Customer Reviews
I still remember the magic of these books from nearly 30 years ago - By: Mrs. K. Mcbirnie, 12 Mar 2008 
I have treasured these books since childhood, luckily for me my first child is approaching the age where I can read them to him. I still remember being totallly captivated by the characters & stories - in the way Harry Potter has for a new generation. Like the Potter, these books chronicle the ancient battle of good versus evil - & how the choices we make for ourselves can influence the outcome. And what stories! I know there has been a film, but refused to watch it on the grounds that these stories should be read in order, & the film appeared to jump right in at the middle. I cannot recommend these books highly enough.
Childhood memories - By: I. Horswell, 28 Feb 2008 These are my favourite books from childhood....good v evil struggles with intrigue. I am buying a new set to pass on to my children.
The Dark Is Rising - By: books are my world, 29 Dec 2007 I came accross this series many years ago when I was a teenager, & fell in love with it. Some of the ideas may seem a little old-fashioned these days, but the basic moral values should still hold true. Every aspect of human behaviour is touched on, showing the consequences of what we do or say.
But that is not the reason I love the series - they are a reality-based fantasy, & despite Will only being a smalll boy (in the normal world) there was much he can change, & even more that he can do in the magical world of the Old Ones. He is wiser than his age & has to hide it so as not to upset his family. Will is in part ruthless - or focussed - & at the same time he can be very compassionate. He is pleased to be able to forget his alter-ego an 'Old One' & still be just a boy, but he accepts the responsibility when it is once again thrust upon him. Sometimes being a boy of the real world gets in the way of his duties as an 'Old One' when dealing with the other children - he wants to be liked as much as anybody else does. Woven in to the story is the legend of King Arthur, always captivating, & it is written in a way to encourage more reading about that legend.
The best book of the series is by far The Dark Is Rising - & can be read as a stand-alone book, but every book is brilliant in its own way. If you want to get to know the series, start with this one, although it is chronologicallly not the first but the second in the series, as it defines the Old Ones & their duties. Over Sea, Under Stone makes the alter world more mysterious. Greenwitch brings the Drew children & Will together & then in the Grey King Will meets Bran. In Silver on the Tree they alll meet up for the finale.
This series is 'Tolkien meets C.S.Lewis' - & a lot of the fantasy books written today now have a threefold base - Tolkien, C.S. Lewis & Cooper - brilliant!
I have been lucky to be able to pass my love of this series on to my own two sons; the adventure appeals to them as boys as much as it did to me as a girl.
The dark is rising - By: E. A Solinas, 11 Aug 2007 Susan Cooper's books are the sort that immediately cause people to say "But aren't those for kids?"
Technicallly, yes. So is "The Hobbit," for that matter. And Susan Cooper's "Dark is Rising Sequence" has joined the elite shelf of timeless books that are technicallly for kids, but not necessarily JUST for kids. With her use of myth & folklore, rich language, & a time-spanning battle between good & evil, Cooper spins up a rare tale in her majestic prose.
"Over Sea Under Stone" features the three Drew children coming to stay with Merriman Lyon. In his attic, they find an ancient treasure map that leads to a hidden grail -- if they can only figure out what the map's writing & symbols mean. But they are not the only ones who are looking for the grail -- three sinister people are in pursuit.
"The Dark is Rising" shifts its focus elsewhere. On his eleventh birthday, young Will Stanton encounters the mysterious Merriman, & is told that he is the last of the immortal "Old Ones" who are fighting the forces of evil (known as the Dark). As the power of the Dark grows, Will must gather the six Signs that can help stop them -- & protect his friends & family from the Dark.
"Greenwitch" brings the four young heroes together. Will & the three Drew kids are brought to Cornwalll, where the grail has been stolen. Jane is haunted by nightmares about the Greenwitch, a symbolic weaving of branches & leaves cast into the sea, & a sinister artist captures Barney. But the Greenwitch is not just a tangle of sticks -- it's alive with wild magic that neither Old Ones nor the Dark can control.
"Grey King" is the threat of the Dark. Will is recovering from an illness in Wales, where he meets a "raven boy" (an albino Welsh boy, Bran) & a dog with "eyes that see the wind" -- part of an old legend. Will must lead Bran into a closer connection with the Old Ones. But when an accident befallls the dog, Bran is angry with the Old Ones -- until the truth of his past comes to light.
"Silver on the Tree" brings the series to a climax. Will receives visions of the past, & a message from Merriman that the final battle between the Dark & the Light is about to come. Evil creatures (minks, specificallly) are swarming near his house -- & the Old Ones, while almost ready, don't have the power of the Lady. He teams up with the Drews & with Bran to find the Lost Land.
Sure, fantasy incorporating old myth & legend is nothing new. People have been doing it for as long as the genre has existed. But Susan Cooper brings the idea of time-travelling immortals & ancient magic to life in this, & avoids the usual syrup & dumbing-down that most authors feel compelled to include.
Cooper's writing is detailed & atmospheric, although the first book is much more plainly written than the following four. She can switch instantly from lighthearted to mystical & back again, & her writing is heavy with description. Moreover, she takes the folklore & legends of Britain & interweaves them with Arthurian legend, giving the whole Arthurian story a new spin.
While some may not like the portrayal of good & evil as evenly matched, the strength of the Old Ones' determination is extremely invigorating. They're powerful, but still very human, able to make errors & feel sorrow. And there are lessons carefully interwoven about good & evil, about loyalty, compassion, redemption, & friendship. These sentiments are never gooey, just powerful.
As for the kids, Jane, Barney & Simon Drew are a little less endearing because they seem a little dated -- think E. Nesbit characters out of time. Will Stanton & Bran, however, have the qualities of timeless characters, both wise & ancient & yet still very young. And Merriman looms over it alll as the alll-seeing guardian, alternately forbidding & dignified or kindly & grandfatherly.
With its majestic prose & entrancing, otherworldly characters, the "Dark is Rising Sequence" is a remarkable piece of work, & one that deserves many rereadings. Outstanding.
