I selected this book to read during this week. The reason is that it meets the requirements of both of my weekly reading challenges.

From this book, I have learned an interesting fact. It turns out that it can be quite engaging to start an epic fantasy series from the last book.

However, it seems that I need to conduct a bit more research when choosing books for my reading challenge. This way, I can ensure that I make more informed decisions and have a more fulfilling reading experience.

Perhaps I should look into the reviews and summaries of the books beforehand, or ask for recommendations from others who have more experience in reading within the specific genres of my challenges.

By doing so, I can avoid some of the surprises and difficulties that may arise from randomly selecting a book without sufficient knowledge.

My favorite book in the Dark is Rising sequence is the first one, Over Sea, Under Stone. The other books in the sequence just don't quite measure up to it.

I listened to these books, and I have to admit that if I had been reading them instead, I probably wouldn't have finished all of them. This first book, like the others, had rather long-winded descriptions of various things. There were so many details that the reader could easily get lost and not be sure what the actual important action was, that is, what was crucial to the story line.

The ending, in my opinion, was a bit too preachy. However, I understand that this could be due to the era in which the book was written and the concerns that were on many people's minds at that time.

Despite these drawbacks, there was one quote from the Lady that I really liked: \\". . . all love has great value. Every human being who loves another loves imperfection, for there is no perfect being on this earth--nothing is so simple as that.\\" This quote really made me think about the nature of love and how it doesn't have to be perfect to be meaningful.

Overall, while Over Sea, Under Stone has its flaws, it still has enough good qualities to make it my favorite in the Dark is Rising sequence.

I'm glad this is out.

There is too much fantasy for my taste. There is an enormous amount of fierceness against The Dark which is constantly Rising and thus must be fought without the threat ever being made concrete. They are just bad and dark and full of a lot.

Ultimately, I still found part 1 by far the most beautiful.

The story seems to lack a certain clarity and depth in its portrayal of the main conflict. The constant emphasis on the Rising of The Dark without really showing what it means or how it affects the characters makes it a bit one-sided.

However, part 1 had a certain charm and elegance that caught my attention. It set the stage well and made me curious about what was to come.

Overall, while this installment has its flaws, I'm still interested in seeing how the story develops further.

Cor blimey! What an absolutely stonking final episode in this truly wonderful series! It's been an amazing journey through these books.

How glad I am to have finally come across and really delved into these books in my sixth decade of reading. As they say, better late than never! It's like a hidden gem that I'm so happy to have discovered.

I'm rather amazed to see that some readers have given it just one star. But then again, as the old saying goes, horses for courses. Everyone has their own tastes and preferences when it comes to literature.

For my part, I have no doubt that I will be giving these books to my granddaughters in the next few years. I'm sure they will love them just as much as I have. It's a wonderful gift that I can pass on to the next generation, sharing the magic and excitement of these stories.

At long last, this wretched series is over!

I'm frankly baffled by how anyone could rate these books highly. Susan Cooper is an average writer to begin with. Throughout the series, she amplifies her faults by simply making everything up as she goes along. There are approximately ten thousand instances where some magical object first mentioned two pages ago is now the most important thing in the world, without which everyone is doomed.

The most threatening thing the villains do in this volume is try and gain an advantage through a legal technicality. But never fear, they lose on this point too within a few pages. Despite the series' title, the Dark most assuredly did not rise or do anything even remotely resembling said activity. Cliched writing and bland characters, on the other hand, did a great deal of rising on nearly every page.

I will say this volume did have one major redeeming quality: there isn't another one following it. It's a relief to know that this underwhelming series has come to an end. The lackluster storytelling and uninteresting characters have made it a chore to get through. One can only hope that future works by Susan Cooper will show more improvement and creativity.

Not really a review - yet.

However, the last pages of this work have left a profound impression on me. The clarion call to a humanistic vision of justice and right living is so powerful that it will stay with me for a long time. The words "No Drake in his hammock...No Arthur somewhere sleeping..." and "you may not lie idly by expecting the second coming of anybody now..." resonate deeply within me.

It makes me realize that we cannot simply wait for some external force to bring about justice and a better way of life. We must take responsibility and actively work towards it.

And here, with spoilers, is a lengthier quotation from http://nicktomjoe.brookesblogs.net/20.... This additional quotation further elaborates on the ideas presented in the last pages and provides more food for thought.

I look forward to delving deeper into this work and exploring its themes in greater detail.

