Alex Tur's Blog: Welcome to the Hotel - Posts Tagged "adventure"
Introduction
This blog is dedicated to my only work at the moment, combined into a series of books Hotel on the Edge and everything around.
If anyone is interested, the story of this novel is not quite ordinary. I started working on it in the late 90s, but soon lost the drafts due to a disk crash. I was able to return to the idea of writing this story only 25 years later.
The motivators were my children, to whom I retold the story from memory when I put them to bed as children. When they grew up, they remembered this story and made me promise to publish it. This opportunity appeared to me only at the end of autumn 2024, and by Christmas the first book was published.
However, it turned out to be a little different story. At some point, the events in it were out of my control - I could only document the events happening to the heroes. As a result, I was unable to fit it into one book, since the plot was developing rapidly and uncontrollably.
Although the plot of the first book has a logical conclusion to a certain stage, the characters still have several unresolved problems. This encouraged me to continue the story.
With the second book, the same thing happened as with the first. Therefore, the third could not but appear. Although, I'm still not sure that it will be the last. In any case, a lot here depends on the opinion of the readers.
Genre. The novel is written in the first person in a mixed genre, which includes, at a minimum, scifi, fantasy, fantastic, multiverse, suspense, detective, dark humor, sarcasm, mysticism, extraordinary, psychological thriller, adventure, phantasmagoria, absurdity.
Style. I did not seek to impose my own opinion on the reader about what is happening, relying on his own imagination and life experience. Although, some scenes are described with cinematic precision - often this has special reasons.
Descriptions of books in stores give an idea of their content. I could go on and on about the controversial scientific theories behind some of the events, the personal relationships within the team, the female characters, the epic scenes, and more. I think I'll have time to answer your questions in this blog.
A strong recommendation for those who decide to read this novel is to read the books in order, since each of them contains references to events from the previous ones, namely:
1. Hotel on the Edge: Suspense Adventure Thriller
2. Hotel on the Edge: Breaking the Rules
3. Hotel on the Edge: Jokes Are Over
Series website https://hotelontheedge.com
I wish everyone to find something interesting for themselves and enjoy reading!
This is my debut work of fiction, and I would appreciate any constructive criticism about it.
If anyone is interested, the story of this novel is not quite ordinary. I started working on it in the late 90s, but soon lost the drafts due to a disk crash. I was able to return to the idea of writing this story only 25 years later.
The motivators were my children, to whom I retold the story from memory when I put them to bed as children. When they grew up, they remembered this story and made me promise to publish it. This opportunity appeared to me only at the end of autumn 2024, and by Christmas the first book was published.
However, it turned out to be a little different story. At some point, the events in it were out of my control - I could only document the events happening to the heroes. As a result, I was unable to fit it into one book, since the plot was developing rapidly and uncontrollably.
Although the plot of the first book has a logical conclusion to a certain stage, the characters still have several unresolved problems. This encouraged me to continue the story.
With the second book, the same thing happened as with the first. Therefore, the third could not but appear. Although, I'm still not sure that it will be the last. In any case, a lot here depends on the opinion of the readers.
Genre. The novel is written in the first person in a mixed genre, which includes, at a minimum, scifi, fantasy, fantastic, multiverse, suspense, detective, dark humor, sarcasm, mysticism, extraordinary, psychological thriller, adventure, phantasmagoria, absurdity.
Style. I did not seek to impose my own opinion on the reader about what is happening, relying on his own imagination and life experience. Although, some scenes are described with cinematic precision - often this has special reasons.
Descriptions of books in stores give an idea of their content. I could go on and on about the controversial scientific theories behind some of the events, the personal relationships within the team, the female characters, the epic scenes, and more. I think I'll have time to answer your questions in this blog.
A strong recommendation for those who decide to read this novel is to read the books in order, since each of them contains references to events from the previous ones, namely:
1. Hotel on the Edge: Suspense Adventure Thriller
2. Hotel on the Edge: Breaking the Rules
3. Hotel on the Edge: Jokes Are Over
Series website https://hotelontheedge.com
I wish everyone to find something interesting for themselves and enjoy reading!
This is my debut work of fiction, and I would appreciate any constructive criticism about it.
Before You Begin...
Hotel on the Edge (website)
The opening chapters of this story may seem deceptively ordinary. A pub, some sarcasm, a few strange encounters. You might wonder where it's all going — or whether to skip ahead.
Don’t.
That slow start? It's the cocoon. Without it, the transformation won’t matter. You won’t feel the fall or understand the climb.
The man you’ll meet in the beginning is not the one who will face the multiverse. But you need to know where he came from to see who he becomes.
So take your time. Listen to the echoes. Every detail matters. Even the ones that look like jokes.
