A lovely cosy Sci-fi mystery.

I will say the first 40% of the book I struggled a little bit as the chapters are so long & I couldn't see that there was much plot. (I am quite a plot driven girl). However during the first 40% you get introduced to each character a chapter at a time, hence the long chapters. You really get to know each character and their story very well and how they have all came to be on the grand Abeona Hotel.

After the first 40% I really got sucked in and couldn't put the book down. I loved the mystery aspect and how each person's story added more depth to what was going on. The characters were diverse and so lovable. Definitely gives you cosy vibes while reading.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I loved the writing style. I will definitely be reading more by Grace in future.

It might come as a bit of a surprise to see Floating Hotel popping up on It's All About Books, because it's not exactly my usual genre... But there was just something about this cozy sci-fi slash space opera title that had me fully intrigued. The fact that it takes place on a huge space hotel probably has something to do with it considering my own background in hospitality... And I guess I saw the fact that it was going to be published on my birthday as a sign. I'm glad I did decide pick it up, because I ended up having an excellent time with this quirky story!

There is something unique about Floating Hotel, and therefore it might not be for everyone. This story doesn't seem to have a properly structured plot during most of the story nor does it follow one or two main characters; instead, Floating Hotel jumps between the different characters on board of the Grand Abeona and each chapter seems to be introducing someone new. There are also mysterious messages from a certain Lamplighter in between... This all might seem a bit tedious, but somehow it actually works.

While the POVs are different, there is always a common denominator in the form of the hotel itself, and the setting somehow binds everything together. The lives of the characters themselves intersect as well, and especially in the second half certain connections will become clearer. What at first glance simply seems like a collection of character backgrounds and random events, soon becomes a lot more layered as certain events take place and you start making connections and uncovering secrets. The structure of this story was very cleverly done and while the beginning was on the slower side, as soon as you start suspecting something strange is going on on board things become a whole lot more intriguing.

There is no doubt that Floating Hotel is mostly character-driven, and there are a lot of different characters in play at that. It is still quite easy to keep them apart though, especially since a lot of them appear in the other POVs as well. Things can be said about there being too many stereotypes and I don't think it's believable that most of them seem to love their job in hospitality (trust me when I say it's no picnic!), but I personally enjoyed spending time with this group of quirky characters. And despite the fact that Floating Hotel is set in the far future and in space, it is very much a cozy read indeed and the science fiction part isn't too overpowering at all.

All in all Floating Hotel turned out to be an unique and quirky cozy sci-fi story featuring a bunch of misfits and a space hotel where there is more going on than meets the eye. Initially it feels a bit disjointed with the constant switching to a different character, but everything does come together in the end.

Well I want to start by saying thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC, but I am sadly going to have to DNF this book. I absolutely do not like the writing, it is clunky and causes me to trip over each and every sentence. There is no plot line, it's just different chapters of different people who work for this hotel, and frankly they all seem so bitter and angry but also is the author trying to romanticize these job positions while also showing how terrible they are? The few chapters I read I ended up not caring about the characters I found them either boring or just frustrating to follow. I personally am not a fan of cozy but I was hoping with this being in space it would have worked out but since there isn't one central plot line it leaves a lot to be desired. Also the sonnets were annoying and I did not like them. Overall I was bored and not feeling entertained at all, and then you pair those issues with the clunky writing and it made for a frustrating read.

I requested this immediately when I saw “cozy debut science fiction” and was imagining something like The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. Then I read the first chapter and thought it’d be A Gentleman in Moscow but in SPACE. But then I kept going, and it wasn’t quite either of these things. There’s a crew of misfits, yes. And there’s a hotel and its innerworkings, sure. But just under the surface is dystopia that permeates the story in an unnerving kind of way.

It is awesome.

I wasn’t sure about this for chapters two through maybe five because I couldn’t see where it was going and I felt thrown off that it wasn’t “cozy”, but then I was in it and I loved it and I thought it was both disturbing and heartwarming. Both tragic and uplifting.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW!

This is part sci-fi, part mystery, part slice of life. It successfully manages to combine multiple elements into one enjoyable story. I look forward to reading more by this author.

This one was very interesting. I’ve never read “cozy science-fiction” before, but this was super entertaining and I loved it! Something new for me. There are many POV changes throughout the book, so it was a little confusing at times, but nevertheless I loved all the different characters and the setting of this story. The writing is very beautiful, almost lyrical, and there are darker themes presented here and there which kept my attention. The characters are pretty well developed even though there are so many of them, this is really fascinating especially with the mystery elements added to the plot.

