The War of the Ember (Guardians of Ga'Hoole Series #15) by Kathryn Lasky

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Synopsis

The strange, maniacal blue owl known as the Striga has been rousted from the Great Ga'Hoole Tree. Nyra, leader of the vicious Pure Ones, is either dead or laying low in some distant land,leaving the tree finally at peace. As if fed by an invisible spring, learning and the lively arts flourish at the great tree and spread throughout the owl kingdoms.

But unbeknowst to the Guardians, in a long-empty cave deep in the Northern Kingdoms two ruthless villains join forces to conjure an ancient evil, an evil that will do their bidding and wreak havoc on the world.

When word of this growing malevolence reaches Coryn, Soren, and the Band, the young king knows he must do two things: First, he must return the ember to the Sacred Volcanoes, for the same subtle emanation from the Ember of Hoole that stimulates the quest for knowledge and invention at the great tree, also magnifies the powers of those who seek to destroy it and all for which it stands. Second, he must gather allies. Two armies grow. Gadfeathers, bears, dire wolves, and greenowls join with the Guardians, while on the other side ancient evil takes to the sky.

Children's Literature

After fourteen books in the "Guardians of Ga'hoole" series that ignited the imagination of many readers with the explosive world where owls fight each other to dominate six kingdoms, now comes the final chapter that resolves whether good or evil will rule. In The War of the Ember, all the beloved characters come together to live out the final conflict that completes the story circle of the ember and the young owl king, Coryn. Will the ember stay hidden and allow the wolves to live out their lives whole and healthy? Will Coryn have to bring all creatures together to keep the ember hidden, or will their destiny require them to step outside and take unnecessary risks to keep their world in balance? Do the dreaded hag fiend's eggs find a safe place to hatch and wreak havoc on the world? The breath-taking ending will leave Ga'Hoole followers stunned. More secrets will be revealed and lives will be taken to keep their world safe. This riveting book climaxes and leaves no life untouched. The author, Kathryn Laskey, researched a rarely used common animal, the owl, and gave it the respect it deserves in our natural world by bringing it to life in this series. We have been given the impression that owls are wise, but in Laskey's books we see the more aggressive side of their nature and how they factor into the food chain. She also brought real life wars into this fantasy world. As the fifteenth and final book in the "Guardians of Ga'hoole" series, this title, with its gripping conclusion, should delight loyal fans of this series. Reviewer: Julia Beiker