A beautiful story, engaging plot, strong characters, and perfect romance.

I went into this completely blind and absolutely loved it. I was getting studio Ghibli vibes, specifically howls moving castle (don’t expect the same!)

The plot is well crafted throughout, I was invested all the way through. We follow Ren, After a demon attack in her village leaves her uncle in critical danger she has to venture out to find a cure for him before it’s too late.
Along the way she meets Sunho, a swords for hire searching for a girl who was spotting wielding the light.

The floating world is a beautifully written story with a creative world.

I was hooked throughout, I prefer action and adventure over romance, and this book delivered both wonderfully, I really enjoyed the demons in this book and at some point they absolutely reminded me of Howl when he transforms into the bird/demon.

The ending wrapped up very well, I think it was a little rushed although as the sequel is coming soon I’m exciting to continue.

4 ⭐

A beautifully crafted story that feels like stepping into a Studio Ghibli film. The worldbuilding is rich and immersive, with folklore and fantasy woven together so effortlessly, and Ren is such an easy character to root for. The plot hits some familiar beats, but the heart of the story makes it feel fresh and special. I can’t wait for the sequel!

this book was so good!

this tory follows ren an acrobat, who after a demon attack leaves her family to look for a cure for her uncle. sunho is a mercenary who gets hired to find the girl who flared her light. they meet halfway without realising who each other are, but soon realising that they ,ight have a lot more in common than it looks.

I loved this story so much, I love this authors writing style, the entire plot felt so magical and whimsical, while also feeling dark and heavy at points as well. I really enjoyed the love story in this book as it was full of small and soft moments between the two characters.

In the the first instalment of this YA fantasy duology, we follow Sunho, an amnesiac sword-for-hire, and Ren, a theatre troupe performer as their paths collide and they discover that their destinies will change the fate of multiple worlds. Inspired by the Korean folktale ‘The Celestial Maiden and the Woodcutter’, this story is reminiscent of the steampunk world of Miyazaki’s ‘The Castle in the Sky’ ☁️✨

I have been looking forward to this duology since reading The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea! Dare I say, I think I enjoyed The Floating World more 😭 Unlike her previous fantasy world, this story had such dark undertones through the reoccurring appearance of demons 👹 I loved this unexpected plot line, especially as we unravelled the main characters backstories and the worlds they live in!

The characters and storytelling was just *chefs kiss* 🤌🏽 the multiple POVs were executed perfectly and facilitated the phenomenal pacing of events. I fell in love with every single character and am highly invested in what happens next! The Korean folktale ‘The Celestial Maiden and the Woodcutter’ was introduced in a way that was palatable for readers, like myself, who were unfamiliar with it.

All-in-all, I loved every moment of this and have officially fallen in love with Asian-inspired fantasy retellings all over again. I highly recommend this 4.5⭐️ read and am so excited for The Demon and the Light in early October!

Oh I loved this so much! It follows a formula that works so well in East Asian books and I pretty much inhaled it.

The characters were well thought out l, each with pretty high stakes and plenty for readers to fall in love with. I loved the plot itself and the world!

Loved, loved, loved, can't wait for book 2!

The way this quite literally felt like reading a Studio Ghibli movie!

Axie Oh has an incredible talent for making even the most imaginative readers (ahem, me) picture the most beautifully unique, immersive worlds absolutely effortlessly, and this shines through in spades in The Floating World.

This was a resplendent story filled with twists, turns and all of the tropes we love (I’ll always need more hidden identity books!). Ren absolutely stole my heart from the very first chapter. Sometimes YA books with strong willed main characters have me infuriated with their choices and decisions but, Ren? I was with her, backing her, every step of the way.

I can’t wait to read book two!

First of all, I would like to say thank you for the review copy, which was provided to me by the publisher. This fact does not in any way affect my personal opinion of this book. This post contains advertising, and the rights for the book belong to the publisher.

Of course, this is only my personal opinion of the book, and just because I give this rating to the book doesn’t mean that everyone will have that opinion.

