Title: The Diamond of Darkhold
Author: Jeanne DuPrau
Series: The City of Ember, book 4
Major Themes: Dystopian, Friendship, Adventure
Synopsis: After discovering a book that seems to talk about a device meant for the Emberites, Lina and Doon head back to their old city to try to track the clues and help their people.
After reading The City of Ember, I was curious about what happened next, and eventually got around to reading books two and three, and when I eventually needed another audiobook, The Diamond of Darkhold seemed like a good option—and it would be satisfying to get one more series checked off! This one picks up soon after book two leaves off, and it was fun to see the completion of the series with this book. This book was one of my favorites of the series, second only to book one.
Publisher’s description:
Lina and Doon are returning to the city of Ember, but what awaits them in the dark?
Lina and Doon escaped the dying city of Ember and led their people to the town of Sparks. But it’s winter now, and the harsh realities of their new world have begun to set in. When Doon finds a book that hints at an important, long-lost device, it doesn’t take much for him to convince Lina to join him for one last adventure in the place they used to call home. But will this mysterious technology be enough to help their people? And what—and who—will they find when they return?
My thoughts:
After reading The Prophet of Yonwood, book three, I was somewhat cautious about this story. That one felt rather disconnected from the rest of the series, and in my opinion, while it’s an okay story, you can easily skip it and won’t miss it (if you’re curious, you can see my mini-review of that one as a postscript on my review of The People of Sparks).
Once I got into The Diamond of Darkhold, though, it felt like the spark of the story returned—I got heavily invested in the children’s adventures, hoping against hope that they’d find a way to help their people and solve the mystery presented to them. One of my favorite parts about this book was their return to Ember; it was fascinating to see the city through their eyes after being away from it for a while.
As far as a wrap-up to the series goes, I felt like this was one of the more cohesive conclusions I’ve seen in a while. Though some may complain that it was all tied with too neat a bow, I personally loved the notes of hope, forgiveness, and community this book ended on.
If you enjoy light dystopian stories, a thread of mystery, and a good deal of adventure, The City of Ember series is one I can recommend.
WARNING: A couple of times: Mentions of seeing bones or dead bodies. Chapter 3: Planning to lie to parents (lying also occurs in ch. 4, 8, and 11). Chapter 26: Blasted. Ending: Mention of aliens landing on Earth.
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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