The Fang of Bonfire Crossing: Legends of the Lost Causes

Description

Keech Blackwood and his band of fellow orphans demand justice for their fallen families. But the road to justice is a long and hard-fought journey. After defeating Bad Whiskey Nelson, the man who burned Keech's home to the ground, the Lost Causes have a new mission: find Bonfire Crossing, the mysterious land that holds clues to the whereabouts of the all-powerful Char Stone. Along the way they'll have to fend off a shapeshifting beast, a swarm of river monsters, and a fearsome desperado named Big Ben Loving, who conjures tornadoes out of thin air. It's an epic standoff between the Lost Causes and the outlaw Reverend Rose, a powerful sorcerer who would be unstoppable with the Stone in his possession. With the world-and vengeance-hanging in the balance, the Lost Causes are ready for battle.

Brad McLelland was born and raised in Arkansas and spent several years working as a crime journalist. A part-time drummer and singer, Brad obtained his MFA in creative writing from Oklahoma State University. He lives in Oklahoma. Louis Sylvester is a professor at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. He and his wife spend their free time playing tabletop games from his collection of over 1,000 card and board games.

A Junior Library Guild Selection This is a fun and exciting story, written with the utmost respect for the Osage culture. --Wah-Zha-Zhi Cultural Center A rip-roaring adventure . . . filled with cowboys, magic, and a horde of undead villains that'll have you hunkered down in your bedroll, turning pages long after the campfire has died down. --Heidi Schulz, author of the New York Times bestselling Hook's Revenge A rollicking adventure filled with mystery and magic that crackles like a brush fire. --Emma Trevayne, author of The House of Months and Years Thrilling, dark, and full of heart, this is a Western like none I've ever read. I loved it. --Stefan Bachmann, author of The Peculiar and The Whatnot The Old West lingo-laden dialogue is pitch-perfect--not to mention contagious. It's rare to see a Western in middle grade fiction--especially one that, like this one, eliminates some of the genre's more harmful stereotypes of Native populations . . . [this] will surely gain more than a few young fans. --School Library Journal Vividly drawn characters, evocative writing, thrilling suspense. --The Buffalo News McLelland and Sylvester imbue the adventure with a Louis L'Amour-esque flair refreshed for today's readers by the thoughtful incorporation of American frontier history and Osage culture. --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Cowriters McLelland and Sylvester incorporate aspects of Osage culture and legend into this action-packed series starter. Part western, part zombie flick, this pits scrappy, resourceful kids against some menacing villains--always a recipe for success. --Booklist