Ohhh, I enjoyed this. I did not expect to be that hooked on the story, but here I am, waiting for the next novel!
The writing style was as good as I hoped after loving „The Girl Who Fell Under the Sea“ by the same author. It was flowy and dreamy, and I was instantly pulled into the story. The whole premise of the book interested me, and it delivered a few very nice reading hours.
The plot pace was good. Sometimes I found it a biiiiitttttt lacking and it was a bit much „from here to there and back“, but we also have to consider that this is a first book in a duology, so there has to be a bit of world building happening. After 20 %, I did not want to let go of this book and stayed up longer than usual to finish it.
I liked the characters, and I can see why it is compared to „Shadow and Bone“ character-wise. I had a few problems first connecting with Ren because I found her a bit naive for her age, but she grew on me.

Conclusion
Such a good start into a new unique duology!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Axie Oh book and I was very excited to read it with the mentions of Final Fantasy VII and Ghibli vibes. While it did carry through on those promises, I felt like some of it was taken a bit too heavy handed like how the introduction to Sunho felt too much like the Opening Bombing Mission in Final Fantasy VII.

The world and concepts were interesting and had me captivated but the instalove and constant conveniences the characters constantly found themselves in detracted from my enjoyment. There was a lot of, how are we going to get out of this tricky situation, oh, good thing we just happened to find this which is exactly what we needed!

Overall it was an enjoyable experience and I will be curious about the sequel which will hopefully wrap up the story well. I can't believe it's only coming out in another couple of months!

The floating world by Axie Oh has left me just as enchanted as her previous novel the girl who fell beneath the sea. The characters were charming, the plotline easy to follow but still leaving me eagerly turning the pages and by the end I'm desperate for the sequel. Thankfully, the sequel releases later this year!

Starting off with a thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving my request to read this gem in advance.

☁️ Am I reading or am I caught in an RPG? That's the question. There were lots of times where Axie Oh weaved her words in such a manner that made me feel as if I was either Ren or Sunho.

☁️ Many eyes, just one voice. I loved how despite the multiple POVs, Axie Oh chose to stick to a third person perspective. This offered me, as a reader, a better grasp on all the narrative threads and allowed the story to flow easily. It also successfully avoided awkward moments between me, the reader, and them, the ones being read.

☁️ Celestial maidens meet tech. The main reason why I even requested the title was the Asian myth behind the story, and then the mix with a soft the Final Fantasy sort of imagery. The result was nice.

After reading 'The girl who fell beneath the sea' I wanted to see where Axie Oh would take me this time and again she captivated me with her lively and colourful writing and world building. Again I'm in love.
The characters are well written and the novel is plot focused while connecting our main character with her potential love interest. This is what I like about Oh so much, the romance is not the main focus and the girl is not helpless. Every character stands on their own feet, but they still learn and grow with each other. Every time a new secret was unravelled I thought it couldn't get more interesting and surprising till we got to the next. Again and again we discover new truths about our main character and her past, but also about the past of the other characters.
Axie Oh tells us about a Korean Myth in a gripping and wonderful way. Her writing style improved even more and I can't wait to read the second book.

This was my first Axie Oh book but she was already on my radar. I’m glad I read The Floating World and can’t wait to read The Demon and the Light. This book was definitely for me: a student of the Korean language and culture, RPG lover, fantasy reader, and I’m weak for the found family trope.

That said, I usually read more adult than YA but have been really lucky to pick YA books that even though they are for a younger audience I ended up enjoying a lot (this book included, of course). Also, I tend to prefer just one POV, but in this case I really enjoyed having other perspectives and it gave a deeper insight into the world-building.

A list of things I loved:

- It’s darker than I expected (pleasantly surprised)
- Wasn’t expecting super soldiers either but boy I loved it!
- The slow-burn romance
- Found family trope (yes)
- Action-packed scenes
- The writing style
- Just give me a book with an underworld in it and I’ll devour it

I have three copies of this book on their way (please don’t ask, don’t judge). And I’m definitely checking the rest of Axie Oh’s books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have fallen in love with this book! The world is so beautifully crafted and is so full of charm and life. The characters are all absolutely brilliant, with each one having their own, very distinctive, personalities and goals that drive them forward. I enjoyed how naturally Axie Oh manages to make their stories converge, to create a party of characters working together towards the same goal, whilst simultaneously continuing down their own paths.

