The epic climax of the book was truly a remarkable scene. All the characters were gathered around a tree, and they were about to cut off a particular flower that only shows up once every 700 years. It had the potential to be an extremely cool and exciting moment. However, the problem was that the readers didn't even find out that they needed to do this magical thing until just a chapter earlier. It felt as if the plot was a complete mystery to the writer until it was already unfolding right before our eyes. The entire book was like this. It really took away the impact of everything that happened because there was very little rising action, suspense, or anticipation of what was coming next. And then, to make matters worse, nothing got properly explained or had any logical reasoning for why it happened the way it did later on. It reminds me of Hitchcock's famous saying that a bomb going off in a film has a much greater impact on the audience if the audience knows it is coming. In "Silver on the Tree", I never had any idea what was coming, and as a result, none of the parts that were supposed to be intense or exciting had any real emotional payoff for me.

Blodwin, who was a character associated with the dark side, might be one exception. But she was hardly present in the story, and as far as I could tell, she didn't actually do anything significant as a double agent.

I've loved this series with all my heart.

It has been an absolute delight from start to finish.

This final installment was a truly great way to bring it all to a close.

The characters in this series are simply gorgeous. They are so well-developed and have such depth that it's impossible not to fall in love with them.

The story was filled with nail-biting moments that had me on the edge of my seat, eagerly turning the pages to see what would happen next.

But perhaps the most impressive aspect of this series is the magical world building.

The author has created a world that is so rich and detailed, it feels like a real place.

From the beautiful landscapes to the enchanting magical creatures, every element is brought to life in the most vivid way.

This series will definitely go down as one of my all-time favorites.

A satisfying conclusion to the series.

I realized, while listening to the books, that they are not so much about the events that occur as they are about the tone, the sense of place, and the way in which good and evil play out in the world.

I couldn't really tell you the plot of this particular installment - perhaps the Dark is rising again and Will and the others are attempting to stop it? But that hardly mattered, as I was more interested in how Bran would determine his own destiny, how John Rowlands would react to an unforeseen turn in his life, and how Will would cope with the ongoing challenge of being a twelve-year-old Old One, and so forth.

These are intelligent children - they venture off and take on tasks independently, yet they are also responsible and capable while still very much being children.

They don't act in a manner that implies, "oh, grownups can't figure it out so we have to, clever us," since they often do require the assistance of adults. However, the adults trust them to handle things on their own - whether it's going for a walk in the mountains or saving the world from the Dark.

You might be able to enjoy this as a stand-alone, but I would highly recommend reading the rest of the series first - starting with Over Sea Under Stone.

This way, you can fully immerse yourself in the rich and captivating world that Susan Cooper has created and understand the development and relationships of the characters more deeply.

The series as a whole offers a unique and engaging reading experience that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

So, don't miss out on the opportunity to explore this wonderful series and discover the magic and adventure that awaits within its pages.

This is a re-read.

I am finding myself more critical of Cooper's books this time around.

Previously, when I was a child, I was completely enthralled by them.

However, now, although I'm still enjoying it to some extent, I don't have the same level of intense fascination.

Perhaps it's because I have grown and my perspective has changed.

I notice more details and flaws that I didn't pay attention to before.

Nonetheless, there is still something about Cooper's writing that keeps me engaged.

The stories are still interesting, and the characters are still somewhat captivating.

But it's no longer the all-consuming experience it was when I was younger.

It's a bittersweet realization that as we age, our perception of things we once loved can change.

Yet, it also gives us the opportunity to see things from a new light and appreciate them in a different way.

I’ve read this entire series by audiobook.

While I did enjoy it to some extent, I truly believe I need to go back and read them in book form.

Sometimes, there were gaps of days between my listening within a single book, and even gaps of weeks or months between the books themselves.

As a result, I got a bit confused.

The whole series seems rather unexplained to me.

I’m really quite perplexed as to why I couldn’t get as into it as so many other people.

I didn’t like the way the point of view constantly jumped back and forth between the Drew kids and Will.

I also didn’t like how the “magic” was never fully explained, at least not to my satisfaction.

Moreover, I didn’t care much for the characters themselves.

I was especially affronted by how the female characters were either air-headed (like Jane) or magical.

Why is this series considered to be so brilliant? I really feel like I’m missing something.

Despite all that, I stuck it out for the entire series and was fascinated by the setting of Wales and England.

I think that, considering how short the books are, I will go back and re-read them at some point.

I suspect that all my gaps in reading might have affected my comprehension of the plot.

However, I really don’t think anything can rescue the characters though.

