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Legends of the Lost Causes #3

The Key of Skeleton Peak

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Dark magic meets the Old West in The Key of Skeleton Peak: Legends of the Lost Causes, the epic conclusion to the action-adventure series!

Keech Blackwood and his fellow Lost Causes have won their share of battles, but the war against the forces of darkness still rages on.

In their final standoff against the ruthless outlaw and sorcerer, Reverend Rose, the Lost Causes face their most perilous trial yet: stopping Rose and his henchmen from retrieving the ancient, powerful objects that would return him to his full, frightening strength. As the vigilante orphans race to the dangerous depths of Skeleton Peak, the site of the Key that would free the Reverend from his wicked prison, they’ll have to outmaneuver Rose’s most faithful—and menacing—ally: a creature spawned by darkness and shadow. But ever in pursuit of justice and vengeance for their fallen families, the Lost Causes won’t give up without a fight.

464 pages, Hardcover

Published March 17, 2020

71 people want to read

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Brad McLelland

3 books2 followers

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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
3 reviews
September 15, 2019
I was fortunate enough to read an early copy of the book, and I must say that I am thoroughly impressed. The authors do great job with world building, character development, and pace. It is definitely a page turner and an excellent ending to a phenomenal series. Tens across the board! The poignant messages about love, friendship, and acceptance are messages that many children (and adults) can learn to adopt. Our heroes are excellent role models with lots of grit, courage, and heart. Give this series a chance. You won't be disappointed.
Profile Image for Brenda.
967 reviews46 followers
April 27, 2020
I must say it's been a wonderful distraction and pleasure to read the Legends of Lost Causes series over the last month. The world-building has been awesome and the authors really root you in the wild west. Including even the smallest details like using cottonwood buds as a natural remedy for wound healing. There's plenty of instances of traveling by horseback and all the perils associated with climbing up mountains. With some exciting moments of danger thrown in to ramp the suspense.

The Key of Skeleton Peak also contained an exceptionally dark character which I loved named Ignatio, who was one of Reverand Rose's lieutenants and created these creepy shadow demons by peeling off their tattoo from his body. He's the kinda character of nightmares, but boy is he done so well. And poor Keech, who seemed to be straying away from his Pa's teaches, causing his trail mates to distrust him, even questioning his motives. Were his actions rash or was he really following his gut instincts? Normally, he wouldn't be the kind of person who you'd think would barrel into danger, but Keech started to change. He started to perform more dark magic and I was really concerned about what kind of influence it was having on him. He made some horrible mistakes and put others in danger by performing dark magic, and it was hard not to worry that it would overwhelm him.

But most of all I really enjoyed all the twists in the story and spending time with all the characters I've come to know and love across the series. Getting a better grasp on their past, be it in the flashback from part 2 where we learn how Miguel got the name Cutter or finding out his connection to Duck's family. Or reading the excerpts from Doyle's journal punctuating the beginning of each chapter to fill in the missing pieces in Reverend Rose's connection to his Enforcers, including their deceptions and tricks to keep the magical artifacts hidden from him. Or meeting the two new characters, the tracker named O'Brien and Achilles the dog. Who aren't who you think they are at first. Or maybe it's just the moments where I connected all the past tidbits of information and finally saw the hints for something I missed. Even the moments that came as a total surprise. It's truly a wonderful story that empathizes teamwork, sacrifice, and the spirit of friendship.

**A huge thank you to the Henry Holt & Company for the review copy.**
Profile Image for Brad McLelland.
Author 3 books62 followers
October 17, 2022
Dear Reader,

Keech Blackwood and his Lost Causes have ridden a long way to seek justice, and on March 17, they'll take their last courageous stand against the Reverend Rose and his forces of darkness. My pard Louis and I are so excited to offer you the FINAL volume in the Legends of the Lost Causes trilogy, a tale of justice, magic, and friendship in the Old West. We hope you enjoy our story and that you'll leave us your review to help spread the word!

We haven't done any of this alone, of course. We've had a host of early readers come along for the journey, assisting us with cultural content and historical tidbits. Our appreciation especially goes to the Wah-Zha-Zhi Cultural Center and Language Department in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, whose directors and specialists have been working with us on the cultural content of the Osage Nation since 2015. When we have questions, they give brilliant answers; when we bug them with e-mails, they go out of their way to assist. Without their help, the Lost Causes couldn't ride -- so we thank you, Osage friends, from the bottom of our hearts.

