In this exhilarating conclusion to the critically acclaimed Luck Uglies series, the final battle between the Luck Uglies and the treacherous Fork-Tongue Charmers comes to Rye O’Chanter’s doorstep. Filled with adventure, humor, and a hint of magic, this middle grade fantasy series is an irresistible cross between Chris Colfer’s Land of Stories series and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon . When Rye finally travels back home to Village Drowning to help her father with his plan to defeat the Luck Uglies’ bitter rivals, she finds it in shambles. The monstrous Bog Noblins now raid the streets at night. And people are afraid to leave their houses because no one is around to protect them. Rye soon realizes she can’t wait for the adults to sort everything out, so she enlists her friends to come up with a plan. A plan that could change everything for Drowning . . . because the only way to save her village may just be to destroy it. The Luck Uglies was named an ALA Notable Children’s Book as well as a New York Public Library Title for Reading and Sharing, and it won the Cybil Award for Middle Grade Speculative Fiction and a Sunshine State Young Readers Award. Gr 5–7—Village Drowning is suffering, and no word has come from it as Rye (Riley) O'Chanter, her little sister, and her mother hide out in Beyond the Shale, waiting and looking for Rye's father. Harmless is more than Rye's father; he is the chieftain of the Luck Uglies, the town's protectors, who are threatened by the ambitious, evil Slinister. As Rye and her friends in Drowning reunite and work to save their village and families, she discovers that things are not always clear-cut and that people—including parents—can be good and bad. Fast-paced and tense, with likable characters, this is a worthy addition to the series. VERDICT Though this third installment works as a stand-alone, it's best appreciated by readers of the previous books.—Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at District of Columbia Public Library Praise for THE LUCK UGLIES series: ★ “By turns funny and heart-stopping. A bona-fide page-turner.” - ALA Booklist (starred review) on The Luck Uglies ★ “Sparkling. Layers, nuance, wit and a thumping good story make this a must-read.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “A rollicking good tale. A fast, fresh, engaging adventure sure to delight readers on several levels.” - School Library Journal on The Luck Uglies “Paul Durham has created the best kind of fantasy world―one that is equal parts wondrous and deadly, and in which the line between heroism and villainy is deliciously blurred.” - Christopher Healy, author of The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom series “For fantasy-lovers, The Luck Uglies has it all: a feisty heroine, monstrous creatures, and a brimful of horror and humour to keep the reader turning the pages.” - Joseph Delaney, author of the Last Apprentice series “Funny, magical, and absolutely crackling with those little sparks that make a book wonderful.” - Stefan Bachmann, author of The Peculiar and The Whatnot “Fast-paced and tense, with likable characters, this is a worthy addition to the series.” - School Library Journal on Rise of the Ragged Clover “Rye once again finds herself in the middle of the action, and as she and her friends battle to save the village, her breathless recklessness will either doom or preserve them. Durham has infused such life into Rye’s world over the course of this series that watching it teeter makes for a heart-stopping reading experience. Rye O’Chanter’s journey from ragamuffin to heroine has been nothing less than exhilarating.” - ALA Booklist on Rise of the Ragged Clover “A heart-stopping reading experience. Rye O’Chanter’s journey from ragamuffin to heroine has been nothing less than exhilarating.” - ALA Booklist on Rise of the Ragged Clover “A magical, mist-shrouded world humming with danger and mystery.” - Jonathan Auxier, author of Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes and The Midnight Gardener “If you are lucky enough to pick up this book, prepare for a wild ride!” - Marissa Burt, author of Storybound and Story’s End ★ “There is not a single dull moment in this story, which packs in as many clever twists and fully-fleshed characters as the first book. And the writing remains a total delight: witty, richly layered, and capable of creating a world as real as this one.” - ALA Booklist (starred review) on Fork-Tongue Charmers “Though enough questions are answered to satisfy readers, the cliffhanger ending will have them enthusiastically awaiting the final installment.” - School Library Journal on Fork-Tongue Charmers Paul Durham wrote this book and The Luck Uglies in an abandoned chicken coop at the edge of a swamp. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife, two daughters, and an enormous, bushy creature the local animal shelter identified as a cat.