Silver on the Tree

Silver on the Tree
by Susan Cooper
★★★★

**This review won’t make much sense if you haven’t read the rest of the series**

This is the final book in The Dark is Rising series and I’ll admit, it was sad to say goodbye. Everything has been building to the final battle between the dark and the light and this book provided a satisfying conclusion. For me, the action sequences have never been the draw. It’s the relationships that make the series a success and in this book, all the characters are together for the first time. Of course, when everyone is finally together there’s a bit of rivalry, but that would happen with any group.

Will has really grown as a character, balancing his life as a young man and as an Old One can’t be easy, but it seems like he has matured. His role in the series is actually pretty tragic. It broke my heart when Will tells his brother who he really is and his brother doesn’t believe him. He then has to make him forget what he said. It seems like the people who fight for what’s right often lead such lonely lives.

This book features some wonderful new characters, like Gwion, and some intense scenes, like Will and Bran being chased by the skeletal horse. There’s also a great scene where Will and Merriman travel back in time to when the Romans were in Britain. Also, Jane’s role becomes vital in this book, because she and the Grey Lady are both females, so they have a special connection.

One of the aspects I’ve enjoyed the most from this series is the way the “Dark” attacks people. It’s not about violent attacks or brute force; instead they plant seeds of doubt and prey on people’s fears. They manipulate and tempt and those are much more effective ways of getting what you want. It’s much easier to stand strong against a physical attack than it is to resist the idea that you aren’t good enough or that someone has betrayed you.

One thing I wished I’d known about the series before I began it is that there is a central cast of characters, but they aren’t in every book. The main characters include Simon, Jane and Barney Drew, Merriman Lyon, Will Stanton, Bran and a few others. The first book features the Drew sibling, we don’t meet Will until the second book and the Drew siblings aren’t even in that one. Bran doesn’t show up until the fourth book, etc. It all comes together in the final book, but I think I would have enjoyed the second book much more if I had stopped waiting for the Drew siblings to appear.

All-in-all, I really enjoyed the whole series, especially the references to the Arthur/Merlin legend. I wish I’d read them when I was young, but I’m glad to discover them now.

“‘Why should some of the Riders of the Dark be dressed all in white and the rest all in black?’

Will said reflectively, ‘I don’t know. Maybe because the dark can only reach people at extremes, blinded by their own shining ideas or locked up in the darkness of their own heads.’”

The Grey King

The Grey King
by Susan Cooper
★★★★☆

This is the fourth book (out of five) in The Dark is Rising series and so far, one of my favorites. Will Stanton is young boy on the outside, but he’s also one of the “Old Ones,” who are in the midst of fighting a continuous battle against the dark forces that try to corrupt the world. In my opinion, the later books do not work well as stand alones. You really need to read the earlier ones to understand who the Old Ones are and grasped the overall story, so start at the beginning.

In this book Will gets sick and his family sends him off to Wales for a little R&R with some extended family. Once there he makes friends with Bran, a kind albino boy, and his faithful dog Cafall. Bran is a wonderful addition to the stories mythology and I love watching his story unfold. I was also glad to see Merriman make an appearance as well.

I will admit that I’m sure I would have loved this series even more if I’d read it when I was younger. A mystery, good vs. evil, a bit of fantasy, it would have been right up my alley. That’s not to say I still don’t love it, it’s just different when you can read a series with a certain innocence. Your mind isn’t already saturated with hundreds of books and each new addition is startlingly new and wonderful.

As it has been with the other books in this series, the best part of the plot comes as things are wrapped up in the end. There’s always a little twist or new bit of the story revealed and I particularly loved this one. I won’t give anything away, but I am really looking forward to reading the final book in the series.

Here are my reviews of The Dark is Rising and Greenwich (the 2nd and 3rd books in the series).

Greenwitch

Greenwitch
by Susan Cooper
★★★★☆

This is the third book in the Dark is Rising series. It introduces thesiblings from the first book (Over Sea, Under Stone), Barney, Simon and Jane, to the main character from the second book (The Dark is Rising), Will Stanton. I loved watching them meet and seeing the series begin to flesh out. The first two books seemed so disconnected to me and this one really brought it all together.

The kids are all around the same age, (except Barney, the youngest), but as we learned in The Dark is Rising, Will is actually the last of the Old Ones. His character must maintain a delicate balance of appearing to be a normal kid, while at the same time working with the other Old Ones to keep the Dark from rising. I loved his sweet interactions with Jane.

All around, this is my favorite book of the series so far. It wouldn’t be great as a stand alone, but as part of the series I’m now invested in all of the characters and I felt like this book gave me a chance to get to know them better. I especially loved the fact that Jane takes center stage in this book.

The Cornish setting doesn’t hurt either. I’m a sucker for anything dealing with the Arthurian myths and this series provides a great twist. As he was in the first two books, Merriman Lyon remains one of my favorite characters. He reminds me of Gandalf from LOTR. He’s wise and mysterious, while at the same time always providing a sense of security for his friends.

I will absolutely be reading the final two books of this series.