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by Axie Oh
From Axie Oh, the New York Times-bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, Final Fantasy meets Shadow and Bone in this lighthearted romantic fantasy reimagining of a Korean legend.
Sunho lives in the Under World, a land of perpetual darkness. An ex-soldier, he can remember little of his life from before two years ago, when he woke up alone with only his name and his sword. Now he does odd-jobs to scrape by, until he comes across the score of a lifetime―a chest of coins for any mercenary who can hunt down a girl who wields silver light.
Meanwhile, far to the east, Ren is a cheerful and spirited acrobat traveling with her adoptive family and performing at villages. But everything changes during one of their festival performances when the village is attacked by a horrific humanlike demon. In a moment of fear and rage, Ren releases a blast of silver light―a power she has kept hidden since childhood―and kills the monster. But her efforts are not in time to prevent her adoptive family from suffering a devastating loss, or to save her beloved uncle from being grievously wounded.
Determined to save him from succumbing to the poisoned wound, Ren sets off over the mountains, where the creature came from―and from where Ren herself fled ten years ago. Her path sets her on a collision course with Sunho, but he doesn't realize she's the girl that he―and a hundred other swords-for-hire―is looking for. As the two grow closer through their travels, they come to realize that their pasts―and destinies―are far more entwined than either of them could have imagined...
"In the vein of Shadow and Bone and Final Fantasy, Oh delivers whirlwind romance and adrenaline-fueled adventure culminating in a darkly mysterious fantasy series starter." ―Publishers Weekly
"Oh's immersive worldbuilding is deep and easily digestible with scattered exposition balancing the fast-moving plot. ... An interesting folklore-inspired fantasy with shades of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone and Final Fantasy." ―School Library Journal
"The Floating World has everything I love in a fantasy story: A grand adventure that perfectly balances romance and humor, set in a uniquely magical world. I laughed and I cried alongside Ren and Sunho on their journey to self-discovery. An enthralling read to the very last page." ―Judy I. Lin, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of A Magic Steeped in Poison
"A stunning story! In The Floating World, Axie Oh has crafted an exquisite tale filled with mythology, heart, romance and magic, set in a remarkable and intricate world that enthralled me. The secrets, intrigue and beautiful prose swept me away, and the compelling characters stayed in my mind long after the end. Am already excited for the sequel!" ―Sue Lynn Tan, New York Times-bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess
This information about The Floating World was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Axie Oh is the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, the Floating World duology, XOXO and ASAP, and the Rebel Seoul series. Born in New York City and raised in New Jersey, she studied Korean history and creative writing as an undergrad at the University of California San Diego and holds an MFA in Writing for Young People from Lesley University. Her passions include K-pop, anime, stationery supplies, and milk tea, and she currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her dogs, Toro and Leila.
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