The Diamond of Darkhold:
The Fourth Book of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau

    THE DIAMOND OF DARKHOLD by Jeanne DuPrau
    Category:  Fantasy
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  8/26/08
    Publisher:  Random House
    Reviewed by:  Andrew S. Cohen
    Rating:  4 Stars


    In the fourth book of Ember, we enter with the newly unified town of Sparks preparing for the winter, a few months
    after the city of Ember's emergence from underground.  Supplies are growing sparse and sickness becomes abundant
    in this town, as they question their sustainability for the harsh cold of wintertime.

    Protagonists Doon and Lina set off on another adventure, based on a prophecy from a book stating their is
    something left "for the people of Ember" that will aid them through the winter.  They venture back to their old town of
    Ember to seek out supplies that their old community has left behind, where they meet an unlikely foe and seek out
    this mysterious, perhaps magical device to "bring light to a dark world."

    Through the motif of hope, DuPrau illustrates an exciting page-turner that had me up all night so I could finish.  
    Though lacking as much thought and depth as the initial book in the series, the author creates an interesting storyline
    along with introducing peculiar side characters such as Washton Trogg.  

    The end of the book seems a bit anticlimactic, as their adventure ends sort of to a nothingness, with DuPrau feeling a
    look to the future as sufficient hope for the success of mankind and their moral triumphs.  Otherwise, THE
    DIAMOND OF DARKHOLD should not disappoint avid readers of the series.  In order to grasp full meaning of
    the story, I would highly suggest reading at least books one and two (three is a prequel to the first and has little
    overlap).

    Overall, Duprau succeeds in this installment and I would recommend it to those who have enjoyed the first of her
    books.