Wait WHAT. That was NOT an acceptable ending, AT ALL!! *sniff*

In this final installment of the series, all the elements converge magnificently. Every character, every plot strand, and all the fragmented pieces of mythology come together in a seamless whole. Once more, it is a beautiful book, and as always, the characterisation is truly outstanding. What particularly catches my attention in this book are the initial feelings of awe and resentment that the Drews have towards Bran, Gwion's unwavering loyalty and profound grief for Gwddyno, and John's heartbreak when Blodwen betrays him. Beneath the surface of the actual plot, there is a complex web of emotions at play, and some parts are truly heart-wrenching. However, there are also moments that never fail to bring a smile to my face, such as Barney's boundless enthusiasm and the dynamic between Bran and Will, which is reminiscent of the Arthur/Merlin relationship.

The conclusion of the book and the sequence is both thrilling and poignant. The prophecy states, "Five shall return, and one go alone," but its meaning is ambiguous. Is it that Will, Jane, Simon, Barney, and Bran return to our world, while Merriman goes alone? Or is it that Jane, Simon, Barney, Bran, and Merriman return to their rightful place, leaving Will isolated? I suspect it is the former, but there is also truth in the latter when one imagines the sense of abandonment that Will must feel.

I truly appreciate Bran's choice, despite the consequences it brings, because it is realistic. An adopted child does not simply discard their feelings for their adoptive parent upon meeting their biological parent. Bran still loves Owen (and arguably, another father-figure, John).

Merriman's final speeches are remarkable, but this one in particular stands out, and it is how I will conclude my reviews. I think it is a very appropriate message to convey to a child after a book in which two moral opposites clash repeatedly. It leaves the reader with much to ponder.

"For Drake is no longer in his hammock, children, nor is Arthur somewhere sleeping, and you may not lie idly expecting the second coming of anybody now, because the world is yours and it is up to you."

Reread again in December 2009. I can't think of a more fitting end to this review.

Not quite a nostalgia read.

Of all the classic children's fantasy books I devoured, I never got around to the Dark Is Rising sequence. Part of me is glad I didn't find these books until now. I suffered enough from the ~betrayal~ of the last Narnia book, and the way this ended would have been similarly gutting. Although I'm not sure that younger me would have liked this series! I'm not sure how I feel about it now!

It's definitely got that 70s - 80s SFF feel. The beginning and ending of Silver in the Tree feel eerily and unhappily timeless. I suppose it had a lot to do with the #mood of the decade(s). But the lasting impression I got from all the SFnal books I devoured of that age was one of unyielding bleakness and a coldness to the worldbuilding. One might be a Chosen One, but get no joy from being so chosen. And so it was while reading my haphazard way through this series.

I'm a character reader first and foremost. For most of this, it felt like events were happening to the characters and not because of them. It was like an inevitable, awful tidal wave of fate and destiny. It didn't feel like the Drews or Will or Bran were fully-realized characters. They could have been replaced with any other warm body as long as they went to X place and did Y thing. Will was nearly a tourist in all of his books. He had power, but no free will, so to speak. The Light and the Dark held everyone in a pattern. For the most part, these books were a series of set pieces where a thing had to be gotten, and it was gotten without much active effort from the protagonists, despite Merriman's talk of puzzles and such.

Which is not to say I was bored or that any of this was poorly written. But despite the stakes being the entire world, I couldn't muster up a feeling of real urgency. And the only book where I felt any strong sense of character, of anyone mattering as an individual, was Greenwitch (Jane is the best). Maybe that's the point - at the centre of the Light there is a cold white flame - but it didn't make the books dig into my heart.

That ending, though. Oof, that did hurt. No wonder there's so much fix-it fanfic.

In this book, all of the main characters from the other books in this series converge.

Some of them are meeting for the very first time, which adds an element of excitement and anticipation.

Meanwhile, Light and Dark engage in one final battle (at least for now).

The ending of this series is bittersweet. It's not bad by any means, but there are a few things that I wish could have had a different outcome.

Nonetheless, this book and the entire series are still wonderful. The storylines are engaging, the characters are well-developed, and the world-building is captivating.

I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fantasy novels. It's a journey that you won't soon forget.

Whether you're a fan of epic battles, complex characters, or richly detailed worlds, this series has something for everyone.

So, pick up the first book and get ready to be swept away into a magical adventure.

I have now completed my re-read of this series.

To be honest, I had high hopes for this book, hoping it would be far better than it actually turned out to be. It's true that it's not as disappointingly weak as The Dark Is Rising, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. Susan Cooper seems to go on and on describing things, people, and scenery without end. She also continuously drops large chunks of convenient exposition randomly throughout the story, which haven't even been hinted at in the previous books of the series. Meanwhile, the development of the protagonists is minimal, and sometimes their interactions are also lacking.

It's almost as if Cooper suddenly became aware that she had too many characters in the main cast and didn't know how to write scenes where they could all contribute meaningfully. In some parts, she tries to solve this by splitting them up. For example, Merriman is brought into the story rather late, and Will and Bran are sent on a quest to the Lost Land, separating them from the Drews for several chapters.

