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104th out of 390 books
—
704 voters
Silver on the Tree (The Dark is Rising #5)
by
Susan Cooper (Goodreads Author)
The Dark is rising in its last and greatest bid to control the world. And Will Stanton -- last-born of the immortal Old Ones, dedicated to keeping the world free -- must join forces with this ageless master Merriman and Bran, the Welsh boy whose destiny ties him to the Light. Drawn in with them are the three Drew children, who are mortal, but have their own vital part in t...more
Paperback, 368 pages
Published
December 1st 2000
by Margaret K. McElderry Books
(first published 1977)
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In this last book, everything comes together. All the characters, all the plots and threads, all the separate pieces of mythology. Again, it's a beautiful book, and again, as always, there is some amazing characterisation. The things that catch my eye especially in this book are the initial awe/resentment of Bran from the Drews, Gwion's loyalty to and grief for Gwddyno, and John's grief when Blodwen betrays him. There's a lot of complex emotion going on here beneath the actual plot, and parts of...more
5 likes · like · see review
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Dec 13, 2009
Tyas
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
L-da, Miu Ririn
Shelves:
fantasy,
susan-cooper
Some authors treat magic in a somehow mechanistic way, although perhaps no explanation is offered for how the magic works.
The magic user says a spell, flames light up.
The magic user says a spell, he levitates.
The magic user says a spell, somebody dies.
As easy as that.
But there are other authors who can do more than that: they create worlds in which magic feels like air filling the atmosphere there, seeping through the words that we read so that we feel magical ourselves. One of the authors with...more
The magic user says a spell, flames light up.
The magic user says a spell, he levitates.
The magic user says a spell, somebody dies.
As easy as that.
But there are other authors who can do more than that: they create worlds in which magic feels like air filling the atmosphere there, seeping through the words that we read so that we feel magical ourselves. One of the authors with...more
5 likes · like · see review
A satisfying conclusion to the series. I realized, listening to the books, that they're not so much about what happens as about the tone, the sense of place, and the way that good and evil work themselves out in the world. I couldn't really tell you the plot of this one - the Dark is rising again and Will and the others are trying to stop it? But that scarcely mattered, because I was interested in how Bran would decide his own fate, and how John Rowlands would respond to an unexpected twist in h...more
3 likes · like · see review
Squeaked this in just before 2013 began. There's little more I can say about this book: I don't understand people who don't like it, who can't see the layers of ambiguity in it, the way there's always more to discover. Mind you, I'm sure it's partly me that brings that to this most loved story.
I love that Susan Cooper's people are people, most of them neither Dark nor Light but people, trying to live. I've needed a Stephen Stanton in the past, and Susan Cooper reminds me -- as Will is reminded b...more
I love that Susan Cooper's people are people, most of them neither Dark nor Light but people, trying to live. I've needed a Stephen Stanton in the past, and Susan Cooper reminds me -- as Will is reminded b...more
3 likes · like · see review
Oh yeah, baby (sorry couldn’t resist, more than mildly pleased with finishing already). I wondered if Susan Cooper planned out all the numerical symmetry ahead of time, honestly I should of seen it sooner, but it just makes me more impressed with her that I didn’t. John Rowland finally gets a little bit of spotlight in this one. You find out why Caradog Pritchard was such an ass. Bran, Merriman, Will, Barney, Simon and Jane are all together finally as the six, but they are not the people that th...more
SILVER ON THE TREE, the conclusion to Susan Cooper's epic THE DARK IS RISING is uneven but a mostly satisfying end to the series. When the novel focused on the human Drew children, particularly Jane, and the conflicted John Rowlands, it soars; when it focused on Old One Will and man foretold Bran Davies, it falters, because these characters just aren't as likable as Cooper probably wants them to be. Further complicating my love for this book are beautifully written but convoluted passages of des...more
End of the Dark is Rising sequence. Of course it's predictable, the good always wins. As with the other books, this is an enjoyable read, although it got a little tedious about 3/4 of the way, when the kids were trying to finish the quest for the last item of the Light. The ending was relegated to only a very thin chapter, which I feel was too little and could have been expanded upon, instead of making the 1-2 chapters before it so lengthy.
There are still surprises in this book though, with reve...more
There are still surprises in this book though, with reve...more
The opening was promising, with Will reading to his brothers from John Gerard's Herbal, a weighty, plagiaristic tome first published in 1597. I deal with this and other early modern herbals in my research, so the reference filled me with delight. Overall, though, this is one of the weaker books in the series, and not just because Cooper used the word "sepulchrally" once more. I found it easy to put down, even at ostensibly high-tension moments. Again, the conflicts with the Dark resolved themsel...more
Mar 09, 2011
Nikki
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
children-s-and-ya
My full, more overview-like review of this book is here -- this review is just about my most recent reading. It was unfortunately swift, really, since my poor girlfriend needs to sleep and I was only halfway through by sometime past midnight. So I hurried up, and didn't have as much time as I'd like to savour the images and the taste of the words... Not that it isn't, in a way, appropriate to read it as a race against time, since that's what this book is. From the sleepiness, the slow start of O...more
I really don't know what it is about this series that leaves me less than enthusiastic about reading it. I barely managed to finish this, the final book. In fact I ended up skimming most of the second half and tuning back in only for the final battle. Throughout the whole series the story suffered from a removed and distant point of view, so I never felt anxious or sad of happy about anything that happened. The bad guys weren't really that bad- they followed all the rules! There was even a point...more
Children's fantasy novel. 5th and final book in The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper.
