Kim, Graci. The Last Fallen Moon. Disney, 2022. 978-1-368-07314-1. 363 p. $16.99. Grades 3-7.

The second book in Kim’s Gifted Clans series picks up immediately after the events of The Last Fallen Star. Riley Oh, having destroyed the patron goddess of her family’s Gom clan, ignited a backlash against her from the Korean community. When a group of witches hex the thirteen-year-old’s house, telling her to go to hell, Riley ends up taking them literally. She decides to journey to the underworld to find a new patron god and restore her standing in the community. The only problem is, she has to be, well, dead, to go to the spirit realm. One failed love potion later and Riley is on her way. But no trip to the underworld is going to run smoothly, and Riley’s ill-conceived plan goes awry almost immediately, (beginning with the fact that she’s not really dead). Luckily, Dahl, an underworld janitor-cum-tour guide steps in to assist Riley in her quest. From this point on, the action never slows. Riley discovers that the spirit world has been rebranded as a series of amusement parks and fried food restaurants. Working quickly, Riley, Dahl, and various friends who manage to infiltrate the underworld battle bureaucratic red tape, corrupt and apathetic politicians, and a variety of monsters. Eventually Riley saves the underworld and makes it home with a posse of new allies in the potential war against the clan goddesses. All major characters are Korean, and while a glossary of Korean terms is included, it is frustratingly incomplete, and a map would help readers navigate the complexities of a spirit world set in New York’s five boroughs. 

THOUGHTS:  Fans of the first book should be satisfied with the continuation of the series. The combination of humor, action, and Korean mythology and culture is a winner. 

Fantasy          Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor SD
Mythology