Thank you to MacMillan and NetGalley for the ARC!

4/5 stars

This was a much more action packed story than The Floating World, moving fast and wrapping up the story in a way that felt both fulfilling and emotional. Some of the major battles did feel almost anticlimactic with how quickly they were resolved, but I think the point of the story was more about our characters and their growth rather than focusing on the battles in depth.

That being said, I do feel like we got to see great growth for our three POV characters and I really enjoyed seeing the side characters and how they were integral to the plot. This duology has been a fun and emotional journey, giving me just enough of the magic and fantasy to feel immersed while feeling like a story the performing troupes would put on to tell the tale years later.

I’m struggling with what to say for this one. I adore Axie Oh and she’s always been an auto buy author for me but this second part just didn’t have the same pull as the first. It’s taken me months to finally finish it and I kept telling myself it was my mood but unfortunately it wasn’t. This was a let down and the ending was very anticlimactic.

The way I screamed when this came through!!! I cannot wait to read this book and see where we are taken!
RTC!

I loved loved loved this. The first book was amazing and I absolutely devoured the sequel. I love the originality of this story and the development of the characters. Very ghibli and final fantasy inspired but still with its own conflict and action.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! All thoughts are my own. *Mild spoilers*

Ren and Sunho are the cutest couple ever!! I loved seeing them go through their journey, grappling their doubts and fears in a believable way while still finding their way back to each other. There's a lot going on as soon as the story starts so the pacing was almost breakneck at the beginning, which I thought matched the frantic energy the characters felt. I loved the mythical lore with the celestial maidens and there were some parts of the plot that gave me eerie chills from the suspense. The light and fluffy parts were so beautiful, magical, and hopeful and it contrasted so much with the more darker, grim moments.

I was initially intrigued by Jaeil in the first book and thought there'd be a love triangle with Ren, so I was a little sad it didn't go that route. Childhood friend or hot new shiny mercenary??! Jaeil didn't quite get the redemption arc or development I thought he would in The Demon and the Light, so I wasn't super big on rooting for him and his own romance. But, I did enjoy parts where Jaeil actively helped Sunho hide his secret so yay for bromance bonding moments! It was a little hard for me to take Wook seriously as an important side character because he seemed so infantilized, even though he's close in age to Ren, so I thought the author was setting him up as the innocent one who dies since he didn't have a significant arc. Would love to see more of the side characters steal the show!

The Demon and the Light spoiled a major plot twist a little too early with the foreshadowing, so the impact of a character wasn't as shocking and powerful as it could've been and the demise of the villain felt rushed, but overall, it was a satisfactory conclusion to the duology. Very fun read! Axie mentioned on her Instagram that the sequel went through more changes so I know the final edited version will be even more polished than the ARC. The worldbuilding was wonderful and the ending had me longing to explore more. I need more steampunk Korean tales!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing for this hotly awaited ARC!

I absolutely loved the first book in this series and had high hopes going into The Demon and the Light. Unfortunately, this installment didn’t quite live up to the promise of its predecessor.

The first thing I need to mention is that this cover art feels very mismatched to the first book. The cover of the first book is why I picked it up, and this one feels a bit too 'video game'-esque. But on to the book itself-

While the worldbuilding and overall plot still held my interest, this book leaned too heavily on familiar YA tropes, which made the story feel more predictable than compelling. I found myself wishing for the same freshness and emotional depth that made the first book so memorable.

One of the biggest letdowns for me was the dialogue. In book one, the banter and romantic moments felt natural. Here, the conversations often came across as stiff, which made it harder to connect with the characters and their relationships.

That said, there are still elements fans of the first book might enjoy.

What a delight! I really enjoyed this book, though the beginning was a LITTLE too politics heavy for my taste. Watching Ren and Sunho grow both together and individually was amazing, and overall just a great way to finish the story. Gorgeous!

Book two in the The Floating World duology, this story picks up after Ren has saved Little Uncle, Wook, from the infection by the demon and having also revealed herself as the Maiden. Sunho is still missing and Ren is about to leave with Tag and Yurhee back to the Floating World to take up her place as ruler.

I appreciate that the action starts very soon in the second story. All the characters feel older and wiser and it gives this book an overall more mature feel than the first. I also am glad that the characters were all not separated for long in the story. I really enjoyed both Ren and Sunho coming into and really accepting their powers and the juxtaposition of their white vs black wings.

