The Last Fallen Star [Gifted Clans]
by Graci Kim
Intermediate, Middle School   Riordan/Disney-Hyperion    336 pp.    g
5/21    978-1-368-05963-3    $16.99
Paper ed.  978-1-368-06127-8    $7.99
e-book ed.  978-1-368-06128-5    $10.99

As an adopted member of the Gom, the Korean healing-witch clan, Riley wishes she had magic like her sister Hattie so she could finally fit in. Hattie’s spell to give Riley half of her magic is preempted by some shocking news, though — Riley isn’t actually saram, a non-magical person, but instead is a member of the Horangi, the clan expelled for attempting to steal the goddesses’ power for themselves. Undeterred, Hattie determines to summon Mago Halmi, the mother of all creation, to ask that Riley be transformed into a Gom, but the spell overtaxes her, and she collapses. Riley agrees to go on a quest to locate the “last fallen star” in order to save her sister. Kim has crafted her adventure from Korean myths, and the Riordan imprint’s winning formula informs its construction: mythological monsters menace modern-day kids, who must learn to use their powers while contending with the gods/goddesses to prevent certain catastrophe. Riley is helped on her quest by her best friend Emmett, whose steadfast if unsentimental companionship offers a contrast to the reversals and layers of intrigue they encounter while tracking down the fallen star. The ending hints at possible sequels to this warm, well-plotted fantasy.

From the July/August 2021 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.