Axie Oh has given the world a fantasy to chase the feeling that Shadow and Bone had given us at the time. Set in an intriguing world with two main characters with opposing and yet similar powers. Whoever said it was similar to Final Fantasy was totally right, the world is so lived in and unique it made me want to jump into it as a character and save the world myself.

4.5 stars rounded up for NetGalley!

I loved every moment up until the end! The ending isn’t bad, but what a cliffhanger, and not the kind I enjoy. I intended to read book 2, but now I’ll be impatiently waiting for The Demon and the Light to drop in October.

I had preordered a copy of The Floating World. Korean mythology? Yes, please. And the cover gave me serious Final Fantasy vibes! I was so excited when I saw the ARC on NetGalley. I jumped at the chance to read it before I had the physical copy in hand. (Huge thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Publishers for the ARC!)

Now, this is YA and reads like YA, but it was so fun. You get a sweet little romance, a heist, weird mutated zombie bird monsters, and a reimagining of the Korean legend of the Celestial Maidens. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even if I didn’t get the ending I wanted… but I’m holding out hope book 2 delivers.

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group Feiwel & Friends and Netgalley for providing this digital ARC for review. All opinions are my own.

The Floating World by Axie Oh is a fantasy retelling of a Korean legend. Sunho is a former soldier who has very little memory of his life prior to two years ago. As a sword-for-hire, Sunho takes odd jobs, but his new task is to locate a girl who is responsible for a powerful silver light.

Ren is an acrobat and she tours the land with her adoptive family. When a demon attacks her family member, Ren releases a powerful light to destroy the monster. The demon attack leaves her uncle gravely ill and in order to find a cure, Ren must leave the village and head to the mountains. On her journey she comes across a young sword-for-hire who just might help her find the cure for her uncle.

I've read a majority of Axie Oh's novels and I really enjoyed her newest book. To be honest, I'm not familiar with the Korean folklore that this book is based on. However, I thought the story and world was fascinating! I loved the characters, Ren and Sunho and I thought they were well thought out. Overall, The Floating World was a great read and I'm looking forward to the sequel!

First and foremost, thank you to the publisher and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved this story and it was definitely worth the read!

No matter which of her novels I happen to be reading, one thing is true for an Axie Oh book: it never misses the mark, or at least it never misses the mark for me. I’ve been hyped to read The Floating World ever since it was initially announced three years ago; the original comp titles were simply irresistible (Final Fantasy x Castle in the Sky x Korean Celestial Maidens folktale, for anyone wondering). Given the caliber of stories we’ve gotten from Oh prior to this one, I expected to be led on quite the adventure. And, honestly, The Floating World is a fun read!

It’s always been an easy feat to slip into the worlds Oh creates (in this case, I could absolutely see how this drew inspiration from Final Fantasy and Castle in the Sky sensibilities); easier still to get swept up in her plots; and easiest of all to feel a kinship with the characters she introduces readers to. The two leads in this one – ex-soldier Sunho who works as a mercenary for hire, and troupe performer Ren who has magical abilities – were instantly likable. It’s undeniable that my regard does somewhat stem from always being drawn to similar character types, but I also really like the way that Oh wrote them both. It’s easy to feel sympathetic and curious about these two right from the start, especially as Oh only reveals portions of who they are with every new chapter. I appreciated how their individual journeys are an unintentional parallel in the way they both have traumatic pasts, powerful talents, things they happen to be running from or to and unanswered questions.

I also really enjoyed the dynamic that develops between them once their paths cross and they start to travel together; what starts out as an act of kindness blossoms into friendship and then into something deeper still. It’s sweet to watch these two navigate their relationship, especially the ways they inevitably leave a mark on the other person. They end up caring quite deeply for one another, and the ways they support and consider the other person were lovely, too. I was obviously rooting for these two to find their way, and preferably to do so together despite the many, many obstacles that potentially stand in their way.

Truth be told though, my favorite aspect of The Floating World is the actual story. It’s fast-paced. It’s entertaining. It followed a few different plot threads until they eventually came together, and I was savoring (or at least trying to, since I read this book so fast) my time with this book. There’s a great blend of all the things I love in a story: action and adventure; heartfelt conversations; emotional reveals; and some surprises along the way. I had a wonderful time reading The Floating World, as expected, and cannot wait to get started on the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the chance to read and review this title.

I already knew I loved Axie Oh’s writing after The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, but The Floating World might have made me a lifelong fan. It’s fast-paced, heartfelt, and richly imagined—exactly the kind of fantasy I love getting lost in. You’re swept up alongside the characters from the very first chapter, and despite the breakneck pace, the emotional moments still land beautifully.

