The first book ended on such a cliff hanger, I had to get an ARC just to see how it ended. And the second book did not disappoint. Mysteries that were planted in the first book grew into interesting plot points in the second. I enjoyed the character developments of Ren and Sunho. Embracing your inner demon, allowing for your inner light to shine; these may be common tropes, but Oh creates such lovable characters that these personal journeys feel organic. She also does not fall into the common issue I have with duologies. Usually they feel like they should have been one book, or could have been expanded into three books. The second book neither feels rushed, nor incomplete. While I would love to revisit this world, I do feel that Ren and Sunho’s story is complete. It was a very satisfying and exciting read. Axie Oh never disappoints!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

What a wonderful conclusion to this duology! It's just as full of drama and heart and love as the first installment. Honestly, I think I teared up more and got more emotional while reading this book. And I absolutely devoured it. My heart is so full.

We pick up where we left off at the end of The Floating World. The beginning of this could be seen as a little slow as Ren adjusts to her new elevated position, and she and Sunho have to find their way back to each other. But the second half REALLY picks up as the stakes go through the roof and we have a ton of action as all the pieces come together.

I just love all of these characters. Ren and Sunho have so much growth and developement. But Jaheil does too, and I loved the seeds of his relationship with Wook. There is just an incredible amount of emotion, healing, growth, and acceptance, especially for Ren and Sunho. It was just so so beautiful.

My only quibble is that I wish the ending had been longer! I wanted more time with the characters, and the book wraps up super fast. But I just loved it overall, and highly recommend this duology!

"She hadn't saved him. She'd shown him how to save himself."

This was an incredible, action filled ending to this duology.
Ren and Sunho both individually, as well as together, overcome so many challenges and grow so much!
Ren faces quite a few trials in a short period of time, and Sunho gets tested as well. I think these instances make their young love even more heartwarming because of how mature their decisions were.
Jaeil and Wook, I screamed!! I was so giddy every single time these two interacted. Wook truly brought out the best in Jaeil and I’m super happy that we got to see more of Wook in this book.
Overall this book was filled with personal growth and forming strong bonds that solidified the found family aspect of this series. While this book is filled with action and non stop adventure I think each individual characters story was well thought out and you really love every POV and learning what happens next regardless of who the character is.
Thank you Macmillan children’s publishing group for the arc!

This was a worthy ending to such a magical duology! I loved the found family dynamics and learning more about the magic behind the Floating World. The dialogue could be stilted and juvenile, and I struggled to connect with the characters. In all, though, Axie Oh brought the Ghibli vibes and gorgeous backdrops to this sequel and provided a good (if slightly rushed) ending to her newest duology. Thank you so much to NetGalley and MacMillan Children's for the eARC!

This book is a captivating sequel fantasy novel that explores the intricate balance between opposing forces, both external and internal. The Demon and the Light delves into a world where ancient powers clash and destinies are forged, often in the most unexpected of ways. Oh demonstrates a strong talent for world-building, creating a setting that feels rich with lore and vivid imagery. The central theme of contrasting elements - light and dark, good and evil, creation and desctruction - is woven throughout the narrative, giving it a compelling philosophical depth. The characters are complex, grappling with their own identities and allegiances as they navigate a perilous landscape. The plot is engaging, filled with moments of intense action and thoughtful reflection. This series is an excellent choice for readers who enjoy epic fantasy with a focus on deep lore, character development, and the exploration of moral ambiguities.

I'm so blown away by Axie's writing. What a great sequel, and it didn't feel rushed or overdone. She has such a way with writing beautiful, meaningful characters. I want to protect them all from harm. I will read literally anything from this author!

Thank you to the Author, NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC of this highly anticipated sequel

A wonderful conclusion to the duology!
The characters had deep character development and unbreakable relationships. The sequel had so much emotional depth
With the severity of the main villain ramping up, things got darker and less whimsical but it added so much depth to the story telling and characters.
My only complaint that the peak of the fight was concluded too quickly. We spent 2 books building up for this, and it was resolved in a page

*3.5 stars*

I enjoyed this sequel quite a bit actually, I don't think it's AS good as the first book but it was pretty close! I'm not a huge fan of battle scenes so for me it felt like those were dragging the book a bit, but honestly it wasn't bad and someone who can visualize things in their mind could probably get some great visuals out of the way everything was described. I love the characters in this duology and I'm pretty happy with how the plot went down. My only wish would've been for things to play out at a bit of a slower pace - sometimes I felt like some very built up scenes in the plot were kind of anticlimatic or rushed.

