Welcome to The Real World According To Sam! Today I have a quick treat to sneak in before Tuesday comes...because on Tuesday I'll be talking about The Last Fallen Moon - but I can't review that without reviewing the first book in the Gifted Clans series: The Last Fallen Star!
The Last Fallen Star
Author: Graci Kim
Year: 2021
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Synopsis:
Riley Oh can't wait to see her sister get initiated into the Gom clan, a powerful lineage of Korean healing witches their family has belonged to for generations. Her sister, Hattie, will earn her Gi bracelet and finally be able to cast spells without adult supervision. Although Riley is desperate to follow in her sister's footsteps when she herself turns thirteen, she's a saram--a person without magic. Riley was adopted, and despite having memorized every healing spell she's ever heard, she often feels like the odd one out in her family and the gifted community.
Then Hattie gets an idea: what if the two of them could cast a spell that would allow Riley to Hattie's magic? Their sleuthing reveals a promising incantation in the family's old spell book, and the sisters decide to perform it at Hattie's initiation ceremony. If it works, no one will ever treat Riley as an outsider again. It's a perfect plan!
Until it isn't. When the sisters attempt to violate the laws of the Godrealm, Hattie's life ends up hanging in the balance, and to save her Riley has to fulfill an impossible task: find the last fallen star. But what even is the star, and how can she find it?
As Riley embarks on her search, she finds herself meeting fantastic creatures and collaborating with her worst enemies. And when she uncovers secrets that challenge everything she has been taught to believe, Riley must decide what it means to be a witch, what it means to be family, and what it really means to belong.
Review:
The Gifted Clans series is part of the Rick Riordan Presents line of books that presents new middle grade and YA stories to readers that incorporate mythologies of various cultures. This one, by Graci Kim, focuses on Korean mythology and magic. The story centers around Riley Oh, a young girl who is having a really hard time fitting in with her family due to a lack of magic abilities. It takes her on a journey as she tries to find power, belonging, and purpose. What she really does is uncover dark secrets, test friendships, forge friendships, and discover herself.
Going into this book I knew nothing about Korean mythology. I also have very little experience with Korean culture. The Last Fallen Star walked me through what I needed to know easily to follow Riley's adventure, built up my knowledge quickly as needed, and gave me a much better feel for the world Riley lives in. I loved the various fantastical creatures that were introduced. I was also very interested by the organization of the clans and their history. This world has the potential to be huge, but Kim nailed providing just the right amount of info to build it up without overwhelming me in any way. There's enough to feel like the world is real and alive without it ever being overly explained or feeling like the story was slowed down in terms of pacing. Each explanation felt smooth, everything I needed to know was presented clearly, and I felt immersed in the reading experience.
The story initially seems rather simple, but it quickly becomes more and more complex with each added plot thread. While I did expect some things, there were other things that I never saw coming. I liked the layering of Riley's journey and the ways things unfolded. There was a lot to be curious about and a lot that made me feel fulfilled as I went along. Korean witches are very interesting to read about and I'm super excited to read and talk about this book's sequel novel in a few days - there's so much I still want to know about this world!
This book is all about family, sacrifice, and fitting in. It hits all the hallmarks of youth and lesson giving without feeling preachy or slow. It is a well-paced novel with plenty of turns and mysterious elements. I loved the layering, I enjoyed the characters, and I like Riley's journey overall. I give The Last Fallen Star a Lone Star rating of ✯✯✯✯ stars. Thus far, I've read two Riordan Presents novels and I've enjoyed both of them. They're different enough from Percy Jackson & the Olympians to feel independent from that series and its offshoots entirely, but they share a lot of the same adventure vibes and themes. Eventually I plan to read them all and I'm really hoping the rest have the same kind of tone to them, while still being distinctly their own things.
Thanks for joining me for today's review here at The Real World According to Sam, where I bring the books to your screen and put in my two cents about them! See you at the next review!
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