Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Floating Islands

by Rachel Neumeier (Goodreads Author)

3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 · rating details · 782 ratings · 171 reviews

When Trei loses his family in a tragic disaster, he must search out distant relatives in a new land. The Floating Islands are unlike anything Trei has ever seen: stunning, majestic, and graced with kajurai, men who soar the skies with wings.

Trei is instantly sky-mad, and desperate to be a kajurai himself. The only one who fully understands his passion is Araene, his newfou...more

Hardcover, 400 pages

Published February 8th 2011 by Knopf Books for Young Readers (first published January 26th 2011)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Beautiful Book Covers of 2011

279th out of 744 books — 3,779 voters

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

YA Novels of 2011

429th out of 1,169 books — 6,218 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,882)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 09, 2013 Bethany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

This is such a lovely story. At first, I was skeptical as to whether The Floating Islands would be entertaining (I think that my exact words were, "It's page six and I'm still not interested"). However, once I got past the initial chapters, I really liked the story. I found the characters and the world interesting, despite a serious lack of action for the majority of the book.

I absolutely love Neumeier's creativity! The kajuraihi are so incredible, and I adore Araene's unique mixture of cooking...more

like · see review

Nov 04, 2012 Sandra rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Floating Islands was an okay read. I would have rather given it 3.5 stars instead of just 3.

1) At times it dragged on. The fantasy elements are lovely and I don't mind a bit of heavier description in my fantasies. It was done a bit too much now and then in this book, causing the action of the story to not really occur until about halfway.

2) Alright characters. I didn't feel a strong connection to the characters, and instead felt like they could have had more `oomph' to who they were. I did e...more

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 28, 2012 Michelle Isenhoff rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this book on a library list of notable middle grade books for 2011, and I loved the cover, so I picked it up. I’m glad I did. It turned out to be one of my favorite adventures of this year.

The book opens with Trei on his way to the Floating Islands. His family has recently been buried in a volcanic eruption and his kin in Tolounn, the country of his birth, have turned him away. So he’s searching out his mother’s brother in the Islands where she was raised. As he draws near, he catches si...more I found this book on a library list of notable middle grade books for 2011, and I loved the cover, so I picked it up. I’m glad I did. It turned out to be one of my favorite adventures of this year.

The book opens with Trei on his way to the Floating Islands. His family has recently been buried in a volcanic eruption and his kin in Tolounn, the country of his birth, have turned him away. So he’s searching out his mother’s brother in the Islands where she was raised. As he draws near, he catches sight of the kajuraihi, the Island men who use dragon magic (the same magic that holds up the Islands) to fly, and he knows immediately that he must become one of them. He must fly!

Meanwhile, Trei’s cousin Araenè is rebelling against the limited freedom given to girls within Island culture. Well-bred women should never go out unescorted, may only become wives and mothers, and are expected to spend their lives doing needlework and gossiping politely. But Araenè has a gift for the culinary arts (try to read this one without visiting the sweet shop!) and a rising tide of magic within her.

Then Tolounn wages war against the tiny Island country. Trei must determine where his true loyalties lie, and Araenè must make some difficult choices about her future.

This is a fun read: dragons, magic, and plenty of excitement. Araenè has a habit of dressing as a boy and sneaking off, so we’re lead all over the city—through narrow cobbled alleyways with second stories meeting overhead, to the University campus, to the tall, spindly towers overlooking the ocean far below. Trei takes us soaring through the clouds, turning somersaults and floating on warm currents. And the hidden Mage school is particularly enjoyable. It shifts location in the city constantly, the rooms reconfigure themselves, and doors open in empty walls and lead to who-know-where. The book is perfectly clean, it’s written in a pretty, lyrical style, the characters are likeable, the setting gorgeous, and the children’s problems believable.

