By Sydney W., Annapolis High School
The Lantern’s Ember by Colleen Houck begins at an old bridge in the town of Hallowell, which is really a gateway to the Otherworld. It revolves around Jack, the guardsman of the bridge, and Ember, the clever, stubborn witch who tries to cross into the forbidden place. One day she succeeds and slips into the gateway, along with a mysterious vampire. Jack must find her and take her back before both words descend into chaos.
I loved how this brought in elements and twists on various tales, such as Sleepy Hollow. It has a very Halloween feel, without it really being scary or creepy, and I enjoyed that a lot.
One thing I did dislike was the fact that I had expected it to be a bit scarier and darker than it actually was, and it read more like a middle grade than a YA, but that didn’t mean I enjoyed it any less.
I would recommend this book for lovers of Halloween and spooky who don’t like gore or overly-creepy things. This book captures that tone well without being too dark. I think this book would be good for middle-grade ages up, but there are some sensitive topics, so bear that in mind.
Click here to check out The Lantern’s Ember by Colleen Houck.