Fans of a series want all of the important characters to be involved in the final book, and Cooper mostly delivers. The 3 Drew children, Will, Bran, and Merriman all play an important part in the book. Other characters such as John Rollings (from the 4th book) and The Lady (from the 2nd book) reappear, although I do wish Farmer Dawson and John Smith (the latter mentioned in passing) were there, too! Of co...more
Fans of a series want all of the important characters to be involved in the final book, and Cooper mostly delivers. The 3 Drew children, Will, Bran, and Merriman all play an important part in the book. Other characters such as John Rollings (from the 4th book) and The Lady (from the 2nd book) reappear, although I do wish Farmer Dawson and John Smith (the latter mentioned in passing) were there, too! Of co...more
I remember loving these books as a child but I had forgotten how much I skipped over. Re-reading childhood favorites is dangerous, but in the case of the Dark Is Rising books, you really should not do it.
What I loved was the Drew children, because Stone Over Sea is a wonderful book and I kept reading to get more of them. But everything having to do with Will Stanton was so outrageously irritating, I nearly didn't finish the fifth book, Silver on the Tree. Good lord. He magically gets all these o...more
What I loved was the Drew children, because Stone Over Sea is a wonderful book and I kept reading to get more of them. But everything having to do with Will Stanton was so outrageously irritating, I nearly didn't finish the fifth book, Silver on the Tree. Good lord. He magically gets all these o...more
This was a disappointing end to a disappointing series. "It's all too... vague," says Jane at one point, at the start of yet another random adventure, a sentiment that unfortunately applies to the whole of The Dark Is Rising sequence.
I don't even know where to begin, so I'll start with the same criticisms I had with the other four books: no explanation about how all the magic works and overuse of capitalized words that signify nothing. Now, there is a little speech Will gives at the beginning of...more
I don't even know where to begin, so I'll start with the same criticisms I had with the other four books: no explanation about how all the magic works and overuse of capitalized words that signify nothing. Now, there is a little speech Will gives at the beginning of...more
Silver on the Tree is the fifth and last book in the Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper. I highly recommend reading the other books before this one, and if you continue with this review, you may encounter some spoilers on those books. The series is about an ancient and timeless fight between the forces of the Light and of the Dark. Our main character, Will Stanton, is the youngest of the Old Ones of the light and has been seeking out the power objects of the light to keep the dark from rising...more
Silver on the Tree finishes up the Dark is Rising sequence. As you might expect, it's a final quest for a Thing of Power (Will and Bran, off to the Lost Land to find the crystal sword) and the final epic battle against the Dark, come in its final rising.
The main thing that sticks with me from this book is how, for years and years, I couldn't understand how Bran's choice was the right one. To me, it seemed an easy choice - leave a world where you were excluded and treated poorly because you had t...more
The main thing that sticks with me from this book is how, for years and years, I couldn't understand how Bran's choice was the right one. To me, it seemed an easy choice - leave a world where you were excluded and treated poorly because you had t...more
Why only 3 stars, when the other books in the The Dark Is Rising Sequence got 4 stars? That's a tough question to answer--not because I don't know the answer, but because I hate to downgrade a classic, particularly when I've enjoyed the other books more than this one. But objectively, I have to say that this was a book I slogged through in parts. It was light on plot and heavy on Important Events.
Will and Bran, who we've met in earlier books in the series, are charged with preventing the Dark f...more
Will and Bran, who we've met in earlier books in the series, are charged with preventing the Dark f...more
This time, reading the Dark is Rising Series, I didn't like the Old Ones. (view spoiler)...more
This book: At this point I'm in pain. I started the dumb thing in June right after the first four and couldn't manage more than sticking it in my car to read a few pages here and there as I had to wait around or during soccer/swim etc. Now that it's December I've finally managed to finish. I'm fed up with the ease of everything, and the doom and gloom almost feels parody-ish now that I've read so much go so easily. Finally, at the end of this book someone actually experiences a real consequence...more
Silver on the Tree wraps up the Dark is Rising sequence. It brings together Merriman, Will, the Drew kids, AND Bran Davies, in a sprawling, surreal lead-up to the final battle - for when the Dark comes Rising (capital R, and it really IS a capital R when it finally happens. It is awesome. It is terrifying), 6 shall turn it back. It's an exciting adventure story, it's sometimes heart-breaking and sometimes scary, it veers from great splendour to moments of mundane human happiness.