But I have three complaints. First, the fairly important character of Prince Ceirfei is altogether too perfect. A few rough edges would benefit him. Second, the author does just a bit too much explaining in those moments when we should be left to exclaim “ah-ha!” on our own. And last, I couldn’t pronounce a single name in the book: Araenè Naseida, Hiraisi Tegana, Anerii Pencara, Tenarii Hanerè… I’d recommend writing them down as you go. I didn’t, and I never really did sort everyone out. Oh, and don’t read it out loud unless you plan to do a lot of fudging!

Speaking of fudge, this one’s plenty sweet for any palette and quite literally offers high-flying excitement. I strongly recommend it.

At 388 pages, I’d probably place this at 10+.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 13, 2012 Katilyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

In The Floating Islands two cousins come together and redefine themselves. One longs to be a member of a flying corps that rules the skies; the other to be free to choose her path in life. With the other's support, each of them finds success, but not necessarily in what they thought they desired.

There were many great things about this book: the world building, the plot ideas and the pacing. The characters were especially well done. All who entered into the story felt real, including ones that we...more

like · see review

Jul 21, 2012 Mckenzie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was one of those gems that you pick up because of the amazing cover art and take it home. But i must admit, was a bit of a letdown. I love the idea behind the story, basically; A boy named Trei has traveled to find his cousins home after his family died. His cousins live on chain of floating islands, suspended in the air through dragon magic. Independent of the empire, there are a variety of magical beings on the islands including mages and a a race of people called the kajurai; people...more

like · see review

Mar 03, 2012 andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

i think this could have been a good book IF it had been edited down a lot. i feel that way about a lot of books - and music, come to think of it. short is good. harder, but good. the last half was much much! better than the first, which dragged incredibly. it was practically impossible to get swept up into this new world, which is a shame because it would have been very fun in the this world that the author created.

there was too much going on - not one, but two magic schools, not one, but two -...more i think this could have been a good book IF it had been edited down a lot. i feel that way about a lot of books - and music, come to think of it. short is good. harder, but good. the last half was much much! better than the first, which dragged incredibly. it was practically impossible to get swept up into this new world, which is a shame because it would have been very fun in the this world that the author created.

there was too much going on - not one, but two magic schools, not one, but two - maybe three? - types of dragons, not one main protagonist, but two, a boy and a girl, etc etc. the chapters would alternate telling the story of each one, but it wasn't linear so in one chapter it would be what i thought of as the 'present' and in the next chapter, we'd be back to a few days before, i.e. the past. jarring! also, the ending, as so (too!) many fantasy books do, was too pat and at the same time too wink-wink-sequel (more likely a trilogy).

annoyances:

(view spoiler)

what i liked:

(view spoiler)

so all in all, ok. maybe 2.5 stars though, not 3.

(less)

like · see review

Jan 06, 2012 Stefanie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, 2011, fantasy, washyarg-reviews

As many people have noticed, this book has a beautiful cover, which hints at lovely treasures inside; however, the contents don’t quite live up to the cover art. Trei, an orphan from the northern part of the mainland, travels to the floating islands to live with his uncle, aunt, and cousin Araene. He quickly becomes and Islander in thought and deed, and realizes his dream of joining the men who help protect the island by flying with dragon magic. When the Islands are invaded by the power-hungry...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 18, 2011 Hibah Hassan rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Nov 15, 2011 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I immediately knew that I would enjoy the book The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier when I saw the cover art. I love anything to do with living in the sky and floating islands, so I was instantly entranced. It's a good thing I bought this book, because it has become a personal favorite. The story begins with Trei, a young boy moving to the Islands after losing his family in a devastating volcanic eruption. The only family willing to take him in is the family living on one of the Islands, and...more

like · see review

Jul 29, 2011 Hayley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, fantasy, young-adult

I picked up The Floating Islands because I was taken in by the magical world on its cover. It turned out to be very representative of the story, as the world is the real strength of the book.

Trei has just arrived at the Floating Islands after his family is killed in a volcanic eruption. He goes to live with his aunt and uncle and his cousin Araenè. He is completely in awe of the islands, and from the moment he sees the island’s kajuraihi (men who fly), he is determined to become one.

