Tag Archives: Cozy

Cozy Science Fiction: Floating Hotel and Prime Deception

20 Mar

Floating Hotel
by Grace Curtis
The Grand Abeona Hotel isn’t your average hotel. This is a hotel on a spaceship traveling across the galaxy. At one point only the richest of the rich could board, though it isn’t quite as exclusive as it once was and things especially below deck aren’t as pristine, it is still a magical place of relaxation and discovery. The Floating Hotel is made of interlocking stories focusing on different quirky, diverse crew members or passengers on the ship. This gives enjoyable insights into different aspects of the Abeona and the varied connections the staff has made within their found family in the stars. The hotel with its combination of travel and destinations reminds me in a lot of ways of being on a cruise ship. There is a definite cozy vibe, but there is also suspense of an underlying story about a corrupt emperor and a secret journalist that may be traveling with the ship, and who is giving away the emperor’s secrets. With a master thief and trained spies on board not everything is a relaxing day at the spa. The ending took me a bit by surprise, but felt overall satisfying. Fans of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus and Tao Wong’s The Nameless Restaurant should enjoy this story.

Prime Deceptions
Valerie Valdes
I had greatly enjoyed, Chilling Effect, the first in Valerie Valdes, charming, humorous, space opera series about the Crew of La Sirena Negra (the Black Mermaid) so was interested to sample the sequel, Prime Deceptions. Despite her sister’s deception, in the previous novel, Eva again agrees to help her, this time to try and find a missing scientist related to a member of Eva’s crew. It will require her to reconnect with her estranged mother and go to the site of one of the most disastrous moments of Eva’s past. The found family and well as blood family drama and a sweet romance all combine to make an enjoyable story. As with the previous novel there are some fun pop culture in jokes such as when the crew visit a Sci-Fi Convention that spans a space station and much of the drama in the novels second half revolves around “ball buddies,” possible nefarious robotic replicas (Digimon, perhaps?) of actual psychic companion creatures (very clearly Pokémon inspired since the book’s dedication is a reference to Team Rocket). The trilogy is wrapped up in Fault Tolerance, which I’m hoping to also checkout soon since Prime Deceptions ends by setting up an epic alien battle the series has been building towards.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Like a Blanket on a Chilly Day: Legends & Lattes

23 Nov

Cozy stories are something that have been around for quite some time, Agatha Christie pioneered the cozy mystery genre with her work. For some time, it was often the mystery genre that was usually associated with the concept of a cozy story, many of them featuring covers with cats, dogs, quilts, cookies, and other such things associated with being comfy. Lately, however, other genres have begun to take on this subgenre and one of the books leading the cinnamon scented charge is  Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree.

Leading our cast of characters is Viv, an orgeress and warrior who decides to retire from her life in adventuring and open a coffee shop in the hopes of living out the rest of her days in quiet contentment, carrying with her a mysterious stone said to bring luck and fortune to whoever holds it. Through her we meet the rest of the cast and her journey bringing her coffee shop to life.

Baldree’s writing is as charming as it is whimsical, keeping each chapter interesting while still working at a pace that goes with the vibe the novel sets. It’s a dash of slice-of-life, but still with all the hallmarks of a fantasy novel that may remind some of the old fantasy cartoons of old. 

The characters also add their own flare and spice to the story, from the timid mouse Thimble to the spirited Tandry, they all add to the overarching plot and stakes (albeit very low stakes) of this book. Each one is interesting without disrupting the mellow vibe of the book and yes, this book does have its villain and mischief makers.  The descriptions of the food and beverages served at the title’s namesake cafe will leave you wishing Thimble would write a cookbook with all of the delectable goodies that he bakes throughout the story.

The warmth and charm of this book is one that will leave you craving coffee and cinnamon rolls while still providing you a comforting sense of adventure that feels very much like a blanket on a chilly winter day.

Written by:
Lauren Lapinski
Information and Digital Services Assistant

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