The story centres on Ren, an acrobat trying to live a quiet life with her adoptive family, hiding from a past she desperately wants to forget. When a demon attack forces her to reveal a long-buried power, her peaceful life is upended, and she sets off in search of a cure for her uncle—unknowingly stepping into a much bigger story. I loved how deeply empathetic Ren was; even though she’s caught up in something world-changing, what you want most for her is something simple: peace, safety, and a life that’s hers.

Sunho, the mysterious mercenary with no memory of his past, was equally compelling. Watching him piece together fragments of who he was (and who he might become) added real weight to his chapters. There’s a softness to both him and Ren that makes their bond so special. Their romance is understated but full of quiet moments that hit hard—especially as the stakes start to rise.

The world itself is a blend of fantasy, folklore, and a touch of steampunk, with airships, demons, and ancient powers all layered together in a way that feels both whimsical and grounded. I can definitely see why people have likened it to Ghibli films—it has that same sense of magic-meets-heart.

There’s also a larger mystery simmering beneath everything—about Ren and Sunho’s powers, about the world’s balance, and the creatures that threaten it. And although Jaeil didn’t feature much in this one, it feels like he’s going to be important down the line.

The ending hit me like a freight train, and I’m so glad the sequel isn’t a year away because I am not patient when it comes to stories like this. I'm fully invested now and can’t wait to see where Axie Oh takes these characters next. This is a series I’ll be following closely, and I already know I’ll be reading anything she writes in the future.

This is the kind of YA fantasy that I wish I had more of when I was younger. It’s a Korean folklore inspired fantasy with political intrigue, found family, a bit of romance, and my personal favorite-a sad boy raised as a weapon.

The book is written from three different POV’s, those of the two main characters, Ren and Sunho, as well as that of a third side character, Jaeil. I really enjoyed the greater context that Jaeil’s POV’s provided and I’m interested to see how his character develops in the second book. I also liked how this book looked at identity and sense of self, particularly when it comes to fear and guilt. I did feel that the pacing got a bit choppy at times but some of that may be because this is written for a younger audience.

The Floating World by Axie Oh!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨A romantic fantasy reimaging of the Korean legend of the Celestial Maiden.✨

You might enjoy this, if you love:
🔆YA fantasy
🔆Lush mythology
🔆Friends to lovers
🔆Family bond
🔆Empathetic FMC
🔆Demons

This book was beautifully written and had great balance of action, humor, friendship building and subtle love story. I really enjoyed this YA fantasy.

QOTD: What are you reading this weekend? 😝

Thank you so much @coloredpagesbt and @fiercereads for a gifted copy 🤩. I can’t wait to get beautiful @fairyloot edition of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy! I enjoyed this, but not as much as Axie Oh's other book I've read. It was a bit cheesy and insta-lovey for me but overall it was a fun read that intrigued me enough to want to read a sequel.

I wanted so badly to love this book (just look at the cover!😍), but unfortunately I stopped reading at about 40%. It’s an ARC I got through NetGalley so I’m here with my dnf review.

I LOVE Axie Ohs YA romance books (XOXO and ASAP), but I wasn’t a fan of her other fantasy novel (The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea). I still wanted to give this one a try though in case it was just a fluke I didn’t enjoy TGWFBTS.

The Floating World has all the makings of a great fantasy and I can’t really pinpoint where it went wrong other than I was just bored reading it. I think many people will enjoy this book and it might even be one I would’ve liked at another time. I just wasn’t really pulled in and didn’t connect with the characters. They were perfectly fine, but I just wasn’t invested in them. Because I wasn’t really getting into the book it read a bit generic to me. I did read this coming off Mockingjay so it might have been victim to a book hangover🤷🏻‍♀️

Thanks for NetGalley and Feiwel and Friends for a copy of this book!

Going into this, I was hesitant. I loved XOXO and enjoyed ASAP. Axie Oh was becoming a new favorite author of mine, especially with how she wrote romance. But could she write fantasy the same?

Quick answer: YES! I thought the more you read an author, the more you get used to them, but Axie Oh investing herself in a different genre got me pumped, as if I were discovering her all over again. (Besides--there is romance in The Floating World!)

I loved the vivid, complex world Axie created, from the names of people and lands to everyone's background and motivation. Although I was a bit disturbed by demons playing a heavy part in the book, I eventually told myself this is fantasy, so of course it's going to be spiritual. Furthermore, it's fiction. It's not like a contemporary romance with a teenager dabbling in witchcraft or a horror novel starring a man who sold his soul to the devil.

Just like in her romances, Axie kept the swearing minimal (a few d- and s- words, but no f-bombs or slews of cussing on every other page!) and had lots of swoon (sigh-worthy moments that made me happy) with no spice. I loved the forbidden love trope!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions expressed are my own.

3.75, rounded to a 4!

i absolutely adored this. ren and sunho very quickly became two of my favorite characters from any of my 2025 reads. their growing admiration and care for one another was very sweet and—surprisingly!—felt well-developed 95% of the time. that 5% is the quickly developed ‘i’’d kill for you’ vibes but hey… there are extenuating Plot circumstances that made that 5% acceptable to me and also. this is YA! what can you do!

speak of plot, i was very invested! there were a couple times i told myself, okay finish this chapter than you need to to xyz and then i just kept reading! even as the chapter perspectives shifted, the story themes carried over so well that i never found myself going ugh… this guy?? where's ren! everyone's stories/perspectives were interesting.

the ending! so good! it did make me go THAT’S IT? but in the way of needing to read more, not unsatisfaction. i'm very excited to read the next book (and i’ll probably go pick up the girl who fell beneath the sea)!

thank you so much to netgalley, macmillan children's publishing group, and axie oh for the e-ARC!

In The Floating World we follow Ren, an acrobat traveling between villages with her adoptive family. However, during one of their performances the village is attacked by a demon and Ren unleashes a power she’s been hiding since childhood. But not before her uncle is gravely injured, leading Ren to set out to find a cure. Sunho is a sword for hire who does not remember anything from his life before two years ago. When he stumbles across a job to hunt down a girl who wields silver light, he discovers someone who might have information about his brother. As Sunho and Ren travel on a collision course towards each other, they uncover a deeper plot that threatens their world.

Anyone who knows me knows that The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is one of my all time favorite books. I adore its dreamy and whimsical presentation. And while The Floating World has some whimsical elements as well, it’s definitely a darker more gritty tale. Its use of multiple POVs adds a unique and well-rounded perspective as well. This was a really strong fantasy novel with a heart warming romance and a boatload of adventure.

Ren and Sunho have the cutest stinkin romance, I absolutely adored them. I love a man who blushes, and a girl who can hold her own. I loved how balanced they were and how well they complimented each other. I’m realizing that a favorite micro trope of mine is reciprocal gift giving. When Ren got him the tassel for his sword and Sunho got her the bouquet of blue flowers <3 the fact that they were thinking about each other in the same moment made my heart melt. Their whole romance felt so natural and like they were on equal footing.

I will say, I’m a little confused about the layout of the world. I’m sure the published edition has a map that makes it more clear, but simply from the descriptions I felt a little lost. I can picture the Floating World and the Under World fine, but everything else is a little confusing to me. It’s probably my own fault and I missed some important descriptions, but I hope in the sequel we get a clearer picture of the reach Sareniya has. Especially since Ren said she thought the Under World was just a story, so I want to know more about how the outside villages perceive everything.

Super looking forward to book two and seeing how Ren and Sunho’s stories progress. I can see some tears in my future.

"Final Fantasy meets Shadow and Bone" is a VERY accurate comp for this YA fantasy!! They probably should have been a little more specific though, because this is actually Shadow and Bone meets FF7, and it's not even trying to pretend otherwise. WHICH I LIKED. If you can't handle your inner voice constantly yelling "this is just like FF7 while not *quite* feeling like straight up plagiarism!" then you probably want to skip this one. But if you like the general vibes and story of FF7 but also like the shadow and light elements of S&B you will probably have a good time, just like I did! I have not read S&B but I watched season 1 of the Netflix show; the only thing that feels like the nod to that IP is the very literal light magic that the main character Ren possesses. Even the shadow elements that were meant to be represented in Sunho did not feel like a parallel to the Darkling, I do not think their relationship will progress in a similar manner to the S&B pair.

This is NOT a standalone, but for a story that's being compared to Final Fantasy I would hope it would not be so arrogant as to think it could be finished in one installment. Final Fantasy games are EPIC fantasies, and Axie Oh is striving to write a similar story for a YA audience; I think this is absolutely possible, and I'm looking forward to the continuation, but I hope it can be finished as a duology instead of stretching out too long.

I unfortunately feel like I cannot say too much about the plot and setting, because my constant comparisons to FF7 would broach into spoilers for either one or the other. But Oh's world can definitely stand on its own, and might even feel new or refreshing to readers who are not familiar with FF7. But outside of the Underworld, the world-building was pretty shallow; we will probably get more on the Floating World in the next book, but I also hope we get to see even more.

4.5
Dang, this was really good! I loved the two main characters and their dynamics. The writing was also easy to follow. I loved the dialogue between characters. I CAN NOT get over that ending! It was INSANE. I need the second book ASAP. Overall, this was a really good and quick read that made me want more.

