THE DIAMOND OF DARKHOLD

This book completes City of Ember series and answered a lingering question, created for me, by the first book's ending. I found this book to be as satisfying the The City of Eber book as it answered many questions I am sure will occur to the readers of the first book. I found that the author had a genius for telling a post apoplectic story as seen through the eyes of children, which I found personally very refreshing. I got interested in the City of Ember books because of the movie and was pleased to see that the author did not need to revert to monsters and Rube Goldberg devices that were in the movie to make a complete and compelling story. The fact that the author continued the adventures of the two main characters, through the these books was satisfying and very neatly done. I give the author 5 stars for writing these books that many adults should read as it relates to today's religious and political conflicts and a possible unintended outcome for future generations.

Great read for all ages! A very satisfying ending to a great series. Can't help wondering why this hasn't been made into movies because I can see it all so clearly in my mind. Everything feels real like this is something that could actually happen. Maybe it's because no one has some sort of magical powers that seems to be the requirement for a movie these days... The author says it herself when describing our heros, Lina and Doon: They didn't have extraordinary powers. They used the ordinary powers of courage, kindness, curiosity, and knowledge. This is something we need to teach our children. Harry Potter is great, but making a difference in this world takes the powers of Lina and Doon.

This is the fourth in the "City of Ember" series. In book one, The City of Ember , the residents of Ember live underground in a post-apocalyptic world. They have a generator for electricity, indoor plumbing, stocks of canned food and they have never seen the outside world. When stocks start running out, they are led out of Ember by two children named Lina and Doon. This takes us to book two, The People of Sparks , where the newly emerged Ember people try to fit in to the rustic lifestyle of a small village. Book three, The Prophet of Yonwood is a prequel, telling of the events leading up to book one. This book picks up after book two, with Lina, Doon and the people of Ember and Sparks facing a harsh winter and possible starvation. The earth simply cannot produce enough food to feed both communities, and supplies of other essentials are also running low. A traveling trader or "roamer" (read: scavenger) visits the village and Doon buys a portion of an old book that the roamer was using as kindling. The few remaining pages suggest that there is a legacy left for the people of Ember, for the time when it became necessary for them to abandon the underground city. Lina and Doon decide to return to Ember to find the item mentioned in the book, and find more than they bargained for. Knowledge of the first two books will be an asset while reading this one. (You can forget about the third book) The book moves along pretty well and will hold your interest until the final chapters. Sadly, a reasonably good story is diminished by an ending that seems to drift away to practically nothing. Recommended for people who have read books one and two. Rated: 3.5 stars Amanda Richards, October 25, 2008

Great ending book to a series that is a pleasure to get lost in for a few weeks. The City of Ember book 1 was of course the best book but this one is a close second! Don't miss the other two though or you will miss great details. The Author is a great storyteller and what is rare in today's world; does it all without sex or profanity in this wonderful, family-friendly escape from reality. Or is it an escape from reality? It all almost seems a bit prrophetic! You will greatly enjoy this entire series

This book satisfied my high expectations and I hung on to every word. It ends beautifully just as I expected and incorporates the bit of wonder I always loved about the books in this series. Although I am sad it has ended, reading this series was a great experience and I couldn't feel better about the outcome. Each book pieced together to form an exciting puzzle that gave me chills of surprise when it all came together. To finish, words simply can't explain my appreciation of such a wonderful series.

The fourth book blends all of the books together completing the theme of the City of Ember. We see how the stories blend the lives of the characters of Ember, Sparks and Yonwood. We find that the residents of Ember are on their way to creating a new life free of the restrictions they were under before; food , shelter and consternation. I particularly enjoyed reading about the Roamers and the effect they have on Lina and Doon. The Diamond of Darkhold is a gem in more ways than one, thanks to Doon.

I discovered these books while in high school and absolutely fell in love. I wad impressed with the story line. It was a story that I just had to keep reading to find out what happened next-do they find a way out of the darkness, do they make friends above ground, how do they survive in the new environment? The whole series was an impressive collection that kept me wanting to read just one more page. Would recommend 100% to anyone.

I really enjoyed this series (I did skip book three, since from everything I read about it, it really didn't tie into the actual Ember story). I enjoyed them for what they are, Children's Books, and because of that, I am giving it four stars instead of 3. If this had been an adult series, I would have had a hard time seeing past a few things. (spoilers ahead) 1. Why would the builders only let the Mayor pass on and know about the box? You would think they'd have a back up plan for the very thing that happened, a mayor dying with the secret? 2. While I know canned goods last a long time, do they really last well over 200 years?? 3. I don't think it will take 2-3 centuries to get the world back with electricity and other technology. I really doubt we'd be living back in the 1700 for that long. Perhaps I'm wrong but even in the 1700s, we weren't STUCK there. 4. 200 years doesn't make a civilization ANCIENT. That bugged me to no end. Ancient, maybe 500-1000 years-- but a couple hundred? Not really. 5. The diamonds and manuals. They hid a room at the side of a mountain with the assumption that the people would find it. Why not place the manual, or at least a notice telling them to LOOK for the cave, at the exit of Ember? Secondly, just ONE manual?? They should have planted those manuals all over the place-- just like the box, it makes no sense to just leave one behind. Having said that, these are children's stories, and for that, and knowing the adventures of Doon and Leena would never have taken place without these points, I could see past it and enjoy the book(s) thoroughly.

My son and I have read the Book Of Ember and loved it, so moved on to the People of Sparks, the second book, we skipped the Prophet of Yonwood, after reading that it does not chronologically matter, and went straight to this one, which follows the story on. Again, its fantastic. I could not put this down. They are great. Well written. In this one, Lina and Doone go back down into Ember because of what is happening in the village of Sparks. To try to find a solution, but it goes very badly wrong, and starts a chain of events that will change how the village of Sparks live for ever. I will not give any more detail because it will spoil the story, so I have kept the synopsis short. But I definitely recommend this book- it also tells what happens when Lina and Doone grow up! And about 100 years after they have. I also make the comment that I will at some point buy the Prophet of Yonwood, just out of curiosity to see why the city of Ember happens, so I can fill in the few holes, but the reviews were mixed on that book.

Great book, my 10 year old really enjoyed it and so did I.

Auf den Inhalt möchte ich hier nicht eingehen, das haben bereits andere Rezensionen ausdrücklich getan. Insgesamt eine sehr schöne Trilogie (Der "dritte" Teil: the prophet of Yonwood spielt viel früher, kann man auch weglassen). Geeignet für junge und ältere Leser.

I liked it and so did my daughter. She read the whole series as part of her home education for grade 7. Being twelve is a great age to read this but an adult can enjoy this too. The author has built up characters you care about with distinct personalities and motivations. The ending wraps up a little too neatly but how do you end a series? It isn’t an easy task for a writer. The whole series is amazingly written and as you read it , you can visualize the events and everything that happens as well as the settings. More detailed without being too heavy for middle years students to read. Recommend this series highly.

Item fits description perfectly.