I know this series is supposed to be based on Final Fantasy, but I'm definitely still getting major Skyward Sword vibes from this one.


The Demon and the Light is the sequel to The Floating World, and I was lucky enough to receive ARCs for both of them...and in the same year, too. Publishing two books in the span of a year is quite a feat, but unfortunately, I think it detracts from my enjoyment of the story. This book felt very rushed, both in pacing and in storyline. I appreciate fast-paced plots, but I feel like so much happened in this book, and yet so little actually mattered.

We begin right where book one left off, with Sunho having been transformed into a demon and Ren finally accepting her true role as leader of the Floating World. The synopsis of the sequel hints at an inner battle between Sunho and his inner demon, but I felt like that plotline was resolved way too quickly, and the "war between empires" also mentioned in the synopsis feels a bit misleading. The first half of the book kind of meandered, in my opinion, as Ren was trying to balance a rescue of Sunho, the reestablishment of order in the government, investigations of the mithril labs, and the discovery of her mother's past. Around the halfway point, certain plot developments allowed for a clearer goal for the main characters, but this section, too, seemed like we were dancing around the problems. Did I enjoy reading the book? Yes, and the fast pace was immensely helpful in keeping my interest. However, I felt like this was much more heavily plot-focused than book one, and so the characters felt like they lacked a bit of depth to me. The ending also felt a bit too easy, and overall, I never really felt like any of the characters were in major danger because they're all fairly overpowered. I still enjoyed it, but I preferred book one.

I did appreciate the added focus on certain side characters in this book. Yurhee and Tag are still around, albeit in much more minor roles, but the few scenes they were in were still fun. Jaeil has a few POV chapters again, but his character felt pretty flat to me. His unwavering loyalty to Ren felt a bit convenient, and as much as I enjoyed his interactions with Wook, their relationship didn't feel very developed to me. Sunho and Ren were still good protagonists, and I enjoyed following their story. I liked watching Ren investigate her past while also discovering what it means to be a leader, and Sunho's arc was interesting and enticing. They just felt a bit bland compared to the last book, and I don't know if it was because there wasn't really much tension between them or if the book was so focused on plot that we didn't get to see their relationship play out in any super complex way. Either way, I still really liked their characters and arcs, I just wish they got a bit more fleshed out.

Even though I think The Demon and the Light was fairly rushed, it still acts as a great conclusion to an action-packed duology, and it's a worthwhile read for fans of sky islands, dark vs light magic, and adventures with exciting characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.5/5