The Floating World by Axie Oh ~ a Review

by MK French

Living in the Under World with perpetual darkness, Sunho can't remember much of his life before two years ago. An ex-soldier, he does odd jobs until he hears about a girl who wields silver light. In the east, acrobat Ren is performing when the village is attacked by horrific demons. She releases a blast of silver light that kills the monster, but not before her adoptive family suffers devastating losses. Trying to save her uncle from a poisoned wound, Ren heads for the mountains and meet Sunho. He doesn't know she's the one that every mercenary is looking for, and the two grow ever closer during their travels.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

April 2025; Feiwel & Friends; 978-1250853080
audio, ebook, print (368 pages); YA fantasy

This is the first half of a duology. Here, the Floating World is an island mass suspended over part of the western side of a mountain range, and high-ranking nobles and ministers live there. Beneath it, in the Under World, are the workers, mercenaries, military, and lower classes that will never earn enough to make it to the Floating World. Demons are real here, creatures that have vaguely humanoid shapes but otherwise are mindless killers feasting on humans and destruction. One of them poisoned Ren's foster uncle with its blue blood during an attack. She crosses the mountain range looking for medicine; she has three weeks to find it and make it back to save his life. In the meantime, Sunho is one of hundreds looking to find Ren without a clear description; the higher-ups don't care if they kill each other or random people who meet the description given. Of course, they become friends and choose to protect each other even when the truth is revealed. Others want to capture or kill them, and there are multiple factions in play.

I am very much reminded of anime favorites like Battle Angel Alita with the world-building. The complications that Sunho and Ren find along the way evoke strong imagery of real-world areas and movies, which makes the book a really fast and fun read. They have their missions, along the way, we find out about the past, what happened to the people, and the different groups fighting for the future. It's a compelling read, and I'm already eager for the second half of the story. 

Buy The Floating World at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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