My absolute favorite part of the story ended up being Jaeil and Wook, which I was not expecting. I was so afraid of a love triangle but Axie Oh pleasantly surprised me! Although Ren and Sunho were the main focus of the story, so many of the side characters were able to really shine.

Although I did feel the ending was a little rushed this story was exciting and so much fun. There was just enough romance throughout the action to keep things really interesting and emotional. I also always appreciate a queernormative world.

I really enjoyed this this story and I'd highly recommend for anyone looking for magic, action and a dash of romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars

Author: Axie Oh
Series: The floating world
Release: Oct 21, 2025

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a delightful ending to the dualogy of the floating world.
The character growth was on point- all of them showed growth and we really got to see their relationships blossom.

I really enjoyed the Young Uncle finally had a name other than Young Uncle- I almost with we go the same for Auntie.

There was a lot more action and plot twists in this book compared to the first.

I felt the pacing was very fast, and while there was character growth overall some of the dialogue did seem more juvenile than the first book.
Along the side of the pacing, I felt that perhaps there was almost too much to fit into one book but not enough to be a trilogy? Some of the things probably could have been cut without having a negative effect on the story overall.

Started on: August 13
Ended on: August 15

Huge thanks to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for the ARC!

The Demon and the Light by Axie Oh is a finale that completely swept me away. It picks up right where The Floating World ended: Ren is suddenly carrying the impossible weight of being a heavenly savior, while Sunho has given in to his demon form — unrecognizable, volatile, and terrifyingly distant from the boy she loves. The heartbreak? Constant.

As war looms and political games twist tighter around her, Ren finds herself caught between the expectations of a world that sees her as their last hope and the desperate desire to save Sunho. The stakes never let up, and the emotional toll hit me just as hard as the action.

✦ Ren’s growth is incredible. She stumbles, she doubts, she grieves — but she never stops pushing forward. Her love for Sunho is stubborn and unshakable, and it made me ache in the best way.

✦ Sunho’s arc was so refreshing. Watching him face the demon inside himself and finally accept it felt powerful and new. Instead of only drowning in guilt, he learned to carry that darkness and still love — and be loved. It was such a satisfying, hopeful turn for his character.

“She embraced the darkness within him, allowing him to accept the part of himself he’d wanted to hide from.”

✦ Jaeil’s POV was such a highlight. Messy, sharp, sarcastic, yet deeply loyal — his voice added a whole new layer to the story, and his growth left me grinning.

✦ The found family vibes were everything. The loyalty, the chaotic teamwork, the banter — I adored every second of it. And Yurhee and Tag?? Absolute stars. They brought so much heart and humor to the group, balancing the heavy moments with warmth and light. This whole cast felt like jagged puzzle pieces that somehow clicked perfectly together.

And then there were the lines that left me undone:

“But she wouldn’t be alone.
She’d never be alone as long as he was breathing, as long as his heart was beating.
It would beat for her.”

“‘Then let’s stay here, on this new world. A demon and a celestina maiden. What sort of life do you think we’ll have?’
‘I don’t know,’ Sunho said, gazing at her with love in his eyes, ‘but I wouldn’t want to spend it with anyone else but you.’”

On top of all that, Junho and Sunho’s reunion completely melted me, Wook was the sweetest cinnamon roll, and Auntie and Ren’s reunion had me tearing up.

This book gave me everything: epic stakes, intimate emotions, and an ending that felt both heartbreaking and healing. Easily five stars. ★★★★★

While I don’t find the plot as strong as the first book, the second book’s story was still good, and I found its most notable strength to be the characters. While I didn’t dislike Jaelil in the first book, he wasn’t interesting to me as a character. I’ve grown to like him far more as we get to see more of his personality and growth in this book.
The way everyone interacts with each other is still very enjoyable and sweet to read, and the newest character fits into the cast quite well. Ren and Sunho’s romance was great as well. Their (healthy) devotion toward each other made me root for them the whole time, and the romance never took away from their individual growth. Sunho’s arc is my personal favorite in the book, and I love how Ren was accepting of him throughout his struggles.
The weak point would be predictable plot points and pacing. Some plot moments that I felt should have been more important were resolved quickly. While I’m glad the pacing never dragged, it DID feel rushed at moments. Even with those points, it’s a fun comfy book to read with really enjoyable characters.

Thank you, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group Feiwel & Friends & NetGalley for the early copy!!