Overall it's a very beautiful story and I'm definitely checking out more of Axie Oh's work after this!!

Kicking off from the cliffhanger ending of The Floating World, The Demon and the Light continues the journey of Ren and Sunho as they navigate Floating World politics and a threat emerging from the shadows, accompanied by a few familiar faces.

At its core, this series is a solid action-adventure story with a starry-eyed faith in the resilience of people and love's ability to save or doom us. Axie Oh pulled a few misty-eyed emotions out of me with this one as Ren explored the truth of her heritage and all the burdens that come with it. Her complicated relationship with her mother was a highlight for me, especially since her dynamics with all of the other characters were fairly straightforward and earnest. I found that the book was losing me as it heightened the scale of the conflict sharply by the 2nd half, unfortunately, as the stakes became too great to really feel the weight of. Other conflicts just seemed a little too easily handled, and I was disappointed by the lack of some more satisfying resolutions.

All in all, Oh has such a way with whimsical worlds and the indomitable human spirit. Here's to hoping she releases some more Ghibli-coded Korean fantasy soon!

The Demon and the Light by Axie Oh
The Floating World #2
4.6⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 0.3/5
Cursing: none
Format/Source: ebook ARC from NetGalley
Genres/Tropes: romantic fantasy reimagining the Korean legend of Celestial Maidens
Audience: YA
Setting: Under World, Floating World
Characters: Sunho, Ren, Little Uncle/Wook, Su, Jaeil, Yurhee, Tag, Maya, Juwan, Hwani, Junho, Sareniya
👍 short chapters, multi POV, fairy tale retelling, no cursing, well-paced, well-developed characters
👎 none

Description:
With the help of her friends and allies, Ren managed to topple the General's insurrection, but the Floating World and its territories are still under threat of attack from the rival Volmaran Empire. And far worse, she was powerless to save Sunho from being overcome by the monstrous power in his blood. Now he's gone, transformed into a feral, deadly creature that doesn't even recognize her anymore, and her heart aches for the sweet boy she's grown to love.
But the escalating war will not pause for her grief. Seen by some as a heavenly savior and others merely a figurehead to be manipulated, Ren must use all her courage and cunning to survive the royal court's game long enough to find Sunho and bring him home before he loses himself to the Demon forever.

My opinion:
Axie pens a sequel that is a well-paced lyrical fairy tale retelling that continues the story of The Floating World. This book is much brisker in pace and kept me on my toes. The short chapters and multiple POV make for an effortless read. The characters are developed greatly and continued to expand throughout the novel. Ren remained my favorite person in this series. Many characters also find redemption! I appreciated learning some of Korea's beliefs/lores through this book. I absolutely adored that there is no cursing in this tale. I delighted in this story and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys clean fantasy writing.
#bookstagram #arcreader #booklovers #fantasybooks #fairytaleretelling #booktok #booktok #goodreads
***I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

I was able to get a copy through NetGalley. I really enjoyed the second book following Sunho and Ren. Picking up right when the first book The Floating World left off, Ren is trying to adjust to her new role as a descendant of the Celestial Maiden. Sunho has to figure out the Demon that controls him. Along with their friends, these two must rally together to stop a war and defeat yhe bigger threat.

