Susan Mary Cooper

Over Sea, Under Stone

Sarah Sammis

The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper is one of my husband's favorite fantasy series. I completely missed it as a child and only recently started reading her books (and this series). Although Over Sea, Under Stone launched the series in 1965, it's actually the third book for me in the series I've read so far. I still have Greenwitch and Silver on the Tree.

Simon, Jane and Barney Drew go on holiday to Cornwall with their parents. They meet old Uncle Merry who turns out to be more than just an old Uncle. In their time in Cornwall they learn about the King Arthur legend and its ties to where they are staying.

As many of the reviews point out, Over Sea, Under Stone is more mystery than fantasy. The fantasy elements come to play in the later volumes. Here the book introduces themes, characters and gets things into motion. The book is like a young adult Da Vinci Code.

The three books I've read have all been very different even though they dance around the same legends. That being said, my favorite by a hair remains The Grey King followed closely by Over Sea, Under Stone with The Dark is Rising coming in third.

The Dark Is Rising #1

Michael Springer

If only I'd known about this book when I was a kid. I enjoyed it as an adult, but I would've loved it back when I was devouring the Chronicles of Narnia. It's about three children who stumble their way into an epic battle for good and evil, searching for the holy grail. The children are charming, the story moves swiftly enough, the badguys are menacing, and everything wraps up in about 200 pages. Translation: this was a fun read. 

That said, there was nothing here that I found especially surprising. Events were somewhat predictable and no characters in particular stood out as especially memorable. Hence the three star rating. I'm a harsh grader. 

I enjoyed this book enough that I'll definitely continue reading the series soon.

Susan Cooper

On holiday in Cornwall, Simon, Jane and Barney Drew discover an ancient map in the attic of the Grey House, where they are staying with their mysterious Great-Uncle Merry. They know immediately that it is special. But it is much more than just a map. It is the start of a quest to find a grail, a source of great power that could contain - or resurrect - the powerful, age-old forces of evil in the world. And the Drews are not the only ones searching for it.

The Dark Is Rising Sequence

Enjoyed this so much. Made me long for the kind of adventures you can only have as a kid. Looking forward to sharing the story with my nephews soon.

Emma Cragg

Three children on a holiday in Cornwall find an ancient manuscript which sends them on a dangerous quest for a grail that would reveal the true story of King Arthur and that entraps them in the eternal battle between the forces of the Light and the forces of the Dark.

Fraser Simons

Not great narration, capital D dated plot construction and terribly grating on the inclusivity front. It’s a product of the times but even so there are plenty of books that don’t have the same pitfalls and far more likeable protagonists.

The first volume of Susan Cooper's brilliant and absorbing fantasy series, The Dark Is Rising. On holiday in Cornwall, the three Drew 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 very lives in peril.

Maegan Kennedy

Rating: 3.75

Read for a class and I actually really enjoyed it. The beginning was a little slow, but that ending makes me want to continue reading the series! A good middle grade, Arthurian, adventure tale!

Over Sea, Under Stone

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