This book was an immersive experience—I did a mix of audio and physical reading, and I’m so glad I did. The story is gorgeous, and the narrator really brought it to life. Even with multiple POVs, she captured each voice beautifully and added an extra layer of whimsy to the entire experience.

While I was listening and reading, I couldn’t stop thinking of Hayao Miyazaki. I could easily see this as one of his films. The story is full of unique magic, rich natural elements, found family, and mouthwatering descriptions of food. (Seriously, give me all the noodles and buns, please.)

I loved the world Oh created—lush, imaginative, and full of wonder. Every element felt intentional and thoughtfully crafted. The characters were equally compelling, with nuanced personalities and well-developed backstories that made them feel real and grounded, even in such a magical setting.

I highly recommend this book and I can’t wait for more!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the chance to listen to this ALC, all opinions in this review are my own.

A wonderful YA fantasy, one that felt like it was truly written for teens.
The Floating World is told from 3 POVs, which I enjoyed, though I did want a bit more from Jaeil’s POV. Ren is an acrobat, performing in a traveling troupe with her adoptive family (while also hiding her secret identity and magical power). After a demon attack when her power is revealed and her adoptive father is killed and uncle is gravely injured, Ren sets out to find him a cure and also figure out where that demon came from. We also get the POV of Sunho, who is an ex-solider, barely getting by in the underworld (which is literally under the floating world and they literally have no sunlight - it’s a really cool bit of world building). Sunho is hired by Jaeil (a noble from the floating world whose POV we also get) to find Ren and bring her back safely. Because someone else hired a bunch of mercenaries to murder her! There is a lot more to said about their relationship dynamics but - spoilers!

I really enjoyed Ren and Sunho’s relationship and how it grew from companionship to friendship to something more. I liked how the magic was represented and explored and I liked that Ren’s acrobatic abilities enabled her to protect herself in a fight. It was a cool way to give her a little agency while fighting off attackers without actually being trained in combat.

The book definitely ends on a cliffhanger and I’ll be very curious to see where goes from here. And what happens with Sunho after that ending!

I do wish we had gotten a bit more world building around the actual floating world (though because this is YA and the pace is fast I understand why we didn’t). And I imagine there will be more development in the sequel.

And while I appreciated the information and world building we got from Jaeil’s POV, I hope he is developed a bit more in the sequel.

Audiobook review: I wish we had gotten 3 narrators instead of just one. I feel like books with multiple POVs always benefit from multiple narrators to help the voices feel distinctive. I didn’t love this narrator for all 3 characters and I think having other narrators would have helped the POV’s stand out more.

3.5 stars

I had both the ALC and ARC of this book so thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Macmillan Children’s Publishing.

I love Axie Oh and was excited to get the advanced copies of this book.

However, I was a little disappointed with the beginning of it. It just started out slow and it felt like not a whole lot happened in the first 30-40% of the book. I know it’s setting things up, but I feel like it could have been done a little quicker.

I felt like Jaeil’s POV chapters weren’t necessary. It doesn’t add to the story & it doesn’t really give us any added insight. Seeing him from just Ren & Sunho’s POVs wouldn’t have changed the story at all. Maybe in book 2 that will change, but I feel like then we could have waited for that book to get his chapters.

Then with the audiobook, I enjoyed the narrator’s voice, but I wish she had changed it a bit for each character. Especially the male ones.

All of that being said, once the story picked up, it didn’t slow down. I loved some of the side characters and while parts of this story are predictable, I will definitely read the second book.

This was such an interesting and imaginative world. If you are a fan of Final Fantasy games, then this book is for you. The world building was so unique and whimsical. All in all, I really enjoyed this book but there were times that I was a bit confused by the pacing, and the lack of urgence for things that seemed pretty urgent in the grand scheme of things. Regardless of that I still enjoyed and will definitely be continuing on with the series.