The Demon and the Light is the second book in The Floating World duology, picking up not long after where the first book left off. I loved The Floating World and couldn’t wait for the chance to read the sequel!
Ren's growth through this book was one of my favorite parts - watching her step into her magic and embrace her legacy in a long line of strong women was really beautiful and empowering. I loved the themes of family - both the one you're born into but also the one you choose - and how the celestial maidens were all so different, yet still connected through magic, through history, and through a name.
I really liked the trust Ren & Sunho had and how they helped each other accept their own demons. Sunho and Jaeil’s unexpected friendship (dare I say bromance?) was so funny and another highlight for me!
The only thing I didn’t love was how fast everything seemed to happen - the plot, but also how some of the relationships developed and how the ending felt a bit rushed. Still, it was a really enjoyable sequel and a satisfying conclusion to the story!
This duology had all the magic and wonder of Final Fantasy and Ghibli - beautiful, imaginative, and full of heart. I love the kinds of stories Axie Oh tells, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!
～Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

Coming from the Floating World that set an incredible world and characters, the Demon and the Light took off running from almost right where we left off. I did love this story and it was like an old nostalgic anime adventure that really brought everyone together to defeat a big bad. The world was set and then we grew with the characters as they changed and learned to deal with their faults.

I think the story is solid and for those that loved the Floating World, it absolutely is great how this fast paced adventure wrapped up. However, I did think it was almost TOO fast paced and things were wrapped up too quickly. I would have absolutely loved to linger and have them take longer to grow and learn. It was a little hard to suspend my belief in how fast the characters changed and grew strong, or attached. I still loved it, like a very fun nostalgic anime that was a solid short series and didn’t go too long which also would end up boring me! No 200 episodes of training and power growth 😂 and I do appreciate that!

Thank you for the sequel to this series, I had an amazing journey. If you loved the first book then absolutely finish the series! I cannot wait to have both my copies together and perhaps relive it again with time.

Absolute banger of an ending to this duology. I really got the final fantasy vibes and love the characters. Everything ties together so nicely. Very excellent cast with a positive chemistry. I'm also grateful there's no love triangle and everyone gets a deserved ending.

This finale to Axie Oh's Floating World duology cemented it as one of my favorites in the new-YA-SFF space! I already loved the world and the politics in the first book, but where this book shines is it truly made me care for the characters (especially after how book 1 ended!). Still, the world Axie Oh created is undoubtedly my favorite part of this book as well. I rate it pretty highly, especially with how the plot played out and how Ren and Sunho's dynamic changed over the course of this book—but most of my high rating has to do with how much of an escape this series provided me with! Definitely recommend!!!

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the ebook ARC!

(This review contains spoilers!)

It’s official, this duology has my whole heart. (And the cover art is just as phenomenal as the art for The Floating World!) I could have easily finished this book in two days, but I didn’t want it to end! The Demon and the Light picks up right after the ending of The Floating World, with Ren determined to find Sunho after their abrupt separation. It’s fast-paced, emotional, full of action, and fun to read.

I adored all of the core characters in this series. Ren, Sunho, Jaeil, Yurhee, Tag, and Wook have such an amusing found family dynamic. I wish we could have spent more of them as a group! I really liked Jaeil’s POV chapters, he had great character development. His mini romance side plot was adorable and I would gladly read a spinoff exploring that more!

Ren and Sunho continue to be an adorable pair, willing to do whatever it takes to keep each other safe. They both have their own challenges and trials that take precedence over their romance, but it makes sense considering the threats in play.

I would have loved for this book to be a bit longer. The final battles for Ren and Sunho felt like they ended quickly considering the build up to those events. I also would have enjoyed more details of the aftermath, ex. how their society reacted and adjusted to the state of the floating world. Maybe that’s just me wanting more because I love this duology so much.

Overall, I enjoyed The Demon and the Light and I look forward to reading more books by Axie Oh!

5 stars!!! ☆
⤿ spoiler-free review
thank you to net galley for this GORGEOUS arc!!

ೃ⁀➷“Mithril was his love, she realized, just as the silver in her Light was hers, growing brighter and brighter until their radiance rivaled even the stars.”

★│The plot│

╰┈➤ "A new war is coming, and if we're not ready, it'll swallow both the Floating World and the Under World whole."

With the help of her friends and allies, Ren managed to topple the General's insurrection, but the Floating World and its territories are still under threat of attack from the rival Volmaran Empire. And far worse, she was powerless to save Sunho from being overcome by the monstrous power in his blood. Now he's gone, transformed into a feral, deadly creature that doesn't even recognize her anymore, and her heart aches for the sweet boy she's grown to love. But the escalating war will not pause for her grief. Seen by some as a heavenly savior and others merely a figurehead to be manipulated, Ren must use all her courage and cunning to survive the royal court's game long enough to find Sunho and bring him home before he loses himself to the Demon forever.

