DNF @ 31%

I was absolutely floored by how much of this book was taken wholesale from Final Fantasy 7. Sunho is literally Cloud Strife: former soldier; some kind of scary experimental enhancement that makes him strong at the cost of killing/altering him on an accelerated timeline; amnesia but with vague memories of a brother-figure who can definitely fill things in that he forgot; personality that’s pretty much “I have a sword and know how to use it”. The empire is essentially Midgar, down to the round two-tiered haves above and have-nots below structure separated into numbered districts like slices of pie, with an industrial site in every district.

Outside of what’s taken right from FF7, the book doesn’t have anything to say. All the social commentary about corporate greed and climate change (ie willful environmental destruction) was stripped out. There’s no rebellion to stir things up. Axie Oh is likely someone who shipped Cloud and Aerith and therefore wrote everyone else out of the equation because once the two characters meet, their relationship becomes the main focus, to the detriment of all else.

I will say I liked Jaeil’s character, and his role in papering over some of the cracks in the worldbuilding, but he wasn’t prevalent enough to differentiate the story.

I don’t know Castle in the Air the same way I know FF7, but I have seen reviews that say it’s equally derivative.

Being so similar to something I know definitely dramatically hindered my reading experience (hence the DNF), but I’m kind of devastated because a story LIKE Final Fantasy should be everything I’ve ever wanted. But it was just way too close without being IP (also with no Tifa character, which is just rude)

4.5/5

I loved The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea so much that when I finished it, I was so sad that I could never read it for the first time again. So when I saw that Axie Oh was writing another book, I eagerly awaited my chance to read it.

The Floating World follows our protagonists Ren and Sunho. Ren is living happily as a troupe performer in a circus, content to move forward instead of facing her past. Sunho does not remember his past, and moves forward with the goal of reuniting with his lost brother. While the story does introduce a cast of characters and even has a POV outside of our MCs, the reader is not given too much information about them. Honestly, that suits me just fine because while the secondary characters are all fun in their own way (except for a couple whom I can't stand, and it's all their own fault anyway), Ren and Sunho have my whole heart—Sunho from the beginning. Ren took me a bit to like as she came off as bratty in the beginning, but I appreciated her growth and now I'll take her, too.

This is most definitely a YA romantasy with these two having such a sweet relationship—not quite insta-love, but not a slow burn per say. They are strangers and quickly move into mutual friendship but find each other extraordinarily attractive, maybe because they were working toward a similar goal; but it did seem a little fast, how quickly they cared about each other. Ren is all sass, which I found to be quite funny at times. Sunho on the other hand is described as taciturn and tending to keep people at a distance, but that's not exactly the case with his relationship with Ren. Now, I think the quick attachment to be explained with the darkness in Sunho being drawn to Ren's light, but I still would have appreciated more back-and-forth or some struggle on his end.

When describing the world itself, Oh does a wonderful job of giving the scenery poetic details while at the same time letting the reader's imagination do some work. She weaves information about the world at all points of the story, peppering instead of dumping all of the information at once. The vibe felt very Studio Ghibli- and Final Fantasy-esque, which I don't have a problem with as I happen to be a fan of both of those studios. Does this mean that sometimes some plot twists are expected? Sure, but I didn't feel any less emotion when I read them.

Overall I loved this story, and am eagerly waiting for the next one.

Endless thanks to MacMillan's Publishing Group, Feiwel and Friends, and NetGalley for an e-ARC. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is an absolute ride. Magic, Korean mythology, and a dash of Studio Ghibli vibes all wrapped up in a high-stakes fantasy. Ren and Sunho’s slow-burn romance feels real and heartfelt, and the worldbuilding is just chef’s kiss. It’s immersive without info-dumping, pulling you right into this vivid, enchanting setting. The pacing gets a bit rushed near the end, and a few side characters deserved more spotlight, but the twists, emotional moments, and stunning atmosphere totally make up for it. Axie Oh totally nailed it, I’m already dying for the next book 😔

A cinematic adventurous story set in a world filled with corruption and betrayal and bloodthirst. This story follows a teenage girl with a hidden background and magic that could change the world as they know it and a teenage boy with secrets of his own to hide. They first set out as enemies but a simple act of kindness changes their course. Fighting against those who wish them and the world harm, they must find a way to stop it all and save the ones they care about most.

