The Torchbearers – Ally Condie (2020)

The Torchbearers by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs, published in 2020, is the thrilling final installment of The Darkdeep trilogy – a middle-grade fantasy adventure series that blends eerie science fiction with supernatural intrigue. Set in the mysterious coastal town of Timbers, the story picks up after the chaos of “Dark Halloween,” where figments – terrifying manifestations from the mind – were unleashed. Now, the young protagonists must confront a widening interdimensional rift, secrets from the past, and a threat that could devour their world.

Plot Summary

A cold wind scours the town of Timbers, still scarred by the figments that once stormed from the sea. In the shadows of paranoia and fractured trust, five young Torchbearers – Nico, Opal, Tyler, Emma, and Logan – grapple with the haunting aftermath of Dark Halloween. Each carries a separate burden, but they are bound by a secret greater than themselves: the Darkdeep, a swirling, mind-scanning vortex hidden in an old houseboat at Still Cove. Its figments can leap from imagination into reality. And worse, a breach between dimensions – the Rift – still yawns beneath the ocean, threatening to awaken anew.

Nico Holland walks the tightrope of leadership and fear. Something is watching him – yellow-eyed shadows flit through trees, and whispers of new figments echo in the night. Haunted not only by what stirs beyond the veil, Nico also reels from personal news: his father has been transferred to Portland. He will soon leave Timbers, and the friends who need him.

Opal Walsh feels the mounting weight of deciphering a cryptic message sent by Thing – a small, sentient creature from beyond the Rift. The message hints that someone among them does not belong. As she searches old Torchbearer records in their secret basement office beneath the Custom House, Opal unravels fragments of history, including the mysterious founder Yvette Dumont, the first Beastmaster. She suspects that answers lie buried in the past, and the clues grow more tangled by the day.

Tyler Watson, the comic yet cautious member of the team, now bears the eerie title of potential Beastmaster – one chosen by the ancient sea creature known as the Beast. But the Beast chooses its master with finality. Those unworthy were once met not with rejection, but with death. Tyler wrestles with a strange mixture of fear and reverence, unsure whether to embrace or flee from the role fate has handed him.

Emma Fairington, once thrust into the spotlight during Freakshow’s monstrous hoax, balances her rising fame with her duties. Her YouTube channel, Emma-mazing!, gains popularity, but also draws unwanted attention. Her fans camp outside her house, and the other Torchbearers begin to question where her loyalties lie. When she tries to film a Beast impression skit, tensions flare. Nico, already fraying from the pressure of his impending departure, lashes out. The rift within the group begins to widen.

Meanwhile, Logan Nantes dives deep into Torchbearer history. During a repair job on the houseboat, he discovers something startling – the wood bears the Nantes Timber Company’s old emblem. The boat might have been built by his ancestors. Beneath the floorboards, he finds a metal lockbox and a baseball once owned by his late grandfather. The implications shake him to his core. How did these items come to rest within the haunted heart of the houseboat? Who built this vessel, and why?

As Logan struggles with his family’s mysterious ties to the Darkdeep, the vortex stirs. Bursts of black liquid, sulfurous air, and glowing pulses erupt from the well. Something is changing. The Rift may still be active – or worse, evolving. When a strange monster is drawn by the Darkdeep’s energy and attacks the town square, the Torchbearers are forced to face a harrowing truth. The figments are returning. But this time, no one imagined them.

In the Custom House archives, Opal pieces together the fragmented past. She uncovers that Yvette Dumont, the founder of the Order, lost someone during the moment of the Tear – the creation of the Rift. That loss forged her bond with the Beast, a bond that passed on only when the creature chose its next master. With this revelation, Tyler’s role begins to feel inevitable. And dangerous.

As the group reunites, cracks in their friendship threaten to split them apart. Logan wants answers, Emma yearns to express the truth, Nico hides the agony of leaving, Tyler fears the Beast’s call, and Opal struggles to hold them all together. But the Rift waits for no one. A new red tide appears off the coast of Australia, identical to the one that had once poisoned their shores. Strange eruptions in Yellowstone mimic the volatile bursts from Still Cove. The world itself seems to be reacting to the weakening barrier between dimensions.

