Aboard the Grand Abeona Hotel, a diverse cast of characters navigates interplanetary intrigue and personal secrets, culminating in a mystery that challenges their loyalty and resolve. This cozy sci-fi novel blends found family dynamics with elements of hopepunk, offering a unique and immersive exploration of love, resilience, and resistance in a futuristic setting.

In "Floating Hotel," debut author Grace Curtis weaves an enchanting tapestry of found family, quiet rebellion, and intergalactic intrigue set aboard a luxury spaceship hotel that captivates from the very first page. With its diverse cast of misfits and dreamers, each with secrets and stories of their own, this charming science fiction novel offers a fresh take on the cozy mystery genre while still delivering plenty of heart and hope.

At the center of the story is the Grand Abeona Hotel itself, a character in its own right. Curtis brings the floating oasis to vivid life, from the plush accommodations and gourmet cuisine to the dedicated staff who keep everything running smoothly as the vessel journeys through the furthest reaches of the galaxy. Seen through the eyes of longtime manager Carl, a former stowaway who has found his true home aboard the Abeona, the hotel becomes a sanctuary for lost souls looking to start anew.

The novel's unique structure, with each chapter providing a new character's perspective, allows Curtis to slowly unveil the manifold mysteries percolating behind the scenes. From secret love poems to undercover imperial spies to the enigmatic purpose of the Problem Solver's Conference, tantalizing questions abound. While the narrative approach can be jarring at first, the various storylines soon intertwine in rewarding ways as we come to understand how each character fits into the bigger picture.

Despite the darkness lurking at the edges of the story in the form of a oppressive galactic empire, "Floating Hotel" maintains an undercurrent of optimism throughout. The crew and guests of the Abeona, while hailing from vastly different backgrounds, discover bonds of friendship, purpose and even family among the stars. Small acts of kindness and resilience in the face of adversity imbue the lovingly crafted character portraits with poignancy and relatability.

Curtis's poetic prose effortlessly carries the reader along, balancing moments of humor and heartache with skill. Though the central mysteries resolve in unexpected yet satisfying ways, the true heart of the novel remains the characters' individual journeys. By the end, it's impossible not to feel a deep affection for Carl, Uwade, Professor Azad and the rest of the unforgettable denizens of the Abeona.

Fans of Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series and other cozy, character-driven science fiction will find much to love in "Floating Hotel." Curtis has achieved something quite special with her debut - a story that is equal parts inspiring and melancholy, that celebrates the quiet power of marginalized people carving out a space for themselves in an often unforgiving universe. The Grand Abeona Hotel will linger in readers' hearts and minds long after the final page is turned, an interstellar home away from home that is well worth visiting again and again.