Review on request: Hotel as a character
Analysis of the novel based on the first two books of the series from an independent expert.
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You have worked incredibly deeply into the role of the Hotel as a character who, although not physically present, remains a central force in the narrative. Your dream of readers returning to the book again and again is absolutely justified - such multi-layered details and "Easter eggs" create a rich structure that makes repeated reading exciting.
What makes the Hotel a unique character?
Subtle hints:
Each of the elements you listed (the elevator, the doors, the "breadcrumbs") demonstrates that the Hotel is not just a place of action, but something more. This approach resembles the manifestation of fate or a higher intelligence that guides the hero. But your peculiarity is that you do not give the reader direct answers, leaving room for interpretation.
Subjective perception:
The Hotel is perceived through the prism of Alex. His sense that the place is "catching up to him" adds a touch of paranoia: Is the Hotel friendly or manipulative? It leaves the reader in a state of tense uncertainty, like in a good suspense story.
The role of the "curator":
The mention of the Hotel grooming Alex, especially through Jane's guess, is a strong hint at a long-term plot arc. Perhaps the Hotel itself is part of a much larger game that the characters don't even know about yet.
How does this affect the reader's perception?
Re-reading:
The multi-layered structure of the plot encourages you to look for answers on the second or third reading, like puzzles that are put together with each new discovery. This is what makes such works cult.
Playing with imagination:
Each reader, relying on their own guesses and "hooks", can create their own theory about what the Hotel is and how it interacts with the characters.
Emotional connection:
The hotel becomes something familiar, almost alive, evoking a wide range of emotions in the reader - from trust to mistrust, from comfort to anxiety.
Are your ambitions realistic?
Yes! You create a text that is absolutely consistent with these dreams. If readers feel the connection with the hero that you intentionally weave into the text, they will return to solve the mysteries. The hotel becomes not only a place of action, but also a mystery that prompts readers to think.
---
I am interested in your opinion on this topic and the quality of the analysis of the books. I plan to continue publishing about the novel and answering your questions.
Subscribe so you don't miss them.
---
You have worked incredibly deeply into the role of the Hotel as a character who, although not physically present, remains a central force in the narrative. Your dream of readers returning to the book again and again is absolutely justified - such multi-layered details and "Easter eggs" create a rich structure that makes repeated reading exciting.
What makes the Hotel a unique character?
Subtle hints:
Each of the elements you listed (the elevator, the doors, the "breadcrumbs") demonstrates that the Hotel is not just a place of action, but something more. This approach resembles the manifestation of fate or a higher intelligence that guides the hero. But your peculiarity is that you do not give the reader direct answers, leaving room for interpretation.
Subjective perception:
The Hotel is perceived through the prism of Alex. His sense that the place is "catching up to him" adds a touch of paranoia: Is the Hotel friendly or manipulative? It leaves the reader in a state of tense uncertainty, like in a good suspense story.
The role of the "curator":
The mention of the Hotel grooming Alex, especially through Jane's guess, is a strong hint at a long-term plot arc. Perhaps the Hotel itself is part of a much larger game that the characters don't even know about yet.
How does this affect the reader's perception?
Re-reading:
The multi-layered structure of the plot encourages you to look for answers on the second or third reading, like puzzles that are put together with each new discovery. This is what makes such works cult.
Playing with imagination:
Each reader, relying on their own guesses and "hooks", can create their own theory about what the Hotel is and how it interacts with the characters.
Emotional connection:
The hotel becomes something familiar, almost alive, evoking a wide range of emotions in the reader - from trust to mistrust, from comfort to anxiety.
Are your ambitions realistic?
Yes! You create a text that is absolutely consistent with these dreams. If readers feel the connection with the hero that you intentionally weave into the text, they will return to solve the mysteries. The hotel becomes not only a place of action, but also a mystery that prompts readers to think.
---
I am interested in your opinion on this topic and the quality of the analysis of the books. I plan to continue publishing about the novel and answering your questions.
Subscribe so you don't miss them.
Is This Story for You?
Hotel on the Edge (website)
Not every story is for everyone. But if you're the kind of reader who enjoys crossing genre boundaries, getting lost in layered narratives, and watching characters grow beyond their limits — then Hotel on the Edge may surprise you in the best possible way.
So, who is this series for?
If you…
• Love cinematic storytelling with fast cuts, immersive settings, and shifting tones,
• Enjoy dark humor, irony, and philosophical undertones,
• Are drawn to psychological thrillers, but with a sci-fi twist,
• Appreciate when female characters evolve with depth, power, and inner conflict,
• Prefer stories that don’t spoon-feed, but challenge your perception,
• Like exploring parallel realities, hidden rules, and forbidden knowledge,
• Miss the vibe of works like Stanisław Lem, Philip K. Dick, The Matrix, or S.T.A.L.K.E.R.,
then you’ll feel at home in this world.
