The Stonekeeper

Navin is Emily’s younger brother. He is not present when their dad, David, dies during the Prologue—the family was driving to pick him up—and this is likely why he seems less effected by the death than Emily. He is upbeat, caring, and considerate, evident in the way he tries to cheer up Emily, who is “making the mopey face again” during the drive to their new house (15). In contrast to Emily, Navin is also very cautious, hesitant, and nervous. Emily tends to act without thinking, while Navin usually hesitates and wants to defer to authority figures for guidance. While this emphasizes Emily’s bravery and willingness to act, it also generates tension between the siblings as Navin strongly disagrees with Emily’s decision to accept the amulet because he does not trust it. While he tries to be the voice of reason, Emily frequently ignores his advice and takes charge of the situations they find themselves in.

These characteristics also provide the basis for his character arc throughout The Stonekeeper. For the first half of the novel, Navin is as naive as he is hesitant and requires constant supervision to ensure his safety. However, once it is time to create a plan to save their mom, he volunteers to pilot the Albatross because he believes that his skills at piloting vehicles in video games make him the best candidate for the job. It is the first time he pushes back against Emily, who doesn’t believe he is ready for the task, and the bravery and skill he shows while piloting the plane represents real character growth for Navin. He stands firm and contributes meaningfully to the mission, demonstrating that he is adapting to life in Alledia and Growing Up.

Karen is Emily and Navin’s mom. She makes the decision to move to Norlen and into her grandfather Silas Charnon’s house after David’s death because she cannot afford to live in the city anymore. She also thinks that this move will give the family a fresh start. Before she is taken by an arachnopod, she does her best to remain optimistic and positive in difficult circumstances. Even though she is clearly hurting and feels David’s absence as much as the children, she maintains an upbeat appearance and tries to keep things fun for Emily and Navin.

Karen is captured early in the novel, so she functions most as an absent presence—despite not being there, her absence is constantly felt and motivates the action of the novel as well as character growth for Emily and Navin. They are forced to take responsibility and work together with their new friends to rescue her. Given that The Stonekeeper is only the first novel in the Amulet series, it ends with a lot of unanswered questions, and Karen’s fate is one of them. Despite being rescued by Emily and Navin, she is poisoned during the ordeal, and it is unclear whether she will live.

Miskit is a rabbit-like robot created by Silas Charnon. He is also Silas’s assistant and occupies a leadership role among the other robots of the Charnon House. After Miskit rescues Emily and Navin from Trellis and helps transport them to the house, he functions as a proxy between Emily—and, by extension, the reader—and the new world they are exploring. Up until his introduction, Alledia is unnamed and completely mysterious and unknown, but Miskit provides a lot of exposition and acts as something of a tour guide to the world. Before Silas dies, he charges Miskit with the task of guiding Emily as she learns to become a stonekeeper, making his mentorship role explicit.

In a novel that is tonally dark and intensely paced, Miskit provides comic relief when he mistakenly packs vitamin supplements instead of tranquilizer darts on a mission. His cartoonish design lends itself to over-the-top expressions, and the brief moment of levity during this scene breaks up the relentless tension of the second half of the novel. Along with the other robots of the Charnon House, Miskit becomes an extended family member for Navin and Emily, and the trying experience of rescuing Karen from the arachnopod greatly deepens their bond.