This was an odd book to read for me. There is a different POV for almost every chapter and time skips back and forward and because of this it took me a while to get into the flow of that constant switching, and there were darker plotlines than I was expecting, but it is beautifully written and once I got hooked it was compelling to start pulling all the disparate threads together. Because of the many POVs there are many Easter eggs that you notice as you get to know more and more of the big picture story that I thought was a unique way to tell a story. Despite a very large cast, each character is fully developed and nuanced and holds up to being seen from not only their personal POV chapters, but again and again by others.
A fascinating book and concept that brings a fresh voice to Sci-fi, just be ready to invest a bit for the payoff and be aware it is deceptively not light and fluff..

Wes Anderson is a great comp for this, but instead of Grand Budapest Hotel, I would have picked Asteroid City or French Dispatch. Chapters jumped from character to character, not having obvious fits together other than shared world, but fleshing out the world around them all. It's 'cozy' in the sense that, while there is a conflict, it feels background to the atmosphere, but not to the book's detriment - it's happening one way or another, but we're along for the ride, so why not get to know our fellow passengers until we get there?

Also, this was the first time I saw a character with a persistent stutter in a book (other than using it to indicate fear or cold), and every time Daphne spoke it cheered me to see it being treated with respect.

Big thanks to DAW and Netgelley for the eARC!

As soon as I found out Curtis had another book coming out, I ran to Netgalley to try and snag an early copy. Frontier was one of top reads of 2023 so needless to say I was excited for Floating Hotel.

Floating Hotel is billed as a cozy sci-fi with mystery elements while all taking place on...well, a hotel that is traveling a. circuit in space. Curtis delivers another unique, well defined atmosphere while maintaining a sense of excitement in terms of the mystery and characters. The mystery is simple and effective and honestly kept me turning the pages to find out what happened next.

The use of POV was something that Curtis really did well in Frontier and she's done it again in Floating Hotel. Each chapter is from a different character's POV that is in the hotel. You get their backstory and plot progression all in one chapter, which I think was wonderfully done. I was invested in each character and loved getting to know them. By the end, it felt like I was part of the crew and I was sad to have to leave.

Highly recommend this one if you are looking for a fun, unique sci-fi mystery that doesn't take itself too seriously as well as a book which a lot of charm and character.

Floating Hotel is a "Cosy Mystery mixed with Sci-Fi" masterpiece.

I was impressed by Grace Curtis's writing. Each chapter follows the point of view of a character and each character teaches us a little more about the world in which they live but also about their past and present lives. Everyone comes to lift the veil on the issues of human life in their own way. I found the world building through the characters to be done in a very intelligent way.

We are transported by the mysteries of Abeona from start to finish. It's funny, lovely, tragic and heartwarming at the same time. I cared about each characters because they are written beautifully. I was sad to finish the book beacause I wanted to stay there.

I recommend the work of Grace Curtis to those who do not dare to read Science Fiction because it seems too complex to them.

I will order Floating Hotel and Frontier as soon as Floating Hotel will be released

Thank you Netgalley and DAW

This is a book the felt like it was written specifically for me.

Floating Hotel is about a loveable band of misfits who work on a Floating Hotel that travels throughout the galaxy making stops at various planets along the way. Each chapter is from a different characters’ perspective and gives you insight into their past, and their secrets. There’s also some light politics and a background mystery. (Although I wouldn’t say either are the main focus.)

I would say that it’s a slow burn so it might not be up everyone’s alley. You really have to be in this book for the characters. I was charmed by them immediately and the culmination of the story made me teary. In a way, it kind of reminded me of Wes Anderson movies or the book Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (one of my favourite reads of last year). So if you like the vibes of either of those then I think book is perfect for you.

I absolutely loved Floating Hotel and think it will be a new favourite!

Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for the eARC. This is my honest review.

There is something beautifully comforting about the prose in this book. It’s both cozy and clever. The way we meet each of the characters is like meeting them at school and then slowly learning more about them over time, despite it being fairly fast paced. I also loved the way the author used metaphor and simile so well to convey ideas. I highlighted so many good ones.

I also enjoyed how we get to learn about each characters backstory as a little vignette combined with the a larger plot in the current time. That being said I think that larger plot and the overarching story didn’t quite stick the landing. The ending felt a bit abrupt and could have been handled better. Also, I had some trouble following all the characters, particularly when I would pick up the book after putting it down for a bit.

Overall, this was very sweet and well written, reminded me a bit of a higher stakes Becky Chambers.

