Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13841 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-21
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 1088 pages

Customer Reviews

I still remember the magic of these books from nearly 30 years ago
I have treasured these books since childhood, luckily for me my first child is approaching the age where I can read them to him. I still remember being totally captivated by the characters and stories - in the way Harry Potter has for a new generation. Like the Potter, these books chronicle the ancient battle of good versus evil - and how the choices we make for ourselves can influence the outcome. And what stories! I know there has been a film, but refused to watch it on the grounds that these stories should be read in order, and the film appeared to jump right in at the middle. I cannot recommend these books highly enough.

Childhood memories
These are my favourite books from childhood....good v evil struggles with intrigue. I am buying a new set to pass on to my children.

The Dark Is Rising
I came accross this series many years ago when I was a teenager, and fell in love with it. Some of the ideas may seem a little old-fashioned these days, but the basic moral values should still hold true. Every aspect of human behaviour is touched on, showing the consequences of what we do or say.

But that is not the reason I love the series - they are a reality-based fantasy, and despite Will only being a small boy (in the normal world) there was much he can change, and even more that he can do in the magical world of the Old Ones. He is wiser than his age and has to hide it so as not to upset his family. Will is in part ruthless - or focussed - and at the same time he can be very compassionate. He is pleased to be able to forget his alter-ego an 'Old One' and still be just a boy, but he accepts the responsibility when it is once again thrust upon him. Sometimes being a boy of the real world gets in the way of his duties as an 'Old One' when dealing with the other children - he wants to be liked as much as anybody else does. Woven in to the story is the legend of King Arthur, always captivating, and it is written in a way to encourage more reading about that legend.

The best book of the series is by far The Dark Is Rising - and can be read as a stand-alone book, but every book is brilliant in its own way. If you want to get to know the series, start with this one, although it is chronologically not the first but the second in the series, as it defines the Old Ones and their duties. Over Sea, Under Stone makes the alter world more mysterious. Greenwitch brings the Drew children and Will together and then in the Grey King Will meets Bran. In Silver on the Tree they all meet up for the finale.

This series is 'Tolkien meets C.S.Lewis' - and a lot of the fantasy books written today now have a threefold base - Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Cooper - brilliant!

I have been lucky to be able to pass my love of this series on to my own two sons; the adventure appeals to them as boys as much as it did to me as a girl.