Simon, Jane and Barney, enlisted by their mysterious great uncle, arrive in a small coastal town to help recover a priceless golden grail stolen by the forces of evil, the Dark. They are not at first aware of the strange powers of another boy brought to help, Will Stanton—nor of the sinister significance of the Greenwitch, an image of leaves and branches that for centuries has been cast into the sea for good luck in fishing and harvest. Their search for the grail sets into motion a series of disturbing, sometimes dangerous events that, at their climax, bring forh a gift that, for a time at least, will keep the Dark from rising.
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"What an exciting series! Adventure, enduring, and spellbinding! Wait, for Greenwitch. I re-read this first book and decided that I should have rated this series higher. I find the details, history, characters, plots, quests, truths, adventures as fascinating and great as the Harry Potter series which indeed calls for a maze of impossible imagination and creativity."
— Emily (5 out of 5 stars)
" First of all, this was way too short. Not enough. The Dark was inchoate, poorly formed, and the Light was hazy at best. The plot wasn't much, the Greenwitch not enough... but still, there was a lot here to like. The writing is lovely, the tensions between characters totally believable, and the ending quite satisfying. It's just that it's not The Dark Is Rising, that's all. "
— melody, 2/15/2014" This book was very nice, a change from the usual Light versus Dark. This time, fate was in the hands of Wild Magic. "
— Sinho, 2/14/2014" Y'know, I rather liked this. A lot more than I thought I would, anyway. "
— Melissa, 2/13/2014" Susan Cooper just won the Margaret Edwards Award from YALSA for the Dark is Rising sequence. So I'm going back and rereading them. They still hold my attention and are great fantasy books. "
— Ma'lis, 1/31/2014" Finally the meeting of our intrepid trio and my favourite character - Will Stanton. All of the joys and pettiness that come from pre-teen children with a battle against the dark thrown into the mix. "
— Minh, 1/19/2014" I have the best memories of hiding underneath my blankets with a torch, reading the Dark is Rising series. I recently picked it up again, and this series has not aged at all. Sure, there are no cell phones, and they talk about listening to cassettes and whatnot, but besides that... "
— J, 1/4/2014" I really liked this one!! The story fell in to place for me now! I'm wondering if too much time had passed between reading the first book and the reading of the second. "
— Tammy, 1/4/2014" I found this book less frightening than "The Dark is Rising", although it probably won't make much sense unless you've already read the first two books in the series. "
— Michelle, 12/27/2013" The sea, Cornwall, and magic - aaah, what a wonderful combination! Add to that a novel written by Susan Cooper...is it any wonder nobody can wrest away my attention? "
— Ros, 12/25/2013" This is my favorite so far! Although the story is simple, the characters from the two previous books merge together in the continuing fight against The Dark. The plot was intriguing and everything seemed to come together as the book progressed. Couldn't put this one down! "
— Janell, 5/8/2013" This book (and basically the whole series) should have been right up my alley, usually I really enjoy award winning YA fantasy, but something about it didn't really grip me. "
— Julie, 4/28/2013" I liked this one slightly more than the others, but my very limited interest was flagging hard. "
— Julie, 4/17/2013" So this is the third book in the series, where the characters of the first and second books finally meet. "
— Tina, 3/2/2013" Slow start. Last 50 pages were good but the first 2/3 I couldn't wait to finish. Nowhere near as good as the first two in the series but fun to see Will and the kids brought together. "
— Lisa, 8/15/2012" I'm always surprised when I re-read this how dark and sort of frightening it is. The Greenwitch character is nuts. The continuing battle of the Light and the Dark, though, is wonderfully woven with lessons of kindness alongside the brutal blankness of the Greater Good. "
— Jen, 4/16/2012" Every time I read this series, I come away having noticed more, and with an admiration for Susan Cooper that I really can't express. I am up past my bedtime, and all gleeful and excited, full of the story. "
— Starfish, 2/25/2012" The second ("Over Sea Under Stone" has never really counted as the true beginning of the series for me) in Cooper's wonderful "Dark Is Rising" sequence is a quick, exciting read. "
— Christy, 2/15/2012" Characters from books 1 and 2 of this series get together to solve another mystery. Each has his/her own part to play in this great struggle between Dark and Light. Recommended reading for emergent readers. "
— Julie, 10/30/2011" Again a wild adventure and more discoveries made in the ancient land near Stone Henge. Throughout the series Stone Henge seems to be a gateway to the other ancient magical times. "
— Lori, 9/1/2011" Love this series! I am listening to it this time and I enjoy the narrator immensely. Wonderful British accent that makes the books come alive! "
— Cjpeffer, 7/13/2011" This time our young heroes from the first book meet up with our young hero from the second book to embark on the third step of the quest and unlock the secret of the greenwitch and keep the dark from rising. I'm really enjoying this series and looking forward to reading the next. "
— Pam, 5/29/2011" Another YA fantasy classic I reread on a regular basis. Susan Cooper's books are dark, lyrical, unforgettable. "
— Chris, 4/29/2011" I remember loving this series as a kid — dark, haunting, exciting. "
— Gabriel, 4/23/2011" One of my first favorite fantasy books. "
— Steven, 3/24/2011" These are children's books, but still some of the <strong>best</strong> I have ever read. "
— Michael, 3/20/2011" Classic. Should be better known. "
— Farmgirl, 3/16/2011" I like this series, both for mysef and for students. It has the classic dilemma of good vs evil and ties in legends of King Arthur, and the Green Witch in an adventure that catches the reader's attention quickly. "
— Janice, 2/20/2011" A very good series. Loved it. "
— Johanna, 2/9/2011" A must for every fantasy library! "
— Melissa, 1/26/2011" I remember loving these as a child, and found them to be much darker than I had remembered upon reading them as an adult. Epic battle between good and evil. "
— Hilary, 1/26/2011" It draws on the King Arthur/Holy Grail thing. Pretty interesting "
— Qing, 1/14/2011" Just as good as when I first read it. I hope some kids who saw the craptacular movie will check out the books and find out what they missed. "
— Travis, 1/6/2011" An AMAZING series! A must read! "
— Kusanar, 1/4/2011" LOVED. Her descriptions are wonderful, I loved the settings & characters. Fast-paced yet she gives you time through the descriptions to actually develop an idea of where you are to really be able to experience things as the characters do. "
— ara133photography, 12/29/2010Susan 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.