I absolutely adored this. If you want mostly decent people trying to behave in mostly decent ways, this is a good one for you. Sure sure, there is a whole thing about spies trying to figure out who is attempting to overthrow the galactic empire, but that really is more of a subplot. I'm here for the love letter to the hospitality industry, each chapter featuring the background of another hotel employee. Mostly cozy, sweet, and gentle (okay, there is one chapter with some torture, but it's the anomaly), this is an easy recommend for a snuggle of a book.

Very good character-druvem story with a lovely cozy setting in space. I loved Carl and the atmosphere he's created in his faded luxury hotel. I'd love to work for him at the Hotel Abeona! The story moved slowly but every time the POV changed, I found myself slowly pulled into the next character's story. I'm glad I stuck with it, but there were a few times I almost gave up.

Great novel, Space ship, cast of wonderful characters and a mystery. Really enjoyed the novel and looking forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

HIGHLIGHTS
~no one has a happy backstory
~secret sonnets
~a rebel propagandist
~cows as presents
~don’t judge this book by its cover

Let’s get one thing straight: this is not a cosy book. I don’t know why it’s being marketed as one – perhaps the publicity/marketing team had no more idea of what, exactly, this book is trying to be than I did.

Because what it is? Is kind of a mess.

And before we go any further, I want to let you know that Floating Hotel doesn’t have a happy ending. It’s one of those infuriating endings that tries to dress itself up as a happy or at least hopeful one, but is in fact pretty fucking tragic if you think about it for more than .2 seconds. It’s an ending that retroactively ruins any feel-good fuzzies the rest of the book managed to scrape together. (And it did not scrape together many.)

So if you’re looking for a nice cosy sci fi to curl up with…this isn’t it. Allow me to instead point you in the direction of Lovequake by TJ Land (Lovecraftian alien takes human form and adopts human and superhuman misfits) or perhaps Three Twins at the Crater School by Chaz Benchley (traditional English boarding school story but set on Mars, reviewed here) or Gail Carriger’s Tinkered Starsong series (forming a band in space, first book reviewed here). But absolutely, categorically not Floating Hotel.

Like Frontier, Curtis’ debut, Floating Hotel follows a different character with every chapter. Unlike in Frontier, most of these mini-stories don’t tie together into an overarching plotline; instead, each one is more of a flashback to how the character in question ended up working for, or visiting, the hotel, sometimes split between that flashback and what their life looks like now. The characters’ backstories are, to a one, pretty miserable, and the hotel is presented as an escape, a home for all these misfits – one they appreciate to varying degrees. Not everyone’s happy to be working in a hotel for what will presumably be the rest of their lives.

This had plenty of potential to be a very cosy book indeed, which might be one of the reasons I’m so annoyed with it – because instead, Floating Hotel reads like a book that doesn’t know what it’s trying to be. Let’s take the imperial spies mentioned in the blurb as an example. In a cosy story, the spies would probably be played for comedic effect; they might be useless, or completely on the wrong track, or essentially toothless. (…which is an unintentional pun, which you’ll recognise if you’ve read the book.) Instead, we have discussions of and see the aftermath of torture and murder, backed up by many, many mentions and reminders of how horrific the Empire is – and how useless and pointless trying to change things is.

…What part of that is cosy?

There are some smaller storylines that follow developing romances or partnerships, but even those held thorns for me – past trauma leading to awful behavior in the present, for example, or a musical performance that has to abruptly turn into an attempt to save someone from assassins. Even the thing with the love poems ended in someone being emotionally crushed! And the bigger plotlines? Every single one of them ends tragically, heartbreakingly. People die, are blacklisted, tortured, left homeless.

HOW ABOUT NO???

It’s like Floating Hotel was trying to tackle big issues – poverty, the abuse of artists in the music industry, censorship, an even worse capitalism of the future, a big sprawling corrupt empire – while also trying to zoom in on smaller, personal stories; attempting to be cute and sweet while also serving up borderline-grimdark awfulness. And the result is a mess. It doesn’t work, and for the record? That messiness, that inability to commit to one end of the emotional spectrum or the other, made everything so boring. The pacing dragged out what needed to be urgent and high-stakes, and sped up moments of emotional intensity that we should have got to revel in. I had to force myself to finish–

–only to be punched in the face with that ending, which dares to present itself as vaguely hopeful, cautiously optimistic, when really, everything’s been burned to the ground and the earth salted.

I can’t recommend this to anyone: it’s too bitter for those looking for a comfort read, but the more action-y/darker aspects are watered down by the attempt at cosiness.

Just skip this one altogether.

