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The Green Ember #4
Ember's End
The end is here. Heather and Picket face off for the last time with their tyrannical foes in this final installment of the Green Ember Series. The Mended Wood flickers dimly in the vision of the rabbits of Natalia, as they battle bravely for their survival and a hopeful future beyond.
My place beside you,
my blood for yours,
till the Green Ember . . .
ends.
“The end has come, and you’ll be on the edge of your seat with all the twists and turns you’ve come to expect from this series. Honor, sacrifice, and surprises abound in this thrilling finale.”
- Carolyn Leiloglou, author of Noah Green: Junior Zookeeper and the Garage Sale Pet (Spork 2019), Library's Most Wanted (Pelican 2020)
My place beside you,
my blood for yours,
till the Green Ember . . .
ends.
“The end has come, and you’ll be on the edge of your seat with all the twists and turns you’ve come to expect from this series. Honor, sacrifice, and surprises abound in this thrilling finale.”
- Carolyn Leiloglou, author of Noah Green: Junior Zookeeper and the Garage Sale Pet (Spork 2019), Library's Most Wanted (Pelican 2020)
Audiobook
First published April 14, 2020
667 people are currently reading
2108 people want to read
About the author
S.D. Smith
17 books2,005 followersS. D. Smith is the author of The Green Ember Series, a million+ selling adventure saga featuring heroic #RabbitsWithSwords. The Green Ember spent time as the number one bestselling audiobook in the world on Audible. He is also the author of the madcap Mooses with Bazookas: And Other Stories Children Should Never Read as well as the touching throwback adventure, The Found Boys. Finally, he has co-authored two fantasy adventure novels with his son (J. C. Smith), Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key and Jack Zulu and the Girl with Golden Wings. Smith’s stories are captivating readers across the globe who are hungry for “new stories with an old soul.”
Though packed with old school virtue and moral imagination, Smith doesn't merely create "safe" stories, but bold, daring, truthful tales of light that help shape children who become dangerous—dangerous to the darkness.
Smith is a founder and owner of Story Warren, a publishing, events, and IP development house based in rural West Virginia. Story Warren exists to serve families as “allies in imagination.”
S. D. Smith lives in Gran
Though packed with old school virtue and moral imagination, Smith doesn't merely create "safe" stories, but bold, daring, truthful tales of light that help shape children who become dangerous—dangerous to the darkness.
Smith is a founder and owner of Story Warren, a publishing, events, and IP development house based in rural West Virginia. Story Warren exists to serve families as “allies in imagination.”
S. D. Smith lives in Gran
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 664 reviews
March 6, 2020
The best stories are sometimes the hardest to review. How does one put into words the truly bittersweet feeling that accompanies reaching the end of a great story—the simultaneous joy of seeing how it all turns out and the sadness of having to say goodbye? How does one explain that this children's novel is a true story (see Smith's wonderful author's note at the end), not because the rabbits in our backyards are out fighting with swords, but because it reflects ultimate reality? Smith is a big fan of Tolkien, and so am I. Tolkien understood the unparalleled power of a good story to help us escape not from reality, but into reality. I truly believe that Smith has channeled that same spirit throughout the Green Ember series. Ember's End is a moving, fitting culmination of the journey. I am so glad that books like these exist for children (and for us children's-book-loving adults, too).
While reading, I experienced everything from joy to sorrow, horror to delight, uncertainty to relief. That's because, as with the prior books, there is both abundant darkness and abundant light. We must have the former if the latter is to radiate its fullest beauty. Smith understands and portrays that relationship so well. Pivoting to writer's craft, I also loved the use of parallel plots, even more so than I did with Ember Rising. The point of view, suspense, and dramatic irony created by such a structure adds a grandeur to this story that would not exist otherwise.
I have thoroughly enjoyed Heather and Picket's journey and hope we get to revisit their world again someday!
While reading, I experienced everything from joy to sorrow, horror to delight, uncertainty to relief. That's because, as with the prior books, there is both abundant darkness and abundant light. We must have the former if the latter is to radiate its fullest beauty. Smith understands and portrays that relationship so well. Pivoting to writer's craft, I also loved the use of parallel plots, even more so than I did with Ember Rising. The point of view, suspense, and dramatic irony created by such a structure adds a grandeur to this story that would not exist otherwise.
I have thoroughly enjoyed Heather and Picket's journey and hope we get to revisit their world again someday!
April 3, 2020
If there was one author I could run up and hug today...
