PG13- The Dark is Rising (some v,b), The Grey King (v), Silver on the Tree (b)
PG- Greenwitch (b), Over Sea, Under Stone
I have only heard of one series by Cooper, called The Dark is Rising. I read it between the ages of 12 and 14 and liked it a lot. I recently re-read it, and liked it even more, having missed pieces of it earlier. This series appears simple on the surface, especially in the first book, but it works on several different levels, especially later in the story.
The series is a group of tales about the people caught up in a battle between the Light and the Dark, which don't necessarily represent good and evil. In "Silver on the Tree", the characters discover that the Dark can contain those blinded by their own perfection as well as those deliberately choosing that path.
Magic, according to Cooper, is divided into Light, Dark, High, and Wild aspects, with Light and Dark fighting an eternal battle in which the other two are neutral. Enter the Old Ones, people born for the Light who seem to live forever and posses strange powers. King Arthur, it is said, was advised by one of these. To match them, the Dark has white and black Riders, people who may once have been human, but who now can see no farther than their own perfection or evil. Now the last of the Old Ones has been born and comes of age, the seventh son of a seventh son, and throughout the world, Light and Dark are preparing for a final war to center on the ancient mysteries of England and Wales.
The rhyme says that the Holy Grail is hidden somewhere Over Sea, Under Stone, and Merriman's nephews and niece, Simon, Jane, and Barney, are determined to find it while on vacation to a seaside fishing village. The powerful Merriman tries to fight the Dark in his own way and fails to realize how deeply the children have become involved in the quest of the Light. Braving the minions of the Dark, the siblings begin a search that involves more mystery than magic. This novel was written first, but can be read after The Dark Is Rising for continuity. It may be the weakest of the series in terms of the grand clash between good and evil, but some readers may like its more real-world style.
The Dark is Rising begins with the 11th birthday of Will, a child of the Light. Strange things begin happening to him as he is drawn into the first battle in another war between Light and Dark- a battle that will be fought across the land in England and Wales, where it was fought centuries ago by King Arthur. With the help of ageless Merriman, Will discovers his purpose in the war, and begins a dream-like yet dangerously real quest in his own hometown for the six signs that can stop the Dark from rising.
In Greenwitch (my personal favorite), we meet the siblings again after someone has stolen the Grail from the museum in which it was kept. The children, their parents, Merriman, and Will go on vacation to the seashore and arrive just in time for a local festival in honor of the sea. But Will is there on a mission, and he spends his time being mysterious and somewhat aloof from his mentor's relatives, while they find themselves jealous of his relationship with their "Great Uncle Merry". Yet the very presence of the Old Ones puts the children in danger, and they are soon drawn into the quest. As echoes of the past come alive, the siblings first meet creatures of the Wild Magic, which is neither Light nor Dark, but simply is. The only way to reach the Wild Magic and the treasure it holds is through their own hearts and minds....
The Grey King brings Will to Wales, in search of the legend of King Arthur, one of the greatest heroes the Light has ever known. In a land with a thousand places named after the legendary king, Will must find the truth in order to wake the "Sleepers", the souls of long-dead humans that fought for the Light. Along the way, Will meets Bran, an albino boy who lives on the farm where Will is staying. Together they search for the truth of Bran's past and the history of Wales itself. This story is heartwrenching and beautifully poetic, and rural Wales shines up from the pages with some of the best descriptions in the entire series.
Silver on the Tree is the grand culmination of this particular war. The Light is trying to reach a special tree which appears once a millenium and grows a blossom that, when cut, can grant a wish. But to cut it, Will must find a particular sword made for the Light by the king of a mythical Kingdom that no longer exists... Bran, Simon, Jane, and Barney join together to help Will in his final quest to win for the Light, once and for all. Along the way, they discover that dreams can be all too real and that which seems certain may be nothing more than illusion. This novel is fantastical in a more grand way than the ones before it, and it provides a nice sense of bittersweet closure for the plot, and even more so for the characters. Though just about any other book in this series could stand on its own, this one should only be read after all of the others.
with help from Dragon
(Main Page)
(Categories)
(Awards)
(Authors)
(Titles)
(Top 100)
(Rewrites)
This page owned by: Raven
Questions? Comments? Smart Remarks?
Email me at
[email protected]
Last Updated: March 17, 1999
Author and book reviews are the copyrighted property and responsibility of the person named at the end of the review. If no one is named, they belong to Raven. Any author or publisher who does not want their copyrighted material to be on this page email the reviewer and it will be removed immediately. The reviewer reserves the right to remove material rather than alter it in any way.