Books: The Diamond of Darkhold

The fourth book in the Ember series begins with an enticing vision of pre-Disaster events, in which the Builders of Ember make provisions to assist the emerging inhabitants of the city. To add to that, things are not going well in Sparks, as the stress of the Ember newcomers brings back a frightening scarcity of food, warmth and hope. This hard life pushes Doon and Lina into adventure as they discover an artifact that inspires them to return to their abandoned city to relieve the village’s troubles. Along the way, the pair meets odd characters that add spice to events as the book unfolds; some are kind and gentle, while some are selfishly scary. Doon and Lina's knowledge of Ember helps them find solutions in dire straits, but it also takes work and grit to discover the true meaning of the jewel-like object central to the plot. Readers will find this a clever and a fast-paced read, and will enjoy the logical future detailed at the end.

This book was as delightful as the previous books in the Ember series. I don’t agree with many of the criticisms of the book out there. It was full of action and emotion, which kept my fingers crossed for the characters. Whenever something new came out of the blue, my nose was practically glued to the book. The ending wrapped everything up nicely, what happened to the characters, and how they changed the future. I highly recommend the book to everyone, especially young people. One note, I would recommend you read the first three books though. They will assist you while reading this final version of Ember. The book moves along smoothly and will hold your interest until the very end.