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A review by libdebbie
The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
3.0
My copy of this book (with one of the worst cover illustrations EVER) contains all 5 books in The Dark is Rising series. I've never read it, and am interested, since one of the books one a Newbery Award and one a Newbery Honor. I finished the first book, Over Sea, Under Stone in early April. Since it's an enormous hardback, and I was traveling, I put it down for a while, and am picking it back up for the second book, The Dark is Rising, now.
Over Sea, Under Stone (c1965) I would give about 3 stars. It's sort of a classic sibling summer vacation adventure/mystery in England, with a mysterious Great-Uncle, murderous strangers, and Aurthurian Legends and artifacts.
7/6/2013--I finished The Dark is Rising tonight. I'd give it 3 stars, also. It's the story of Will Stanton, seventh son of a seventh son, who discovers on his eleventh birthday that he is one of the Old Ones, possessed of special magic, and is also the Sign-Seeker, who must collect six special signs, in order to hold back the rising Dark. The Dark Rider attempts to thwart Will at every turn, but with the guidance of Merriman (the mysterious Great-Uncle in Over Sea, Under Stone) and support of other Old Ones in his area, Will learns more about himself and his power, and attempts to find all the signs.
The story was interesting enough, but not so compelling that I wanted to pick it up and read it all the time. And many things that Will needs seem to conveniently show up right at the perfect moment, so there's some lack of suspense/danger and lack of a feeling of reality. But I'm still interested to see what happens in the next book, The Greenwitch, when the characters from the first and second books meet. But first I'm going to take a break again and read some other stuff.
12/11/2013--Since I finished "reading" this series on audio, and got done with the last book, Silver on the Tree, today, I'm going to mark it read. I reviewed the last three books in their audio records. I'm glad to have read the series, and enjoyed the last books more than the first couple, I don't think it's one I'd keep or re-read. Overall, I'd probably give the series 3.5 stars.
Over Sea, Under Stone (c1965) I would give about 3 stars. It's sort of a classic sibling summer vacation adventure/mystery in England, with a mysterious Great-Uncle, murderous strangers, and Aurthurian Legends and artifacts.
7/6/2013--I finished The Dark is Rising tonight. I'd give it 3 stars, also. It's the story of Will Stanton, seventh son of a seventh son, who discovers on his eleventh birthday that he is one of the Old Ones, possessed of special magic, and is also the Sign-Seeker, who must collect six special signs, in order to hold back the rising Dark. The Dark Rider attempts to thwart Will at every turn, but with the guidance of Merriman (the mysterious Great-Uncle in Over Sea, Under Stone) and support of other Old Ones in his area, Will learns more about himself and his power, and attempts to find all the signs.
The story was interesting enough, but not so compelling that I wanted to pick it up and read it all the time. And many things that Will needs seem to conveniently show up right at the perfect moment, so there's some lack of suspense/danger and lack of a feeling of reality. But I'm still interested to see what happens in the next book, The Greenwitch, when the characters from the first and second books meet. But first I'm going to take a break again and read some other stuff.
12/11/2013--Since I finished "reading" this series on audio, and got done with the last book, Silver on the Tree, today, I'm going to mark it read. I reviewed the last three books in their audio records. I'm glad to have read the series, and enjoyed the last books more than the first couple, I don't think it's one I'd keep or re-read. Overall, I'd probably give the series 3.5 stars.