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asianamlitfansWritten by Stephen Hong Sohn
Edited by Corinna Cape
So, I absolutely adored Graci Kim’s The Last Fallen Star (Rick Riordan Presents, 2021), a middle grade novel that’s targeted for readers eight to twelve years of age. I’m obviously way outside of that audience, but I’m here to say that this book is certain to be a hit with readers of all ages. YAY for inclusivity! Let’s let the official marketing description provide us with more information: “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 share 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.”
There’s a reason why this description is so lengthy, and it’s related to the fact that the world-building elements in this text are so rich and expansive. For those not in the know, the imprint Rick Riordan Presents focuses on diverse voices, and they’ve done some amazing work to provide a platform for great Asian American writers (we earlier covered Yoon Ha Lee’s Dragon Pearl, for instance). In any case, The Last Fallen Star really surprised me because I originally found Riley’s narrative voice to be a little bit cloying. I definitely found Riley’s character arc to be especially rich and compelling. As she realizes the life of her sister is in jeopardy, Riley must confront a number of dark secrets related to the magical clans and their leadership structure. Riley can’t rely on prevailing assumptions of the good and the bad, but must really start to think critically about who is really on her side and who might be not. I especially found the world-building to be so engaging. As someone who is Korean American, I was somewhat familiar with certain elements that Kim was weaving into her magical world. At the same time, she really introduces some unique elements that makes Riley’s adventures so interesting. There are talking animals, strange creatures, unique portals, and fancy gadgets. The other thing that I want to mention before I conclude this review is that the stakes of this fictional world are very high. Kim does not draw back from the potential of death or violence for the book’s characters, even its very young ones, which I appreciated because it reminds us that there are consequences to any significant acts and that the pursuit of an ethical path can be dangerous. A definite standout. I very much look forward to what Kim has in store for us! =)
Buy the Book Here
Edited by Corinna Cape
So, I absolutely adored Graci Kim’s The Last Fallen Star (Rick Riordan Presents, 2021), a middle grade novel that’s targeted for readers eight to twelve years of age. I’m obviously way outside of that audience, but I’m here to say that this book is certain to be a hit with readers of all ages. YAY for inclusivity! Let’s let the official marketing description provide us with more information: “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 share 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.”
There’s a reason why this description is so lengthy, and it’s related to the fact that the world-building elements in this text are so rich and expansive. For those not in the know, the imprint Rick Riordan Presents focuses on diverse voices, and they’ve done some amazing work to provide a platform for great Asian American writers (we earlier covered Yoon Ha Lee’s Dragon Pearl, for instance). In any case, The Last Fallen Star really surprised me because I originally found Riley’s narrative voice to be a little bit cloying. I definitely found Riley’s character arc to be especially rich and compelling. As she realizes the life of her sister is in jeopardy, Riley must confront a number of dark secrets related to the magical clans and their leadership structure. Riley can’t rely on prevailing assumptions of the good and the bad, but must really start to think critically about who is really on her side and who might be not. I especially found the world-building to be so engaging. As someone who is Korean American, I was somewhat familiar with certain elements that Kim was weaving into her magical world. At the same time, she really introduces some unique elements that makes Riley’s adventures so interesting. There are talking animals, strange creatures, unique portals, and fancy gadgets. The other thing that I want to mention before I conclude this review is that the stakes of this fictional world are very high. Kim does not draw back from the potential of death or violence for the book’s characters, even its very young ones, which I appreciated because it reminds us that there are consequences to any significant acts and that the pursuit of an ethical path can be dangerous. A definite standout. I very much look forward to what Kim has in store for us! =)
Buy the Book Here