This book was such a roller coaster!! I really liked the ending a lot! I felt a bit off at times with connections to the characters. I didn’t care for one perspective so that didn’t help. I LOVED the world (once I got into it lol). The concept was so cool! I just wish I could connect to it sooner — even at halfway I was kind of bored. I don’t know if I just don’t like demon stories or if it felt too similar to the Secret Shanghai series by Chloe Gong. I will continue the future books in this series.

While I appreciated what the voice actor does, I felt the narration would have been better with different voices for each character. It felt very one dimensional and probably would have helped the listening experience.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

The Floating World by Axie Oh is a romantic fantasy that hits just the right notes. The story starts off slow and takes a little bit of time to get into it. The first third of the book sets a relatively slow pace, intent on setting the scene and giving some backstory to the characters and their situations. The remaining two-thirds of the book was a much more happening and engrossing read, so much so that I found it hard to put down. Throughout the book the plot was very easy to follow and the slowly blossoming relationship between the protagonists, Sunho and Ren, was oh-so-charming and comforting to see. The depth of characters and their stories, while not fully explored, have made me even more curious about this world the author has created. I enjoyed this book to the extent that I was surprised when it ended. I’m really looking forward to the sequel to know more about this world, and of course about Ren and Sunho. Ideal for romantasy fans who would also like something a bit cosier than the genre usually provides. Definitely recommended.

I opened this for floating cities and Korean celestial folklore. I left with emotional damage and a soul tethered to two fictional characters.

This book?? Slapped. Absolutely wrecked me. It's giving Final Fantasy with demon-slaying vibes, Ghibli weirdness with a knife twist, and Shadow and Bone levels of angst, all dipped in a dreamy haze of folklore and sky mines. You’ve got a cursed underworld, toxic clouds, assassins on trains, and a girl who glows like starlight when she’s pissed. I was hooked before I even realized I was emotionally spiraling.

Ren is sunshine and steel in a circus girl body, and all she wants is a peaceful life,ntil a demon attacks mid-performance and she blasts it with silver light. Oops. Her uncle's nearly dead, she’s got secrets to run from, and then there’s Sunho. Brooding. Memory-less. Deadly. Assigned to find a girl with silver light… while literally traveling with her. Not knowing she’s her. Yeah. The tension? Served daily. Their slow burn is the type that simmers until you’re screaming into your sweater. He sees her. She trusts him. And rhe tender moments?WHO ALLOWED THAT LEVEL OF SOFTNESS.

And don’t get me started on the world. Floating cities? Check. Demon-infested wastelands? Check. Weird science magic experiments and heartbreaking flashbacks? Check. It’s lush and cinematic without drowning in details, and while the pacing slows down after that claws-out, blood-splattered opening, it builds to something powerful. Like leveling up mid-battle and unlocking emotional devastation. Grief, identity, memory, and the softness we’re told is weakness,it’s all there, under the sword fights and sass.

Honestly, I thought I was just reading a cool fantasy. Joke’s on me.I walked straight into feelings. I haven’t stopped thinking about Ren and Sunho since I turned the last page. I will riot if the sequel hurts them. Or if it doesn’t come out fast enough. Either way, I’m broken.

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.

This was good for what it was, but ultimately didn't stand out to me.

We follow Ren, a troop performer whose family is attacked by what appears to be a demon, and Sunho, an ex-soldier who lives in "the Under World." The Under World is an underground city where the residents cannot see the sky, while The Floating World is just what it sounds like; a kingdom that floats among the clouds. Ren releases a blast of magic during the demon attack, which sends every mercenary in the kingdom after her, including Sunho. She just wants to find a cure for her uncle who was injured during the attack.

The world building in this story was top-notch, and I honestly wanted more of that. The story of the Celestial Maiden and Ren's flashbacks to her childhood were highlights for me. Other than that, I didn't really connect to Ren or Sunho as characters, and found myself unconvinced of the romance between them. There were some cute moments, but it also made me roll my eyes a couple times and it just felt unimportant in the midst of everything else going on. Overall, the atmosphere was strong, but the characters were lacking.