The Floating World by Axie Oh offers a captivating premise full of potential, blending a dark, mysterious world with themes of memory, destiny, and hidden power. The story of Sunho, an ex-soldier living in the Under World, and Ren, a spirited acrobat wielding a dangerous silver light, is rich with intrigue. The setting is atmospheric, and the narrative is filled with moments of tension and discovery. However, I struggled to connect with the writing style, which felt a bit too distant for my taste. While I appreciated the world-building and the slow unfolding of the characters’ pasts, I found it difficult to engage with them on an emotional level. The romance and character dynamics, though present, didn’t quite resonate with me, and the pacing sometimes faltered. Overall, The Floating World has a lot of promise but didn't quite hit the mark for me. It’s a solid read for fans of epic fantasy, but I was hoping for a bit more emotional depth and connection to the characters.

ARC Disclosure: This book was received free of charge from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"The Floating World" serves as an impressive start to a fantasy series where Axie Oh builds a universe reminiscent of Final Fantasy VII's greatest qualities. The clear division between the luxurious Floating World above and the relentlessly dark Under World below reflects FFVII's Midgar city and the mithril mining system functions similarly to the game's Mako energy extraction by offering parallel commentary on themes of exploitation and corruption.

A narrative emerges through Ren's silver light and Sunho's battle with amnesia and inner "Demon" which mirrors Cloud Strife's journey to create powerful revelations and conflicts that FFVII fans will instantly recognize and enjoy.

The book excels because Oh skillfully mixes fantasy with real emotions while exploring identity, power, and connection with nuanced depth and heartfelt storytelling. The magic system starts with deliberate vagueness which could provoke reader frustration but develops through storytelling instead of direct exposition to match the protagonists' process of understanding. With that, at times the plot can feel a tiny bit forced, and the ending of the book does feel a bit rushed, but overall ties together well.

Readers who love character-focused tales and Final Fantasy fans will find themselves drawn to "The Floating World" which features a Korean mythology-based setting and concludes with a rewarding ending while setting up the next chapter.

Full review can be found at https://bromantasy.com/reviews/the-floating-world/

This was okay. Great concept, interesting storyline, likeable characters. But there was just something missing in the progression of the plot that didn’t provide enough development or tension. There was a lot of telling the reader how the characters were feeling and not enough showing. The pacing was off and I just couldn’t get fully invested in these characters.

*Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC for an honest review. All opinions are my own*

I really liked the focus on the tale of the woodcutter which reminded me of the stories told in The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea. However, overall this book had a very different feel to it. It was much darker in tone. I struggled with that for a good portion of this book I guess just because that prior book was feeding my expectations. However, the ending of this book is everything!!! It is powerfully romantic and empowering at the same time!!! Now I can’t wait for book 2!

Thanks to Netgalley and Feiwel and Friends for the eARC!

I really enjoyed The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea so when I saw Axie Oh was writing a Final Fantasy / Castle in the Sky inspired book, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Except… “inspired by” is relative when Floating World has almost the exact same plot points as Castle in the Sky and it felt almost like a remake and the only major change was that the World is not abandoned like the Castle was. ☠️

Even taking away all my qualms with the unoriginal plot, this story felt so BASIC and VANILLA. There were no plot twists. There was no morally grey decisions. Everything was so perfect and predictable and ultimately… boring. The only somewhat good portions were Jaeil’s chapters and even then, his motivations changed on a whim and annoyed me in the end.

If you’re looking for something that does not push any limits and does not bring anything new to the writing world, then you may be fine with this book. There’s nothing necessarily “wrong” with this approach to storytelling… and had I read this as a child, I may have enjoyed it. But when you have books that change the way you think, this just pales in comparison.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I may have squealed LOUDLY when I got approved for this ARC because I've said it aloud and I'll say it now in written form—Axie Oh is one of my go-to authors; everything she writes, I have loved and this was NO exception.