I *know*, in fact I am certain, that this series could not have been finished off better. If any of you guys out there are honest to goodness fantasy/Redwall fans, you could not find a better book.
There was heartbreak (I cried), there was romance that was NOT annoying! (I cried again), it ended perfectly imperfectly (and I...well, you know what I did). Yes one of my favourite characters died, yes it was hard, yes so many lost their lives — and yet it ended by Picket and Heather living just as would have made him and them proud (no spoilers). There was a sound plot, tons of quotable moments, a surprising twist at the end and yes I figured out who the Pilgrim was. Have you?
Plus this is totally kid friendly and yet perfectly showcases the realities of war with plenty of adventure along the way with all the original characters. You cannot miss this book!
I *know*, in fact I am certain, that this series could not have been finished off better. If any of you guys out there are honest to goodness fantasy/Redwall fans, you could not find a better book.
There was heartbreak (I cried), there was romance that was NOT annoying! (I cried again), it ended perfectly imperfectly (and I...well, you know what I did). Yes one of my favourite characters died, yes it was hard, yes so many lost their lives — and yet it ended by Picket and Heather living just as would have made him and them proud (no spoilers). There was a sound plot, tons of quotable moments, a surprising twist at the end and yes I figured out who the Pilgrim was. Have you?
Plus this is totally kid friendly and yet perfectly showcases the realities of war with plenty of adventure along the way with all the original characters. You cannot miss this book!
March 13, 2020
I promise I'll write this review soon. I just need to process/stop crying every time I think about it first.
April 26, 2021
Every time I read one of these, my family laughs that I'm reading the "bunny books." I haven't had the heart to tell them that I've cried over these rabbits.
I was expecting a lot from this book, so I wasn't really surprised when I came away with mixed feelings.
In a way, the book was amazing. The ending blew me away with how good it was. I was grinning like crazy as I read the last few pages. It was perfect.
But unfortunately, I felt like a lot of the book was very predictable. I guessed almost everything before it happened. And the battle scene went on forever. Seriously, It lasted a super long time. Also, the last bit was annoyingly vague at times, trying to keep character's identities a secret for a few pages to surprise you.
Overall, this was not my favorite of the books, but that last page was perfect. <3
Original review>>Review to come. Which might mean I won't get around to it for a while since that's how this normally works, but I need time to process that ending. O.o
2021>> I wanted to love this book. As the ending to the series, I feel like it should have been the best of the series, but sadly it fell flat for me this second read though. I'm just going to hit some bullet points, but some of them have spoilers, so read at your own risk.
1. The dragons? While they technically had a purpose, I felt like it was just a giant delay tactic for some of the characters
2. Jacks turnaround didn't have any real base. It felt out of the blue.
3. Some of the fighting was a bit gruesome. I got a bit grossed out even though it wasn't detailed. I definitely would not hand this to a middle grader.
4. They keep calling this one character "The Tunnler and the truth" which is a kind of cool title, but did not make sense, also I hated it because God is The Truth and I didn't really like that title on another character.
5. Were we supposed to know who the pilgrim was??
6. The ending was too perfect. Way to perfect.
7. I still kind of hate Weezey. Don't know why, but she got on my nerves.
8. Joe deserved a better ending because he's the best character in the whole thing and his wit was the most relatable and funny thing ever.
So yeah, in my second reading I liked the book way less. Three is still the best book of the series, and all of Joe's books.
I was expecting a lot from this book, so I wasn't really surprised when I came away with mixed feelings.
In a way, the book was amazing. The ending blew me away with how good it was. I was grinning like crazy as I read the last few pages. It was perfect.
But unfortunately, I felt like a lot of the book was very predictable. I guessed almost everything before it happened. And the battle scene went on forever. Seriously, It lasted a super long time. Also, the last bit was annoyingly vague at times, trying to keep character's identities a secret for a few pages to surprise you.
Overall, this was not my favorite of the books, but that last page was perfect. <3
Original review>>Review to come. Which might mean I won't get around to it for a while since that's how this normally works, but I need time to process that ending. O.o
2021>> I wanted to love this book. As the ending to the series, I feel like it should have been the best of the series, but sadly it fell flat for me this second read though. I'm just going to hit some bullet points, but some of them have spoilers, so read at your own risk.
1. The dragons? While they technically had a purpose, I felt like it was just a giant delay tactic for some of the characters
2. Jacks turnaround didn't have any real base. It felt out of the blue.
3. Some of the fighting was a bit gruesome. I got a bit grossed out even though it wasn't detailed. I definitely would not hand this to a middle grader.