Coming from...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 25, 2011 Maureen E rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, simply-superb, middle-grade-and-younger

Opening: "Trei was fourteen the first time he saw the Floating Islands. He had made the whole long voyage south from Rounn in a haze of loss and misery, not really noticing the harbors in which the ship sometimes anchored or the sea between. But here, where both sea and sky lay pearl-gray in the dawn, the wonder of the Floating Islands broke at last into that haze."

In general, I'm a fan of fantasies with some sort of political component--the Queen's Thief series (obviously), Leah Cypress's Mistw...more Opening: "Trei was fourteen the first time he saw the Floating Islands. He had made the whole long voyage south from Rounn in a haze of loss and misery, not really noticing the harbors in which the ship sometimes anchored or the sea between. But here, where both sea and sky lay pearl-gray in the dawn, the wonder of the Floating Islands broke at last into that haze."

In general, I'm a fan of fantasies with some sort of political component--the Queen's Thief series (obviously), Leah Cypress's Mistwood. This is another one of those, except that it's much subtler. The political aspect is there if you look for it, but it doesn't ever take over the story.

Instead, the focus is on two cousins, Trei, a half-Island, half-Tolounnese boy who has lost his family, and Araenè, who has never left the Islands but longs for the freedom to study what she wants. Throughout the book, they both struggle to find their place in a world that seems all too likely to deny them their hearts' desires.

Neumeier has a gift for clear, vivid descriptions, and for creating worlds that seem both plausible and interesting. Here, the Islands have a particular flavor which sets it apart. I loved the fact that Araenè is so focused on the tastes of things, which means that is how she senses magic. It's a lovely way to think about it and one I haven't encountered before. The kajuraihi, winged men, who Trei longs to join also add a particular dimension to the story which I enjoyed a lot.

In general, this feels less like a traditional fantasy than City in the Lake did. Which is not to fault City in the Lake--I enjoyed it very much and would heartily recommend it. But I liked seeing what Neumeier did with a different kind of setting. She certainly delivered.

So, I liked story, characters, and setting very much indeed. It felt very solid to me--solid in a way that means the whole thing held together. I was never thrown out of the story by a jarring moment. There was one relationship that I thought developed a little quickly, but I then I felt like this was also a story about people growing up quickly and so it was all right with me.

One of my favorite quotes: "Araenè wondered, caught again between laughter and tears, whether any apprentice before her had ever broken all four of the mages' rules less than a day after arriving at the school."

Book source: public library
Book information: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011; YA/upper mg (there's some mostly off-screen death, but I think upper mg could very easily enjoy this one)

Rachel Neumeier, previously (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 13, 2011 Kathryn Mueller rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: recent-ya-fiction, fantasy

Rachel Neumeier's book, The Floating Islands, is a fantastic combination of inventive fantasy lore and the much more real-world problem of pending international battle. For the land where Trei was born (Tolounn) is famous for its army that always follows orders and will stop at nothing. The emperors are hungry for more conquests, but the Floating Islands stand in the way. But when they figure out a way for their mages to harness the energy from huge steam engines, they attack the Floating Island...more

like · see review

Jun 04, 2011 Ashlyn Grace Scriptus rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I fully expected it to be boring, but I loved the the characters so much I was sad when I was finished. It may ramble a bit at times, but all the words in this book eventually come together to form very deep understandings between the reader and the characters.

The way the magic is described is beyond that of even the Harry Potter series. The mages' personality determines what form the magic is portrayed to them, and the kajurai's dragon magic allows them to see the wind, the d...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 02, 2011 Lesley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Lots of pros and cons to this one. I'm giving it four stars but don't see myself booktalking it. It will appeal only to specific readers, but it will appeal to them very much.

On the pro side: Some wonderful, creative world-building and it's a fantasy world that's not based on Northern Europe. It has a Middle Eastern or South Asian flair to it. The way magic works is intriguing, especially the way doors open for the mages where they need to go. The writing is beautiful, especially the description...more Lots of pros and cons to this one. I'm giving it four stars but don't see myself booktalking it. It will appeal only to specific readers, but it will appeal to them very much.

