2025 Storylines Notable Book Award winner
Storylines Notable Junior Fiction (age range from 7 years to 13 years)
https://www.storylines.org.nz, Storylines Notable Book Award 2025
"The world building is exquisite, the magical creatures breath taking and the plot fast-paced.... Fans of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, Harry Potter and Nevermoor will gobble this up with more in the series to come."
Review by Adele Broadbent at www.whatbooknext.com
"Korean kingdom-set magical fantasy with emotional smarts."
Full review www.commonsensemedia.org
"An intriguing series opener that explores emotional themes through a magical lens. (Fantasy. 10-14)" - Kirkus Review
Dragons and phoenixes roam the skies of Seoul, meals magically appear based on your mood and dreams literally come to life . . . Nevermoor meets Pokemon in New Zealand author Graci Kim's thrilling new middle-grade fantasy series!
Enter a world of secrets and spells, dragons and phoenixes; a place where your wildest dreams - or your darkest nightmares - come to life . . . Fourteen-year-old Aria Loveridge is a Dreamslinger, born with a genetic mutation that transports her to a magical realm while she sleeps. In much of the world slingers are seen as dangerous, especially after the Great Outburst, caused by the Royal League of Dreamslingers, killed thousands - including Aria's mother.
Since then, Aria's dad has become a leading expert on Dreamslinger Welfare, which means Aria knows better than most what it takes to keep society safe from her, and others like her- separation, identification, and most importantly, power suppression. So when the Royal League opens their Trials to Dreamslinger teenagers from around the world, Aria signs up to take them down from the inside.
In the enchanted city-state of Royal Hanguk, she's introduced to a world of wondrous magic and friendship, and, in spite of herself, finally feels like she belongs. As Aria unearths dark secrets from her past, she becomes even more determined to discover the full truth of her identity. But first, she has to survive the Trials.
Korean New Zealander Graci Kim is the New York Times bestselling author of The Gifted Clans series. Read all Graci Kim's books! Gifted Clans Series The Last Fallen Star The Last Fallen Moon The Last Fallen Realm
Graci Kim is the award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of Gifted Clans, a Korean mythology-inspired middle-grade series that was featured in TIME Magazine for Kids, praised as a "sparkling yarn" by Entertainment Weekly, and has been optioned for a television series by the Disney Channel. The Last Fallen Star was named a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Children's Book, an Amazon Best Book, an Indigo Best Book, a Barnes & Noble Young Reader Pick, and a Whitcoulls Kids Top 50.
In 2022, Graci was awarded the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best New Talent. Before she became an author, Graci was a New Zealand diplomat and a cooking show host. She lives in Aotearoa New Zealand with her husband and daughter.
Age: From 8 years
Paperback, 304 pages
H: 232mm W: 153mm Spine: 25mm
Weight: 383 grams