4. They keep calling this one character "The Tunnler and the truth" which is a kind of cool title, but did not make sense, also I hated it because God is The Truth and I didn't really like that title on another character.
5. Were we supposed to know who the pilgrim was??
6. The ending was too perfect. Way to perfect.
7. I still kind of hate Weezey. Don't know why, but she got on my nerves.
8. Joe deserved a better ending because he's the best character in the whole thing and his wit was the most relatable and funny thing ever.
So yeah, in my second reading I liked the book way less. Three is still the best book of the series, and all of Joe's books.
April 1, 2020
bruh rabbits with swords <3
April 12, 2020
(Note: I will give no spoilers in this review unless noted with SPOILER, and I will warn you before you get to it. But still, read the parts I say have no spoilers. It will be worth your while!).
WARNING: IF YOU ARE PRONE TO PICK UP A GOOD BOOK AND NEVER PUT IT DOWN, YOU MAY BE SUBJECT TO THAT AGAIN AFTER READING THIS REVIEW.
I just finished Ember's End.
WOW.
I am very pleased and it has to be one of my favorite books of all time. I couldn't put it down and was sleep deprived all week. That rarely happens with a book, but THAT is how good it was. I would have devoured it in a day or two, but other things prevented me.
First of all, this is the fourth and last of Smith's The Green Ember series. I have been reading this series since I was twelve years old, and I have waited very patiently for this one (if being a part of the hundreds of people pestering Smith about when the next book was coming out counts). Because the books before it had a year or two of release gaps, I found myself needing a refresher and rereading the first book, second book, and third book over again, some more than three times over.
THREE TIMES.
Although I did need the refresher, I still wanted to read it again. And I will read it all over again not only to myself but to others. It's too good of a story not to share.
That does not happen to a reader unless it is a book that changed their world.
It changed mine.
One of my very favorite things about this book is the importance of the relationship between siblings. Heather and Picket loved each other and would die for each other if it came to it in the end. Smith did an amazing job showing the reader that when times get tough and things get dangerous, a healthy relationship between siblings is not only a good thing to have, but it can be a light in your blackest night. They leaned on each other for support and saved each other from multiple dangers throughout the whole series. No matter what mistakes they made, they still loved each other. Their love was inspiring, and he hit the level of importance that even Disney's Frozen tried to hit but never reached to this degree.
Sorry, Frozen.
Also, the comedy in this book made me double up and cry of laughter several times. It was getting to be a problem... and an annoyance to the others around me giving me odd glances who obviously were not part of that inside joke.
SPOILER ALERT coming up!
One thing that came up that really hit home was this: Smith's power over the ol' heartstrings.
Yes, he has had control over mine since day one, but in this book it got real. He would start a chapter with a title like "The End in Sight" or SPOILER AGAIN (Look for the spoiler over below. Don't read until you see it in all caps.)
"Farewell, Heather and Smalls"......things that would lead me to fret over what was truly going to happen, but also laugh at his evident love of making his readers sit at the very edges of their seats.
Same with the cliff hangers at the end of the chapters. Very artfully done.
Thrilling!
Also, his trick of fooling the reader to believe someone was dead but them actually being alive was very convincing, but after the last four times of being fooled, I was reluctant to believe him. But that added to the suspense of the story. As the reader, I liked that. One character kept dying and then showing up and then dying and then showing up FOUR times.
It was epic.
That and the love between Heather and Smalls was SO SWEET and sometimes tragic. I unashamedly confess I cried more than several times.
>OK, SPOILER OVER.<
If you are reading this, Mr. Smith, I want to thank you and thank you again. Your tale has not only been a source of entertainment in my life for several years, but they taught me life lessons that I would not have learned otherwise. Some of them include a growing realization of what story I'm part of right now...a story we all are in right now. I had come to realize that I live in a world where there is a dark evil to be resisted and a mending to be fought for. There are people who are mistaken about what side to be on and what a mending of the broken pieces of our fallen world looks like. We have all forgotten what life was like before the fall of Adam of the Bible, but we know that it will be a different place...the Mended Wood.
Like Picket and Heather and company, we all have something in common (other than long rabbit ears if you are a rabbit).....
We all wait for the mending.
So you see, I don't need to feel sad that Natalia isn't a place, or that these tales aren't real life and never were (although it is alive in your books and the hearts of your readers). We are living something like it, but we are living it in a different approach.
