I'm neither a middle grade reader nor finished with this book yet, but I'm loving it! It is so cute and I would definitely recommend to any parent or reader looking for an adventure/fantasy based on mythology.

This is my new favorite Rick Riordan presents book! I loved the diversity of the characters, the rich descriptions of Korean culture, and the fast-paced action. I can't wait to give this to my middle school students!

Wow this book was incredible!!!! The world building was so good and fascinating and the story was paced really well. I read the book as a physical ARC first, and really loved the narrator after trying out the audiobook!

Perfect for fans of Percy Jackson, this Korean mythology/culture inspired adventure is exciting, scary, and hilarious. I loved the main character Riley and her friends, including a dragon-scooter! I can’t wait for the next book!

The Last Fallen Star was an absolute joy to read! The unique way the author weaves Korean mythology into the modern world is magical and takes us on an enchanting adventure around Los Angeles. We are introduced to fun and mystical creatures throughout the journey as Riley tries to not only save her loved one, but also discovers important lessons about herself. The voice used throughout the book is relatable to the middle grade reader and so full of fun and spunk. And the narrator on the audiobook really captures the essence of Riley.

The adventure is well paced and never dull, as we are introduced to new and fun characters along the way. I loved the dynamics between Riley and Emmett, and also the character arcs that each of them went through.

There are plenty of twists and turns along the way, and when you think the story is going one way, it suddenly shifts in a completely different route that makes this a page turner. I just wanted to keep listening to the audiobook.

This book grabbed my attention from the fist page and I'm sure it will have middle grade readers captivated. What a beautiful story!

**Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

Riley Oh is super proud of her sister Hattie, and can't wait to see her sister get initiated into their clan of powerful healing witches, on her thirteenth birthday. Hattie will earn her Gi bracelet and finally be able to cast spells without adult supervision. Riley is excited for her, but also frustrated that she was born without magic. She had been adopted as a baby, and she loves her family dearly, but has always felt like the odd one out without magical ability. When the sisters discover a promising incantation in the family's old spell book to let them share magic, they 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. In fact, absolutely everything that could go wrong, does. Now Riley, along with her best friend, have to summon a goddess, find a magical artifact, collaborate with her absolute worst enemies, and maybe also fulfill a prophecy or two. Oh, and by the way, if they can't do it, Hattie dies. No pressure!

Reader's Notes: I downloaded the audio book and I couldn't stop listening to it. In the car, cooking dinner, doing chores - this book was on. I love the characters, the storytelling, the world-building - all of it! More Gifted Clans novels, please!

Audiobook provided by NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks in exchange for an honest review.

What happens when you take Korean mythology and mash it up with some Harry Potter-esque themes? You get one heck of an amazing debut novel by Korean-Kiwi, Graci Kim!

Set in LA, THE LAST FALLEN STAR is about soon-t0-be 13-year-old Riley Oh, who is an orphan that was adopted by a magical family who are part of the Gom clan of Korean witches. They are healers, and Riley wants nothing more than to be one too. As her adoptive sister's initiation ceremony approaches, Riley and Hattie construct a plan to prove to the gifted community that Riley deserves her own Gi bracelet and full acceptance into the clan. But things don't go as planned and Riley is in for the shock of her life when her heritage is revealed.

This kicks off a quest to save Hattie and Riley enlists the help of their friend Emmett (who has some serious baking skills... and an aversion to emotions) to find the last fallen star... but they get more than they bargained for, and they learn that the history they were told maaaaaay not be what actually happened.

Filled with Korean folklore/mythology, Kim's writing style is a delight and captures the tone of early teenagers well. And the food descriptions made my stomach rumble! This is such a great take on the chosen one plot line and hope that readers enjoy learning more about Korean folklore just as much as I did.

Suzie Yeung does a brilliant job with the audiobook and truly embraces the story, bringing it to life. This is definitely a series to add to your TBR lists and is a great alternative to a certain boy wizard if you're looking for a more diverse representation.

As one of the few people she knows who can't do magic, Riley has always felt a little out of place in her gifted community. With encouragement from her sister, Riley decides she won't give up on her dream to become a mystical healer and sets off on a quest to obtain the rights to use magic for herself. Nothing goes quite as planned, and a seemingly simple request of the goddess turns into a life-or-death drama that could mean the end of Riley's entire family.
I was surprised at how long it took me to get into this book. I typically really enjoy middle grade magical realism, and with the Riordan endorsement, I guess I was expecting something a bit different. The most off-putting thing was Riley's wishy-washy personality, which wasn't enjoyable to read. Once she started standing up for herself, I liked her a lot better. The setting was very community-minded--Riley never leaves her hometown during the entire adventure and is constantly bumping into people who help her along--which was a bit to get used to as well, but turned out to be one of the things I liked most about the story. I was surprised to learn of the legends of Korean deities, and I would have liked to learn a bit more, but I guess I can always do some of my own research. Apparently there are many pantheons that I'm unfamiliar with.
Despite my misgivings, I ended up really enjoying this book. I'm not sure if I'll read the next one, but I am satisfied with the ending. Perhaps Graci Kim will work on developing the voice a bit more distinctly in future books.

A book absolutely BURSTING with heart! I loved every second of this story and it's strong messages about family and love. Plus, the magic and worldbuilding were so fun!

I absolutely loved this adventure that is so infused with Korean mythology and folklore. This book was so fun and fast past and a great introduction into fantasy and mythology. This story is one that really shows how important family is and the choices and sacrifices one makes out of love. This book is definitely going in my classroom library and I can't wait for my students to love this as much as I did!

Thank you to Disney Publishing for the audiobook via NetGalley.

Before presenting my full thoughts on this book, I'd like to preface them by stating that this is not an own voice review. I have little knowledge about Korean culture in order to talk about the representation in this book, so I recommend reading own-voice reviews for more information about that aspect of the book.

While I read and loved Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series (both Percy Jackson and the Olympians and <i>The Heroes of Olympus) and most books in his Kane Chronicles and Magnus Chase series, this was my first Rick Riordan Presents book and, while I'm definitely not part of the target audience for this book, overall, I enjoyed it. The author does a great job in blending Korean mythology with modern-day aspects and presents a nice story about family, identity, and culture.

In general, I found the characters enjoyable and loved learning more about Korean mythology and different witch clans. When I started the book and heard the narrator say that the main character was trying to prove herself before the L.A. witch clan to which she belonged, I was a bit scared that it might be too close to Cemetery Boys, but that is, thankfully, where the similarities end. What I liked the most, however, was the deep sisterly love present throughout the story and the themes of family, love, service, sacrifice, identity, and self-acceptance discussed in the book. That's the strength of the novel.

However, I do think that the book had some dated references that I got but a twelve-year-old might not. In terms of plot, I think that, at times, it was a bit stop and go and exposition-y.