Be sure to pre-order The Key of Skeleton Peak at https://us.macmillan.com/series/legen..., and be sure to spread the word that Keech and the gang are hittin' the trail ONE LAST TIME.

Ride tall in the saddle, friends!

-B
Profile Image for Paige.
1,854 reviews90 followers
March 25, 2020
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Key of Skeleton Peak

Author: Brad McLelland & Louis Slyvester

Book Series: Legends of the Lost Causes Book 3

Rating: 5/5

Publication Date: March 17, 2020

Genre: MG Fantasy/Western

Recommended Age: 12+ (some death, some scary moments and monsters)

Publisher: Henry Holt & Company

Pages: 464

Amazon Link

Synopsis: Dark magic meets the Old West in this third installment of the Legends of the Lost Causes, as a group of vigilante orphans go head-to-head against an outlaw sorcerer in pursuit of an ancient and powerful magical artifact!

Keech Blackwood and his fellow Lost Causes have won their share of battles, but the war against the ruthless sorcerer Reverend Rose still rages on.

This time, the Lost Causes face their most perilous trial yet: stopping Rose and his henchmen from retrieving an ancient, powerful object that would help return him to his full, frightening strength. As the vigilante orphans race to the dangerous depths of Skeleton Peak, the sight of the magical object, they’ll have to outmaneuver Rose’s most faithful—and menacing—ally: an inhuman creature spawned by darkness and shadow. But ever in pursuit of justice and vengeance for their fallen families, the Lost Causes won’t give up without a fight.
Review: I’m so sad this series is over. The book didn’t disappoint me in any way though. The book is written well and can be understood and used by children and adults alike. The characters were still developed well and the world building continued to be amazing.

My only issue is that sometimes the pacing would slow down still, but the plot never failed to keep me intrigued.

Verdict: Definitely a book series to read!
Profile Image for Darby Karchut.
Author 20 books257 followers
April 26, 2020
Whoo-weee! What a stampede of emotions I experienced reading this final book in the series. Joy, rage, heartbreak, goosebumps, and best of all, eucatastrophe (a tip of the ol’ Stetson to J.R.R. Tolkien here). The action never stopped, nor did the plot twists. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen next, the writers veered off in an unexpected direction. Keech and Duck and Quinn and the rest of the Lost Causes needed every bit of grit and teamwork (as well as some unexpected help around the way) to “stand tall” against the evil Reverend Rose. I won’t give anything, but yeah, the ending gobsmacked me something fierce. Readers are in for one heck of an adventure.
Profile Image for Pop Bop.
2,502 reviews125 followers
June 9, 2020
Standin' Tall

With a tagline like "Dark magic meets the Old West" this book series sounded like it could be a muddled mess. Well, it turns out that all three books in the series deliver in spades in terms of both dark magic fantasy and classic Old West adventure. This book concludes the series; you probably need to have read at least the first book, ("Legends of the Lost Causes"), in order to follow the action and fully appreciate the conclusion. But that said, this is a series worth tracking down and reading in full.

On the western side, the book compares favorably with Zane Grey, Owen Wister and "The Virginian" style books. It has that dry, stoic, deadpan tone, with a rawhide and trail beans accent, that just feels right. The authors did their research, and took the culture and history of the 1850's West and the Osage Nation seriously; the result is an authentic and neither understated nor overstated atmosphere and character style of speaking, thinking, and acting that is engaging and immersive.

On the dark magic side we have a terrifying villain who feels like a Lovecraft demon being channeled through an insane preacher outlaw. Oh wait, that's exactly what we have. "The Reverend" is an implacable source of evil and decay, and his dark tools are powerful and corrupting.

And these two sides, as put together here, work in perfect synchronization. If you pause and consider all of the western novel memes and then all of the Lovecraftian tropes, they fit together and oppose each other precisely. The authors recognized this and went to town. And what keeps it up in the air and driving forward is a fine cast of characters on both sides of the divide, a great feel for the boundary point where the two genres meet, and a keen sense of pacing and balance.