(If you are reading this and want to know more about the adventure you are living, read the ancient book, that I'm sure you have heard of, "The Bible". Every word of it is true and you will find your role in it.)
But do not mistake me, the Green Ember is all but an allegory (as Tolkien would also have denied vigorously as well), but this is what I got out of it. I think it is very important not only for children to know but also for adults and teenagers.
I'm a teenager and I found it not only right at my level but also at a level that is universal to all ages who can read comfortably. It's a perfect read-aloud for families (they even have ALL the audiobooks out now for the moms out there who feel bad when their voices give out and their children want her to read the tenth chapter in a row.)
I pray The Green Ember series and especially Ember's End will go on as a classics, and I also believe Smith's name will go along with C.S Lewis', Tolkiens, and so many others that have devoted parts of their lives to telling stories that make our spirits soar.
There is no better way to end this review but with the famous quote all Ember fans have by heart:
“My place beside you,
my blood for yours.
Till the Green Ember rises or the end of the world!”
WARNING: IF YOU ARE PRONE TO PICK UP A GOOD BOOK AND NEVER PUT IT DOWN, YOU MAY BE SUBJECT TO THAT AGAIN AFTER READING THIS REVIEW.
I just finished Ember's End.
WOW.
I am very pleased and it has to be one of my favorite books of all time. I couldn't put it down and was sleep deprived all week. That rarely happens with a book, but THAT is how good it was. I would have devoured it in a day or two, but other things prevented me.
First of all, this is the fourth and last of Smith's The Green Ember series. I have been reading this series since I was twelve years old, and I have waited very patiently for this one (if being a part of the hundreds of people pestering Smith about when the next book was coming out counts). Because the books before it had a year or two of release gaps, I found myself needing a refresher and rereading the first book, second book, and third book over again, some more than three times over.
THREE TIMES.
Although I did need the refresher, I still wanted to read it again. And I will read it all over again not only to myself but to others. It's too good of a story not to share.
That does not happen to a reader unless it is a book that changed their world.
It changed mine.
One of my very favorite things about this book is the importance of the relationship between siblings. Heather and Picket loved each other and would die for each other if it came to it in the end. Smith did an amazing job showing the reader that when times get tough and things get dangerous, a healthy relationship between siblings is not only a good thing to have, but it can be a light in your blackest night. They leaned on each other for support and saved each other from multiple dangers throughout the whole series. No matter what mistakes they made, they still loved each other. Their love was inspiring, and he hit the level of importance that even Disney's Frozen tried to hit but never reached to this degree.
Sorry, Frozen.
Also, the comedy in this book made me double up and cry of laughter several times. It was getting to be a problem... and an annoyance to the others around me giving me odd glances who obviously were not part of that inside joke.
SPOILER ALERT coming up!
One thing that came up that really hit home was this: Smith's power over the ol' heartstrings.
Yes, he has had control over mine since day one, but in this book it got real. He would start a chapter with a title like "The End in Sight" or SPOILER AGAIN (Look for the spoiler over below. Don't read until you see it in all caps.)
"Farewell, Heather and Smalls"......things that would lead me to fret over what was truly going to happen, but also laugh at his evident love of making his readers sit at the very edges of their seats.
Same with the cliff hangers at the end of the chapters. Very artfully done.
Thrilling!
Also, his trick of fooling the reader to believe someone was dead but them actually being alive was very convincing, but after the last four times of being fooled, I was reluctant to believe him. But that added to the suspense of the story. As the reader, I liked that. One character kept dying and then showing up and then dying and then showing up FOUR times.
It was epic.
That and the love between Heather and Smalls was SO SWEET and sometimes tragic. I unashamedly confess I cried more than several times.
>OK, SPOILER OVER.<
If you are reading this, Mr. Smith, I want to thank you and thank you again. Your tale has not only been a source of entertainment in my life for several years, but they taught me life lessons that I would not have learned otherwise. Some of them include a growing realization of what story I'm part of right now...a story we all are in right now. I had come to realize that I live in a world where there is a dark evil to be resisted and a mending to be fought for. There are people who are mistaken about what side to be on and what a mending of the broken pieces of our fallen world looks like. We have all forgotten what life was like before the fall of Adam of the Bible, but we know that it will be a different place...the Mended Wood.
Like Picket and Heather and company, we all have something in common (other than long rabbit ears if you are a rabbit).....
We all wait for the mending.
