The Dark is Rising
Author Susan Cooper
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Story
Both mortal and immortal children become entangled in an epic ancient battle between the forces of Light and Dark. Armed with newfound powers, they must solve mysterious riddles and hunt for legendary artifacts to battle the Dark's sinister agents—all building to an incredible showdown with the Dark Lord himself. This saga unfolds across five spellbinding novels: Over Sea, Under Stone, The Dark is Rising, Greenwitch, The Grey King and Silver on the Tree.
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Why we chose it
Written by Susan Cooper, who studied under J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis at Oxford, the books bring magic to life in real British landscapes.
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What a young reviewer said
I'd say it's perfect for fantasy fans and kind of reminded me of The Hobbit or The Narnia books. (Florence, age 13)
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Story Reviews
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This book follows the story of a boy named Will who discovers he's an 'old one' who's fate is to find the 6 signs and triumph over the dark. (This'll all make sense after reading the book). It's a fantasy book with a very dream-like quality to it, you never quite know what's happening next. It was published in 1973 which is sometimes noticeable throughout the book but I found that just added to the gloomy, mysterious setting and vibe, plus it was still easy to follow and enjoyable to read. I'd say it's perfect for fantasy fans and kind of reminded me of The Hobbit or The Narnia books I did really like the feel and concept of this book however thought it could have had characters with more personality and perhaps slightly more problems for the protagonist to overcome.