On holiday in Cornwall, the three children discover an ancient map in the attic of the house that they are staying in. They know immediately that it is special. It is even more than that--the key to finding a grail, a source of power to fight the forces of evil known as the Dark. And in searching for it themselves, the Drews put their lives in peril. This is the first volume of Susan Cooper's brilliant and absorbing fantasy sequence known as The Dark is Rising.
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"This is a well-written fantasy book for youth. Her books have received many honors. She wrote them long ago (well not too long ago, I was alive)but they have a timeless quality to them. The story is linear but interesting. She develops the characters well and is quite visual. I highly recommend the series to younger readers who like Harry Potter and other magical stories and especially anyone who is interested in King Arthur mysticism. They are clean, no swearing, good stuff books like they used to write!"
— Lynette (4 out of 5 stars)
" Settings vivid, and magic in our world is always fun. "
— Ron, 2/9/2014" Three children on vacation in Cornwall find an ancient manuscript which sends them on a dangerous quest that entraps them in the eternal battle between the forces of the Light and the Dark. "
— Carissa, 1/20/2014" Never read this classic of Junior fantasy. Scary and intense, but I was disappointed that the characters do not continue in the "sequence" of novels. "
— Yvonne, 1/17/2014" Love Susan Cooper's writing style! "
— Jeannine, 1/11/2014" Absolutely adored this as a child "
— Ziggy, 12/28/2013" This is a fantastic series--I read it years ago when I was visiting a friend in Olympia, Washington. They were written for kids, so are a really quick read, but great stories. "
— Emilie, 12/21/2013" Great book. Not as good as the other books in the series, but worth reading. "
— Sinho, 12/20/2013" I know this is a prequel and the start of a series and so, in a way, it suffers like The Magician's Nephew does with the Narnia books. While it's a nice, self-contained story about Precocious British Children finding the Holy Grail, I kept wanting the REAL action to start. "
— Phyllis, 12/15/2013" We listened to this while we drove to Utah. It took the whole drive but we all really enjoyed it. "
— Kara, 12/9/2013" Just re-read this book. Less fantasy that I remembered and more simple treasure hunt. "
— Arlene, 12/3/2013" Better pacing than most of the rest of the series. "
— Lia, 10/17/2013Susan Cooper is the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement. Her classic five-book fantasy sequence The Dark Is Rising won the Newbery Medal and a Newbery Honor and has sold millions of copies worldwide. She is also the author of Victory, a Booklist Top Ten Historical Fiction for Youth book and a Washington Post Top Ten for Children novel; King of Shadows, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor book; The Boggart; Seaward; and many other acclaimed novels for young readers. She lives in Massachusetts.
Alex Jennings is an award-winning narrator and actor of stage and screen. He has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre. He is also known for his role as Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, in the Netflix series The Crown, along with his roles in The Queen, Lady in the Van, and The Wings of the Dove. He is a three-time Olivier Award winner and has been nominated for a BAFTA.