*I received an e-arc via Netgalley and the publisher. Thank you for the opportunity to review. All thoughts are my own*

I have been a fan of Axie Oh since her debut Rebel Seoul, and she has not disappointed me yet! The Floating World is her triumphant return to fantasy! I really enjoyed this one, and I love how it's a reimagining of the Korean legend of the Woodcutter and the Celestial Maiden. The world building is amazing with The Floating World and the Underworld, and I am excited to explore that more in the sequel. The writing was whimsical, the romance was sweet, and the cast of characters were unforgettable.

This has been comped to Final Fantasy meets Shadow and Bone. I think if you're a fan of either of those, or fantasy in general, you will find this up your alley.

I definitely recommend and I can't wait for the sequel coming this fall!

5/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion

Wow just wow. This is book one in a duology, and it tells the story of Ren, who is amazing, she travels the village with her adoptive family, until one day when a demon that looks human attacks the village and her family during a performance. She doesn’t know how she did it, but light came out of her, and it killed the demon and left the human behind. However, her uncle has been hurt during the attack, and she has to find a cure before he dies. On the way to locate the cure she crosses paths with Sunho. He has a few secrets of his own, one of them being that he took a job to capture Ren, and bring her to his boss, but along the way they form a bond that is unbreakable as they hunt down demons, take out mercenaires and soldiers that want to kill them and do this all while Sunho is starting to finally get his memories of the life he used to live.

The world building was done beautifully, I love Axie Oh's, writing is so lyrical that I found myself halfway through the book wishing that it wasn’t so close to the ending. I could picture everything that was happening in the book as though I was watching and not reading it. The characters were interesting and engaging throughout the book. I just loved Ren but it did take a few before I was able to connect with her but I found her character development to be well done, and she became a strong FMC. Sunho… what to say but he is such an amazing character, I found the twists and turns of his backstory coming together to be well done. I found both of their stories to have a lot of depth, very emotional and heartbreaking at times.

I can’t say more because I will start spoiling the book, and I don’t want to. Just know that this book was the best YA fantasy, with romance, folklore and so much more. I can’t wait to read book 2, I have to know the ending.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Pub group for the opportunity to review this book.

The Floating World by Axie Oh sets up an intriguing premise of setting between the Under World and a place far East where main character, Ren, lives. Ren has a peaceful life performing with her family to get by until their home is struck by a humanlike demon that causes her to unleash the power she was always told to keep hidden. Unfortunately the pacing of the plot was a bit too slow for my liking and I found the main characters romance to have an instant love feel. However, the ending really picked up and I liked how it set up for the next book. I am still unsure if I will continue onto the sequel but I do believe this book is worth checking out.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

I think I got the wrong impression from this book. But I think it was just a me thing not the book itself. There were a lot more creepy elements that I originally thought there would be in this book that I wasn’t ready for.

Definitely some trigger warnings for loss loved one and blood but I think this tells a masterful story with a lot of potential and with a second book this could definitely take off!

Definitely would recommend for sci-fi and dystopian lovers though!

3/5⭐️

In this story, we follow two main characters on different sides of a war: a solder who can't remember his past and a girl running away from hers. Although this story took a while for me to get into, once the pacing picked up, the second half was enjoyable. We follow Sunho, who is tasked with capturing Ren, a storyteller on the run from monsters. The premise is fun and the romance is sweet, and watching the pair fall in love was the easy part.

Something I struggled with while reading was the pacing and waiting for their stories to intertwine. We meet each character separately and learn of their backgrounds over a span of time, but it takes a while for them to meet. It takes even longer for Ren's true purpose to come to light, but that plot twist was a fun addition to the story. This book wasn't overly memorable to me at the time, but perhaps the sequel will be something to look forward to.

Axie Oh delivers yet another beautiful and entrancing story. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is one of my most favorite novels and The Floating World has just brought itself onto my favorites list too! Korean Folklore meets Studio Ghibli in this beautiful and romantic tale. I absolutely adored our main characters, Ren and Sunho, and the world building was just absolutely immaculate.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, I knew I had to read The Floating World, and it was just as good as I’d hoped. Axie Oh does such a good job world building. Once I started I couldn’t put this book down. I can’t wait to see where this story goes!

Listen, Axie knows how to do Fantasy well. I loved her book “The girl who fell beneath the sea” and after that I have read most of her books.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for this year and it didn’t disappoint, I need book 2 asap!

I think Axie Oh and I just don't really mix as author reader. I didn't hate this but I also wasn't wowed by this. I felt the same with her other books. I wanted to like it more but it just didn't really do anything spectacular or give me any real connection to the characters. The synopsis had me hooked but I just felt a little lackluster while listening to the audiobook.

The world is very cool and I’m really loving these characters and the way their stories intertwine. It’s a retelling of the Korean folk legend of the Celestial Maidens, which wasn’t something I was familiar with but I’m always here for a good retelling. It took me a bit to get into the story but overall the characters were well crafted and I really enjoyed how the seemingly different storylines intertwined. I really enjoyed this and look forward to seeing where the story goes in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I would like more please.

This book was so atmospheric and cinematic. I usually struggle to visualize the things I read in my head, but I had no issue with this book, it literally felt like a movie and I could picture the setting so well in my head.

Ren is such an interesting main character because she does fall under the “chosen one” trope, and she KNOWS it and wants nothing to do with it. She found happiness in a simple life with a family she found (her little family is so sweet, Big Uncle *cries*). It will be interesting to see how she deals with how her life has changed in the sequel.

