Something about the cover drew me to this book and I’m glad it did. I enjoyed this more than I was expecting to. It was a captivating journey that the characters went through and I loved every bit of it. The pacing was perfect and it held my attention all the way through. I really enjoyed all of the side characters that we met along the way. They really added a richness to the story. They weren’t just there. Each one had a unique personality that was depicted even when they were only around for a moment. The only thing I didn’t love was certain things that felt a bit juvenile for the characters age. Like when she kept her fingers crossed behind her back when she told a lie. That felt like something a 6 year old would do and not a 17 year old. Other than that I really enjoyed this read and I’m excited for the next book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC.

I'll echo what a few other reviews have said in that this book leans more towards the younger end of the Young Adult demographic. I think a 12 year old me would have ate this up. It was very cute, quick, and played out like a movie.
...
The Floating World had the ingredients for an interesting story but it was overall flat and lackluster due to it's writing. The descriptions were so matter of fact for a world that seems ample for lush descriptions. Other aspects didn't help such as the instalove romance and the fight scene descriptions. Ren and Sunho were so quick to trust each other and with the "telling" nature of the writing, the fight scenes were boring to read through.

I could feel the general vibe of the story and definitely could see the final fantasy inspirations. Honestly wish I had more thoughts on this. My reaction was neutral but I wanted more from this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!

I need the sequel, like yesterday…

This was phenomenal! Axie Oh has such a way with building worlds, even if some would say the writing style is a bit simplistic (I am some, but I actually like that it’s simplistic. It helped me get into the book/world easily. Not every fantasy book needs flowery writing 😅). There was something so whimsical and frankly magical about this world, and it kinda kills me to know that we’re only getting a duology.

I don’t have much knowledge on Korean mythology, but after The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and now this books, it feels like she has a great handle on weaving the mythology into her work, but I’ll yield my opinion to the experts on this topic.

I love Sunho and Ren! My babies!!! I love them so much and their dynamic was so sweet! It made the ending so heartbreaking. (No spoilers) And all the other characters are pretty good too. I feel like I need a bit more Jaeil, but other than that nitpick I have no complaints. ☺️

Overall, for MY second Axie Oh book, I feel as though I can call myself a fan. I can’t wait to see what else she has in store, both with the sequel and her future works.

3.5 rounded up. The Floating World was a fast-paced YA fantasy that centers family, hidden pasts, and an epic scale of insurrection and adventure. I liked Ren as a character, but I thought Sunho's story was a bit predictable. I'm definitely interested in seeing where the story goes in the future; as there's a lot of potential for the characters and where they may end up. Overall, I thought it was enjoyable, and I was really glad to have read this tale! A big thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an eARC of this book for my thoughts!

There is a lot to like about this book, but also a lot that frustrated me. I think that younger YA readers are going to love it, as well as older readers who want a sweet, dreamlike book—because the book does those parts (the fairytale) quite well, and I enjoyed them a lot.

The problem comes when the book tries to tackle darker themes—or doesn’t tackle them, in this case. The book introduces these elements but rather glosses over them and doesn’t really integrate them into the story, so I’m not sure why they were included. Maybe this will be stronger in the sequel, but I found the dissonance rather distracting.

I also thought that the ticking clock of Little Uncle’s illness was weak, given that it doesn’t really work to give the story much urgency (the timeline is hazy and at several points it doesn’t feel like Ren is acting like she’s running out of time).

However, I did really like the descriptions of the demons, and I liked the slow sweetness of the romance, so that was lovely. The fairytale vibes were great.

arc provided by NetGalley

My feelings on this novel are all over the place. There were some elements of this novel that I think were especially well-written, especially the brief exploration of child soldiers and sibling relationships. Sunho’s quest to find his brother was incredibly compelling to me, and the way that that plotline was resolved was utterly heartbreaking.

Conversely, I found Ren’s characterization confusing and inconsistent. Her main motivation was very understandable, but the way that she presented herself constantly changed for no apparent reason. (Only kind of related, but I consistently forgot that Little Uncle had an actual name because it is used twice, and both times that it was used, it baffled me.)

The timing of this story was very confusing to me, as it felt as if no more than two weeks had passed, but the text itself states that the events take place over more than three weeks, which was completely unbelievable to me. It felt as if a lot of important scenes occurred of the page, and I think that I would have believed Sunho and Ren’s relationship more if we had seen more of it on the page.

Ultimately, the most interesting character in this story for me was Jaeil, and I really wished that we got to see more of his story and perspective, even though it often felt disconnected from Sunho and Ren’s POVs. His perspective often felt like a way to exposit the necessary political worldbuilding, but his character is so interesting, and I am hoping that we will be able to get more from him in book 2.

While my feelings on this novel were all over the place, I am interested in reading the second book, if only to see how this story resolves itself, and I hope that some of the issues that I have with time and characterization are resolved for the next installment.

