The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau

diamond of darkholdLina and Doon’s adventure began with The City of Ember as they solved the puzzle to lead the citizens of Ember safely out of their dying city.  In The People of Sparks, they learn to survive on the surface of the earth with the help of survivors of the great disaster.  Jeanne DuPrau goes back in time with The Prophet of Yonwood to fill us in on why Ember was founded. 

Now Lina and Doon head back to Ember in The Diamond of Darkhold (A Yearling Book, 2008).  Even though the citizens of Ember and the people of Sparks have worked out their problems, the winter was cold and harsh.  Food is running out, and so is hope.  When a roamer comes to town with the remains of a book, Lina and Doon become convinced that it describes a treasure meant for the citizens of Ember.  They set off together to search the underground city in hopes of making a better life for everyone.

Once Lina and Doon make it back to Ember, they discover unexpected surprises–not all of them pleasant.  Will they be able to find the treasure and decipher the instructions?  If they succeed, the people of Ember and Sparks will be able to create a better life for themselves and spread a little light in a dark world.

I thought this was a satisfying conclusion to the series.  Lina and Doon’s adventures keep the action coming as they descend underground.  I enjoyed the growth of their friendship and the new introduction of new characters.  The clever, but not-too-smart  Maggs and Trogg provide both threat and comedy as they cluelessly move the story forward.  Most of all, I enjoy the message of hope DuPrau shares with this ending.  Life may always be hard and full of challenges, but it can be good.  With hard work and careful observation, the people who survive can rebuild the world.  I love the future glimpses of that new world, first imagined in Lina’s drawings. 

(image from Titlewave)

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