging code that might or might not have anything to do with the Lamplighter. Meanwhile, the crew and some guests gather now and then to view illegal films, living their lives and enjoying what they can with this second chance Carl’s given them.

The Abeona was a fascinating place to be aboard. With most of the story set on the space hotel, the reader gets to know the ins and outs of it, the places the guests roam and the ways the staff get around. What was once the height of luxury in its heyday, with an erratic route through space, the Abeona is now little more than a ghost of its former luxury. It’s still ostentatious and caters to the wealthy, but the back corridors show the wear and tear, the orbit is set and no longer varies, and the crew is a motley assortment of people Carl has collected over the years. It’s fascinating, though, and I had a fantastic time wandering the ship with the characters.

There are a number of characters who get to tell their story, some of them guests, but many of them crew members. Most of the chapters were told by one of them, giving their story of how they ended up on the Abeona as well as detailing their daily routines. I enjoyed getting to know them, and I liked that they had different interactions with each other and even different views of Carl. But, as much fun as I had following them around, I never really felt like I got to know any other them. Carl was a little easier to get to know as he always seemed to be everywhere, checking in with everyone and greeting the guests, and, when he wasn’t on page, the crew mentioned him frequently, and not always positively. Everyone else, though, felt a little thin, each given a backstory and a role, but never really stepping out of their boundaries. I did like them, though, and I did like that the crew functioned like a dysfunctional family. It was especially fun to see them interact and let loose a little when they gathered to watch weird science fiction movies.

The story itself is little more than a light imprint. Floating Hotel is very character forward, always pushing the people aboard into the limelight. Through their backstories and their daily routines, and, for some, their missions and reasons for being on the ship, the reader slowly starts to see what this book is about. It also nicely ties into the world beyond the ship, building just enough of the galaxy and how it’s governed for the story to make sense without being overwhelming.

For decades, someone called the Lamplighter has been sowing the seeds for revolution, putting out small publications that reveal the truth about the Emperor. There are some wild stories and theories, and then there’s the Lamplighter who supposedly knows the truth. For decades, no one has known who they are or where they are, but signs seems to point to the Abeona as it floats through space. Through each character’s story, the reader gets the chance to start to piece the mystery together. There’s a conference for some bright minds that suddenly takes a twist when they’re paired up, given a code to try to demystify, and sworn to secrecy. Then there’s a couple that doesn’t give the appearance of being a true couple, and some other surprise guests the reader meets later on. They point to a story greater than a slowly crumbling hotel, one that suggests a rebellion in the works and a world on the edge of potential revolution. It’s a fantastic story, and it leads to quite an ending, as bittersweet as it felt. I liked that the reader doesn’t have to be on their toes to catch it, but it’s just nicely and softly woven in, keeping the whole story a relatively low stakes one despite the very real stakes that exist in the world.

Floating Hotel reads like a cozy sci fi story with a rather eclectic crew and strange guests, but there’s quite a story under all of it. I had a fantastic time getting to know the characters, and I loved the way this book ended. I really enjoyed trying to piece the mystery of the Lamplighter’s identity together for myself, and, while I got close, I could never have guessed the why behind their actions. This was a fun read where all the pieces came together while also stressing the characters themselves and giving them the opportunity to tell the story as well as tell their own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Floating Hotel was an unexpected science fiction novel. I’ve read a few cozy fantasy novels so I figured a cozy scifi would be a nice change of pace. I wasn’t disappointed. The author’s prose is beautiful. I loved how the chill vibes mixed with the mystery elements. It was an easy read with even with the shifting POVs each chapter. I thought that was a unique story structure and it worked well with this book. I would recommend this to anyone who loves space and mysteries. Thank you to DAW for providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The description of Floating Hotel overtly likens it to The Grand Budapest Hotel, and this comparison is both correct and compelling. Recreating the same tragicomic balance with her wandering space hotel, Grace Curtis takes this story places I didn’t expect it to go. Simultaneously heartwarming and heartwrenching, this is a book about doing what you love—and then saying goodbye to what you love. I received a copy in exchange for a review.

Carl is the manager of the Grand Abeona Hotel. This spacecraft makes a circuit of the known galaxy, taking on new guests for a system or two, hosting conferences, etc. Populated by a quirky cast of misfits and the occasional malcontent, the hotel is renowned and beloved by many, yet behind the scenes it has seen better days. The book follows Carl and several employees and guests in a series of interwoven plots, culminating in a confrontation that threatens the survival not only of Carl and his guests but of the Grand Abeona itself.

Curtis is skilled at a kind of shorthand with characterization, and the structure of this novel serves that well. At first, I was annoyed that I didn’t learn more about Carl immediately, didn’t get more of his backstory with Nina and how he came of age aboard the hotel. However, Curtis quickly won me over. With each chapter and each new viewpoint character there is a new opportunity to learn about the hotel through their eyes. I’m not exaggerating when I say that each character’s story has sufficient depth to be its own novel (or at least novella). Although Curtis returns to some of them throughout the novel, others only have a brief moment in the spotlight, and it always felt bittersweet to swipe left and say goodbye.