Ren is such a bright, shining light of a character, full of so much love and determination. I really enjoyed the fact that ultimately, she wasn’t looking for a higher purpose, she just wanted a quiet life doing what she enjoys, with the people she loves. Her driving force is finding a cure for her uncle after he is attacked by a demon, she’s scared to go on this journey alone, but overcomes her fears for the sake of saving someone she loves.

Sunho is an ex-soldier who lost his memories of his life from before two years ago. As he grows closer to Ren he gradually regains more and more of his memories, and begins piecing together his past in hopes of finding out what happened to his brother. Sunho is such a wonderfully, protective character, without being overbearing and I love all the subtle ways he constantly looks out for Ren and steers her out of harms way. When they first meet, Ren refuses to remove her mask and it really warmed my heart how respectful he was of her wishes to keep her face hidden.

I could definitely see the Final Fantasy/RPG style influences throughout the story, with things like the government creating super soldiers with a mysterious compound, the classic story of the roguish swordsman protecting the girl with an ancient and world-changing power. So if you enjoy the stories to some of the older Final Fantasy games (I’d say IX and VII in particular) then I think you’ll really enjoy this story!

Thank you Netgalley and Hodderscape for the eARC. This is definitely a 5 star read for me, I loved everything: the characters, their development, the world building, literally everything. This book is a bit darker than her usual writing in my opinion, but it is full of hope and determination. My heart goes to Sunho and Rin, hope everything will be resolved in the sequel, I can't physically wait for it, I needed it like today. Bonus point: it's coming out in a few months which is another reason why why Axie Oh is one of my favourite authors. All the love to this series.

The world in this book was very interesting and I feel like any artwork on it will be beautiful 😍. I really liked the main characters we were following and hearing about each of their backstories & motivations. However, the story itself fell a bit flat for me and I didn’t really feel very connected 😢.

The Floating World pulled me right in with its fascinating world—especially the idea of the floating world and the underworld.
The world-building is beautifully crafted, though a map would have made it even easier to visualize and immerse myself in the story.

The story unfolds through three perspectives—Jaeil, Sunho, and Ren—each adding depth and intrigue.
Sunho and Ren, in particular, have powerful abilities and mysterious pasts that make their journey captivating. As they begin to regain their memories, the story takes on a fascinating layer of discovery, as they piece together the pasts to uncover the truth.

One of my favorite aspects was the slow-burn romance between Sunho and Ren. Their chemistry is undeniable, and I’m eager to see how their relationship evolves in the sequel.
Beyond the romance, the theme of found family is just as impactful, especially through Ren’s adoptive family, who shape her identity in meaningful ways.

Overall, it’s a fantastic read to a new fantasy duology!
I found myself enjoying this book even more than the previous one I read. The writing feels stronger, giving the characters more depth and making their emotions and struggles all the more engaging.

The pacing strikes a perfect balance between action, mystery, and romance, keeping me hooked until the last page—especially with that shocking conclusion that left me desperate for more!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: blood, violence, murder, death, war, brief mention of abandonment, grief, and body horror

Since I loved “the Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea” and I couldn’t wait to dive in this book ! In “the Floating World” I’ve found a lush and atmospheric read with a dreamlike world with floating cities , spirits and danger.
I loved Ren : she is quite, strong willed with some inner struggles like grief and pressure of expectation, which were treated beautifully!

The relationship beetween her and Sunho was beautifully slow , natural and well balanced end it felt so real!

As always the author’s writing was lyrical, vivid and magical and maybe was my favourite part of the entire book! But I’ve to say that even if I loved so much this book, It isn’t perfect: the pace was slow at the beginning and at the end was a little rushed , and some parts of the world building need more clarity, but at the “the Floating world “ was a solid 4 stars read!