Which brings me to Sunho, my sweet boy, Sunho. He doesn’t deserve any of this stuff he’s been through. A scary mercenary on the outside, but the sweetest, kindest boy on the inside. I hope he can learn to forgive himself…

Our last narrator, Jaeil is actually very intriguing to me, but mostly because we get his POV and I still feel like I have no idea what his motivations are. I am guessing he will have a bigger role to play in the sequel and I love forward to seeing how that turns out.

Final note, Ren and Sunho are so cute and I better get to see them be so happy together in the sequel.

Read this book.

Thank you to MacMillan and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 was so refreshing, and it felt like a true escape! This immersive young adult Korean fantasy was such a joy to lose myself in, and I was so excited to venture into the world each time I picked the book up.

The characters were motivated and strongly driven to protect their familial bonds. In a market saturated with enemies to lovers character arcs and stabby personalities, it's refreshing to read about sweet (and still completely capable and badass) characters. I loved the execution of the found family trope, too!

The concept for the world felt so fantastical and unique, and it was presented vividly and with expert pacing.

...and I have the sequel in my NetGalley queue?! What a dream. MacMillan, you spoil me!

I recieved an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel and Friends for the opportunity.

To be honest, I had a bit of a hard time getting into this for the first few chapters, but only because I was expecting it to be written just like The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea. That's completely on me and having unreasonable expectations. As I read, I realized that this was a different writing style, but I was enjoying it. I think one thing that may have helped me feel more immersed in the story was if I'd read the actual legend of the Celestial Maidens before starting the book. I love that Axie Oh is providing a way to learn about different mythology that isn't just regurgitated European stories.

I really enjoyed how Sunho and Ren started as strangers, became friends, and then realized their importance to each other. Axie Oh doesn't seem to write insta love or really your typical slow burn. Real life relationships start as friendships, and her writing really reflects that. I did figure out the little twist about Ren relatively quickly, but I did not guess Sunho's twist until we were in the thick of it. I also loved the different forms of found family: the troupe who found Ren and claimed her as theirs, and the friendships she and Sunho form with others. Axie Oh definitely leaves you on a cliffhanger and I'm really curious to see how things are wrapped up in book two.

I was lucky enough to be approved for The Demon and The Light as well. So stay tuned for that review!

This was fun, and really engaging. Great for fans of Avatar the Last Airbender, and video games like Final Fantasy. I read through it really fast, and felt it was accessible for tweens, teens, and adults alike. This was action-packed, with lots of twists and turns. I thought the world building was strong, the concept was compelling, and that it was an overall enjoyable read. I wish it had been just a bit longer, so we could have more time to develop some of the relationships and characters a bit more, but I do look forward to the sequel.

An involved Korean mythological retelling of the floating world with Ren and Sunho at the center-- these two people who will become comingled romantically on an adventure when they realize they were the person all along. Sunho was down on his luck until and opportunity to seek out a specific person might lead to riches and when Ren (this person) has to escape after a tragic incident where she releases a magic that kills an attacker forces her to have to abandon her adoptive family.

It's equal parts adventure and character-driven with a setting to match. It reads a little like Traci Chee's [book:A Thousand Steps into Night|55948826].

I really enjoyed this story!

Read if you like:
Hidden identities
Found family
Slow burn
Demons
Royal politics
Reimagining of the Korean legend Celestial Maidens

The world created by the author was truly fascinating and a delight to discover. It was easy to visualize and, to me, was a bit reminiscent of a Ghibli movie. The premise was super intriguing and even though I wasn't blown away by any revelations I still had an amazing time.

Our main characters were truly so wonderful and easy to love. I really liked the different vibes we got from these two characters. Their world was so contrasting and even though they are kind of opposite, at their chore they also are the same. They both had this selflessness side about them and truly were doing what they were doing in hopes of helping others which is something that I cannot help find appealing. The closeness between them was utterly enjoyable. In between the secrets you could tell they still had a solid connection, their trust of each other was heartwarming.

I am someone who adores a good found family trope, and this one was full of it! From Ren's street performer family to Sunho's friends, it was simply perfect. While the story was a bit of a slow burn, it still started with a bang and sure ended with one as well. There was a good amount of action, and I particularly enjoyed getting to find out about all those missing pieces in our character's memories as the story went on.

This was my first read from this author, and certainly not my last. Well crafted characters, a captivating world, a plot that keeps you enthralled from start to finish and so much heart to this story. Definitely recommend picking this one up!

I cannot wait to get my hands on book two!

Thanks to ColoredPagesBookTours, Fierce Reads and Axie Oh for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Axie Oh never disappoints with her heroines. Definitely recommend this to someone who likes world building, a capable and confident MC, some mystery, and good chemistry between characters. I'm so excited to see what the next leg of her journey will look like.

Axie Oh just doesn’t miss. Can’t wait for book two.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

A beautiful Korean inspired fantasy. Ren loves her life as a performer in her adoptive family's troupe... until a monster crashes the party. Then she is drawn back into the world she never planned to return to, The Floating World. Sunho is a soldier turned mercenary living in the Under World with no memory of his past, save that he has a brother he would do anything to find. He is quick to accept when offered a great reward to track down Ren, if one of the many hired assassins doesn't find her first.

I got a lot of enjoyment out of this fantasy romance. Both main characters had interesting and mysterious backstories, which were slowly revealed throughout the novel. They had great chemistry with each other. Gotta love a slow burn romance. The world feels large and fantastical. Nothing I didn't like, except maybe the cliffhanger ending, haha. Can't wait for the sequel.

Oh I really loved this one! Can’t wait to get my hands on the second book. I loved the world building, loved the emotion and the trauma and the yearning. It was perfection. This is my first Axie Oh read and I need to check out her other works!