On the pro side: Some wonderful, creative world-building and it's a fantasy world that's not based on Northern Europe. It has a Middle Eastern or South Asian flair to it. The way magic works is intriguing, especially the way doors open for the mages where they need to go. The writing is beautiful, especially the descriptions of flying and some truly moving passages about grief. The characters are appealing and the secondary characters are well developed.

Now the cons, almost all of which are the flip side of a pro: The lyrical writing moves quite slowly, sometimes forgetting about action and story-telling in the interest of description. It's especially bogged down by internal monologues which sometimes go on for what seems like pages ("He didn't know what to do. Should he do this? Or that?" etc.) The magic intrigues but isn't fully explained. There's something to do with spheres and putting structures into people's heads and it's all a bit vague, other than the doors. Those appealing characters include only one female. She's one of the two main characters and a strong heroine but there are no other significant girls or women in the story.

Overall, I felt like I was indeed observing the story from a floating island, from far away. There's a war but it all happens at a remove--we're told people have died but never really feel the trauma. And then it's all resolved by talking and by some key details that weren't mentioned earlier. We get great introductions to the two schools that are important in the book, but very little of what's going on outside of them. It's almost like a series of episodes that happen to the same characters but don't necessarily add up to a full story. I feel like I'm being nit-picky, but it's because I had such high hopes for this book and felt a bit let down and I'm trying to figure out exactly what went wrong for me. (less)

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 27, 2011 Adrienne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-count-2011, fantasy

After a freak volcanic eruption kills his entire family, Trei must leave his homeland to go and live with his aunt and uncle on the floating island called Milendri. "Floating Island" is not a redundant term - the islands actually float high in the sky, kept aloft by the magic of the sky dragons and guarded by the kajuraihi, the men who wear wings and fly. When Trei sees one of these men on his journey to Milendri, he is immediately entranced and swears to himself that he will become one.
Trei is...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 04, 2011 Yune rated it 3 of 5 stars

I like this better than my rating indicates; it's a lyrical fantasy that somehow handles war almost gently, and has alternating points of view that I both enjoyed. (I got myself through writing peer reviews for work -- a dreadful task indeed -- by rewarding myself with two chapters for each peer review. It wasn't fair to stop at just one chapter, you see.)

The beginning's a bit slow, but Trei comes to the Floating Islands, exactly what they sound like, uplifted by dragon magic. He's an orphan and...more I like this better than my rating indicates; it's a lyrical fantasy that somehow handles war almost gently, and has alternating points of view that I both enjoyed. (I got myself through writing peer reviews for work -- a dreadful task indeed -- by rewarding myself with two chapters for each peer review. It wasn't fair to stop at just one chapter, you see.)

The beginning's a bit slow, but Trei comes to the Floating Islands, exactly what they sound like, uplifted by dragon magic. He's an orphan and a half-blood, rejected by one uncle and hoping to be accepted by the other here. His family here is kinder, and his cousin Araenè, at first prickly and resentful, comes to be a close friend, even as he pursues his dream of becoming one of the few winged fliers.

She wants to be a chef, which I loved. However, only men can pursue that career on the Floating Islands. And here my issues began; not that the sexism existed, but why there and not in other, earth-anchored realms from whence the Floating Islands apparently once were bound? Trei explicitly notes that his sister never would have accepted the restrictions that bind his cousin. Food also became a diminishing element of the story, which saddened me.

Then there's another cultural revelation that Trei reveals -- but only once it's sharply relevant, nearing the end of the story. I'm perhaps oversensitive to the issues of culture shock, but I really thought this divide should have been described earlier.

It's a lovely story, with characters I just want to lean into -- and the secondary characters were gracefully introduced too, and likable as well -- but the substance just isn't there. It felt like an elegant, airy confection that said some nice things about the nature of home and belonging and honor and family and pursuing your passion...but in a book that's titled after the setting, I need that world (ironically) to be firmly grounded, and I didn't get that.

