The Last Fallen Star (Gifted Clans #1)

by Graci Kim

When a gifted child turns one hundred days old, the Gi cauldron assesses the witch’s elemental balance and forges her Gi. Parents then keep the Gi safe until the child is old enough to start training for her initiation ceremony on her thirteenth birthday.

When Korean kids turn 100 days old, we have a Baek-il celebration - kind of like an early birthday party. It originates from a time when newborns often didn't make it past the first few months of life. Making the milestone of 100 days meant that you were finally old enough to greet the world (and your loved ones) properly! Then on one's 1st birthday, we do a Doljabi. This is a Korean tradition where the baby grabs from a selection of symbolic items, and the thing they pick is supposed to foretell the life they'll grow up to lead. Picking the long string means they'll have a long life. The calligraphy brush means they'll be creative and perhaps lead a scholarly/literary career (this is what I picked!). The mapae (a medallion that was used by government officials in the Joseon dynasty) foretells a life of high status and rank. These days, people even include modern day symbols like soccer balls, stethoscopes, mics, and money into the mix! In The Last Fallen Star, I merged these two traditions together to create the Gi ceremony, where a gifted witch finds out her missing element to allow her a life of magic. If you had a Doljabi on your 1st birthday, what symbolic item do you think you would've picked? :) (Side note: The Last Fallen Star has been nominated for a 2021 Goodreads Choice Award! If you enjoyed the book and want to vote, I'd love your support! https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-childrens-books-2021)

Unlike the Gom, who, despite being healers, can’t heal their own bodies, the Gumiho can glamour themselves. It has to do with their beautiful patron, the Nine-Tailed Fox Goddess. That’s why they’re so good-looking and why so many of them become K-pop and K-drama stars. In fact, all but one of the BTS members are Gumiho. Yup. True story.

Okay, so I get a lot of questions about why there's one BTS member who's not Gumiho, and who the mysterious member is ;) So here it is. The answer you've all been waiting for. The one BTS member who is NOT a Gumiho is........ Namjoon/RM! (Who happens to be my bias, actually). And the reason is because Namjoon is a total Samjogo. Their clan motto is 'Leadership and Wisdom', and if that's not Namjoon, I don't know what is ;) Who is your BTS bias? (Side note: The Last Fallen Star has been nominated for a 2021 Goodreads Choice Award! If you enjoyed the book and want to vote, I'd love your support! https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-childrens-books-2021)

Certain parts of the house—usually the ones we use the most—absorb so much enchantment that they come alive as spirits, or sin. The door-sin, the kitchen-sin, and the toilet-sin are the main ones, but sometimes you get others, too. The house-sins protect our homes, but you have to make sure you say something nice every time you use them or they can make your life pretty miserable.

So true story - gasin (pronounced gah-sheen) are various house gods that traditionally were worshipped by Koreans in the old days. People prayed to them for warmth, safety, and even successful childbirth - which used to always happen inside the home. I love the idea that magic lives and breathes at home, in the most mundane of places (like the toilet!), which is why I made gifted homes magical, too. Honestly speaking, I could probably give or take the toilet-sin, but I would LOVE to get to know the kitchen-sin. I feel like we'd get along like a house on fire.... If you could make one part of your house magical, which would it be? (Side note: The Last Fallen Star has been nominated for a 2021 Goodreads Choice Award! If you enjoyed the book and want to vote, I'd love your support! https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-childrens-books-2021)

“Ew, stop it. I’ve told you a million times, emotions are bad for your health. They give you wrinkles. Also, I’m getting you a bib for your birthday. No joke.”

Wrinkles are a funny thing. So many people are quick to erase them from their faces, as if they're something to be embarrassed or ashamed about. But I reckon not all wrinkles are made the same! Frown lines, sure. If you can get rid of them, that's your jam. But what about those delicious crows feet people get at the edges of their eyes? My dad's face is FULL of them, and every time I see them, I'm reminded of his lifetime of smiling, laughing, and giving. My dad is the most generous man I've ever known, and while he's not a big talker, he wears his emotions on his face. When he smiles, his entire eyes disappear into these huge crescent moons, and his face lights up with a light that could warm you up in the coldest of winter nights. You don't have to hear a single word to feel the love radiating from that man for his fellow human. And his wrinkles are his story. It's proof of his life of love for others. I hope I have lots of those when I get older, too :) (Side note: The Last Fallen Star has been nominated for a 2021 Goodreads Choice Award! If you enjoyed the book and want to vote, I'd love your support! https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-childrens-books-2021)

The infuser supposedly sources it from some old Greek dudes who work out of the Empire State Building, and the stuff really works.

PERCY JACKSON FANS - THIS EASTER EGG IS FOR YOUUUUUUU! <3 There's actually another one I hid in there... I'll give you a hint. It has something to do with the video game, Battle Galactic, and a conversation between Emmett Harrison and Cosette Chung. I will leave it there ;) Where all the Percy Jackson fans be at?! (Side note: The Last Fallen Star has been nominated for a 2021 Goodreads Choice Award! If you enjoyed the book and want to vote, I'd love your support! https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-childrens-books-2021)

The Haetae is a uni-horned lion beast, and one of the most-well-loved creatures in our culture. He’s Mago Halmi’s guardian pet, known for two things: his incredible loyalty, and his ability to manipulate time.