Determined to protect their town, the Torchbearers return to the houseboat to confront the surging Darkdeep. In a daring act, they open the lockbox Logan found beneath the boards. Inside lies a map, encoded with coordinates leading to a long-abandoned site in the Pacific – a second Darkdeep, or perhaps something even worse. The box also contains letters between early Torchbearers, hinting at a hidden chamber designed to suppress figments. A place forgotten. A place now needed more than ever.

With the town watching and whispers of monsters growing louder, the Torchbearers know they cannot wait. They set out to reach the site. Along the way, their bonds are tested by distrust, fatigue, and fear. Emma redeems herself by using her platform to mislead curious eyes away from Still Cove, distracting potential intruders. Tyler finally meets the Beast again, and it offers him a sign – an offering from the sea, a token of trust. He is no longer an almost-Beastmaster. He is chosen.

At the journey’s end, amid crashing waves and spectral shadows, the five Torchbearers confront the new breach. With the help of the ancient tools in the lockbox, and the legacy of those who came before, they stabilize the Rift – for now. The energy still pulses beneath the waves, quieter but never fully silenced.

Nico watches the sun rise over the cove, knowing it may be one of his last in Timbers. But though the fight continues, so does the bond between them. They are the last line of defense against what waits in the deep. And they are not afraid.

Main Characters

• Nico Holland – Brave yet haunted, Nico shoulders the emotional weight of leadership within the group of Torchbearers. Smart and introspective, he’s driven by a fierce need to protect his friends and the town, all while navigating the stress of a looming move away from Timbers. His arc reflects a journey through fear, loyalty, and sacrifice.

• Opal Walsh – Intellectual and determined, Opal is the group’s problem-solver, deeply tied to the mysterious entity known as Thing. Her fierce curiosity and growing emotional depth position her as a spiritual and strategic core of the Torchbearers. Her growing feelings for Nico add quiet complexity to her internal struggle.

• Tyler Watson – The group’s comic relief and reluctant hero, Tyler has evolved from a cautious sidekick into a vital member through his strange connection with the Beast, a monstrous creature of the deep. His transformation into a potential “Beastmaster” challenges his courage and identity.

• Emma Fairington – A charismatic internet celebrity caught between fame and duty, Emma’s struggle to balance her public persona with her responsibilities as a Torchbearer underscores the tension between personal ambition and collective responsibility. Her YouTube stardom causes friction within the team.

• Logan Nantes – Resourceful and independent, Logan is steeped in the lore of the Torchbearers and their legacy. His discoveries about his family’s secret connection to the mysterious houseboat deepen the stakes. Logan is also a savvy entrepreneur whose motives are sometimes questioned by the group.

Theme

• Responsibility vs. Self-Interest: Each Torchbearer is torn between their personal desires and the enormous weight of guarding an interdimensional threat. Emma’s struggle with her online fame, Nico’s looming move, and Logan’s commercial ventures all embody this tug-of-war, making the theme poignant and accessible.

• Legacy and the Past: Echoes of history haunt the Torchbearers as they uncover secrets from the original members of their order. Artifacts, journal entries, and mysterious emblems form a tapestry that blurs past and present, suggesting that understanding history is key to confronting the future.

• Imagination and Reality: The Darkdeep literally brings the imagination to life, turning dreams and nightmares into figments. This motif questions the boundaries of thought and matter, reality and illusion, and explores the power – and danger – of belief.

• Friendship and Loyalty: The strength and strain of friendship are tested constantly as the group faces supernatural threats and interpersonal conflict. Loyalty becomes a powerful currency – sometimes fractured, often reaffirmed, but always vital.

Writing Style and Tone

Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs employ a fast-paced, dual-perspective narrative structure, alternating mainly between Nico and Opal. This layered approach adds dimension to both the plot and the emotional resonance of the story, offering distinct lenses into the central conflict. The prose is sharp and rhythmic, suitable for younger readers yet mature in its thematic undercurrents. Dialogue brims with wit, urgency, and authentic middle-grade voice, while description effectively conjures eerie atmospheres and intense action.

The tone of The Torchbearers deftly straddles suspense and warmth. The novel embraces a chilling, cinematic tension reminiscent of classic horror adventures while maintaining the emotional grounding of a coming-of-age story. Moments of wonder, dread, and heartache ebb and flow like the tides of Timbers, producing a tone that’s haunting yet hopeful. The authors handle character emotions with care, layering humor and vulnerability in equal measure, which gives the fantastical story a human pulse.