3.25🌟
Thank you Netgalley for this eARC.
Very readable, nicely written. I really enjoyed Oh's previous book and gave it 5 stars but this one just didn't hit the same. I loved the concept and the world seems very interesting but I just didn't find we had enough world building to really understand what was happening half the time, I didn't get the relationship between all these different places or who all these different groups of people were so I spent half of it confused and struggling to care about what was happening.

Just like the The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, this book was such a beautifully atmospheric read. I was immediately drawn in by the lush, dreamlike world Axie Oh created, filled with floating cities, spirits, and a quiet sense of danger. It’s the kind of world that feels both otherworldly and deeply grounded in something deeply emotional and personal.

Ren’s journey was also emotional and heartfelt. She’s a quiet, determined protagonist, and I really liked how her inner struggles were handled, especially how grief, identity, and the pressure of expectations were interlinked naturally into the story. Her relationship with Sunho developed slowly and beautifully, with a honesty and balance that made it feel real. I loved how they complemented each other through small, meaningful moments.

The writing was another highlight for me. It’s lyrical and poetic without being too flowery and elegant in a way that keeps the story moving. Nonetheless, the beginning felt a little slow, while the ending felt slightly rushed in comparison. I also found myself wanting a bit more clarity in some parts of the world-building, especially where the rules or history of the world were vague or left unexplored. But there were only small things compared to the overall picture.

The Floating World is a story about love, loss and finding your way back to yourself. A solid 4-star read for me, and I’m definitely curious to see where the story goes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars
Content warning: military operations, kidnapping, injury detail, experiments done on humans (mostly historical), grief, loss of a family member, death, child enslavement
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Hodder & Stoughton for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

I'm so frustrated that I didn't love this as much as I wanted to. When I saw the marketing for this being set in a Final Fantasy-esque environment, the nostalgia of playing those video games with my brother, accompanied with a respect for this author's enchanting world-building skills, led me to apply for an arc and highly anticipating this read. I cannot fault the marketing on this at all - The Floating World delivered on many aspects of what I thought I was going to read. The layered worlds, authoritarian ruling of certain parts, political intrigue with machina and experimental energy everywhere - this is infused to the hilt with Final Fantasy elements to make fans of the games pleased. Weave in some Korean folklore and interestingly constructed characters with many secrets, and this should have led to a great story to read!

Sadly, I struggled with the storyline flitting around multiple POVs. I had no interest in one POV at all, and loved Sunho's story trajectory so much more than Ren's. I loved that Ren was an acrobat and how her skills with charm, illusion, and magic came into play along the way. Equally, I liked Sunho's brooding sword-for-hire personality, with the deepest yearning to find a place to belong and heal old wounds. Ren and Sunho, along with the found-family and friends they make through this tale, are wholesome and hopeful, even within the darkest moments.

I did have an issue with how young the characters read to me. Of course, with this being young adult, I came in with the expectation of teenage-led reactions and problem-solving, but even with this adjusted thought process, I didn't feel like, Ren especially, that this story went well with the character age points and their very naive or immature choices. I grew exasperated with multiple situations and the way these characters dragged down the storyline. Then, when it switched to our third main POV, with a character who is a little older, the tone changed so abruptly that I was often jarringly thrown out of the rhythm of the story. This meant it took me a very long time to find myself enjoying this book, and I'm incredibly reluctant to continue the story, which is a shame because there was so much potential here and truly fantastic world-building that made for an immersive experience - when I could relax into the scenes. I think if the characters were a few years older that this could have worked better, or at least, if the characters themselves acted more mature overall.

I know Oh is predominantly a YA writer, and as an adult who reads a lot of YA from varying levels of juvenile characters, I can respect that every story told can have a different audience vibe. I would truly thrive if this author chose to write something more adult, as I'm starting to get to a point where I feel Oh's characters are feeling too young for me to enjoy. This is obviously not an issue for the targeted age group, and I can see many readers enjoying this tale.