I picked up Floating Hotel thinking it would be the newest in a string of cozy fantasy/sci fi books. Generally my expectations for these are relatively safe, since the purpose of this genre is more about comfort and safety rather than being boundary pushing. Interestingly, Floating Hotel ended up being neither of those things, and it’s very much the better for it.
The Premise
The Floating Hotel follows the crew and guests of the Abeona, a luxury space yacht that’s fallen on hard times. Managed by a former stowaway, most of the crew has a secret or two, and the guests aren’t much better. You’ll flit between perspectives each chapter: from the former child music star working as front of house to the sous chef with organized crime connections back home, to the chain smoking academic who is famous for taking money to give kids As. In fact, you’ll only ever return to a single character’s mind: the once stowaway and now overworked manager both starts and ends our journey with the Abeona.
Read if Looking For: quirky and loveable characters, light mystery elements, surprisingly dark twists, found family
Avoid if Looking For: strictly cozy vibes, extensive worldbuilding
Marked for Plot 