The Dark is Rising - Susan Cooper

Advantages: Will keep children spellbound
Disadvantages: Maybe a little scary here and there.

...all enjoyed it , although the youngest was perhaps too young. Set in the heart of the English countryside against a background of ordinary family life one boy battles against the evil that threatens to alter the lives of everyone he knows and loves. When he discovers his own powers and his own courage he must put both to the test before the power of evil wins through. Really great gripping stuff. This is the first of a series of books that take ... Read review

Advantages: Scary, exciting, interesting
Disadvantages: Scary!

The Dark is Rising was the first (and so far only) book that I have ever read which scared me so much I had to put it down and not finish it. Luckily though I have read it since then and the whole series is one of my all time favourites. The series of five books tells the story of a group of children who find themselves drawn into a battle between the forces of good and evil in Britain. The best thing about the stories is that they combine Celtic ... Read review

Advantages: too many to mention!!!
Disadvantages: that there weren't any more!!!

The Dark is Rising Sequence is the brainchild of Susan Cooper. The eponymous book of the five is actually the second of the series although no harm will come of reading books one and two out of order. The Dark is Rising's main character is Will Stanton, seventh son of a seventh son, and the last of the circle of The Old Ones, whom have existed for a VERY long time as the front line assault in the battle between the dark and the light. Now as will ...
...the final battles can commence, and Will as the youngest of the Old Ones is bestowed the task of being the Sign Seeker, locating and joining the six signs of the light. He is aided in his task, and into the reality of his place in history, and the world by Merriman Lyon, one of the first of the Old Ones. The main plot of the book centres around Will's quest, taking him through a fantastic journey involving time, magic, family, temptation and everything ... Read review

Advantages: Some really exciting, tense bits
Disadvantages: Some descriptions are too long-winded

...I read one of the books on its own and thought it was superb so I bought the sequence. It is basically about good versus evil, but it is far more complicated than that. It has real tension and excitement that had me tuening the pages really fast. I read the whole 500+ book in less than a week because I couldn't put it down. It's not just about good fighting evil and all the skirmishes, but you really get to know most of the characters by the end. ... Read review

Advantages: fantasy, british folklore, time travel, a well thought out plot, great writing...
Disadvantages: you *can't* read it all in a day,

...i first came across these books when i was fourteen, and reread them at least twice a year - something ive never done with another story... The overarching theme of The Dark is Rising Sequence is the battle between the Dark and the Light. 'Over Sea and Under Stone' and 'The Dark is Rising' both serve primarily to introduce us to the main characters who will prove to be so instrumental in the remaining three books. Over Sea and Under Stone introduces us to the Drew family and Merriman, and the battle being waged between the two sides, and if you've read your childrens storys could be seen to bear some resemblance to a Famous Five novel, however Cooper's writing carries a much more epic quality to it. This is my least favourite of the five books, as it seems to suffer a little from being a slightly nervous beginning, not elaborating... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful