On vacation with their Great Uncle Merry, three young children accidentally come across an old map. Suddenly, they are plunged into an adventure that they could never have dreamed of.

At the beginning, it was a bit slow to get into, and I even thought about giving it up. However, as I persevered through it, I found myself becoming more and more interested. It had a feel of The Chronicles of Narnia combined with Nancy Drew, making it suspenseful while still fitting into the Fantasy genre. I wanted to read it because of the recent movie, "The Seeker", which is based on the second book in the series, "The Dark Is Rising". I also wanted to read this series because two of the books have won Newbery Medals/Honors. Once I was halfway through the book, it felt like I was cycling downhill on a bicycle. It was getting increasingly difficult to put the book down because I was so eager to see how it would end. The ending was a bit of a letdown, but I didn't feel that it detracted from the book. It was realistic. I would recommend this book to young readers. As a young adult, it wasn't as exciting as it might have been if I had read it at a younger age.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...

And so it begins. Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising Sequence underwent significant evolution over five novels and twelve years. However, Over Sea, Under Stone firmly roots the story in Arthurian mysticism, which has inspired Western lore for countless centuries.

Simon, Jane, and Barney Drew are visiting the village of Trewissick on the coast of Cornwall, England with their parents as our story commences. They are staying at Grey House, a manor rented by their great-uncle Merry, also known as Professor Lyons. He is a peculiar figure, an ancient man of unknown origins. He is not a blood relative of the Drews but has been a close family friend since long before the children were born, and they admire him for his deep and searching intellect.

For Simon, Jane, and Barney, the Grey House is an invitation to adventure. Its long, musty hallways and side passages lead to hidden doors and vast attic spaces, where any number of long-lost secrets might be concealed. The house is owned by Captain Toms, but "Gumerry"—as the kids sometimes call Great-Uncle Merry—is in charge and doesn't mind if the Drew kids explore. What intrigues might the manor hold for them?

It is more by luck than by savvy that Barney stumbles upon a tattered map in a forgotten corner of the attic. The paper appears to be hundreds of years old, and the faint handwriting is difficult to decipher, but that's where Great-Uncle Merry comes in. A bit of afternoon curiosity turns into something more when he tells the children of a war between good and evil that has raged since time immemorial, dating back to the age of King Arthur and even earlier.

The map is a copy of an original that Great-Uncle Merry estimates was written by a local Cornishman no less than nine hundred years ago. It provides obscure directions to the location of a hidden talisman—implied to be the holy grail of Christendom—that could tip the balance in the struggle between good and evil. It is up to the Drew children to find the grail, but Simon, Jane, and Barney are ordinary kids. Do they have what it takes to fulfill this ancient quest?

Great-Uncle Merry insists that this is the children's adventure, and he will limit his role to protecting them. Our three young heroes learn not to trust local adults other than Gumerry. Mr Norman Withers and his sister Polly seem friendly at first, but Captain Toms's red setter, Rufus, pegs them as ne'er-do-wells from the start. They are among the evil ones that Great-Uncle Merry warned against, who would use the grail for nefarious purposes, and they must be stopped.

There are others as well, with a malevolent eye toward the Drew children or who would betray them for a bribe. As our trio closes in on a discovery that is bound to change the perception of Arthurian mythos forever, a single chilling question drives their determination: if they don't step up as guardians against the darkness, who will?

Defying death was not what Simon, Jane, and Barney had in mind for their holiday at Trewissick, but they sought adventure and now they have it. Their encounters with the enemy are terrifying. As Jane says, "It's as if there's someone waiting behind every corner to pounce on us. I only feel safe when I'm in bed."

It doesn't feel good to constantly be on the verge of having one's life ended at the hands of evil people, but is it better to take that risk or stay tucked safely in bed where monsters have no reason to pursue? Great-Uncle Merry lays out the stakes of the endless war between darkness and light: "That struggle goes on all round us all the time, like two armies fighting. And sometimes one of them seems to be winning and sometimes the other, but neither has ever triumphed altogether. Nor ever will...for there is something of each in every man."

The good versus evil conflict on a macro scale is mirrored in the heart of the individual, who struggles to tame his or her own darkness but never fully succeeds in this lifetime. To which side will we declare our allegiance, regardless of our inability to be perfectly loyal? Simon, Jane, and Barney have made their choice, and so must we all.

Over Sea, Under Stone is one of the first novels I read on my own, so it holds a special place for me. The writing is inconsistent—at times it feels jerky, and the deductions that Simon, Jane, and Barney make as they follow the Cornishman's map are difficult to keep track of. However, when the story gets going, it's easy to become immersed in the action.

The book ends with a degree of ambiguity regarding its mystical elements. I like Margery Gill's illustrations; her renderings of the sea are sublime, and she infuses each of the three young Drews with personality. I can't bring myself to rate Over Sea, Under Stone higher than two and a half stars, but it is the foundation of Susan Cooper's literary legacy. Book two in the Dark Is Rising Sequence earned a 1974 Newbery Honor, and book four, The Grey King, won the 1976 Newbery Medal. What surprises await as the series progresses?

I had an odd sense of déja vu when I picked up this book.

I sat there, intently staring at the cover. Finally, it dawned on me that this book had once sat on my shelf during my childhood.

Immediately, I began to wonder if I had ever read it when I was younger. So, I set to reading with great enthusiasm.

Unfortunately, no memories surfaced. I'm forced to accept that the boxed set must have remained on my bookshelf, neglected and forlorn, for years until I left for college. Poor, unloved books.

Over Sea, Under Stone is targeted at a younger audience than I typically prefer to read. However, Goodreads insisted that I would love it and recommended it to me repeatedly.

The book is short and simply written, so it reads quickly. It would probably be suitable for reading aloud.

I have a great love for Arthurian legend, but I had no inkling that the book was headed in that direction when I started. Sadly, the whole mystery and chase fell flat for me.

I have major issues with the Disney-esque way of telling kids' stories. In such stories, the kids are compelled to solve the mystery or magic on their own, adults never believe them, and often hinder their progress.

The evil forces were extremely evil without any apparent reason. I find this extremely frustrating and unrealistic, but I suppose it creates drama. Just not the kind that I desire to read.

Honestly, the Arthurian aspect of the story was completely forgettable, and this is coming from someone who adores anything related to Arthur.

I wouldn't recommend this book unless it holds a sense of nostalgia for you or you have a younger reader who has finished The Chronicles of Narnia and is seeking something similar.