There are several intersecting mysteries at the heart of this novel. None of them by themselves are particularly deep or intricate. Whether it’s the identity of the Lamplighter or the nature of the mysterious message investigated by the Problem Solvers conference, I thought the solutions were fairly obvious from the start. However, that’s OK—the mysteries themselves are kind of beside the point, for the real reward here is the immersion in the setting and the characters who populate it. The vibe reminds me a lot of Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series, though less cozy than quirky.

Indeed, the transformation in tone that this book undergoes is perhaps the most enjoyable thing about it. When I reached the chapter with the spies, when there was a scene with the bathtub, I realized this story was turning serious. From there, each chapter turned up the tension, yet the book overall never lost its charm and wit. Once again, a delightful sense of balance infuses Curtis’s writing. After several heavier books—many of which I enjoyed—Floating Hotel managed to be exactly what I needed.

Although I easily guessed the resolution of most of the mysteries, I was surprised by how the book itself ends—and I’m happy about that. Without spoilers, let’s just say that I expected Carl to come up with a very different plan from the one he ends up implementing. I expected something … perhaps more trite, more storybook? And instead, Curtis reminds us that sometimes the only way to win is not to play the game. It would be harsh if it weren’t also so hopeful: this book is a reminder that no matter what you lose, no matter what happens, your life goes on and you can always move forward. You’ll be different, that’s for sure, but you can move forward.

This is a sweet, sometimes sad, always entertaining novel. Highly recommend for people who want some soft, creative, and satisfying science fiction.

I love books that have multiple points of view. This is the story of the Abonea and her crew and how they connect with one another. I very much enjoyed it.

Lotte - ★★★½

I’m not the biggest fan of low-plot stories. I read one Becky Chambers book and didn’t hate it, but I generally need stuff to be Happening in order to keep me engaged. I had a similar issue with Legends & Lattes, though as I listened to the audiobook I could just let it happen without having to really focus. Oftentimes with cosy books, you can miss a couple of minutes and you won’t miss much of the story.

I really enjoyed the setup of this book. You’re pulled in with the story of the hotel manager, which in turn introduces you to several other of the crew. Each new story explores the origin story of the crew member, as well as their current life on the ship. Throughout all this, a mystery is introduced, which keeps you on your toes and gives you a reason to keep reading.

The strongest part of the novel for sure are the characters Curtis introduces. Carl is my absolute favourite and I would have enjoyed to see more of him in the book, but there are plenty more characters I would have loved to find out more about. This book is mostly character driven, and it does a really good job at making you like its characters.

Overall, this type of story still isn’t really for me, but it was executed well enough that I enjoyed my time reading it. Especially near the end, I struggled to put it away!

Peter - ★★★

Some books you read because you’ve wanted to read them forever, because they come highly recommended, or because they’ve won awards left right and centre. Other books are just thrown into your lap at the right time and you figure ‘why not?’. Floating Hotel is in the second category. It is perhaps not the type of book that I might otherwise have read, but it’s good to get out of your comfort zone every now and then.

Although… Floating Hotel is very much a comfort zone-book. It is an aggressively light read. I’ve read a few ‘cozy’ stories, lately, and Floating Hotel falls squarely in that corner of speculative fiction.

Each chapter of Floating Hotel follows a different staff member of the eponymous floating hotel as they go about their duties for the day (often derailing as the story progresses), while giving us that particular staff member’s story for ending up in the interstellar hospitality business. Each of them a misfit in their own world, they have come together as a found family under the kind leadership of supremely inoffensive hotel manager Carl.

There is a through line in Floating Hotel, but at times, the book almost feels like a collection of character-driven short stories. In fact, the through line (lines?) are probably better not thought about too much. You’re certainly not reading Floating Hotel for the plot.

So what are you reading it for?

I think Floating Hotel’s main attractions are probably its likeable characters, its unpretentious style, its gates-open-come-on-in storytelling. It’s the kind of book that takes no processing at all, a brains-off and go-with-the-flow experience.

I mostly enjoyed Floating Hotel, but it is not really my cup of tea. The story is set in a distant future, but it is a typical sci-fi-as-a-setting book. The same stories could easily have been told in a fantasy or even real world setting. It leans heavily into well worn tropes, without much variation or subversion. They’re well executed, but Floating Hotel really never surprises you (nor, I guess, does it intend to). It has loveable characters, but none really sparked for me. Overall, as someone who likes to take something from every book that they read, Floating Hotel is just a little too shallow.

Then again, I feel like Floating Hotel knows this. It does not pretend to ask or answer big questions. It is quick, short, easy. Floating Hotel is the kind of book that could have easily irritated me, but it never did, and I think that is because Curtis knows to keep it simple.

It is the one thing that sets Floating Hotel apart from the likes of The Long Way Round to an Angry Planet, which is far more ambitious, but falls flat a little when it tries to answer big questions and (in my eyes) fails because it is just not the type of book for it.

Overall, I think Floating Hotel is good at what it wants to do - though what it wants to do is just a bit too simple to really get me excited.

While Grace Curtis’ Floating Hotel didn’t necessarily deliver on the cozy, low-stakes story it promised, I still really enjoyed it for what it did offer: a beautifully interwoven character study with an interesting mystery and an equal mix of bitter and sweet vibes.