So you see, I don't need to feel sad that Natalia isn't a place, or that these tales aren't real life and never were (although it is alive in your books and the hearts of your readers). We are living something like it, but we are living it in a different approach.
(If you are reading this and want to know more about the adventure you are living, read the ancient book, that I'm sure you have heard of, "The Bible". Every word of it is true and you will find your role in it.)
But do not mistake me, the Green Ember is all but an allegory (as Tolkien would also have denied vigorously as well), but this is what I got out of it. I think it is very important not only for children to know but also for adults and teenagers.
I'm a teenager and I found it not only right at my level but also at a level that is universal to all ages who can read comfortably. It's a perfect read-aloud for families (they even have ALL the audiobooks out now for the moms out there who feel bad when their voices give out and their children want her to read the tenth chapter in a row.)
I pray The Green Ember series and especially Ember's End will go on as a classics, and I also believe Smith's name will go along with C.S Lewis', Tolkiens, and so many others that have devoted parts of their lives to telling stories that make our spirits soar.
There is no better way to end this review but with the famous quote all Ember fans have by heart:
“My place beside you,
my blood for yours.
Till the Green Ember rises or the end of the world!”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2020
Did he have to end this series!?!?!?!? This book is great! I wish I would have read the other books right before I read this one, cause I kind of got lost. An awesome book though!!!!
January 12, 2023
I just...
I just...
YOU MUST READ THIS BOOKKKKK
*Happy sobbing in distance*
I just...
YOU MUST READ THIS BOOKKKKK
*Happy sobbing in distance*
March 6, 2020
There are...no words.
Okay, that's not true at all, but it is honestly hard to know what to say about the final entry in this epic series. S. D. Smith has been setting things up for this for years, and this culmination is well worth the wait of any fans from the first days. For any fans just discovering the series, be patient-the ending is well worth the effort. Even The Tales of Old Natalia and A Green Ember Story books you may be tempted to pass over as "side works", "spinoffs", or "prequels" are worth the read-so much pays off here that I had to stop myself from screaming more than once while reading this book.
Be warned, this final installment is the most intense yet, and does not shy away from the grim realities of battle in a world where animals go to war with blade and bow. But it also delivers on messages of hope, faith, loyalty, and sacrifice worthy of aspiration. As was said in one of the earliest chapters of the first book in the series, it is "A story to make us brave."
Okay, that's not true at all, but it is honestly hard to know what to say about the final entry in this epic series. S. D. Smith has been setting things up for this for years, and this culmination is well worth the wait of any fans from the first days. For any fans just discovering the series, be patient-the ending is well worth the effort. Even The Tales of Old Natalia and A Green Ember Story books you may be tempted to pass over as "side works", "spinoffs", or "prequels" are worth the read-so much pays off here that I had to stop myself from screaming more than once while reading this book.
Be warned, this final installment is the most intense yet, and does not shy away from the grim realities of battle in a world where animals go to war with blade and bow. But it also delivers on messages of hope, faith, loyalty, and sacrifice worthy of aspiration. As was said in one of the earliest chapters of the first book in the series, it is "A story to make us brave."
March 4, 2025
And with that, the main part of the series comes to an end...I've read this one twice before, but I found myself noticing different things this time around. I was focused on the characters and their arcs this time instead of the big picture and man, there's so many times Helmer calls Picket his son, so many times that Picket's actions are praised and he responses with humility. I love this one, even if it rips my heart every stinkin' time I read it.
Characters:
Picket and Helmer and Jo are by far my favorites in this book! I love their narratives and loved learning some of Helmer's backstory. I loved seeing how much Picket and Jo have grown as bucks and warriors.
Cole and Heyna add some touches of humor and moral support.
Emma...is not my favorite in this book, but I do admire her resolve.
Heather's chapters are never my favorites... but this book probably contains my favorite moments with her... lots of wisdom dolled out in her chapters.
Themes:
Fighting for what is right... believing that there is still good in people... and striving to mend a broken world.
Language:
N/A
Romance:
There was some slight romance between a few rabbits but no kissing.
Violence/Gore:
There are a lot of battles, a lot of wounds, some death... but Smith handles it all with his intended audience in mind. Rabbit's get scratched, loss limbs, stabbed, blown up, etc...it is war, but none of the descriptions are really more than I just mentioned.
Overall:
This is a great series that grows with the reader. It touches the darkness of the world and gives the reader a way to fight back and shows that no matter how bleak the situation, there is always hope!