I do expect to acquire a copy of this and reread it, but it will be for those times when I'm in the mood for something beautiful yet light, not deeply, resoundingly fulfilling. I suspect my opinion will grow kinder, especially when I haven't read a nonfiction work about cultural education immediately beforehand.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 12, 2013 Anna Elspeth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: style-over-substance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Feb 21, 2011 Reader rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-february-2011

Incredibly fun, brand new fantasy. Trei has come to The Floating Islands (pretty much what they sound like) after his family is killed in a tragic volcano accident. Once there, he discovers a group of flyers called the kajurai who are trained to swoop around the islands delivering messages and protecting it from harm. Trei would do anything to join them and his cousin Araene would likewise do anything to become a professional chef. The problem? On these islands girls have very few options. With...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 28, 2011 Brandy Painter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

Originally posted here.

The Floating Islands is the story of both Trei and Araene, told in third person limited, going back and forth between them with each chapter. Both Trei and Araene are strong protagonists and each is in a position that raises interesting questions and problems. Through Trei we are told the story of a boy of mixed nationality, not completely one or the other, never truly belonging. His story is about loyalty and the struggle of continuously feeling the need to prove oneself....more Originally posted here.

The Floating Islands is the story of both Trei and Araene, told in third person limited, going back and forth between them with each chapter. Both Trei and Araene are strong protagonists and each is in a position that raises interesting questions and problems. Through Trei we are told the story of a boy of mixed nationality, not completely one or the other, never truly belonging. His story is about loyalty and the struggle of continuously feeling the need to prove oneself. Through Araene we get a story of a girl who feels trapped in others' expectations for her. She wants a life that society deems is not proper for her so she feels she must choose between suppressing her passions and conforming in misery or in being something she isn't to achieve the life she wants. In addition there are strong themes of friendship, honor, sacrifice and family. The decisions Trei and Araene have to make are not about absolute right or wrong but nuanced and difficult to judge. I liked the way there was no real good/evil battle, but a very real depiction of the politics and considerations of national autonomy and empirical expansion. All of this is set against a world that is fully realized. It has a Greco-Roman feel to it but there is also quite a bit that is reminiscent of Asian culture.

My only quibble is that often the inner conflicts of both main characters lasted a bit long. Do I or don't I? Is it right or wrong? Should I do this or would that work better? I was frustrated at times to the point of wanting to yell, "Make a decision already!" I wouldn't have minded so much if at times these inner conflicts weren't a tad didactic. This wasn't enough to truly depreciate my overall enjoyment though.

This is isn't a book for everyone. You have to be a patient reader and one who doesn't mind characters veering into technical discussions on how things work in their world. This would be a good book for any one who has enjoyed Sarah Prineas's Magic Thief books or Hilari Bell's Farsala Trilogy. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 27, 2011 J.D. Field rated it 5 of 5 stars

I completely loved this book. One of the best I've read for months. The world creation is breathtaking in its scope and originality.
I read this book in part because the cover is so eyecatching and in part because of my last vacation when I discovered some
MAGIC ISLANDS of my own...
But even if you didn't have a bit of an island obsession I think you'd love this. Trei is orphaned (and this is complex and beautifully dealt with) and goes to the Floating Islands to stay with his mothers family. The w...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 08, 2011 Emy Shin added it

Shelves: 2011-read, fantasy, young-adult

When Trei comes to the Floating Islands to live with his relatives, one of the first things he sees is the kajurai, men with wings who speed through the skies. From that moment on, Trei knows that he must become a kujarai at all costs.

