The moral of this story? Don't judge a book by its cover, especially not **The Floating World** by Axie Oh. I mean, it's gorgeous, right? But seriously, this is a prime example of why aesthetics alone shouldn't dictate your reading choices. Consider this your friendly neighborhood book review PSA.

"In the story, the maiden had wings." Her mother's voice carried across the wind and the rain, and Ren felt it, like a thorn piercing her heart. "Where have my wings gone?" *The Floating World* by Axie Oh was one of my most anticipated young adult fantasy reads of the year. I had been waiting so long to dive into this book. I was excited and giddy to meet the characters and explore the wonderful world, genuinely convinced that I would fall in love with everything. If I said that I ended up be...

I think *The Floating World* could have used a few more pages, but honestly, what's there is really solid.It hits all the classic YA fantasy beats that make the genre so popular:- A unique world and supernatural creatures rooted in mythology- Nations at war because of a betrayal- A scrappy group of teenagers, some with magical powers- And, naturally, romance.So, the core of the story is strong. But even with the great elements, the narrative doesn't quite dig deep enough. I think that's because ...

✩ 2.45 stars ✩ What to Expect:➼ Found Family➼ Hidden Identities➼ Final Fantasy/Ghibli Vibes➼ Celestial Maiden Retelling➼ Narrated by Eden Jun➼ Third Person POVMy villain origin story is that Axie Oh wrote this entire book in first person and then REWROTE the whole thing in third person POV. 😵‍💫 Girl, why?! This is 100% a book I think I could have loved if it were written in first person POV, but it was SO boring in third. It had an exciting start, but from there, the plot development was incre...

I HAVEN’T STOPPED THINKING ABOUT The Floating World SINCE I FINISHED IT. Seriously. My soul? Utterly shattered. My heart? It belongs to Ren and Sunho now. My brain? Still screaming into the void about THAT ENDING. This book review is coming to you live from my emotional support group.Ren is a vibrant, spirited acrobat who travels with her adoptive family, bringing joy and wonder to the villages where they perform. But during one of their festival shows, a demon attacks, and Ren, in a desperate a...

The Floating World is Final Fantasy meets a reimagined celestial maiden from Korean folklore, with a generous dash of RPG storytelling, and it kicks off with a bang. A claws-out, people-dying, secret-magic-to-fight-demonic-creature kind of bang. The Ghibliesque-adjacent world-building is lush and strange, featuring murderous mercenary train journeys, a pitch-black Under World filled with poisonous blue clouds and toxic mines, and a world quite literally floating above it all. It's all beautifull...

⤿🔮 12/26/25Rereading The Floating World by Axie Oh was the best thing ever, ughhh! Now I can't wait to see how the sequel ends!🥹🫶🏻Reread on 12/26 - 4.5 ⭐ 1st read 05/11 - 4.25 ⭐ˏˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・“He had a thought that if she couldn’t control it, she might burn him. But he didn’t care. He would burn for her.”・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷⤿🔮 05/11/254.25 stars 💫 Just WOW omg. My first Axie Oh book and this one absolutely ATE?!🤩 The characters, the plot, the world building, everything was sooo perfect!!😌🙌🏻 This book...

“You inspire me with your strength. You inspire me with your goodness. You never give up, even when the odds are against you. I knew you’d achieved the impossible, and it made me believe that I could do the same.” I don’t have much to say about this one; I think *The Floating World* by Axie Oh was good for what it was, but it didn’t particularly stand out to me. The world-building was actually interesting, but I just didn’t connect with the characters. Ren and Sunho felt like two people who w...

4 stars! 🌟 Huge thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for the ARC & Dreamscape Media for the ALC via NetGalley! 💌Okay, but Axie Oh, you genius, what have you done to me?! This book was a whirlwind of magic, adventure, and emotions, and I was absolutely hooked! A breathtaking blend of celestial magic, Korean mythology, and high-stakes adventure, this YA fantasy, *The Floating World* by Axie Oh, will consume your soul. 💘 If you're looking for your next fav...

This YA romantasy reimagines the Korean legend of Celestial Maidens. A soldier who lives in perpetual darkness, waiting to find the one who brings light, crosses paths with an acrobat looking to find a cure for her dying uncle. Ren’s uncle was injured in a demon attack, in which Ren killed the monster using powers she didn’t know she had. As she brings her uncle across the mountains in search of help, she meets Sunho, the soldier, who offers to help. But neither know the other’s secret, and as t...