Floating Hotel follows a large range of characters, most usually only getting one PoV chapter, through a series of events aboard the luxury space hotel they all live and work aboard. The structure was one of my favourite things about this novel. Rarely have I seen so many different points of view used to such great effect to tell a greater story. It’s fascinating to see characters through each other's eyes and captures the found-work-family vibes admirably. Sometimes you love the people you spend most of your life with, and sometimes you can’t stand them, and sometimes tragedy strikes and you band together to deal with it in the best way you know how.

If you’re looking for a straightforward, happy ending, Floating Hotel probably isn’t the novel for you. But I will say by the last page I felt a sense of emotional catharsis. It made sense given the events of the novel and felt earned.

Grace Curtis has earned a spot in my sci-fi rotation and I eagerly await whatever comes next. If you think you’d like a character-driven sci-fi set in a hospitality environment with a backbone of mystery and unusual narrative structure, I recommend giving Floating Hotel a try.

Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

The Abeona, a luxurious floating hotel that travels across planetary systems captured Carl's heart as a boy. He snuck aboard and was taken under the wing of Nina, the then-manager of Abeona, until Carl himself takes up that mantle years later. While the Abeona caters to some of the most wealthy and spoiled echelons of society, Carl and his eclectic staff have each found their refuge and home on the Abeona as they each want to restart their lives for their own reasons. The story follows several POVs as we explore the relationships between Abeona's staff and customers set against a background of interplanetary political intrigue.

I have complicated feelings for cozy sci-fi stories because I always end up enjoying them, but that is usually after struggling through some boring stretches, and the stories do not stay with me for long after the fact. This one fell in the same category. I appreciated the multiple POVs but found that I did not care for some characters and wanted more of others. The cozy part of the story also meant that plenty of mundane day-to-day activities were given a lot of metaphorical screen time, while the political intrigue was not deeply explored.

I will say though, that I got mild Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest Hotel vibes and I thoroughly enjoyed that.

Thank you to NetGalley, DAW and the author for this advance reader copy. I leave this review voluntarily.

Floating Hotel is a cozy spaceship-ride through the cosmos. As the titular floating hotel moves along its route, we get to look into the lives of its many staff members and how they came to be there. We also get gradual hints about a couple of larger mysteries surrounding the ship and the empire it operates within. These mysteries provide just the right amount of tension to keep the pages turning, while the character focus keeps the story feeling personal. Much like many of the characters, many readers will want to spend more time on this wonderful ship. This is one to savor.

Unfortunately not for me. I found the writing to cause me to lose interest. While each new chapter presenting a new character in theory is a great idea, it didn’t quite capture my excitement and I felt more disconnected from the story.

The Grand Abeona Hotel is a luxury establishment that travels in a year-long circuit of the Milky Way, stopping at certain planets along the way. Its staff come from throughout the galaxy, and is made up of runaways, misfits, and malcontents; nonetheless, the Abeona is known for its exemplary service, wonderful food and fantastic views.

Carl arrived on board when young, and never returned to his home planet.(He would not have been able to anyway, as its resources were stripped and environment destroyed to fee the ever-hungry Empire.) The then Manager, Nina Windrose, took Carl in, and over the years Carl worked most staff positions, and rose to the level of Manager after Nina’s death.

Their clientele is typically wealthy, but every year there is a conference held aboard; this year The Problem-Solvers’ Conference are meeting and staff is busy getting ready for the influx of academics. The purpose of this year's conference is secretive, with professors having to sigh NDAs so they can solve a strange code whose purpose and origin is not revealed.

The Abeona is also, by nature of its guests and circuit through the galaxy, home also to plots, intrigues and espionage, with Imperial spies regularly travelling along with regular guests.

Author Grace Curtis focuses on several characters, devoting alternating chapters to their perspectives, and through these we see the workings of the hotel, as well as the thoughts of some of the guests. Curtis also intersperses the narrative with subversive dispatches from the Lamplighter, who questions and points out problems with the 500-year-old Emperor, who stifles all dissent and questions, including the idea that there could ever be any kind of life other than human (not even single-celled) in the galaxy. Imperial spies currently on board are convinced that one of the staff is the Lamplighter, and are eager to apprehend the person.

We gradually get the sense that there may be merit to the Imperials' belief, and that the Professors' work on the code may be pointing to some uncomfortable truths about the basis of the empire.

I greatly enjoyed this novel and its quirky cast. I was charmed by the humour, gentle emotions (despite a few grisly scenes), and the kindness exuded by Carl to everyone. In turn, the profiled staff members each had interesting, and in some cases tragic, backgrounds, but managed to work together fairly harmoniously, despite the emotional baggage each carried.

I was a little surprised by one of the reveals, however, as I wasn't sure that there had been quite enough groundwork laid for it, but this is a relatively small complaint. I loved the atmosphere Curtis created, and I came to care a lot about Carl, Uwade, and Professor Mara Azad, and the fate of them and the floating hotel.

Thank you to Netgalley and to DAW for this ARC in exchange for my review.