I love this series and would recommend it as a readaloud or for independent readings for ages 7+! I would have loved this series as a kid! I know I enjoyed them as a teen!
Characters:
Picket and Helmer and Jo are by far my favorites in this book! I love their narratives and loved learning some of Helmer's backstory. I loved seeing how much Picket and Jo have grown as bucks and warriors.
Cole and Heyna add some touches of humor and moral support.
Emma...is not my favorite in this book, but I do admire her resolve.
Heather's chapters are never my favorites... but this book probably contains my favorite moments with her... lots of wisdom dolled out in her chapters.
Themes:
Fighting for what is right... believing that there is still good in people... and striving to mend a broken world.
Language:
N/A
Romance:
There was some slight romance between a few rabbits but no kissing.
Violence/Gore:
There are a lot of battles, a lot of wounds, some death... but Smith handles it all with his intended audience in mind. Rabbit's get scratched, loss limbs, stabbed, blown up, etc...it is war, but none of the descriptions are really more than I just mentioned.
Overall:
This is a great series that grows with the reader. It touches the darkness of the world and gives the reader a way to fight back and shows that no matter how bleak the situation, there is always hope!
I love this series and would recommend it as a readaloud or for independent readings for ages 7+! I would have loved this series as a kid! I know I enjoyed them as a teen!
October 14, 2022
4.5 Stars ✨
“I know you’re right, but it will be hard to forgive them.” “It’s always hard to forgive, but it’s never not worth it.”
What a satisfying ending to a fantastic addictive series! Honor, sacrifice and twists and turns- Ember’s End doesn’t disappoint, it’s wholesome and will most definitely pull at your heart strings. With great battle scenes, and lovable characters, you won’t know what to expect from chapter to chapter , the author absolutely LOVES keeping the reader on their toes.
I fell head over heels for these whittle warrior bunnies! You can’t help but get attached. My heart broke a million times throughout the course of the series, but Smith did an excellent job of sewing it back together …. eventually. The best part about The Green Ember is the books are not only for kids, adults will love them too (obviously 🫢) I’m so happy with the way everything came together at the end, the last 5 chapters were worth it all!! I’m going to miss this clan of rabbits and their fight for freedom. Highly recommend.
“I know you’re right, but it will be hard to forgive them.” “It’s always hard to forgive, but it’s never not worth it.”
What a satisfying ending to a fantastic addictive series! Honor, sacrifice and twists and turns- Ember’s End doesn’t disappoint, it’s wholesome and will most definitely pull at your heart strings. With great battle scenes, and lovable characters, you won’t know what to expect from chapter to chapter , the author absolutely LOVES keeping the reader on their toes.
I fell head over heels for these whittle warrior bunnies! You can’t help but get attached. My heart broke a million times throughout the course of the series, but Smith did an excellent job of sewing it back together …. eventually. The best part about The Green Ember is the books are not only for kids, adults will love them too (obviously 🫢) I’m so happy with the way everything came together at the end, the last 5 chapters were worth it all!! I’m going to miss this clan of rabbits and their fight for freedom. Highly recommend.
December 24, 2025
4.25 stars (rounded down to 4)
(Green Ember series: book 4)
This grand finale story kept me up until midnight. It's packed with all the bittersweet emotions! I smiled, gasped, nearly cried...
And the fact the characters are rabbits? That somehow makes the entire story feel even more well done. There's a unique contrast between the almost-whimsical idea of rabbits and the raw complexity woven into their journeys. By the end, I didn't really think of them as rabbits at all. I saw them as epic heroes with unexpected depth, fighting for freedom and hope.
And that ENDING?? There's SO much more I want to talk about. SO. MUCH. But there would be too many spoilers... Sigh...
Final thoughts: The Green Ember series would be a good family read! There are themes of courage, loyalty, bravery, and more. Some action scenes may be intense for some young readers (see my content note below for extra details). For independent reading, I'd primarily recommend the collection for upper middle graders and older.
*Content to note*
.....May contain minor spoilers.....
Many battles with wolves/birds/dragons (somewhat detailed). Casualties (including young rabbits) and wounds from swords/arrows/explosions/etc (somewhat detailed). Verbal threats from dragons (somewhat detailed). Discussion of enemy birds' dark rites (not detailed). Brief mentions of prophecy-like dreams. Flower with ability to heal/prevent death.
(Green Ember series: book 4)
This grand finale story kept me up until midnight. It's packed with all the bittersweet emotions! I smiled, gasped, nearly cried...
