The amulet symbolizes great power and the positives and negatives that come with this. For Emily, the power it provides means that she can protect her loved ones and rescue her mom. It allows her to control beams of energy that make her formidable in combat. The knowledge she gains from talking to it keeps her and Navin safe on numerous occasions, like when it alerts her to the danger Navin is in or when it tells her that they can use the large mushrooms as parachutes to escape the arachnopod. In this way, the amulet also represents control, which is something Emily has yearned for ever since she helplessly watched her dad fall to his death. The power it provides grants her agency, and because of this, she finally has the ability to act upon and change the world around her rather than being subject to forces that are out of her control.

However, this kind of power also demands that it be wielded cautiously and responsibly because of its potential to cause great harm. While the sole reason that Emily accepts the amulet in the first place is because she can’t see any other way to rescue her mom, it nevertheless presents some tension throughout the novel.