Overall, I enjoyed this young adult fantasy featuring hidden magic and an authoritarian regime seeking to stamp it out. Ren's struggle with her hidden identity was well handled, and I appreciated that she wasn't made completely oblivious to her past. Rather, Ren has suppressed painful memories in favor of a comfortable life that is utterly shattered at the start of the novel. As her quest goes on, pieces of her past are revealed. Sunho's amnesia is well handled, and the grand reveal was truly diabolical, although it did feel rushed at the end. For me, Jaeil was the had the most compelling - if most secretive - motives of the novel and I'm hoping he will feature much more in book two. The cast of side characters is excellently rendered, offering lots of humor as well as human connection.

My two complaints are the insta-connection many characters for (romantic or platonic), and the evil-for-evil's sake feel of the big bad. I know this is young adult literature and so there's some allowance for the quick bonds of youth, but I felt Sunho and Ren were deeply attached too quickly. And Yurhee and Tag joined the cause without any second thought and very little explanation of their motives. The general was a very generic power-monger, but perhaps his backstory will come into play more in the next installment. His dynamic with Jaeil would benefit from more exploration as well.

Not perfect, but extremely enjoyable. I'm looking forward to book two.

*This book is floating somewhere between a 3.5 star or 4 star rating*

Thank you so much to NetGalley, MacMillan Children's Publishing Group, and Axie Oh for the e-ARC! It was so lovely to get back to an Axie Oh book! I absolutely adore The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and XOXO. Axie Oh's writing never disappoints.

In this book we follow Ren, a traveling performer. A demon-like creature attacks her performing troop, severely injuring a family member, and Ren must travel across the mountain range in order to find a cure. This journey has her crossing paths with an injured mercenary, Sunho, and the two form a bond as they travel together with very clashing goals - Sunho was sent to capture Ren and Ren has absolutely no intentions of letting that happen. This is all set within a giant city with many different tiers/rings of wealth, as well as a floating city that is home to the rulers of this world.

This book took me a moment to get into. There was quite a bit of world building at the beginning, and I'm honestly not sure I even understood who rules what, where, how, and why. I felt like I was stumbling around in the dark for a bit, until we got to the train scene. After that, around 20%ish, things smoothed out and were easier to follow. There are lots of fun action-packed scenes. The ending definitely sets things up for a book 2.

Things I enjoyed:
- The romance subplot was gentle and sweet and had me rooting for them.
- I loved Ren's unwavering loyalty to her chosen family.
- I appreciated that Ren's goals changed throughout this book!! It shows duality and growth.
- I loved the multiple POVs. We get 3 in this book. It makes me curious about what's to come!
- I enjoy a retelling, and this was was new to me! The tale of the celestial maiden and the woodcutter
- Axie Oh's action scenes are so easy to follow!

Things I didn't love:
- The worldbuilding was heavy at the beginning... and honestly, I still don't think I understand how the city works and the ruling system works. Granted, I did read an e-ARC so maybe there was meant to be a map or something else included that would help with this.
- The characters felt a little two dimensional at times. I wished there had been a little more to them.
- Something was just missing from this. I can't put my finger on it, but it was missing some oopmph.

Overall, I enjoyed this. I will definitely be reading book two. I have a feeling that with a reread and a follow up novel things might click more.

Anything Axie Oh writes is brilliant! A traveling theatre trope, magic, and folklore is bound to make for a great read! This will definitely go on my list to add to my classroom library, right next to other Axie Oh titles!

Every time I read a Axie Oh book, I know beautiful writing will be a given and it’s one of the reasons I love every single book I read by Axie. The Floating World immediately pulls you in and had me intrigued all the way through, the world building was great and I’m so in awe of this world that Axie has created! I felt like the characters are characters that you can really get invested in and root for, I honestly got emotional a few times over their individual stories. There’s some soft romance as well that I thought was lovely and done just right. This was truly a wonderful book and I think it’s a perfect read for the spring actually!

Thank you to the publisher for letting me read this gem early, I loved this one and cannot wait to read the sequel!

The Floating World kicks off a new YA fantasy duology that centers Chinese mythology, in a new and unique story! Ren is part of a traveling group of entertainers, but has a special skill that she is not supposed to show audiences. Every now and then, though, she lets it slip, and one night it may be the reason that her family is attacked by a demon. Her secret skill comes in handy when it flashbombs the demon, but one of her family members is hurt. She sets out to find a cure for what the demon did, but turns out, a bunch of people are now searching for the creator of the bright flash of light.

Overall, this was a fun and fairly action-packed book. Something is always happening. Every now and then though it feels like it jumps, just a little, and it made me feel like I was losing some of the story. This book definitely could have been longer to flesh out some of the scenes and characters. The ending sets up the next book well, but I think it'll be a very different tone. It'll be interesting!

Thanks to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for the e-ARC!