Fantasy book, written for teenage girls. Jani and her little sister Zosa survive in a fishing port, always dreaming of traveling, seeing the world, discovering the other side, seeing magic... This is only possible by working at the Hotel Magnifique: a unique wonder with a Belle Époque atmosphere, run by the great magician, the maître. Here, magic dazzles the guests, and every night the entire hotel travels to a new exotic destination.
Both manage to get hired; soon they discover that behind the facade lies a dark and terrible reality: the contracts are actually a prison, and the employees are magicians who must work at the hotel until their magic runs out. Zosa is turned into a bird to enchant the guests. Only one person among them seems trustworthy, and she becomes special to Jani: together, they search for a way to escape and return home.
A well-written book that keeps the reader hooked from the beginning. Aimed at a young audience, the book pays little attention to character descriptions, focusing on the marvelous and enchanting nature of magic. Also, the characters are driven by feelings and the immediate; there is no room for deep thoughts. There are several scenes that tend toward the sensual, without fully going there. There are also scenes of some violence. On the positive side, we see affection and love between family members (mother for her daughters, and between sisters).