4.5 ⭐️
From the very first chapter (the mask scene? I’m still not over it), I was completely hooked, the characters, the world, the vibes; everything pulled me in instantly. If you’re a fan of Arcane or love the dreamy-yet-dark feeling of a Studio Ghibli film, this book will absolutely be your next obsession.

We follow Ren, an acrobat who sets off on a dangerous journey to save her family after a demon attack, and Sunho, a mercenary unknowingly hired to find her after she flares her light. Their meeting is the kind of perfect, slow-burn collision that had me grinning into the pages. The small, tender moments between them? Pure magic. Their individual healing arcs were beautifully done, and honestly… Ren and Sunho now live rent-free in my heart.

The world-building is also chef’s kiss. Somehow Axie Oh managed to create a fully realized, immersive world without ever dragging down the story with info dumps. Every detail felt vivid and natural, and the different POVs added so much depth to the Floating World, a place divided by light and darkness, filled with folklore, secrets, and a creeping danger that’s bigger than any one character.

I will say, if I’m being picky (and only because everything else was so good), I wish some of the action scenes near the end had been a little more drawn out… they were exciting, but I wanted to live in the tension a little longer. And while I adored Ren and Sunho’s relationship, it did move pretty quickly in spots, so I’m hoping the sequel gives us even more time with them.

The ending absolutely wrecked me (in the best way), and knowing there’s a sequel coming honestly saved me from throwing the book across the room. The Floating World is fast-paced, whimsical yet heavy, tender yet thrilling, basically YA perfection.

Axie Oh, you have a new forever fan. Now excuse me while I go scream into a pillow until book two drops.

Good story but I felt like it read very young, the characters let something happen and you'd think it would be much bigger of a deal but they moved past it like it was nothing.

ARC provided by NetGalley for a fair and honest review

I can’t get over how much I loved this. This felt like a studio ghibli film, but in the darker ways. This was gorgeous and whimsical and dark at the same time. The love was subtle and real and almost an afterthought, with the rest of the story coming first. I don’t normally find resemblances to people in my life in book characters, but these characters had a depth to them and I could see my loved ones in them. I’m so glad this was set up perfectly for the next book so I can dive back into this world.

Axie does it again! This is the fourth and first ARC book by Axie Oh. I thought The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea was incredible - with this new book right up there. The way Axie brings her characters together is so poetic.

Ren is a traveling performer who has secrets of her own. Sunho is a blade for hire who also has some secrets.
When a demon attacks & Ren’s uncle is poisoned, she feels as if she is the only one who can find the cure. In a chance encounter with a bleeding, unconscious Sunho, Ren knows she has to help him. They constantly have a push & pull dynamic where one falters, the other steps up. One of my favorite quotes is “He felt his dark thoughts receding, and he realized that twice now she'd pulled him back with just her words.”

I loved the light & dark aspects of this beautiful story. “Even in darkness, there is always light." I’m anxiously awaiting the second!

I already have this book on pre order and I just finished this e galley.

This is a beautiful reimagining of the Korean legend of the Celestial Maidens.

Axie Oh builds amazing worlds and has such interesting characters. The setting:The Floating World, the Underworld, and every where in-between in this book are detailed in description, unique, yet also familiar. Children playing in the streets, a favorite noodle house, buns being sold during a festival. It's all magical but also familiar.

The MC are both so likeable. Ren and Sunho were mature, brave, kind. Their friendship grew without drama from pettiness. It was refreshing and so healthy. The side characters were also likeable. Other than the bad guys that is.

Such a great book if you liked The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, Castle in the Sky, and Daughter of the Moon Goddess. You'll love this one.

I cannot wait for the second one. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing for this egalley. I was not required to leave a review, all opinions are my own.

Overall. I think this was a decent YA fantasy novel. The world building is insanely beautiful and inventive. I love the different social systems and the Korean folklore aspects woven throughout the book. The way the different POVs are written are very smooth and offer a lot of insight into each character and their individual internal conflicts all while dealing with the external forces of both the environments.

Sunho and Ren are well thought-out characters with intricate backstories and strong personalities. My own qualm is that there dialogue reads a lot younger than seventeen. I found that they read a bit more like fourteen, especially at the beginning of the book. However, Sunho's internal trauma and military experience does age him a lot in his choices compared to Ren.

The supporting cast is strong and offer a nice mix of voices to accompany the main characters. The mix of fighting and art offers a nice and fresh tone to the genre while never straying from the fantasy genre conventions that many readers enjoy. The romance elements never felt forced and I appreciate that both Ren and Sunho stayed true to their characters.

The ending was engaging and didn't feel rushed. I look forward to reading more Axie's work in the future and even picking up the sequel.

