The Last Fallen Moon: Gifted Clans, Book 2
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Last Fallen Moon: Gifted Clans, Book 2 is the sequel to The Last Fallen Star, Graci Kim's first middle grade novel. In this series, non-magical Riley Oh and her magical sister Hattie face mythological creatures, goddesses, and dangers, including rulers of each of the seven layers of hell, hellbeasts, dokkaebi (goblins), gwisin (hungry ghosts), and a salmosa (tiger serpent). The magical world is based in Korean mythology and folklore, and many words, creatures, entities, goddesses, and divine items come from these tales. Most of the story takes place in the afterlife, and Riley early on takes a potion to stop her heart (briefly killing herself) so she can enter the afterlife. Each layer of hell is described in violent detail ("falling from great heights, being crushed by boulders, cooked in boiling oil, devoured by hellbeasts, cut by jagged knives, frozen in ice until your body shatters, and drowning in sand"). But when Riley gets there, she finds hell is no longer structured around punishment and torture and instead around rest, relaxation, and fun. There's some light violent action (Riley gets cut on her arm), some scary scenes (dungeon walls painted with blood, friends start getting "erased"), and some moments of peril. Some friends try to make a love potion but it doesn't work. Mild language includes: "ass," "butt," "sucks," "hell," and "amazeballs."
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What's the Story?
In THE LAST FALLEN MOON: GIFTED CLANS, BOOK 2, Riley Oh must once again save the world, only this time, she doesn't exactly know what she's saving it from. After vanquishing the Cave Bear Goddess (in Book 1), life didn't simply return to normal. Instead, the Gom clan lost their ability to do magic, and they blame Riley for it. Can she make things right again? Even if she has to go to hell to do it?
Is It Any Good?
This second installment of the Gifted Clan series doesn't quite match the magic of its predecessor. It begins right after the first, but The Last Fallen Moon: Gifted Clans, Book 2 doesn't have as strong a place to go. It doesn't have as much emotional weight and the stakes aren't as high, and while dangerous problems to solve abound, the lack of a real threat dampens the proceedings. Unlike the first book, there isn't that much actual magic that happens, either. With little bursts of action, lots of time is spent world-building and establishing characters. New character Dahl is a welcome addition, but he didn't end up having as much to do as his introduction seemed to indicate.
Some of the first half meanders a bit before discovering an intriguing mystery, but the second half doesn't quite stick the landing. The villain behind everything is vague, it feels like Riley and friends are simply going around picking up the pieces of the aftermath of the first book, and Riley's friends making a "love potion" (to make someone fall in love with someone else) is treated lightly and comically but may feel cringe to some. There's a sense that whatever happens in this second book is only preamble to the real threat that will appear in the third. But it does set up an exciting next installment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Korean culture is used to inspire the realm of the afterlife, heaven, and hell in The Last Fallen Moon: Gifted Clans, Book 2. For instance, what do you think about the seven layers of hell?
if you red the first book in the series, did you like this sequel as much? Why or why not?
What do you think is the moral of this story?
Book Details
- Author: Graci Kim
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Brothers and Sisters
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Courage, Perseverance, Teamwork
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents
- Publication date: June 14, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 10 - 14
- Number of pages: 384
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 7, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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The Last Fallen Star: Gifted Clans, Book 1
Magical fantasy romp has awesome Korean American girl lead.
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Gilded
Adventurous fantasy weaves Korean mythology, martial arts.
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Dragon Pearl
Fox-spirit teen brings Korean myths to adventurous sci-fi.
For kids who love fantasy and stories with Asian characters
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