Read: June 7th - June 13th
Format: Audiobook
Rating: 4 star

Honestly, I just absolutely adored this book. It scratched so many itches and reminded me of why I love action fantasy and so many JRPGs. My main gripe, and why this isn't a 5-star favorite, is that some of the writing was a bit too breezed through and quick, coming across more as told than authentic.

Still, this is such a fun ride, and I greatly recommend it to people who enjoy action fantasy and video games like Final Fantasy!

This is a great first half of a book. It ends on a cliffhanger, so be prepared. It is sweet and fun and cozy. I’m looking forward to the next half of the story!

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

3.5 stars!

the floating world was a great first book in a new series, full of love and loss, shocking betrayals, and mythical creatures.

as for the audio, the narrator did a great job!

Just like this author's fantasy debut (The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea), The Floating World is an absolutely enchanting tale of fantasy. From the very first page, I was intrigued by the world-building of this story. And as I kept reading, I grew to love the characters and the romance. The ending took a twist that I didn't expect, but overall I really enjoyed this story. The exposition was a little heavy at the start of the novel, but that was really my only big complaint. If you like this author's other books, or are a fan of Shadow and Bone, I'd definitely recommend The Floating World.

The world building in this felt incredible, i loved it. It was a little slow at times but still enjoyable. I loved the narrator and am excited to see where the story goes.

4.5 ⭐️

Axie Oh has done it again. This book is another Studio Ghibli-esque novel. The vibes of this book are immaculate with the world building being so phenomenal. This book did not grab me as much as "The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea" or have as much pull at needing to know the "secret" but it still left me wanting to read and know what was going on. The pace of this book was pretty fast but the timeline felt a little ✨off✨. Even with those criticisms, this was a lovely book off vibes alone.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for this eARC.

This book was enjoyable and easy to follow. I liked the main characters and seeing their relationship evolve throughout the story; the world building was interesting and simple enough to understand right away in the audio version. And let’s be honest, I’m obsessed with the US cover so that was 80% of the reasons why the book appealed to me in the first place.
However, I have to admit I was not as transported as I expected to be. I felt that Ren’s goal was easily forgotten most of the time, the answers and solutions were spoon-fed to her and everything worked out very straightforwardly for a quest that was really not thought-out at all. Sunho’s journey was much more believable than hers.
The audiobook, though, was excellent. I loved the narrator and the way she portrayed the different characters and she really kept me going when I might have lost a bit of interest reading the physical version at a few moments.
I will most definitely read the second book, but I will favor the audiobook once again.

This was so good. I can’t wight to read the next one. This is an Ya adventure story with lots of mystery that I can’t wight to see where the author takes the story. I was lucky I got to listen to the audio book of this story and the narrator did a fantastic job, bringing life to these characters and telling the story.

4.5 stars
This book is easy to fall in love with. I adored this story so much. Axis Oh painted it perfectly into my mind. It’s written like even the smallest detail is significant and plays into the intricate sorry line. And I still can’t get over the cover.
All good things:
•The COVER 🤩
•fantastical world building
•Ren and Sunho
•allies-to-friends-to-lovers
•the sweetest slow burn romance
•Found family
•Korean folklore - Celestian Maidens
•hidden identities
•demons with a twist
•the ending

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea made a lasting impression so I didn't take much of a risk with picking up Axie Oh's new book. She is still as good as I remembered. This book is exactly what I expect from an Asian folklore-inspired romantic fantasy, and I look forward to the sequel.
I was reading the book and listening to the audio version in parallel. I wasn't a big fan of the narrator this time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Publishing for the audio eARC of this book. For a YA novel this book checks ALL the boxes for me. I loved following both Wren and Sunho's POVs, the overall plot of this book fit all your typical fantasy plots but with its own unique spin.

One long lost goddess and one long hidden demon, but they're both just kids.