The Floating World gives me Studio Ghibli vibes in the best way. It mixes the technological dystopia of Howl's Moving Castle and the environmental and warlike chaos of Princess Mononoke with the royal magic of Castle in the Sky, coming together to form a well-paced, engaging, and almost cozy(?) narrative about two protagonists that give me intense Sheeta and Ashitaka vibes!!

I loved how pure Sunho and Ren were. They're not perfect, by any means—Sunho is a mercenary and Ren is literally running away from her "responsibilities" as a princess in favor of a simple life—but their motivations are so genuine and realistic. You can't help but root for them and the cast of secondary characters, whether they be friend or foe. And while some plot points were either convenient or easy to infer, they never took me out of the story and away from the characters. The emotional arcs that both Sunho and Ren go on are well worth a little bit of cliché.

I could go on and on... My overall reading experience for this was SO positive, and I truly cannot wait for the next installment. If you are a fan of YA dystopias, then sir/mam, this is for YOU. Do yourself a favor and pick it up!!

This was so good. I am left with so many questions and need so many answers. I feel like there’s a love triangle, or at least a friendship redemption coming up and I cannot wait to see more of it. I need more of Yurhee and Tag, Little Uncle and Hwi. So much more. I cannot wait for book 2!

This was an good book with an interesting premise! This is a reimagining of the Korean folktale, the Celestial Maiden, while the setting and characters are clearly inspired by Final Fantasy 7 and the plot has some inspiration from Castle in the Sky (and FF7). The tone in this book leans towards the younger side of YA (almost middle grade), although it deals with some heavy topics (but not in depth) and also comes with all the things a typical YA novel has, such as simple sentence structures, light world building, a high convenience factor and ease of resolution for plot lines. It was a little too YA for me, which is a personal preference for sure. The beginning starts out relatively slow and picks up towards the end, although the action scenes at the end were lacking in my opinion - many fights that only lasted a few paragraphs and then we'd move on. I also think that there were too many things going on and the main plot (which I think is the romance?) got completely lost in all the random side plots.

The romance also kind of came out of nowhere, one day they were just in love? Which is not to say that I didn't like Ren (FMC) and Sunho (MMC), because I did like them. They are both complex characters and hopefully they get more depth in the next book as they have a lot of potential! I will say that my favorite characters are Jaeil and Sana and I hope they get a lot more screen time in the next book as well. I would like to know a lot more about Jaeil.

I'd recommend this if you enjoy YA fantasy romance! I'll likely read the sequel since I am interested in knowing what will happen next. I think though that if I read another book by Axie Oh after this series, it will not be in her fantasy works. I just find her world building and fantasy plot lines to be too weak and so I think her romances will be better for me.

This was a fun read that felt very Studio Ghibli mixed with Marvel and would really work out well as either an anime or graphic novel.

I definitely think this book is geared towards the younger YA set. The main characters' motivations, actions, and feelings were very straightforward. While I liked the worldbuilding, the storyline and characters were a little too simplistic for me. There wasn't really any subtext for older teens or adults to parse out. Authoritarian governments are bad. Wealth and class inequities are also bad. There is a Chosen One to round out the usual fantasy tropes.

This would definitely be a good introduction for tweens and younger teens to the world of fantasy, especially one that mirrors real world issues and with strong characters to root for.

For those who are well versed in fantasy, this is more of a lighter read that works as a palate cleanser. And I won't lie, it's been almost two weeks since I've read this, and I don't remember any details that really stood out to me.

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for this arc.

This was such an enjoyable read. The world is really cool and well-developed. I loved the characters, Sunho and Ren. The way they brought peace to each other in their dark and unstable world was so sweet. I only wish there was a little more from the third POV character (I'm so intrigued by him and feel like there could be more to him) and some of the plot/reveals felt very predictable. But this didn't take away from my enjoyment of The Floating World at all. Sunho and Ren stole my heart and then made it ache at the end. I am very much looking forward to book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends for this digital ARC!