This was just ripping good stuff, and an excellent find.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
Profile Image for Clint Clausing.
5 reviews
March 11, 2020
I was fortunate and honored to get to read an early copy of this book. The Key of Skeleton Peak wraps up the story of the Lost Causes with nuanced character development and boffo action. The story follows Keech Blackwood and his young companions as they trail the evil Reverend Rose across the plains on a collision course to a confrontation with ancient evil. The novel is action packed with nefarious new enemies, revealed hidden secrets, heroic saves, and a cinematic, heart-stopping conclusion. Along the way, the authors also skillfully mix in the development of all the characters, especially Keech. Our heroes are on the cusp of their teenage years and are just showing the first signs of the adults that they will become. For Keech, that means coming to grips with whether the ends justify the means and answering some hard questions about what it means to be a leader and how to handle bad decisions when others are counting on you. So often, the story of maturing is told through a young love story. It is refreshing that the authors' wove the development into their story rather than taking the safe route so many others have.
And that gamble pays off. The story clips along at a breakneck pace that matches the level of action and the stakes on the line without missing the character beats along the way. If you have read the first two novels in the trilogy, obviously I hope you are as hooked as was and will continue to the end of the trail. If you haven't, pick up all three. Each is excellent in its own way, and together they spin an enchanting yarn that you seldom find.
Profile Image for Christina.
Author 6 books55 followers
November 17, 2019
Lucky me, I got to read an advance copy of this book.

The authors of the Legends of the Lost Causes have done it again - written a book that's just not like anything else out there. With its mix of high-stakes western trail adventure, camaraderie, endurance, myth, magic, action, and suspense, all three of these books call cinematic images in my mind. I find myself holding my breath, wondering how and even if characters will make it though the tough spots in which they find themselves.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy no-holds-barred, old-west-flavored non-stop action with a fine dose of myth and magic. The author's use of language transports to another time and place, brings readers into main character Keech Blackwood's and his trailmates' hard 1800s reality, where you keep moving forward no matter how high the odds seem stacked against you. I just have to share a few sentences I loved to pieces:

“All they were carrying…were bucketsful of dumb luck.”

“She’s nothing but hot air and tornado juice.”

“Why does there always have to be a room full of bones?

And at one point the good guys get to yell: “Behold a pale horse, Reverend! And the rider that sits upon him is Death!”


If you haven't picked up the first book in this trilogy, do yourself a favor and get it now.
469 reviews25 followers
March 14, 2020
I was fortunate to have a chance to read an early copy of this book, which comes out next week. I enjoyed this third book in the Legends of the Lost Causes series. I thought it was the third of a four book series, but it seems like it could be the conclusion of a trilogy (plans do change). It is hard to write a review of a third book without spoiling books 1 and 2. This is a series set in the mid-19th century, but isn't historical fiction per se, it reads more like a fantasy series, with a lot of (dark) magic. There is a diverse cast of characters and the author's note at the end describe the work the authors did to research and get help from native speakers of French, Spanish, and members of the Osage Nation to give their characters a more authentic feel.

The series is filled with action and there are many twists and turns to keep the reader (and the characters) guessing. The third book has even more of these attributes than the first two as the gang of Lost Causes battles to save their world from the evil Reverend Rose and his associates. There are some great characters that are more prominent in this book, but Keech and Duck still shine the most for their ingenuity and ability to think on their feet. The gang of Lost Causes continually work as a team to make their world a better place. A message that rings true given what we are seeing all around us right now.
Profile Image for BreeAnn (She Just Loves Books).
1,424 reviews119 followers
March 12, 2020
The finale of this series was so wonderful! The Key of Skeleton Peak lived up to every one of my expectations. The characters have really grown into themselves. They are friends from start to end, and I believe it is an excellent example for children.

This book had all the action and adventure a child (or adult) could want from a fantasy book. There are evil beings to beat, magic, exciting, and action-packed, scenes, and friends that stick together. I really enjoyed the book from start to finish, and I am just so impressed with the authors for their fabulous world-building and character development in this story.

Overall, The Key of Skeleton Peak was such an exciting conclusion to the Legends of the Lost Causes Series. I would recommend this for any middle-grade reader that is almost leaning into YA, as the boys are getting a bit older, and the book jumped up an additional 100 pages in page count. This is a wonderful series for children, but adults will enjoy it as well!

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

My review will post to my blog on 3/13/20. All of my reviews can be found at https://shejustlovesbooks.com/

460 reviews3 followers
October 18, 2025
The Key of Skeleton Peak concludes the Legends of the Lost Causes trilogy with a thunderous mix of grit, heart, and high stakes magic. Brad McLelland and Louis Sylvester deliver an unforgettable finale where the Old West collides with the supernatural in a tale of courage, vengeance, and loyalty.