★│ The characters │

╰┈➤ "That left Jaeil with Sunho, Tag and Yurhee. An odd assortment of allies, but none he trusted more with his life-a thought that would have seemed impossible a month ago."

These characters will forever have my heart. The character arcs we see in this book are so beautiful and heartwarming. I love the new romance that we see near the end ( no spoilers!! ), it had me so happy for the two characters. And the way Tag and Yurhee become such a prominent duo in this book is amazing! Obviously, Ren and Sunho are as swoon worthy as always!

★│ The pacing │

╰┈➤ "Fight with compassion, but not shame"

Truthfully, I have been in a massive reading slump these last couple months. This book pulled me out of it, and gave me something to look forward to every day. I would procrastinate picking it up, but when I did, I couldnt put it down. The perfect conclusion to this series!

Slayed! I liked the first one better, but this was still a great book and a great conclusion to the duology. The battle/fight scenes were especially well-done, and I enjoyed delving into the lore of the celestial maidens a bit more. I heard that the ending was a bit rushed, which I agree with, and there were some other pacing issues, but otherwise, I really liked this. There’s lots of fun characters, compelling sci-fi/fantasy elements, and I was kept on my toes the whole time. Thank you Axie Oh for saving the day!

Axie Oh is a brilliant author and makes you care about her characters thoroughly. I did think that this series had a lot of loose ends that needed to be tied up, and the ending felt rushed. However, it was still a very enjoyable read

I know this series is supposed to be based on Final Fantasy, but I'm definitely still getting major Skyward Sword vibes from this one.


The Demon and the Light is the sequel to The Floating World, and I was lucky enough to receive ARCs for both of them...and in the same year, too. Publishing two books in the span of a year is quite a feat, but unfortunately, I think it detracts from my enjoyment of the story. This book felt very rushed, both in pacing and in storyline. I appreciate fast-paced plots, but I feel like so much happened in this book, and yet so little actually mattered.

We begin right where book one left off, with Sunho having been transformed into a demon and Ren finally accepting her true role as leader of the Floating World. The synopsis of the sequel hints at an inner battle between Sunho and his inner demon, but I felt like that plotline was resolved way too quickly, and the "war between empires" also mentioned in the synopsis feels a bit misleading. The first half of the book kind of meandered, in my opinion, as Ren was trying to balance a rescue of Sunho, the reestablishment of order in the government, investigations of the mithril labs, and the discovery of her mother's past. Around the halfway point, certain plot developments allowed for a clearer goal for the main characters, but this section, too, seemed like we were dancing around the problems. Did I enjoy reading the book? Yes, and the fast pace was immensely helpful in keeping my interest. However, I felt like this was much more heavily plot-focused than book one, and so the characters felt like they lacked a bit of depth to me. The ending also felt a bit too easy, and overall, I never really felt like any of the characters were in major danger because they're all fairly overpowered. I still enjoyed it, but I preferred book one.

I did appreciate the added focus on certain side characters in this book. Yurhee and Tag are still around, albeit in much more minor roles, but the few scenes they were in were still fun. Jaeil has a few POV chapters again, but his character felt pretty flat to me. His unwavering loyalty to Ren felt a bit convenient, and as much as I enjoyed his interactions with Wook, their relationship didn't feel very developed to me. Sunho and Ren were still good protagonists, and I enjoyed following their story. I liked watching Ren investigate her past while also discovering what it means to be a leader, and Sunho's arc was interesting and enticing. They just felt a bit bland compared to the last book, and I don't know if it was because there wasn't really much tension between them or if the book was so focused on plot that we didn't get to see their relationship play out in any super complex way. Either way, I still really liked their characters and arcs, I just wish they got a bit more fleshed out.

Even though I think The Demon and the Light was fairly rushed, it still acts as a great conclusion to an action-packed duology, and it's a worthwhile read for fans of sky islands, dark vs light magic, and adventures with exciting characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.5/5