While I did like the character Gwion, the chapters set in the Lost Land were so boring that I repeatedly found myself falling asleep. The dreamlike quality and the never-ending descriptions of the place didn't do much to engage my interest. Do we really need to have a detailed description of Bran every single time Will looks at him? I understand that he's very pale and has unusual eyes. I hadn't forgotten that in just the last 2 pages. All these descriptions are probably intended to build tension, but in reality, they only serve to slow down the forward momentum of the story.

There were, of course, some things that I did enjoy. It was nice to have the Drews back, especially Jane. Revisiting Wales and some of the characters there was also a pleasant experience. And everything related to John and Blodwyn Rowlands was great. However, these elements alone weren't enough to keep my interest firmly rooted in the story.

There were several scenes that seemed only peripherally related to the main plot. For instance, the first few chapters where Will is at home with his family felt a bit out of place. There's a scene where Will and his brothers rescue a young Asian boy from a racist attack. But other than Cooper using it to make a point about racism being bad and associated with the Dark, it doesn't have much greater significance. This felt a little uncomfortable, especially considering her portrayal of a Roma character in Greenwitch and the fact that the boy in this scene never appears again or is even mentioned later.

I got really tired of things happening simply because of some ancient law that is never properly explained. I'm also tired of characters just suddenly knowing what to do at the right moment as if the knowledge is magically bestowed upon them, without them having to use their own cleverness, resourcefulness, or draw on past knowledge and experiences they've gained. I'm tired of new major plot elements being randomly dropped into the middle of the story without any sort of buildup, previous mention, or foreshadowing. And I'm really fed up with the Old Ones constantly wiping people's memories all over the place "for their own good". Wasn't there supposed to be an important message about free will in this series somewhere? How can people truly have free will if they're not allowed to benefit and grow from their knowledge and experiences? So, at the end of it all, 4 out of the 6 primary characters will remember nothing of their adventures in these books, will learn nothing from their experiences, and any growth or character development they achieved is permanently erased as if it never happened. That's just not right.

But I think the aspect that I disliked the most was the way the climax and the ending were handled. All the characters are finally brought together in one place, and yet it seems like Cooper has no idea what to do with them. It's easy to forget that some of them are even there for long stretches of time, especially the Drews, who hardly do or say anything during the climax. None of the primary characters interact much with each other during this crucial scene, and we're only reminded of their presence when Will偶尔notices their facial expressions. It's extremely frustrating.

In conclusion, I'm glad to be done with this series. I liked the initial concept of it. I liked some of the characters. I really enjoyed books 1, 3, and 4 (Greenwitch, in particular, had a very tightly paced plot). I also liked the pagan/historical/legendary elements and how they were integral parts of the world that Cooper created. But unfortunately, I've seen the Epic Battle Between Light And Dark with child and adolescent heroes executed much better in other works.

The Dark is Rising series has come to an end with this final book.

Surprisingly, I found myself deeply attached to this sequel, which is targeted at the Young Adult genre.

As I delved into the story, I grew to care about several of the characters, especially Will whom we were introduced to in Book 1.

The thought of reaching the end of the series left me feeling disappointed.

However, there was a wonderful bonus in learning more about the rich history and captivating fables of England, Wales, the Saxons, and King Arthur.

This added depth and a sense of authenticity to the story, making it an even more engaging read.

Overall, the series has been a memorable experience, and I will surely miss these characters and the enchanting world they inhabit.

This was a nice end to a series.

It concludes with all the main characters from the previous books coming together in battle. However, the final battle between Light and Dark was disappointingly short. There were more pages dedicated to the sword hunt, which was essential to fight the Dark, than the actual climactic battle itself.

Also, I don't think we ever received a definitive answer as to why Barnabas Drew, the youngest of the Drew kids, was so special. I had expected that his true identity would be revealed in the books, but there was never a significant revelation. In fact, I don't think there was anything particularly special about him at all, at least not in the same way that Will and Bran were special.

Either I'm overanalyzing this or this is a plot hole that remains unexplained. Nevertheless, it's all good. The book contains great action and buildup, a nice twist or surprise at the end, followed by a fitting conclusion. It's a solid read that keeps the readers engaged throughout.

Overall, despite the few drawbacks, it's a worthy conclusion to the series.

Cooper takes us to a remarkable conclusion in the intense battle between good and evil, as well as the light and the dark. The ending presented here is filled to the brim with powerful emotions and heart-wrenching moments. It truly leaves a lasting impact on the reader. I firmly believe that this is a truly superb series. If I had the opportunity to read it during my childhood, my love for it would have been even greater. The story's ability to engage and captivate is truly outstanding. It weaves a tale that is both thrilling and touching, making it a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good adventure. The characters are well-developed and the plot is full of twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. Overall, I highly recommend this series to all.