The worldbuilding remains vivid and captivating—the writing pulls you in and makes it easy to become fully absorbed in the narrative. One of the standout aspects for me was the found family theme. It came across as genuine and emotionally resonant, serving as the heart of the story. Fans of that trope will likely appreciate how it's seamlessly tied into the ending. This book was the most enjoyable reading experience I’ve had in a while. It was an emotional rollercoaster, and I loved every moment!
Axie Oh truly delivered with this book. From the plot twists to the characters and action scenes—everything was executed beautifully. Her writing, as always, was exceptional.

I really enjoyed this conclusion to the duology and just Axie Oh’s writing in general. And was excited to be able to revisit Ren and Sunho’s characters after the events that took place at the end of book 1. And to see them grow and face new challenges on the Floating World. We also got to see more of the side characters in this book.
Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for providing this arc.

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

The Demon and The Light by Axie Oh is the lovely conclusion to the Floating World Duology. This book takes place shortly after the events of the previous book. Ren was able to stop insurrection of General Iljin, however the fight is not over. The Floating World needs a leader and Ren must step up to the task. She must learn to navigate the problems of court politics and the constant threat with the ongoing war of the rival nation. Ren is also dealing with the heartache since Sunho fled in demon form. Will Ren be able to find Sunho and be the leader her people need?

I flew through this book. I loved Ren and her group of friends. Their determination to make their world a better place is so heartwarming. I found the magic system and world rich and lush, but easy to follow as a newer fantasy reader. I appreciated the concise plot and I felt as though it was well thought out. If you're looking for a great fantasy with found family and a lot of heart, pick up this duology!

A fitting finale to this Final Fantasy-esque story!

All of the characters are given a spotlight, exploring their emotions and relationships with other characters. The changing viewpoint for each chapter lended a stronger base for character development that I enjoyed. Ren and Sunho are given the biggest spotlights for obvious reasons, but we get to see their romance mature as they struggle to overcome their personal demons and fears.

The magical aspect continued to feed the world-building, making all the visited locations feel alive and worth visiting. I could envision the locales in my head as the story plodded along. The author's beautiful prose and approach to story-telling assist with this.

This wrapped up the story perfectly as a duology.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

3.5 stars rounded to a 4
SPOILER FREE!

Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing, for providing me with this ARC!

First of all, I love the steampunk aspects of this duology; the floating islands, the magic, and the incorporation of Korean mythology make it such an interesting read, and this book serves as a fairly successful conclusion to the series; all the loose ends were tied up, though it did feel slightly rushed near the end. There are moments where the world-building aspect is presented to readers rather than woven and shown to us, which is one aspect I appreciate in a fantasy book; it caused me to lose interest in some parts, because I felt less interested in the plot and characters. Some of the characters, like Jaeil, felt less developed than I was hoping, and they didn't feel real to me.

On the other hand, I love the themes that Axie Oh explored, especially fate and identity, as Ren navigates her existence as the princess. While people place expectations on her to be like her mother-- same name, similar appearance, etc-- she still manages to carve out her own identity and stand her ground against high-ranking political figures attempting to use her. It's situations like these that reveal the extent of our control over ourselves. Though we cannot choose how we grow up or who our parents are, ultimately, we can dictate who we become: "Jaeil is not his father, and I am not my mother".

I really loved Axie Oh's "The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea" and am so proud to see more Korean YA Authors, like Axie Oh, showing up on shelves.

3.5 out of 5

Axie Oh has done an excellent job bringing this duology to a close. The worldbuilding continues to be rich and immersive—the prose really draws you in and makes it easy to get lost in the story.

Ren stood out to me much more in this book compared to the first. She still reads as young, but her experiences here give her a stronger sense of maturity. I appreciated seeing her growth, the way she started to make better choices, and how that reflected her character arc.

One of my favorite elements was the found family dynamic. It felt authentic, heartfelt, and gave the story its emotional center. I think readers who love that trope will really enjoy how it’s woven into the conclusion.

And of course, I can’t leave out the vibes—this book gave me big Final Fantasy energy, both in its sweeping feel and the way the finale tied everything together. It felt like a proper sendoff that balances emotional beats with epic fantasy storytelling.

Overall, this was a wonderful conclusion to the duology. While the first book introduced us to this world and these characters, this one solidified their journeys and gave them a meaningful end.

**Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance copy for an honest review of the book.**

The Good: I loved the characters. Ren as a female protagonist is a breath of fresh air. She’s young and naive but she’s not stupid. She’s unwilling to pretend to be someone she’s not. Ren stays true to who she is regardless of the situation she finds herself in. She is inherently a kind person and I enjoyed reading a a story where the kind character isn’t penalized for being kind. The romance between Ren and Sunho is also refreshing after reading so many stories where I questioned what the romantic leads saw in each other. There are a few times where the romance gets bumpy and overly dramatic but given that it’s a young adult book, it’s relatively tame. Most of the romantic conflict is solved by some open communication. Little Uncle also plays a larger role in this book and I loved that for him. Auntie also makes a reappearance and it is one of the best scenes. We love a badass mother figure in our fantasies. I also enjoyed that more introspective and difficult topics weren’t avoided or handled dismissively. Ren dealing with her abandonment issues was a thoughtful edition to the story.

The “not so good:” The plotting can be… strange. There are moments where it feels like things happen out of order. We learn that Ren thinks her maternal aunt and great uncle made her mother so depressed that she was nearly driven to suicide. However, up until that point, I as a reader had not seen any evidence to lead to that thought. It wasn’t until the next chapter, a Jaeil POV, that we learn what terrible thing they did to REN’s mother that left her a shell of herself. That revelation should’ve come sooner. The writing is also very simplistic. There was very little complex foreshadowing or use of dramatic irony. There was a lot of reliance on “telling” over “showing.” There were also moments where characters had certain information that they had no way of knowing yet inexplicably did. All the characters seem to know whatever someone else has discovered like it’s a communal cookie jar of knowledge. I also still have no idea what Jaeil’s motivations were for book 1.

Your Milage May Vary: it had a very shonen anime vibe. The characters, the setting, even the fight scenes would not have felt out of place in any of the anime I watched as a teen.

Overall: I think this is the kind of book I would’ve ate up as a teen. It has some very specific elements that would’ve pressed every button for me. Most likely I would’ve inhaled this book in a day or two and then told all my friends to go read it. At the same time, I also don’t think I would’ve noticed all the things that tripped me up about plotting and structure.

First of all, thank you so so much to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this ARC!!

This book was the most fun I’ve had reading in a long time. I have to say that it was a rollercoaster, but I loved every second of it!!

Axie Oh did everything and more in this book. The plot twists. The characters. The action scenes!! Everything was done so well and her writing, as always, was spot on.

What I was most impressed with in both books was the way she writes action scenes! They flow so nicely and she makes them so visual and cinematic.

Another thing Axie is amazing at: writing believable, swoon worthy couples! I love Ren and Sunho by themselves and I love them together too. Their dynamic is incredible. Ren and Sunho grow so much in this book, separately and together. These characters will stay with me for a long time!

I loved Jaeil in the floating world, but he is most definitely my favorite character now. He has the wittiest comebacks and narrative and his pov chapters are so entertaining! He really had an amazing character arc as well! Jaeil’s development is expertly crafted and I expected nothing less from miss Axie Oh.

I loved that we got to see Tag and Yurhee again, they are SUCH an iconic duo.

That being said, getting time with each side character was great. The found family trope is alive and well in this universe, and I adore the fact that everyone has a great dynamic with each other. The jokes and banter was everything to me.

Like the first book, I think that it takes a few chapters to really get rolling. After that though, the pacing is much steadier.

The end was satisfying and I liked how she wrapped things up, but if I had one complaint, I would say that the big face off at the end seemed a little rushed and easily resolved. But to be completely honest, there were so many great intense scenes that the easy wrap up didn’t bother me that much! Although a little bit more struggle would’ve been good, I’m not mad at the ending at all.

All in all, the plot was engaging and everything that was revealed and shared about the world building, history, and characters was super enjoyable and well thought out.

Overall, this duology is EVERYTHING I could ask for in a fantasy. The world building, characters, and plot are cohesive and original. The romances are perfect. if you haven’t read the first book, go read it right now!!

thank you to feiwel & friends for the e-ARC

I just read the floating world and was swept up into the whimsical, fantastic world that was introduced, so I was eager to complete the story and see where our characters ended up.

I think this book was very consistent in style and quality with book one. the atmosphere and worldbuilding were the strong suits of the writing, while the characterization and action were more medium elements (though still solid). the characters had very standard YA-type arcs and so I think this makes for a great coming of age story, though not a particularly fresh one in the main story beats. I do think the character relationships in this one felt a bit fresher and more interesting. I liked seeing the friendships develop and change, and some romance bloom.

like I said with book one, I think this is a duology where ghibli comparisons are relatively appropriate: anti-imperial/anti-war themes, focus on nature, and coming of age storylines