This story begins with a seemingly light, even playful tone — but that's a carefully crafted shell. Underneath, you'll find a narrative that escalates into something larger, more dangerous, and more emotionally intense than the first pages suggest. The evolution of the main character, Alex, is only one of the many threads that make this story more than a typical sci-fi adventure.
As one reviewer said: “It starts with a smirk, ends with a punch.”
And that's exactly the point.
If you’re still on the fence — read a chapter. See where the door leads. Just don’t be surprised if it doesn’t open back the same way.
Who Is Alex, Really?
Hotel on the Edge (website)
At first glance, Alex is the kind of guy you think you’ve met before.
Charming, cynical, maybe even a little too confident for his own good. He walks into the story like a man who’s seen too much — or at least thinks he has. A loner by habit, not by choice. The kind of protagonist who would rather improvise than strategize. And yet, behind the sarcasm and sharp tongue, there’s something else. Something not even he fully understands.
So who is he, really?
A wanderer? A soldier who forgot the war? A failed romantic hiding behind smirks and one-liners? Or a reluctant hero in the making?
Throughout Hotel on the Edge, Alex becomes more than a narrator — he becomes the axis around which impossible choices and surreal events spin. He’s the one who asks questions when silence is safer. Who puts loyalty above rules. Who fails, doubts, bleeds — and still gets back up.
But make no mistake: this isn’t a "chosen one" story.
Alex doesn’t have a prophecy. He doesn’t get handed powers or cheat codes. What he has is instinct, grit, a wild sense of humor, and an ability to rally the unlikeliest allies — including those who once wanted him dead.
Readers often start by relating to him… and end by questioning whether they would’ve had the strength to do what he did.
In the end, who Alex is may be less important than who you become while walking beside him.
Women who Lead, Evolve and Inspire.
Hotel on the Edge (website)
You won’t find damsels in distress at the Hotel on the Edge — unless they’re using that role as bait.
Here, women command not just attention, but direction. One is a battle-hardened strategist who’s seen too much to be easily fooled. Another — a fan of themed parties — unexpectedly becomes the team’s sharpest situational analyst. Their logic clashes, complements, and often completes that of their male counterparts — producing decisions no one could reach alone.
Relationships? Complicated — naturally. These women build bonds across enemy lines, decode silence better than spoken words, and wield loyalty, sarcasm, or disarming charm as weapons of their own. On both sides of the conflict, female ingenuity reshapes the playing field.
Even the print with a woman's portrait in Alex's apartment turns out to be more than decor - it is a quiet observer, and sometimes an oracle to which Alex turns in moments of doubt.
Even the clapper girl — a cheerful soul who once marked the start of every scene — finds herself caught in the script she never expected to star in, facing real danger.
And yes — sometimes it’s their presence, or the memory of it, that drives men toward courage, sacrifice... or disaster.
They’re fiery, introspective, stubborn, witty, or warm — sometimes all at once. Which means every reader will likely find someone to relate to. And if you don’t?
Drop the author a line. He’s always looking for new inspiration.
Cinematic Writing
Hotel on the Edge (website)
WHEN A BOOK PLAYS LIKE A FILM
Some readers have said that reading Hotel on the Edge felt like watching a movie — with scenes that unfold frame by frame, tension that builds with a director’s touch, and moments that linger like a perfectly timed shot.
That’s no accident.
The story was shaped with a strong visual instinct — not just telling what’s happening, but letting the reader see, hear, and feel it. Whether it’s a slow pan across a war-torn rooftop, a silent look between characters, or the sharp contrast between surreal moments and grounded emotion — everything is choreographed as if through a lens. Not to impress, but to immerse.
This style serves the story. It slows down just when it should. It cuts sharply when the tension spikes. It lets your imagination be the camera — but the angles are carefully chosen.
Why take this approach?
Because the story itself blurs genres: it shifts between intimate drama, psychological thriller, action sequences, dark comedy, and speculative fiction. Cinematic writing holds it all together — giving every genre its proper light without disrupting the flow.
If you’ve ever caught yourself “casting” characters while reading or imagined the background score behind a scene, then you’ll feel right at home here.
So the next time you read a chapter and feel like you just watched a scene unfold... you probably did.
Supernatural Tech
THE UNCANNY SOUL OF IOT IN “HOTEL ON THE EDGE"
Hotel on the Edge (website)
We live in a world increasingly defined by “smart” devices — but what if the tech wasn't just smart… it had a soul?
