The Diamond Of Darkhold

At the end of the novel, Mrs. Murdo reflects on Lina and Doon’s ability to succeed: “It wasn’t because they had extraordinary powers, really, but because of how well they used the ordinary powers: the power of courage, the power of kindness, the powers of curiosity and knowledge” (279). How do Lina and Doon use these powers? What is the wider significance of such "ordinary powers” in the text?

What is the significance of the novel’s title? How does “Darkhold” contrast with the name “Ember,” and how do these two different names illustrate some of the novel’s key themes and ideas?

Animals sometimes pose a challenge to the Emberites, who are not used to living among them. How are animals depicted in the text? How do various characters’ views of, and relationship with, animals change over the narrative, and why?