This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: The Crystal Archivist

Dusk has escaped the Circle of the Dawn. Or so he thinks. As he, Tara, and Lex continue their journey to Emerald Deep, they will encounter many challenges. Dusk’s road to freedom is plagued by monstrous beasts and deceptive enemies. And just when he thinks the worst is over, a new threat arises. Dusk will soon learn he can never let his guard down.

I absolutely love Dusk’s character. His appreciation for experiencing something as simple as fishing is so uplifting. He is trying to live his best life even if he is on the run. And the conflict within him is so well written. He wants to trust people and help anyone he can, but there are some hard lessons for him to learn in The Crystal Archivist. I can only hope he hasn’t learned too late.

With this addition to The Crystalline Chronicles, the plot is not played as safe. The characters end up in many more situations where the give and take of battle are better balanced. I appreciated this shift in the conflict. I did find some characters dropped into the background in this one. And while I can see this happening from Dusk’s point of view it felt a bit too abrupt. I wanted a few more tense moments of conversation and body language to gradually build up this plot point.

Regardless, I still enjoyed this story. Watching Dusk evolve as a character is as heartwarming as it is terrifying to see what trouble he can get into. At times I wanted to yell at him for his decisions, but ultimately he just doesn’t know any better yet. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book and how much more Dusk will develop. ( )