And the fact the characters are rabbits? That somehow makes the entire story feel even more well done. There's a unique contrast between the almost-whimsical idea of rabbits and the raw complexity woven into their journeys. By the end, I didn't really think of them as rabbits at all. I saw them as epic heroes with unexpected depth, fighting for freedom and hope.
And that ENDING?? There's SO much more I want to talk about. SO. MUCH. But there would be too many spoilers... Sigh...
Final thoughts: The Green Ember series would be a good family read! There are themes of courage, loyalty, bravery, and more. Some action scenes may be intense for some young readers (see my content note below for extra details). For independent reading, I'd primarily recommend the collection for upper middle graders and older.
*Content to note*
.....May contain minor spoilers.....
Many battles with wolves/birds/dragons (somewhat detailed). Casualties (including young rabbits) and wounds from swords/arrows/explosions/etc (somewhat detailed). Verbal threats from dragons (somewhat detailed). Discussion of enemy birds' dark rites (not detailed). Brief mentions of prophecy-like dreams. Flower with ability to heal/prevent death.
December 18, 2020
This story felt substantive to our family. We all loved it, including Dad. It's also deeply Christian—you just feel it—without being preachy. It did feel a LEEDLE bit like that Calvin & Hobbes cartoon where Calvin imagines an earthquake and a crashing passenger jet and a flash flood (if I'm remembering this right) all descending, by freak chance, onto a hapless minivan and its passengers. The danger the rabbits were in was SO great. But Smith (SPOILER ALERT) got them out believably, killed off (SPOILER ALERT) enough known characters to amp up the threat, and made us all love the honor and pluck and maturing of these wonderful rabbits. It did feel a LEEDLE bit like their miracle flower was a Deus ex machina—but stop it, objections: I'm hoping we'll hear more in a prequel about how knowledge of that all-important flower was lost to rabbit-kind. And, forgive me, I don't know who the Pilgrim is. I think I should have been smart enough to figure it out. But it looks like we'll need at least one more book, possibly two. My place beside you; my blood for yours; till the Green Ember rises or the end of the world. I loved putting honorable—that word keeps coming back to me—characters in front of my kids. They were good but not fake, which is hard to pull off. Well done!
August 5, 2021
For years, I wondered which book was truly my favorite. I could never decide, until I read this series. It's changed my life like no other. It's a deeply moving story with a heart that transcends the seeming boundaries of rabbits as characters. Steel blades and flying arrows, sibling bonds and sweetly pure romances, characters whose dry jokes make me cry with laughter, betrayal and darkness, loyalty and hope... I want to go on and on and on about it. But, I'll end this by saying it's an incredible, beautiful, hilarious, heart-wrenching, suspenseful series that I'll never regret reading!!!
February 20, 2023
It was fine, but I really disliked the ending for several reasons.
Spoiler alert from this point.
Number one:
Eradicating death. Just no. The best endings are very human and bittersweet.
Number two: Picket as a farmer. I feel like he should have been at the kings side and establishing order through the land. Being a farmer doesn't suit him.
Number three: just the overall vibe I get from it. The dynamics just weren't my favourite.
The rest of the book was fine. Just not amazing.
Spoiler alert from this point.
Number one:
Eradicating death. Just no. The best endings are very human and bittersweet.
Number two: Picket as a farmer. I feel like he should have been at the kings side and establishing order through the land. Being a farmer doesn't suit him.
Number three: just the overall vibe I get from it. The dynamics just weren't my favourite.
The rest of the book was fine. Just not amazing.
March 12, 2020
This is a fantastic ending to a wonderful series. These stories are not just for children, but adults too. They watm the heart and spirit, and give great hope. My children all have their favorite heroes, and I think it's great they want to be like them as the characters are noble and brave. True heroes in dark times. Till the Green Ember rises..
March 18, 2020
My daughter, 12, loved this book! She's read the pre-release copy five times.
May 15, 2025
I don't know, I had some problems. . . . Overall a good book, but not a great one by any means.
March 11, 2020
This book was the reason for my emotional breakdown at 11:30 last night. I just . . . I can’t. The Green Ember series has been a consistency in my life for the last five years since it’s debut. Now it’s over and I’m sad.
Ember’s End, I’m happy to say, was a satisfying conclusion to the series. I was left with a few questions (i.e. who was the Pilgrim, what did Jo’s note to Kylen really say, and how on earth did everyone keep surviving all those crazy falls???) and I’m not a fan of how many misdirects there were regarding character deaths. But the final, hundred-page battle was incredible. The ending - especially the last chapter - created a gorgeous full circle and left the reader with all the feels.