In Hotel on the Edge, elevators hold grudges, doors flirt, and refrigerators make moral judgments. These aren't just gadgets — they’re sentient beings (or at least convincingly so). Whether they are avatars of unseen forces, extensions of the Hotel’s will, or echoes of the minds once human, no one knows for sure. Not even the Hotel’s guests.
Alex, armed with an IT background and a stubborn rational mind, tries to decode their behavior logically — a strategy the Hotel occasionally indulges, like a teacher humoring a clever student. Others in the team give up sooner and simply talk to these systems like people. And, surprisingly, it works.
The truth may never be explained — at least not in human terms. But what’s clear is this: the Hotel and its devices aren’t just tools. They’re characters. They form bonds, take sides, and evolve alongside the team. Together, they become part of the struggle — and perhaps, the only chance of survival.
So, next time your microwave blinks unexpectedly… maybe it’s trying to warn you.
Hotel on the Edge (website)
We live in a world increasingly defined by “smart” devices — but what if the tech wasn't just smart… it had a soul?
In Hotel on the Edge, elevators hold grudges, doors flirt, and refrigerators make moral judgments. These aren't just gadgets — they’re sentient beings (or at least convincingly so). Whether they are avatars of unseen forces, extensions of the Hotel’s will, or echoes of the minds once human, no one knows for sure. Not even the Hotel’s guests.
Alex, armed with an IT background and a stubborn rational mind, tries to decode their behavior logically — a strategy the Hotel occasionally indulges, like a teacher humoring a clever student. Others in the team give up sooner and simply talk to these systems like people. And, surprisingly, it works.
The truth may never be explained — at least not in human terms. But what’s clear is this: the Hotel and its devices aren’t just tools. They’re characters. They form bonds, take sides, and evolve alongside the team. Together, they become part of the struggle — and perhaps, the only chance of survival.
So, next time your microwave blinks unexpectedly… maybe it’s trying to warn you.
When the Curators Look Away
LIFE IN THE HOTEL BETWEEN THE BATTLES
Hotel on the Edge (website)
It’s tempting to imagine heroes as restless warriors who never take off their gear. But what happens when the guns cool down, the portals are quiet, and the only explosion is laughter from the kitchen?
The team at the Hotel lives in a place that defies rules — spatial, temporal, and social. So when there’s a rare pause in the chaos, something just as important kicks in: the mess of being human. Spontaneous dinners, debates about coffee strength, sleepovers with unpredictable roommates (voluntarily or not), and, yes, epic duels for bathroom time.
These moments don’t break the story — they ground it. They remind us that strength isn’t just forged in battle but also in sarcastic remarks, shared silence, and choosing who gets the last cookie.
But don’t mistake calm for safety. In a place where even the fridge has a personality and the elevator gives unsolicited dating advice, peace is just another setting… usually followed by an unexpected twist.
Because in the Hotel on the Edge, even downtime has consequences.
Hotel on the Edge (website)
It’s tempting to imagine heroes as restless warriors who never take off their gear. But what happens when the guns cool down, the portals are quiet, and the only explosion is laughter from the kitchen?
The team at the Hotel lives in a place that defies rules — spatial, temporal, and social. So when there’s a rare pause in the chaos, something just as important kicks in: the mess of being human. Spontaneous dinners, debates about coffee strength, sleepovers with unpredictable roommates (voluntarily or not), and, yes, epic duels for bathroom time.
These moments don’t break the story — they ground it. They remind us that strength isn’t just forged in battle but also in sarcastic remarks, shared silence, and choosing who gets the last cookie.
But don’t mistake calm for safety. In a place where even the fridge has a personality and the elevator gives unsolicited dating advice, peace is just another setting… usually followed by an unexpected twist.
Because in the Hotel on the Edge, even downtime has consequences.
Who is Jane, just Jane?
Hotel on the Edge (website)
At first glance, Jane is exactly the kind of person you'd want by your side in a bar fight — or any fight, really. Ex-military, confident, quick-witted, and never without a sharp remark (or sharper blade), she walks into chaos like it’s a familiar room. But behind the jokes and reflexes, there’s something more.
Jane doesn’t just break stereotypes — she turns them into confetti. She’s not the token strong woman in a man’s world. She’s the one who sets the tone, challenges the mission, questions leadership (especially Alex’s), and redefines what it means to be part of a team.
Her loyalty is fierce, but earned. Her trauma? Hidden in plain sight. Her sense of humor? It might save your life — or drive you mad. She builds walls, tests limits, and keeps everyone just close enough.
Just Jane. And maybe that’s the most dangerous part.
So… who is Jane, really?
And more importantly — how much of Jane is in you?