It is, beyond al...more
It is, beyond al...more
**This review won’t make much sense if you haven’t read the rest of the series**
This is the final book in The Dark is Rising series and I’ll admit, it was sad to say goodbye. Everything has been building to the final battle between the dark and the light and this book provided a satisfying conclusion. For me, the action sequences have never been the draw. It’s the relationships that make the series a success and in this book, all the characters are together for the first time. Of course, when ev...more
This is the final book in The Dark is Rising series and I’ll admit, it was sad to say goodbye. Everything has been building to the final battle between the dark and the light and this book provided a satisfying conclusion. For me, the action sequences have never been the draw. It’s the relationships that make the series a success and in this book, all the characters are together for the first time. Of course, when ev...more
I expected to be way more into this series than I was. This book was definitely the best of the lot, but that's not really saying much. Susan Cooper plays fast and loose with Welsh mythology, and while the dramatic tension of the quest in this book was definitely better managed than in previous installments, there were still certain bits that came out of nowhere, tacked on almost as afterthoughts (such as the revelation of the White Rider's alter ego, and the forced heterosexuality of Will think...more
I finally broke down and gave one of these books four stars. I think it's fitting that it was the last in the Dark is Rising series that I liked the most. It was still a far from perfect book and many of the themes that I have belabored through the first four books persisted in this book:
1. The action is rarely motivated and things just happen
2. Things come way too easy for the main characters. They need to find something and they do. They don't know where to go, all of a sudden their first gues...more
1. The action is rarely motivated and things just happen
2. Things come way too easy for the main characters. They need to find something and they do. They don't know where to go, all of a sudden their first gues...more
The 5th of an amazing children's series I'd read so many times over that the spine creases combined into one, big, obscuring curl. I'm saddened by the previews of the upcoming movie where it appears the lilting beauty of Cooper's story has been fed steroids and 'enhanced' with explosions. What's this about an American protagonist rather than English, and no mention of the Arthurian connection? The horrors!
5 likes · like · see review
Some of this book is some of the best stuff in the entire series. The writing, as always, is superb. But unfortunately . . .
I'm not going to go into detail about everything, lest I start foaming at the mouth and ripping out my own hair. I'm just going to ask a few questions. (What if? What if? What if I?)
No, seriously. WHAT was with the White Rider?
WHY did it go on and on about the six, and then it turns out that Bran--who is awesome generally--is a complete loser who can't hold his own?
AND JOHN...more
I'm not going to go into detail about everything, lest I start foaming at the mouth and ripping out my own hair. I'm just going to ask a few questions. (What if? What if? What if I?)
No, seriously. WHAT was with the White Rider?
WHY did it go on and on about the six, and then it turns out that Bran--who is awesome generally--is a complete loser who can't hold his own?
AND JOHN...more
Combined review of The Grey King and Silver on the Tree: I feel the same about these two books as I did with the last couple in the series - good stories, poor characterization. And the more I read of them, the more irritated I became by the way all the characters just Know what to do; they'll be standing there, faced with some incomprehensible situation, and then they suddenly understand that they have to act in a certain way. While it might be comforting to think that in such a situation, the...more
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The final installment of the series is a wild ride, with a mostly satisfying ending. All of the cast is assembled, and the power of The Light and Dark are at their most enthralling. This book has tons of new ground it covers, with Bran and Will entering a world separate from our own, to go on a strange, fantastic, and occasionally surreal quest for the last key to the fight against The Dark. Eventually, when all of the character's strengths are needed they are all called upon, making this a true...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This is the last of the Dark is Rising sequence and, in keeping with my re-read of the Prydain Chronicles, this is probably my least favorite book, again because it is the most epic.
In this last tale the Dark and Light are gathering for one last battle and Will Stanton and his Welsh friend, Bran, must gain the crystal sword and join with the Drew siblings to aid Merriman.
Everyone is here, but for me the book is marred by the long section all about looking for the crystal sword through the Lost L...more
In this last tale the Dark and Light are gathering for one last battle and Will Stanton and his Welsh friend, Bran, must gain the crystal sword and join with the Drew siblings to aid Merriman.
Everyone is here, but for me the book is marred by the long section all about looking for the crystal sword through the Lost L...more
A good conclusion to a very good series. I again had that problem of occasional distraction from the audio while I was at work. Too many tasks at the end of the year that require a bit more concentration on my part rather than listening to the book. But you know a series is amazing if I can "miss" various parts of the books and still think "WOW!!!" (Indeed, I know my ratings would be higher if I'd paid more attention, and fully anticipate them going up when I find time for my 2nd read through of...more
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Susan Cooper was born in 1935, and grew up in England's Buckinghamshire, an area that was green countryside then but has since become part of Greater London. As a child, she loved to read, as did her younger brother, who also became a writer. After attending Oxford, where she became the first woman to ever edit that university's newspaper, Cooper worked as a reporter and feature writer for London'...more
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“The future cannot blame the present, just as the present cannot blame the past. The hope is always here, always alive, but only your fierce caring can fan it into a fire to warm the world.”
—
53 people liked it
“For ever and ever, we say when we are young, or in our prayers. Twice, we say it. Old One, do we not? For ever and ever ... so that a thing may be for ever, a life or a love or a quest, and yet begin again, and be for ever just as before. And any ending that may seem to come is not truly an ending, but an illusion. For Time does not die, Time has neither beginning nor end, and so nothing can end or die that has once had a place in Time.”
—
41 people liked it
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