I’m genuinely sad this series is over. I really hope Sam writes more! I own all eight of his books lol so I’ll keep buying them. I started collecting them when I was still in middle school, and although I’ve grown up a lot since then, I’m too invested to quit now😉
Ember’s End, I’m happy to say, was a satisfying conclusion to the series. I was left with a few questions (i.e. who was the Pilgrim, what did Jo’s note to Kylen really say, and how on earth did everyone keep surviving all those crazy falls???) and I’m not a fan of how many misdirects there were regarding character deaths. But the final, hundred-page battle was incredible. The ending - especially the last chapter - created a gorgeous full circle and left the reader with all the feels.
I’m genuinely sad this series is over. I really hope Sam writes more! I own all eight of his books lol so I’ll keep buying them. I started collecting them when I was still in middle school, and although I’ve grown up a lot since then, I’m too invested to quit now😉
February 1, 2023
My five and eight year old boys loved these books and the final volume did not disappoint. It is a book with lots of adventure and surprises. It was a delight to read as a bedtime story together - even if I was always asked to read "one more chapter". The characters and situations really seemed to lodge in their minds and over the time we read it, it was not unusual for interesting conversations about the book to emerge.
March 31, 2020
A satisfying end to a beloved series. I laughed and I cried. Smith wrote some incredible battle scenes, but what I appreciated the most was the way he built friendships and loyalty among these rabbits. Especially Picket and Helmer It is so authentic you almost forget you are reading about rabbits.
Thank you for the journey Sam.
Thank you for the journey Sam.
April 22, 2022
April 2022 — Definitely easier to remember who's who and what's what when the books are read in quick succession.
*****
May 2020 — As usual, it'd been too long since I'd read the last one, so I had no idea what was going on half the time, but I have really enjoyed this series and look forward to revisiting it sometime.
*****
May 2020 — As usual, it'd been too long since I'd read the last one, so I had no idea what was going on half the time, but I have really enjoyed this series and look forward to revisiting it sometime.
June 14, 2021
Well, I still dislike the way this plot jumps all over the place and how the characters don’t progress or change. It’s a poorly written story. I’m relieved to be almost done with this series. But, my kids LOVED it. Love love loved it. And I did love author’s note at the end.
October 9, 2025
This last one was probably my favorite of them all. I love how he added in what will truly happen to Christians in the future. A great read!
August 14, 2025
Such a delightful series, I wasn’t quite ready for it to end! The mended wood of Natalia beautifully echoes the truer Mended World to come where all is made right and goodness, plenty, and love reign without end.
“And the Great Wood did mend; brighter and brighter it shined, with more and more light to share. Mending begat mending, and the healing grew, like a disease in reverse, until the wholeness spread to the edge of every map. The rabbits were glad, good, and unafraid. They were free.”
“There was plenty of food, and all of it was good. They were all healthy and loved one another deeply. The sun shone bright high above them. The wind blew gently, and the shade beneath their tree was sweet. None of them had been afraid in a long time.”
“And the Great Wood did mend; brighter and brighter it shined, with more and more light to share. Mending begat mending, and the healing grew, like a disease in reverse, until the wholeness spread to the edge of every map. The rabbits were glad, good, and unafraid. They were free.”
“There was plenty of food, and all of it was good. They were all healthy and loved one another deeply. The sun shone bright high above them. The wind blew gently, and the shade beneath their tree was sweet. None of them had been afraid in a long time.”
February 24, 2023
All in all, the Green Ember series is a classic tale of good vs evil. Smith's fiction masterfully demonstrates the true beauty of courage, bravery, and sacrificial love while also displaying the destructive power of selfishness, cowardice, and betrayal. I really struggled to get "invested" in this series. The first book sees plenty of action right off the bat, but I didn't care enough about the characters to really fear for them in the beginning. However, by the end of the series, I found myself yelling in joy or anger at my audiobook. While there were a few plot points that had me scratching my head, I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and found their resistance to the darkness inspiring.
July 26, 2021
This was an excellent conclusion to an excellent series. It has a great story for the casual reader to enjoy, and it has lovely themes that ring true and are carried out quite well.
December 12, 2023
What a wonderful series. I just finished reading these to my oldest (8) and it was such a blast. Here’s to hoping for the Mended Wood!
November 3, 2025
Awesome wrap up to the story, extremely well written and very entertaining series!
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