The Dark is Rising Sequence

[Ashley]

I started reading this series this weekend, and so far, I'm quite impressed. Has anyone else read these? What did you think?

[Ashley]

Over Sea, Under Stone is the first of 5 books that makes up The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper. It started off a little bit slow, but by the end, I was really enjoying myself. I really liked each of the three Drew children.

I'll be quite interested to see what else happens with the children and with Great Uncle Merry. Somehow, I think there is a lot more than meets the eye.

[Ashley]

The Dark is Rising is book two and also the winner of the Newbery Honor Award.

I think this book also started out a little slow, and never moved as fast as I expected, but I did enjoy is immensely. By the end, I wanted to just race through it, so I would know what happened, but also wanted to take my time so that I could fully enjoy it all.

Cooper's writing is really... layered. It flows well but is more complex that you would at first believe. I'm really glad that I started this series, although I do think I might have enjoyed it more if I had first read it when I was younger.

[Ashley]

Greenwitch is book three, and the last one I've read so far. (I'm starting book 4, hopefully today, but maybe tomorrow.)

This one didn't begin as slowly as the first two did. It was much shorter than the first two. I loved the real introduction of The Wild Magic and thought the Greenwitch was a great character. She felt more real to me than some of the real characters did.

I know I'm supposed to love Great Uncle Merry, but I don't. I think he's a great character, and I understand him, but I think he's a little tight lipped and short with the children. He did come to them, and ask them for help this time around, but he won't really tell them anything.

I thought there were a few things, in this book as well as the first two, where things were explored as fully as they should/could have been.

Like meeting Captain Toms. His being who he was/is was a little too convenient, and not explored or explained as much as it should/could have been.

Again, although I am really enjoying these books, I do think I might have liked them even more if I had read them when I was younger.

[Ashley]

So, I just finished The Grey King, and so far it's my favorite. I'll see how I feel after the conclusion, but for now I loved it.

Things are finally starting to come together with this book. Things are beginning to make a little more sense than previously and the 'signs' and 'clues' are really starting to come together.

I really hope no one was home as I read the last part... I'm afraid I got a little excited when things started coming together for me, and when I get really excited about what I read, I tend to make noise...

***THIS MIGHT BE A POSSIBLE SPOILER. TREAD CAREFULLY***********

Anyway, reading these does make me wish that I knew more about Arthurian legends though. (Which isn't really a spoiler, because they talk about Arthur and his holy grail some in the very first book, and rather close to the beginning too.) Anyway, there are things that I think would have been clearer to people with more knowledge of Arthur's legends.

**************END**********

Anyway, I'd love to hear what you think about this series!

[Heather]

This series is a favorite of my sweetie's, and he's encouraged me to read it but I haven't gotten to it yet. I got a little turned off by the movie they made. It was... not well done. But it sounds like it wasn't the fault of the source material at all. I think even my sweetie would rather I read the Mortal Engines books before this series though, so it may be a while. I've enjoyed your posts about it though, Ashley.

[Ashley]

Thanks Heather. I'm really enjoying it, and can't wait to find out how it ends!

[Kaion]

The Grey King is my favorite too, and the only one I've reread since I was 12.

[Ashley]

I just finished the fifth and final book of this series, Silver On The Tree. I still think The Grey King is my favorite, but I really liked this one and thought it was a nearly perfect ending to the series.

I loved that Cooper changed the perception of the dark a little. In the second book, The Dark is Rising, the main evil comes in the form of the Black Rider on his black horse. In the first book, Over Sea Under Stone, the main evil is a man named Hastings who has dark hair and eyes. And on. However, in this book we meet the White Rider who rides with the Black Rider and is one of the most powerful Lords of the Dark.

When Will and Bran first see these dark riders in both black and white (which is contrary to all that we know about good/evil wearing specific colors...) they are understandably curious. Bran wonders aloud and Will answers in a way I thought most insightful. He said first, that both black and white are without color. Then, he also said that the dark is able to reach people only at extremes, "blinded by their own shining ideas, or locked up in the darkness of their own heads."

I think out of everything in this book, and almost this series as a whole, this sticks out in my mind. Because it's true, although we often forget it, and it is something that's important to remember.

All in all, this was a delightful series, one that I will definitely be reading again sometime in the future. I'd love to go back and read through it again knowing how everything connects.

[[deleted user]]

Ashley wrote: "Cooper's writing is really... layered. It flows well but is more complex that you would at first believe. I'm really glad that I started this series, although I do think I might have enjoyed it more if I had first read it when I was younger."

Dark is Rising was one of my favorite fantasy sets growing up. I felt disappointed when a few years ago I tried to reread it and found it.... slow. One day I'll need to give it another chance.