Rick Riordan Presents, 2021. 336 pages. Fantasy
Although she has no magic herself, Riley Oh can't wait to see her sister Hattie earn her Gi bracelet and finally be able to cast spells without adult supervision. But Hattie gets an idea: what if they cast a spell to share Hattie's magic? The sisters perform a forbidden incantation from the old family spellbook, but in so doing, they violate the laws of the Godrealm. With Hattie's life hanging in the balance, Riley has an impossible task: find the last fallen star. But what even is the star, and how can she find it? Riley meets fantastic creatures, collaborates with her worst enemies, and uncovers secrets that challenge everything she has been taught to believe. Now she must decide what it means to be a witch, to be family, and ultimately, to belong.
I love the way in which Kim has seamlessly incorporated Korean mythology (about which I know very little) into modern life without info-dumping tons and tons of backstory. She deftly addresses the struggles of immigrants' descendants to connect with their roots while keeping the story entertaining and the plot moving. This work is definitely set up for a sequel (or multiple), of which there are already two published.