I wanted to give this five stars so bad but nothing about Axie Oh’s writing is worth it. The story and the characters are all so intriguing but nothing about this writing draws you in. This entire book was an almost. The romance was almost good. The character arcs were almost well done. The side characters were almost well developed. That being said, I do think I am being too harsh. I am genuinely excited for the next book and I have full intention of reading the authors other works. This book was genuinely good, almost is still worth reading.

This world is lush and the story is definitely high stakes but it almost feels like our characters were not old enough or well equipped enough to handle everything thrown at them. It’s hard to critique a YA book for coming off as young, because that is the intent. However, I feel like the plot called for characters who were much less naive. I think this could still work for a much younger audience.

This was my first book by this author, and there were a lot of things that I really enjoyed about it! The world was interesting and felt really well developed in the physical sense, though I found myself wanting more from it as a whole.

There are some really interesting characters in this book, but all of the found family and character development elements felt a bit off. It was all happening super fast, and there wasn’t a clear depth that had been created to match the level of connection the characters were acting with toward each other.

The rushed feeling of the development combined with the speediness of the pace made this a bit jarring at some points. It felt as though there often wasn’t enough time to process the events and revelations that were happening before it was on to the next thing.

Overall I did really adore Ren and Sunho as characters, and I’m definitely curious to see where things go in the next book, especially with one of the last revelations we got!

A thrilling start to a new fantasy series from Axie Oh! I am already anxious to read the next book — Oh has built a fascinating world, and crafted characters that you can’t help but root for.

Ren is a traveling acrobat performing with her adoptive family. She has a mysterious magic that we learn more about as the story continues, and is warned against using it lest it attract the wrong kind of attention. Then a demon attacks, and she’s forced to wield her light magic to defeat it—but not before it does significant damage. She’s determined to find a cure for her ailing Little Uncle, and sets out into the mountains to find the source of these blue-blooded demons. But she doesn’t realize her light has drawn that attention, and she’s now pursued by mercenaries.

One of those mercenaries, Sunho, has been instructed to keep her alive—others are out to kill her. Sunho has many secrets of his own, but few memories, and throughout the story he slowly pieces more about his life together. Sunho and Ren meet by accident, and are drawn to each other despite Ren’s insistence on wearing her performer’s mask. They slowly begin to trust one another, Sunho not realizing he’s found the very girl he was sent out to capture.

I am really looking forward to the next book in the series, and seeing what is in store for Ren and Sunho, and the whole world, where the wealthy float above the rest of the land on their Floating World, and dangerous demons lurk beneath. Highly recommended for readers looking for a new fantasy action adventure to delve into—complete with a romance.

5 out of 5 stars! When I tell you Axie Oh knows how to write fantasy I mean it! The pacing was stead and the story webbed itself so nicely. Yes, the beginning is a slow start, but once it picks up you may not put it down until the last page. It's cliché, but I loved it

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4.25 stars
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
The Floating World is a story about two people who are brought together by chance. Ren, an acrobat traveling from village to village, and Ren, an ex-soldier and sword for hire.

“Remember that, Sunho. Even in darkness, there is always lgiht.”

I have been wanting to read this book for a while and was so glad I got the chance to read it a little early! I was intrigued by the prose and wanted to meet these characters!

I really enjoyed the opening of the book and how it set the tone for the rest that was to come! The writing style was lyrical and easy to follow, making this a quick read for me. I loved the attention to detail and how vividly the places were painted.

The plot is a bit predictable at times, but I still enjoyed reading the progression and seeing where the characters would go next on their journeys. It was also good that the book had three POVs to tell the story.

Ren is an interesting character; driven by the need to save her uncle and the love she has for those she holds dear. She is a fun character and both her and Sunho are easy to get attached to. Especially how they both just want the simplicity of live and spend it with those few loved ones.

I loved the romance and growing of feelings between Ren and Sunho! It felt gradual and natural and also appropriate for their age. The innocence brought a freshness to the book somehow.

The plot read easy and predictable, and I do believe the book falls a bit on the younger side of YA. At times the characters read younger than the 17 they were supposed to be, and I also think the last 15% of the book came across as a bit too rushed. Too much happened in a too short time, but nonetheless I’m expected to see where the sequel will take me!

Overall, The Floating World is a book with a captivating and gorgeous world with fun characters and amazing atmosphere.

Instant 5 stars. Pacing was steady, and the story came together really well. I loved the characters, even the ones that disappointed me. The character that disappointed me had me second-guessing myself throughout, which I loved! The world and the lore was so immersive and easy to read about. I really felt the Final Fantasy inspiration and loved imagining those aspects as I read. I love the two main characters with all my heart and I can't wait to see how they fair in the sequel. Phenomenal read, I can't wait for book 2!

A little slow moving to start, but it eventually picked up and it was fabulous! I loved the tension, the push and pull, the twists and turns. That slow burn between Ren and Sunho was beautiful, and the addition of Jaeil took everything up another notch. And that cliffhanger, can't wait for book 2!