Random not-so-related note: my uncle used to work for a Korean confectionary company of the same name, and their logo was a cute little haetae. He lives in Korea, and I remember when I was a kid, he'd send boxes of Korean snacks over to us by courier, and I have such vivid memories of feeling like all my christmases and birthdays had come at once. There weren't many Korean grocery stores in New Zealand then, so these were SUCH a treat. I still remember the scent of the Acacia-scented chewing gum that I couldn't get enough of. Mmmm. And my eomma used to steal the Ace crackers to eat with her coffee :P Do you have a favourite Korean snack? Tell me what they are! (Side note: The Last Fallen Star has been nominated for a 2021 Goodreads Choice Award! If you enjoyed the book and want to vote, I'd love your support! https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-childrens-books-2021)

“No, not a Gom.” Auntie Okja tightens her grip on my face. “You, my sweet child,” she whispers hoarsely, “are a Horangi.”

Dun dun dunnnn! I don't have anything deep to add here. I just wanted to make the "dun dun dunnn" sound for effect ;) You're welcome.

“You know what this means, right?” Hattie frowns. “No, what?” “If you guys get married and hyphenate your last names, you’ll be Hattie Oh-Noh.”

True story - I laughed so hard I cried while writing this scene. BEST LAST NAME EVER! If you enjoyed this, too, THANK YOU. Thank you for being on my wavelength and for laughing with me from wherever you live and read. Every chuckle and giggle you put out into this world as a result of reading this has fed my soul. My soul thanks you for its sustenance. (For anyone out there whose surname actually is Oh-Noh, I LOVE YOU!) Also, I have a friend whose surname is Kim. She married a man whose last name is Chee. She decided to hyphenate, which means her surname is now Kim-Chee. If that's not Korean pride in a name right there, I don't know what is. Represent, sister. REPRESENT!! <3 Names are a complicated, beautiful, messy thing. I even did a TEDx talk about it actually (https://www.gracikim.com/tedx-talk) because when I first started writing, I wrote under a Western penname. I wanted to hide the fact that I was Korean, because I thought it would work against me in an already competitive industry. Ultimately, I decided to get rid of my penname and embrace my surname, Kim, instead. But it was QUITE a journey. If you're curious about it, feel free to watch my ted talk! Anyone else had an interesting journey with their names? (Side note: The Last Fallen Star has been nominated for a 2021 Goodreads Choice Award! If you enjoyed the book and want to vote, I'd love your support! https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-childrens-books-2021)

Emmett makes kissy noises and whispers in my ear, “Oh yes, you’re such a gem, Mr. Oh-Noh. You can bling me up anytime.”

Can anyone explain to me what "You can bling me up anytime" means? Emmett won't tell me, and it's a mystery to me....

Now I realize that tears are nothing to be ashamed of. I’d always considered them a flaw—something that made me weak. But now I see that they are a part of who I am—a part of who we all are. They come because we care. It’s a way of saying I love you.

I come from a family of criers. I don't know what it is, but we cry. We cry when we're happy. We cry when we're sad. We cry when we're frustrated... Whoever does our plumbing must not be very good at their job, because our water pipes are clearly not tight enough. But the funniest thing is that when we cry, we pretend to each other (who, if you missed it, is also crying) that we're NOT crying. It's the funniest thing. There we are, watching The Voice, and we get to that scene of the parent in the wings shedding a tear of pride for their child who's singing their heart out on stage. And like a switch, there are all the Kims, bawling in unison. Except Papa Kim quickly wipes the tear away with the back of his hand. "Oh, these allergies are terrible!" he mutters. Mama Kim pretends to look busy on her phone. "These app updates are so annoying, it's making my eyes blurry!" she moans. And the three Kim sisters, trying to look everywhere but at each other. "WHO'S CUTTING ONIONS?!" one of us will shout, while facing the wall. "DON'T THEY KNOW THERE'S A KITCHEN FOR THAT?" Ha! But it's true, folks. Tears are nothing to be ashamed of. They are proof that we feel, that we're alive, and that we care. LET THE WATERWORKS FLOW! <3 Are you a crier, too? Know any prolific sufferers of the Leaky-Bladder Eyeball Problem? (Side note: The Last Fallen Star has been nominated for a 2021 Goodreads Choice Award! If you enjoyed the book and want to vote, I'd love your support! https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-childrens-books-2021)

I am the last divine star that fell from the Godrealm’s sky. I am the one who was destined to stop the end of all days. I have lost, but I have gained. Because I am strong. And I am brave. My name is Riley Oh, and I was born to shine.

Hey, Reader! Yeah, I'm talking to you! You have lost, but you have gained. Because you are strong. And you are brave. AND YOU WERE BORN TO SHINE! Whatever you're going through right now, YOU'VE GOT THIS! <3