On the Midwinter Day that is his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers a special gift — that he is the last of the Old Ones, immortals dedicated to keeping the world from domination by the forces of evil, the Dark. At once, he is plunged into a quest for the six magical Signs that will one day aid the Old Ones in the final battle between the Dark and the Light. And for the twelve days of … Christmas, while the Dark is rising, life for Will is full of wonder, terror, and delight.
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This is one of those books that has stayed with me over the years. Haunting, original, it is just unlike any other book I’ve run across. Love it!
“The Dark is Rising” is easily one of the top five, or even top two, best middle grade (children’s chapter) books of all time, as far as I am concerned. Taking from the mysterious, ancient lore of the Celts, it’s a fantastical story that reads like a haunting, adventurous cross between “The Prydain Chronicles” by Lloyd Alexander, and “Goosebumps” by R.L. Stine, as Susan Cooper’s young hero Wil learns of his ancient calling to fight the darkest evil in the universe. Full of magic, adventure, lore, and a touch of whimsy, “The Dark Is Rising” is a classic fantasy that stands the test of time, and one that readers of all ages can truly enjoy.
The second in a 5 book sequence, THE DARK IS RISING is worth returning to periodically for its transformation of Celtic mysteries into YA novels about the eternal battle of good & evil, light & dark, as dynamic, personified principles. THE DARK IS RISING is where we move from Merlin popping up in the present day to the metaphysical universe of the Old Ones versus the Dark. A young boy discovers that he is the last (re)born Old One and he has to join the fight or the Dark will rise and cover the earth in terror and evil. When first written by Cooper, the Dark might be manifest by WMD. here in the 21st century we have this and yet more reasons to identify engines of the Dark that we may all too easily overlook. This is still our battle and these books our weapons for imagination, compassion and love are forces to banish the dark.
Because I recently found this missing volume from my ancient box set of the series! Loved this book as a kid and still re-read it now and then! Ignore the recent movie if you’ve only seen that. It was terrible.
Before Harry Potter there was Will Stanton, seventh son of a seventh son and last of the Old Ones. The Dark is Rising can be read first even though it is technically the second book in the series. This is one of the classics. BTW, ignore the movie it was terrible and didn’t follow the book very well either.
I adore all of the books in The Dark is Rising Series, but this one is my favorite. The world, the possibility of magic in all of us, the haunting weight of responsibility for young people. LOVE> LOVE> LOVE.
I reread The Dark is Rising every year at Christmastime. Set against the backdrop of a British midwinter and holiday season, the landscape is so vivid–both the physical and emotional landscapes. Arthurian lore, pagan and Christian traditions, and British history all combine along with a likable everyman main character to create a delightful story that continues to haunt me. The Christmas season is inextricably linked, in my mind, with Will Stanton and the Light.
The Dark Is Rising, along with the other 4 books in Susan Cooper’s classic fantasy series, is one of my all-time favorite fantasy books. It doesn’t matter that it’s written for a juvenile audience. The writing is so good, the plotting so strong, the weaving-in of myth and legend so sure-footed, I have to reread at least this second in the series often. Each story in the series stands on its own, though of course it’s great to read the entire five books and see the battle between Dark and Light to it’s conclusion. This is classic fantasy writing at its best.