A Tidy Ending to the Series

If you have been a fan of the previous books in this series, then you are likely to enjoy this one as well. It offers a conclusion that ties up loose ends and provides a sense of closure. However, for me, it just didn't quite hit the mark. Maybe it was because my expectations were too high, or perhaps the story didn't develop in a way that I found engaging. Either way, I can't say that I liked this book as much as the others. That being said, I can still appreciate the effort that went into creating it and the fact that it will likely satisfy many readers who have been following the series. Overall, it's a decent end to the series, but it just wasn't for me.

This book was slightly better than the 3rd or 4th book in the series.

However, I just couldn't get through it.

I think one reason that I don't really like these books is that there is no climax.

It follows the characters down a fairly straight-forward path.

There is no tension; everything just falls into place and is easy.

For example, the characters seem to face no real challenges or obstacles.

Their problems are resolved too quickly and easily, without any real struggle.

This makes the story feel平淡无奇 and uninteresting.

Another issue is that the plot lacks depth.

It doesn't explore the characters' emotions or motivations in a meaningful way.

As a result, I find it difficult to connect with the characters and become invested in their story.

Overall, while this book may be slightly better than the previous ones in the series, it still has many flaws that prevent me from enjoying it.

I truly desired to have a greater liking for this. However, it was predominantly expository rather than hair-raising.

It seemed to focus more on presenting information in a rather straightforward manner, lacking the element of excitement and thrill that one might expect from a story or experience.

While the expository nature might have been useful for providing details and explanations, it failed to engage my emotions and keep me on the edge of my seat.

I had hoped for a more captivating and heart-pounding encounter, but unfortunately, this fell short in that regard.

Nevertheless, I still appreciate the effort that went into creating it, but it simply didn't meet my expectations in terms of being hair-raising.

Maybe with some adjustments and a bit more emphasis on creating a sense of excitement, it could have been a more enjoyable and memorable piece.

I was truly let down by this finale in the series.

Perhaps I would have needed to be twelve years old to have derived more enjoyment from it. However, I suspect that even way back then, I would have been frustrated by the muddled and confusing process with which this author approached the conclusion of the story.

It is true that her prose is beautiful, and she has a remarkable way with words and descriptions. Sadly, though, it seems as if she became entangled in her own narrative.

The characters were overshadowed by one another and lost a great deal of what made them endearing to the reader in the previous installments.

I very nearly gave up halfway through, but I felt compelled to finish it in the hope that there might be a sudden return to the excellent tension and skill that was so masterfully crafted in the earlier volumes.

Alas, there wasn't!

Three stars. Would I read it again? Definitely not.

In this volume, we reach the climax of the five-book 'The Dark is Rising' sequence. However, sadly, I found it to be a bit of an anti-climax.

As one might expect, the three sets of children are reunited as the Dark makes its final move. The Drews, who were prominent in books 1 and 3, Bran, the boy with the illustrious father King Arthur from book 4, and Will Stanton, the last and youngest of the Old Ones and a champion of the Light.

The book begins with a sequence where Will is with his family. His brother is on leave from the Navy, and another brother defends a young Asian boy from a local bully. There is a suggestion that the racism shown by the bully and his father is related to the Dark's rising, but I found this idea rather muddled.

Not all the evil done by humans can be blamed on the Dark. This part of the story doesn't really go anywhere, and the book wouldn't suffer much if it were removed. I also found it creepy when Will mind wipes someone because they can't handle the knowledge of the Dark's existence. It makes the Light seem highhanded and patronizing.

In the rest of the story, Will goes to Wales and reunites with the Drews and Bran. They embark on a quest that involves time slips and encounters with minions of the Dark. However, a lot of what happens doesn't make much sense.

Everything seems to be predetermined by a prophecy, and the characters are just going through the motions. The Dark follows the rules, even when they try to derail things. The ending is a real anti-climax, and the idea that humans can't cope with magic and must forget is rather offensive.

Overall, I'm afraid this anticipated ending to the series was not very enjoyable. I struggled to get through it and had to read other books in between. Cooper's use of Welsh mythology is interesting, but the books don't succeed as a whole. I can only give this one a 2-star rating.

I must confess that I found this particular installment less compelling than the earlier titles in the series.

Perhaps it was because I had read too many of them in a row, one right after the other. Or maybe it was due to the fact that I was traveling while reading this book, which could have potentially affected my concentration.

It's not that the ending wasn't good; it simply seemed to lack the same kind of power and impact that the earlier titles had. Maybe the resolution didn't quite measure up to the build-up that had come before.

Still, it was a satisfying ending overall, and it was great to see the story bring together the three Drew children, Bran, and Will, along with Merry and others from the previous books. I'm glad that I re-read it (or rather, re-listened, as the recording was excellent).

I do wish there were more books in the series, but at the same time, I know that I would probably just be disappointed. I guess it's a good sign that I don't want the story to end.