A vignette-style sci-fi that is reminiscent of a quirky indie film, Floating Hotel feels like a slice of a larger story.

I’m not sure why this says it’s a debut because I read Grace Curtis’ other novel, The Frontier, last year. I’d also debate this being called a “Cozy” sci-fi, given there are some moments that are pretty dark (mentions of torture, people being spaced, death in general).

The unique aspect of this novel is that it has a different POV for each chapter, through which a larger story affecting the entire hotel is told. I’m very fond of this sort of thing, as it feels like a book serial but on a smaller scale. You get to see how characters who show up in one chapter actually feel compared to how they are viewed by others. The only problem with this format is that sometimes you feel like you want more of one character and others you’re not as entranced by. It's a similar trap that short stories sometimes fall into. The tone also doesn't feel entirely consistent.

The story itself needed a bit more broadening. I felt like I was supposed to feel something stronger at the end than I did. While the negative aspects of the unvierse were obvious - a totalitarian government, the destruction of planets for mining, etc. - there was no sense of resolution of these factors. Then again, perhaps there was, but it was very subtle and more of a “this might shake things up in the future” than a “take down the dictator” story. In this way, it’s not bad; it was realistic if not entirely satisfactory.

This doesn't really have anything to do with the story, but while I love boats, cruise ships are the supreme example of human hubris in the face of the environment. The grey water, the fuel, the dumping of garbage into the ocean, the food wastage, etc. So why would I read a book taking place on one? Well, my main issue with cruise ships is the destruction of the environment, and other than fuel consumption, the Abeona is not destroying anything - it’s in space. It’s also more like a boutique hotel than a behemoth. I also really enjoy stories set in apartment buildings where there are quirky characters in each room, so that was the draw for me.

I’m also on the fence with the whole romanticizing work aspect of the novel. Everyone in the hotel seemed to love their job, which seemed a bit unrealistic to me. Of course, had they all hated their jobs, the tone of the story would be very different, but certain aspects of the novel seem to glamorize working in a hotel you can’t leave at the end of the day, where you can only see your friends and family once a year, and having to deal with rich assholes all day. If the book had explained more that this place was good to work in because working for the terra-fracking companies is worse (we got a hint of that, but not enough to make that argument), that would have made more sense to me.

That aspect was quite minor, though. I enjoyed the writing style and the quirky characters so I found it an enjoyable, fun read.

A cozy lil space story with some excellent characters.

Somehow got from this exactly what I expected? It was a story about various random people in a hotel floating in space. I liked the chill vibe, to be honest. It was calm sci-fi - not something I've really experienced before!

Essentially, all of these characters have a past that led them to this floating hotel. Most are staff, escaping various things, but there are a few regulars as well who round out the story quite well.

I liked that each character's view progressed the story in its own way. There's no real jumping back and forth; the story marches steadily on, gaining greater insight into the players as we go.

No hectic terminology or wildly deep ideas. Just a soft lil space adventure featuring a bunch of misfits.

I do think things could have been a little more thrilling, but as it is I still enjoyed getting to know the characters and their stories. There were still plenty of moments that kept me invested in these people, the hotel, and the collective future of all.

With thanks to Netgalley for an e-ARC

In this delightful debut science fiction novel, a captivating story unfolds, featuring a cast of misfits, rebels, and a found family.
The narrative takes us on a journey through the stars, unraveling a mysterious plot that adds intrigue to the cozy atmosphere.

It's a truly enjoyable experience—fun, comforting, and notably inclusive. I couldn't help but love it!

Thanks to Netgalley and DAW for providing me the e review copy!

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**TL;DR**: A surprisingly warm and cozy story that follows a crew and the occupants of a floating hotel - including spies and torturers. I loved this.

Frontier was one of my favorite books of last year and Grace Curtis has stuck to her style and brought us another winner in Floating Hotel. This one centers in a floating hotel, a cruise ship of the stars and the drama that unfolds there.

The book is cozy and warm - that’s the best way I can describe it. We get chapters from nearly every crew member and some of those riding, and they give us pieces of the history of the ship, themselves, and what is happening on this possibly last flight. There is an empire at large that the crew and the ship’s occupants are all members of, which is illustrated through the course of the novel to great success I felt.

I ended this loving the characters and the story. I wish we’d had just a touch more in the ending, but the way it was framed and executed worked fantastically. For a book that follows spies and torturers among it’s more cozy elements the book really took me by surprise.

I recommend Frontier and now I’ll add Floating Hotel to that list. Grace Curtis is working her way to a favorite author. This was a delight.

5 out of 5 Friends From Beyond