This book was freaking AMAZING. So sorry for the caps, but they are definitely needed! This was my first Rick Riordan presents book, I think, and if all the books are this good, I must read all the others! The perfect for a middle grade reader to get lost in. Absolutely stunning imagery and work. I am getting a copy of this book for my bookshelves. 10/10.

The Last Fallen Star draws inspiration from Korean folklore/mythology with an adopted main character (Riley). She loves her adoptive family but also feels like the odd one out because she's a saram, a name for a person without magic in this world. Riley's quest to fit in ushers in an announcement and quest. I did guess this announcement ahead of time but the circumstances surrounding the announcement both before and after I did not guess and was surprised by. I also had some other guesses about the quest or other plot points that were wrong and I'm happy to be wrong. That makes any book more enjoyable and unpredictable. Since this book is directed at middle grade, they may not guess one of the original announcements. It was probably only easy for me to guess with the volume of books I read and in being an adult reader.

Overall, I enjoyed it and would read more in this series, more books authored by Graci Kim, and more books in the Rick Riordan presents series.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. It was my choice to read and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

I cannot keep Rick Riordan Presents books on our library shelves! My daughter loved both learning about Korean mythology and the strong female lead and she is already looking forward to the next installment in the series.

I loved this book. The mythology behind it makes my little heart happy! Kim did a fantastic job weaving Korean Mythology into our world.

The MG is gripping and full of adventure and hope.

I will definitely read the rest of this series when it comes out!

I had never before known about any Korean mythology, and this book was fascinating! I loved the Percy Jackson series when I was in middle and elementary school, and this brought me back. I'm excited to read the next book in the series next summer! Thank you for allowing me to read this book early!

This book starts off with a simple plot. Riley is the only one in her family lacking elemental magic (and is adopted), and she cooks up an idea with her sister Hattie to split Hattie's magic so Riley can truly be part of the community. And then things go awry.

I had a great time learning about aspects of Korean mythology in a fun, half-magical, half-quotidian plot. While this book is shelved in middle-grade, I'd suggest this for more mature young readers as there's a fair bit of violence and danger. I look forward to reading the sequel!

Korean mythology? Yes, please. A fast paced adventure exploring Korean folklore and mythology. Wonderful start to a new series.

I loved this book. It informed me about a culture I know little of. It involves a line of powerful Korean healing witches and a girl who doesn't seem to fit in. Her sister does everything possible to make her fit, but as they find out that violating the laws of the Godrealm is a bad idea. Riley knows she is adopted, but throughout this book she finds herself and her own heritage. This was engaging and now I am interested in learning more about the Korean culture..

Thirteen-year-old Riley Oh was adopted into a Korean witch family. She’s excited for her sister, Hattie, to be initiated and earn her powers, but Riley wants to somehow get her own powers. Hattie and her find a spell to connect them and share Hattie’s powers with Riley. They have to perform the spell in front of everyone in their community, but they’re stopped at the last minute. There’s a secret from Riley’s past, which could kill the girls if they perform that spell. Riley still wants to get her powers so that she no longer feels like an outsider in the family. She gets a quest from a goddess, who wants her to find the last fallen star. If she can find the star, she will get her powers, but the task seems impossible. Riley must complete the task before she loses everything she loves.

This story had a twist on the “chosen one” narrative. Rather than Riley being the chosen one to save the world, she was the only one in her family who didn’t have powers. Riley became the chosen one when she had to complete the quest. The quest had larger implications in their witch community, so she did end up being the one who had to save them all.

Korean culture was an important part of the witch community in this book. Their portal was inside an H-Mart store. Riley encountered creatures from Korean folklore. Though Riley was adopted, her biological parents were also Korean so she looked like her family. I loved the way Korean culture was so integral to this story.

The Last Fallen Star was a fun story! I can’t wait to read the next one in the series.

Thank you Rick Riordan Presents for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Why did this book took me so long to read? I read it in two days! For those of u who don't know I received an arc (advance copy reader) from disney books and netgalley and here is my review finally! Sorry it took me so long for me to read it but this was a great first book for a new series!
The last fallen star follows our main character name Riley Oh and she is adopted so she doesn't feel like she fits in with her family and there is a reason. This family is part of clan! They can do magic and Riley cannot. So Riley has to go on a quest to get her magic powers so she can be part of a group that her adopted family is apart of!