Honestly, I don't think any of you understand how excited I was for this book after reading " The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea " and falling in love with Axie Oh's fantasy worldbuilding. And once again she has outdone herself because the worldbuilding in this book was just as amazing. It doesn't feel like you have to struggle to figure out backstories and concepts, they are handed to you in such a perfectly understanding way that makes you delve deeper into the story.
As for the characters, I loved them both. Sunho and Ren are beautifully created and are both complex characters that slowly come to an understanding of each other. The romance isn't forced either and I appreciate that, I can actually see two people like this in real life falling in love.
The ending though! I can't wait for the next book!! Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillian Childrens Publishing Group for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed The Floating World, which is my introduction to Axie Oh's work. I could instantly see the references to Final Fantasy especially, Final Fantasy VII, but I really didn't get the references to Shadow and Bone? I got more Avatar: The Last Airbender vs Shadow and Bone, but maybe that's just me?

The characters were nice, but they were missing a certain amount of depth. If I'm being honest, they seemed a lot younger than they were supposed to be, Ren in particular.
At the beginning of the book, I thought she was closer in age to a 14-year-old vs. a 17-year-old. As the story progressed, she seemed less like a little girl, but it was still jarring to adjust to that. Still, I did like her character as well as Sunho and Jaeil their perspectives were woven in really well! I just wish there was a bit more to them.

While the characters were a little on the flatter side, the worldbuilding was phenomenal. Everything felt rich with detail, and it was very easy to pick up on the world's Socioeconomic and Political environment.

I will say apart from a few genre-typical violence or dark elements... this felt a little middle-grade reader vs YA. I think this book would do well with the younger ages in YA, but I'm not sure how older teens would respond.

That being said, it was a nice book, and I look forward to seeing how it progresses.

I may not be unbiased for this review, but here we go - great YA fantasy!
First of all, can we give a round of applause for this beautiful cover?
That was the first thing that caught my eye.

Second, when I saw the author was Axie Oh, I was sold - hence why I may not be entirely objective..

Oh, Axie! You’ve done a beautiful job.

The world-building was seamless. She crafted it in a way that makes you picture everything so vividly, as if you’re walking through it, admiring its beauty. The floating world made me think of the floating mountains of Avatar, but not a whole bunch of little mountains. If you know what I mean. 😅
The underworld had the vibes of The Maze Runner mixed with Ready Player One. It was really cool.

The story was entertaining with a steady pace. There were a few moments when my heart leaped—sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a not-so-good way. 🥲

Sunho and Ren were a really nice balance of light and dark. Their dynamic was cute and so sweet. I feel like there could’ve been more development in their love story, but the focus was more on their journey, which I really appreciated. Not everything has to be romantic.
This love felt more like finding a family and learning about first love. 🤌🏼

The ending left me both happy and devastated. I have to know what happens with Sunho!
I hope Ren becomes the ultimate badass of MC - she has such potential for that.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading it. Obviously, Axie did an amazing job. Can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you, Netgalley!
ARC provided by Netgalley. Courtesy of Feiwel & Friends | Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

The Floating World by Axie Oh is a gem! The author's worldbuilding is exceptional, creating a vibrant and original setting that drew me in immediately. The characters are richly developed and relatable. I loved the dynamic between Ren and Sunho, how they helped each other realize their own strengths. You’ll get all the feels with this book, from joy to sadness and everything in between. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in The Floating World and can’t wait to return! Really, I’m going to have a tough time waiting until October for the next book.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for an immersive fantasy read, especially those who appreciate a touch of romance and great storytelling.
I received an ARC of The Floating World by Axie Oh from NetGalley for an honest review.

Whoever thought to describe this book as "lighthearted", I fear for what you think is dark for YA. Be warned, there are a lot of dark, heavy topics from child soldiering to murder to experimentation on kids.

I mostly enjoyed this adventurous story. I can definitely see the Final Fantasy vibes in it. I really like Sunho and Ren together and all they overcome. I'm very curious to see what happens in the next book and am so glad we don't have to wait super long to find out!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

I was given this book through NetGalley. Ren is a troupe performer who is trying to save her uncle after a demon attack. Sunho is a sword for hire who takes a job to find a girl who produced a bright light. This story is enteraining and has mysteries. Both main characters have their own issues and motivations for their actions. I enjoyed this story and cannot wait to see what happens next.