Recap:

It’s been a while since my last book review, and even longer since the last one came through an author’s request. I’m excited to review Trouble in the Floating City by Micheal Ciccarelli-Walsh, but first, let’s refresh on the last review. Last time we looked at the fantasy novel, The Chrysillium Tree by Laken Honeycutt. This was a fun and fantastic fantasy with a duotone cover and a well-balanced love triangle as part of the story. Don’t forget to check out that review after you finish reading this next book, Trouble in the Floating City.

Initial Response:

Trouble in the Floating City was another novel that took me by surprise. Not that I’d expected anything bad, but I’d been reading a lot of YA novels and got kind of burnt out. Micheal really freshened up the YA and Superhero genres with Trouble in the floating City. This novel came to my attention a few months back and I’ve been holding off on the review until it drew closer to the release date of the sequel. I can’t wait for the next novel to come out in January.

The Cover:

Trouble in the Floating City’s cover definitely gives off the superhero vibes as a man stands on a black platform with a more futuristic armor, cape, and electrically charged sword. The cover gives off the vibes that the reader can expect a combination of elements in the novel they may not have seen before. For me, this said people with cool armor still fought with charged swords. Often when society gains advanced weaponry, or superheros as their own weapons, many writers stray from tools that might also be useful in a fight without the powers/advanced weaponry. Anyway, the background of the cover is a beautiful. It reminds me of a Utah sunset, which if you haven’t seen you’ll have to look it up. But to me, the background contrasted the darkness of the figure on the platform, giving that visual sense of conflict. And to finish it off you’ll notice the floating city, giving the readers a great visualization of the setting they’ll experience. And to give you an idea of what to expect, and what sold me on reading this book is next.

The Synopsis:

From the Amazon.com synopsis: “Kano spent his entire life keeping his powers a secret, but when a terrorist holds his city hostage, he must risk everything to protect it. As he soon discovers, the powers that he kept hidden for so long may be the very thing that this terrorist is searching for… Trouble in the Floating City is the first in a series that follows Kano, his companions, and his enemies on their journey through a galaxy filled with adventure, mystery, and dangers untold. Masked villains, strange creatures, and mystic powers all come to the forefront when Kano’s peaceful life is shattered, sending him on a deadly quest to discover why he is at the center of a secret war that has been raging throughout the galaxy. Along the way, he will uncover shocking secrets about the city he has called home, the family that he never knew, and the true depth of his great and terrible powers.”

The Story and its World:

Trouble in the Floating City has a strong Hero’s Journey sense to it, though like many books, it doesn’t stay entirely to the format. But one thing that sets this novel apart from it are the characters of Trouble in the Floating City. My favorite character wasn’t actually the main POV character, Kano, but it was Junior. At the beginning of the novel Junior may seem to be nothing more than a superficial pain in the ass for the characters, but there’s so much more to this character and I love how Micheal unfolded Junior’s character throughout the novel. Kano is a distinct personality in his own right and was a relatable character, especially for the targeted age group of 13-18 where we all felt like we were trying to do things right, but it just ended up wrong somehow. (I mean, I’m sure many of us still feel like this as well.) The side characters like Jaden, Makoto, and Li all have their unique elements that pull at the different sides of Kano. Watch carefully as you read to see if you can pinpoint who draws what personality out of Kano.

Conclusion:

My nugs, I loved Trouble in the Floating City because Michael Ciccarelli-Walsh wasn’t afraid to push the bounds of what we know of Superhero and Young Adult novels. With his robust characters, well planned supporting characters, and exceptional setting, you’ll find that you won’t want to put this book down until it ends. I still think about the characters and the story almost a month after finishing it. Trouble in the Floating City impressed me and I can’t wait for the release of the sequel Project Vortex, which is slated to release in January 2023. I’ll keep you posted on when I get an exact date. Thank you, Michael, for this amazing read and I look forward to experiencing more of your work.

To find the kindle and paperback version of Trouble in the Floating City, click here.

If you read it, don’t forget to add your own comments below!

As always, stay fresh, my nugs!

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