A solid debut and addition to the Rick Riordan Presents family. I knew very little about Korean tradition and lore before reading this one and it was fantastic to learn more. The blend of tradition with the contemporary setting was very well executed. I love that it seems most of the books from this imprint do such a great job of mixing humor with some serious depth. The relationship between Riley (the main protagonist) and her sister, Hattie, as well as her parents is excellent and beautifully explored. I will definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out!

Thanks to Netgalley and Rick Riordan Presents for an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I am a super fan of Rick Riordan Presents and how it is promoting different cultures, authors, and their stories. While I may not really be familiar with Korean stories I love that they are highlighted in this book.

Riley has always wanted to be a part of her gifted clan. But, she was adopted, and she shows no signs of having inherited the needed gifts. When her adopted sister is initiated into the clan they decide to do a forbidden spell to share Hattie's gift with Riley. But everything backfires and now her parents may lose their gifts as a result. So Riley decides to make a deal with the goddess to find the Last Fallen Star to keep it out of the wrong hands. But things aren't always what they seem - people she thought were evil, people she thought were good - everything she has ever known is challenged.

Can Riley find the Last Fallen Star and is she willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to save the ones she loves?

I did enjoy this quite a bit and can't wait to add it to the growing collection of stories that honor other cultures.

The Last Fallen Star by Gracie Kim is a book of "tween," fantasy, fiction. It is the story of a young Korean girl, Hattie, who was adopted into a magical clan. Hattie feels like an outsider because she has no magic. While seeking to acquire it, a misplaced spell puts her sister’s life in peril. This is Hattie’s hero’s journey to rescue her sister and discover her own identity and place in the world. The backstory is based on Korean mythology, and it is filled with witches, goddesses, and creatures from another world. Filled with Korean language and culture, there are references to popular K-pop figures and K-drama. Fortunately, the author provides a glossary should the reader lose track of the meaning of the Korean words. First, in the “Gifted Clan” series, the reader is left with many questions and much anticipation for the next installment.

I loved this fast-paced magical adventure! Riley is a character that readers will cheer for, and I loved seeing her grow in confidence, leadership, and self-acceptance. The mythological characters and creatures were fascinating, and the relationships felt very authentic, especially with her sister Hattie and her best friend Emmet. The ending will definitely leave readers clamoring for the next book! This book deserves its place among the Rick Riordan family, and I look forward to putting it in kids' hands!

This was a great story. I love books where I can learn the culture and mythology of another country and people. I lived in Seoul for three years as a child so some of the places and food I was familiar with. I look forward to the continuation of the story and getting to know more characters. This was so much fun!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was SO MUCH FUN!!! I will say, the writing very much lent itself to being a debut. Overall, though, I came out of this one CRAVING book 2! I can't wait!!

The Last Fallen Star is magical, full of surprises, and filled with heartwarming messages. It's a middle grade adventure that highlights the strength of familial bonds and the sacrifices we willingly make to save those we love.  Rye and her sister Hattie demonstrate this through their efforts to support each other in the face of adversity, including the witch clans' unwillingness to allow Rye to prove herself as well as when Hattie endangers her life to protect the family. In trying to save Hattie, Rye learns that it's not about the blood coursing through your veins but who you are and the values you hold that determine your worth.

I love to learn about mythology. I spend a lot of time reading them and sharing them with my kids. I am also a bi sucker for witches, so Graci Kim starts off at an advantage when she wrote this story. Still, as someone who has read both the Percy Jackson series and other Rick Riordan presents novels, I must admit that this is not the most original story. There is a lot taking place that I've read before. Despite that drawback, the characters are interesting, and the writing is well done. Kim has talent, and her book is worth buying and reading for that alone. But for those who need more than that, the fact that The Last Fallen Start is the only one of its kind should be enough. There is value in carving out your own space and creating a narrative in your own voice. No matter how compelling the story, the work Riordan's publishing company is doing for inclusion is amazing. I will always support and champion this kind of work, and so should you.

I loved this book. The characters were so fun and exciting and I loved the journey we went on with them and the great character and relationship development we were able to see throughout the course of the book. The magic system was so unique and interesting that I can't wait to be able to dive back into this world with future installments.

I LOVE THIS BOOK. A tween novel about Korean culture that also references BTS? Yes, please! Graci Kim can really weave a tale that sucks you in. I could not put this book down until I completed it! The twists and turns are so much fun, and even if I had an inkling of the way things would go, I'm sure kids will not and be so surprised at how the adventure ends. I impatiently await the next book in the series!