Review of Mysteries of Cove - Embers of Destruction by J. Scott Savage

Hello Readers,

Fantasy and middle grade books are not my normal go to genres, but one of my reading goals this past year was to go outside of my comfort zone and try new genres and books. Embers of destruction was just the book to enjoy both the middle grade and fantasy genre. This is the final volume in the mysteries of Cove series. I however did not read the other books in the series. There were a few things that did feel a little confusing to me since I did not have the backstory of the other books, but for the most part, I was able to catch onto the story without too much effort. 

One of the things I am coming to love about middle grade books is the honesty in which young children approach life events. They are honest and true about situations and don't tend to beat around the bush. I appreciated that in this group of friends. I get tired when characters keep their feelings inside because they think the others won't understand. Each character was honest and shared what they wanted to do in each circumstance. I so appreciated that in this book. 

Here is the fly leaf description for those who have not heard of this series: 

"It's time to take the battle to the dragons.

In the third and final volume of the bestselling Mysteries of Cove series, Trenton and Kallista--along with their friends, Plucky, Simoni, Angus, and Clyde--fly their mechanical dragons south toward San Francisco, looking to rescue any survivors from the battle of Seattle.

Arriving in San Francisco and investigating the area in secret, the young riders are reunited with Kallista's father, Leo Babbage, who reveals that the humans in the city are working as slaves to the dragons, but that they don't want to be rescued--himself included. He says they are being protected by their new master: a huge, powerful white dragon who lives in an impenetrable tower fortress overlooking the city. Kallista is stunned by the news. Why would her father ever willingly want to work for dragons?

Trenton and his friends are confronted by the guards and their mechanical dragons are seized. Evading capture, the young riders escape and begin looking for a way to break the white dragon's hold over the city--and over Leo. Working with the kids from the city, the young riders track down the source of the dragon's power to an underground chamber that is accessible only through an underwater passageway below the tower fortress.

With the white dragon watching their every move, Trenton and Kallista will need every bit of creativity and ingenuity they can manage to find a way to retrieve their stolen dragons, enter the tower fortress, and take down the dragons once and for all."

I loved flying on the back of the mechanical dragons with Trenton and Kallista and the other friends in the gang. I was present for secret meetings and enjoyed watching plucky design new ideas for the mechanical dragons. This book was a delightful adventure story perfect for any young boy or girl. I absolutely plan on buying the other books in this series when my son is older and ready to read in this age range. I also appreciated that the book was age appropriate. There was nothing that I would feel uncomfortable for my son to read on his own someday. To me, that is worth its weight in gold. 

Overall Rating - 3/5 stars

Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing for generously supplying me with a review copy of Embers of Destruction by J. Scott Savage. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Embers of Destruction by J. Scott Savage

Age Range: 8 - 12 years

Release Date: (September 26, 2017)

Grade Level: 4 - 6

Series: Mysteries of Cove (Book 3)

Hardcover: 352 pages

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Happy Reading,

Rachael