Trei's cousin, Araene, is a girl with a big dream confined to a society where women are neither allowed freedoms nor occupations. Having a talent with cooking and baking, Araene often disguises herself as a boy to take cooking classes -- dreaming of a day when she...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 05, 2011 Jules rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: meh, fantasy, whiny-main-character

Not as great as I'd expected it to be. Great ideas, but I don't think the author really captured them as well as she could have. I didn't find Trei's story to be very interesting... I mean, I like the whole concept of flying with the kajurai, but there were too many characters to keep track off and I could barely tell what was going on! O_o
I really liked Aranae's story though... I like when girls dress up as guys to do what they believe in. (I realize now that sounds a little creepy with the way...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 21, 2013 Cheryl in CC NV marked it as skimmed-reference-dnf

It took me several attempts, and until p. 106, to figure out why this adventure wasn't engaging me. It has great characters, terrific world-building, graceful writing, valuable themes, but.... But, in the background, there's no joy or humor. Everyone is always worried, or frustrated, or grieving, or angry. Comic relief is important, whether we're reading Shakespeare or Harry Potter - too bad Neumeier forgot about it.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 23, 2011 Patricia J. O'Brien rated it 4 of 5 stars

I won The Floating Islands in an online contest without knowing a thing about it. There were a few times my critic's eye wanted to edit, but mostly I was drawn in and fascinated by this lyrical tale of a heartsick, orphaned boy who travels to a far-off land of islands that are held aloft, above the sea, by sky-dragon magic.
Not only did I enjoy Trei's story as he becomes a flying kajurai, but also the interlocking story of his cousin, a girl who discovers she's a mage in a land where women aren'...more

like · see review

Sep 07, 2011 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-11, fantasy-teen

Trei is 14 years old when he survives the volcanic eruption that destroys his entire homeland, Rounn, along with all the people, including his family. Rounn is in northern Tolounn, a military people, an empire built by conquering other lands and making them their provinces. Trei, newly orphaned, journeys the land to his uncle's house, on his father's side, but they do not take him in. Desperate and without any other option, he travels to the floating islands, located above the waters west of Tol...more Trei is 14 years old when he survives the volcanic eruption that destroys his entire homeland, Rounn, along with all the people, including his family. Rounn is in northern Tolounn, a military people, an empire built by conquering other lands and making them their provinces. Trei, newly orphaned, journeys the land to his uncle's house, on his father's side, but they do not take him in. Desperate and without any other option, he travels to the floating islands, located above the waters west of Tolounn, to seek out to his other uncle, the one on his mother's side. He is taken in and welcomed.

Even before reaching the floating islands, Trei is captivated by the kajuraihi, men that fly in the sky like birds. This becomes his passion and his uncle is very encouraging in him pursuing his passion, even though Trei doubts that they would let a Tolounnese become a kajuraihi. He wasn't Tolounnese enough for his paternal uncle to take him in and he was worried that he wasn't an islander enough and that they would not want the magic of the kajuraihi to fall into a Tolounnese.

Trei's counsin, Araene, is a girl. And people here don't have much ambition for girls. It seems their only goal in life is to marry well. Araene has a passion and talent to be a chef. She might have gifts in other areas as well.

Both Trei and Araene fight the obstacles that are in the way of them achieving their passions. There is also a war in this as Tolounn is trying to conquer the floating islands, but it's pretty mild because of the audience this is written for.

I really enjoyed this book. LOVE the whole concept of islands floating above water. Just love the cover art! I love the characters in this. What I love most about them are they are so human, regular, normal. In some books you will get characters that excel in everything and can do no wrong. In this, you get characters that excel in some things, are weak in others, and that make mistakes and are not always confident in themselves, their abilities, and their decisions 100% of the time.

I know this is a horrible review lol and just doesn't do the book justice. This was written for a younger audience, but I would love to see this fantastical world that Neumeier created on the big screen. Just the floating islands would make me catch my breath.

Here are some quotes:
"When we endure loss, the past reaches out to grip us from behind, but it's not wrong to turn your face forwards."

"The grief doesn't go away, ... But you...get used to it, you know? It's like carrying a heavy stone, one that's really too heavy for you: you learn to settle the weight properly, and then you get used to it, and then sometimes you can forget you're carrying it."

"A threat you will not carry out is no threat."

