The Dark is Rising Series ( my count #'s 3-7)
Over Sea Under Stone ~ The Dark is Rising ~ Greenwitch ~ Grey King ~ Silver on the Tree
Susan Cooper takes time-travelling immortals with ancient magic and mixes them with British folklore and Arthurian legend to chronicle a final battle between good and evil. Because these books are written for children (9 - 13 according to the publisher) it’s easy to forgive many of the short comings I found with the series.
The first book “Over Sea, Under Stone” is dedicated to the introduction of the Drew children as an integral albeit entirely mortal, piece of the conflict between the Light and the Dark. This installment is the most simply written and easily the most forgettable of the series. With the introduction of Will Stanton in “The Dark is Rising” the series takes a much more intriguing turn into the magical realms. Through the remaining four books the adventure is palpable and the evil is underplayed so that it is believable rather than clichéd.
What bothered me about the series in general was the lack of character development with the Drew children. Why were they special to the Light? How was their role predestined? The story stops rather abruptly, leaving readers many lose ends which is just a pet peeve of mine. The lessons woven through the story are noble; good and evil, compassion and empathy, loyalty and friendship, without being overbearing or sticky sweet until the final pages.