Keech Blackwood and his band of Lost Causes face not only ruthless outlaws and dark sorcery but also the weight of justice for their fallen families. The journey to Skeleton Peak is filled with danger, heart, and sacrifice culminating in a battle that tests every ounce of their spirit. McLelland and Sylvester blend the mythic atmosphere of classic Westerns with the pulse of dark fantasy, crafting a world both haunting and heroic.

Equal parts action packed and emotionally stirring, The Key of Skeleton Peak is a powerful exploration of friendship, hope, and the unyielding pursuit of light amid darkness. It’s a finale that cements the series as a modern classic of middlegrade adventure fantasy.
2 reviews
May 4, 2020
The love child of Harry Potter and Tom Sawyer. This series will delight middle grade and adult readers alike. The story contains a cast of characters that will stay with you long after you close the back cover. The adventures of the lost causes will keep you engaged and entertained. Don’t let the middle-grade moniker fool you. The plot has complexity, as well as, historical and cultural reference to appeal to the adult reader. It is a perfect marriage of fiction for youth and literature for adult. I suggest reading all three novels in order to full appreciate and understand the tale of Keech Blackwood and the Lost Causes. You will not regret the time you spend between the covers of McLelland and Sylvester’s masterful creations. I would highly recommend this series as a read-aloud adventure to be shared between parents and children.
Profile Image for Berta Hartzell.
68 reviews
April 18, 2020
This. Book. Was. Amazing! This series was AMAZING!
I hated ending the saga of the Lost Causes. By the end, the characters were chums and we had shared adventures beyond belief. I loved the creatures and characters McLelland and Sylvester wove throughout the three books. My students have LOVED these stories. I am not a fan of westerns or zombies, BUT this series was brilliant in the way it pulled in folklore, strange otherworldly creatures, and age-old magic. This last book in the series is as good if not better than the first book. We learn so much about how the lives and parents of the lost causes were intertwined. What you think you know... means nothing! I was captivated to the last page! My 5th graders loved the series.
25 reviews
November 17, 2019
I loved reading this series, but more importantly, I loved discussing the books with a middle grader who is very particular about what he's willing to read. He could not resist this action-packed series set in the Wild West (with very respectful treatment of the Osage Nation culture). There are zombies, outlaws, and some dark magic that make these books adventure-filled page-turners. I know that The Key is the final in the series, but perhaps a companion novel, or maybe another one that time travels? These authors can keep the attention of middle grade kids, that's for sure.
6,154 reviews
March 17, 2020
The Key of Skeleton Peak, the third and final installment from McLelland’s and Sylvester’s series, Legends of the Lost Causes, is by far my favorite from this series. I am sad to say goodbye to Keech and his friends.
I give The Key of Skeleton Peak a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend this book, as well as, the rest of the series. I think they should not be missed. It is great for younger readers and I am happy to pass my copies on to my children’s school library.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
Profile Image for Shawn.
623 reviews32 followers
August 10, 2021
Well written, and entertaining. My 11 year old loved reading it with me.
Keech and his friends face the final leg of their adventure and this book is packed with revelations, action, friendship, and loss. This Western/Fantasy novels series was great for kids and well leave them wishing there was another volume in the story.
1 review
December 18, 2019
Oh, my goodness! What a great ending to this wonderful trilogy! Brad gave me the opportunity to read this in PDF. I want to say how much I enjoyed it! Twists and turns I never expected kept me in suspense! Great job to these two authors. Keep up the good work.
Profile Image for Matthew Keith.
81 reviews
April 21, 2020
The final installment of the Legends of the Lost Causes. Keech Blackwood and his gang finds the source of all their troubles and a lot more about the past. Filled with twists and surprises, you couldn't ask for a better ending to wrap up the series.
1 review
April 19, 2020
Staggeringly genius. Enthralling. Grippingly exciting. Mind numbing action. Fingers crossed for the Netflix adaptation. The series would put Stranger Things on notice.
Profile Image for Jesse.
70 reviews2 followers
March 3, 2021
Graham (age 12) and I just wrapped this one up. It is a thoughtful and fun book that kept us interested until the end.
Profile Image for Jelena Milašinović.
328 reviews13 followers
April 4, 2020
I don't know for sure if The Key of Skeleton Peak is the last instalment of the Legends of the Lost Causes series, but it's a great addition to the series. Furthermore, it concludes the story so well with a flair specific to the authors.

I really enjoyed the story, it's was well written and rounded up and all in all this series was a welcome respite from the grim self isolation days of the 2020 pandemic.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews

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