"Some men are not capable of learning anything that does not agree with their own opinions."(less)

like · see review

Jan 23, 2013 Mathew Mack rated it 3 of 5 stars

"The Floating Islands" was a good book but the problem is that the story started with the protagonist already knowing what he wanted to be. It would have been better if Trei came to islands, find out about the kajurai THEN want to be one of them but the story started with him already wanting to be one of them the instant he saw them. The ending was kind of a letdown because it just randomly mentions the prince guy wanting to court Araene, the only thing that made it obvious that he would was bec...more

like · see review

Feb 22, 2012 Arthur Pengerbil rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reading Level: Grades 5 - 7

After a volcanic eruption demolishes his village and kills his parents and sister, Trei seeks help from his father's brother only to be sent away because he is a "half-breed." Trei then makes the difficult journey to the floating islands to seek help from his mother's family. With their sponsorship, Trei is tested and accepted as an apprentice karjuraihi where he learns to make his own pair of feathered wings and join the legendary corps of soaring kajuraihi. Just as T...more

like · see review

May 31, 2011 Phoebe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Two cousins are cast together when Trei's family is killed and he seeks refuge with his Islander relatives, who live on the Floating Islands, great landforms that float on the magic winds of the sky dragons. He longs be one of the amazing kajuraihi, or men who don wings and fly. Araene sneaks out regularly dressed as a boy to attend lectures and wander the city, but her secret dream is to become a chef. And then one day, still dressed as a boy, she finds herself in a secret school and invited to...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 25, 2011 Lynossa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

Trei had just lost his family in a terrible disaster and had to seek for a new place in The Floating Islands when he saw the Kajurai, the flying men swam at the air. Trei knew that's the one thing he ever wanted to be. The only person who understood his feeling is Arenai, his newly-found cousin. Being a woman in The Floating Islands meant you have to prepare to be a good wife and that's it. But that's not what Araene wanted. Both of them tried hard to be what they wanted but danger lurked in whe...more

like · see review

Dec 12, 2011 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

Plot:

Good. I felt that Trei made it into the kajurai too easily, but then again, once he got in, the flight and culture training were both well-described and really had me enjoying the Trei scenes. I liked Araene’s particular adventure, since it differed from her original “dream a girl cannot attain.” Both the kajurai and the school Araene attends are rich in detail, and the world-building here is superb. It felt complete, like Neumeier knows the world in her mind to every exact detail, right do...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 96 97 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (4)

Genres

Fantasy

157 users

Young Adult

64 users

Adventure

16 users

Fantasy > Dragons

14 users

Fantasy > Magic

12 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Fantasy

11 users

War

10 users

Childrens

9 users

Fantasy > High Fantasy

7 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

6 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

The Dark City
by Catherine Fisher
Dragon Castle
by Joseph Bruchac
The Silver Bowl
by Diane Stanley
Fox and Phoenix
by Beth Bernobich
Small Persons with Wings
by Ellen Booraem

About Rachel Neumeier

Rachel Neumeier started writing fiction to relax when she was a graduate student and needed a hobby unrelated to her research. Prior to selling her first fantasy novel, she had published only a few articles in venues such as The American Journal of Botany. However, finding that her interests did not lie in research, Rachel left academia and began to let her hobbies take over her life instead.

She n...more

More about Rachel Neumeier...

Books by Rachel Neumeier

Lord of the Changing Winds (Griffin Mage, #1)

Land of the Burning Sands (Griffin Mage, #2)

Law of the Broken Earth (Griffin Mage, #3)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Floating Islands

3 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Floating Islands

“Some men are not capable of learning anything that does not agree with their own opinions.” — 9 people liked it

“When we endure loss, the past reaches out to grip us from behind, but it's not wrong to turn your face forward.” — 8 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Floating Islands
avg rating	preview: The Floating Islands Goodreads rating: 3.73 (782 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8377150-the-floating-islands?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320448512l/8377150.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8377150-the-floating-islands?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier[/url]

The Floating Islands

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website