Finally, I have completed my yearly (ish) reread of this book. The conclusion to the sequence is truly filled with its own unique magic and beauty. However, due to the ending, it just fails to be my absolute favorite. (Maybe in a similar vein as The Farthest Shore doesn't quite work for me; I simply don't enjoy it when the magic comes to an end!)

The entire sequence set in the Lost Land is simply gorgeous and is perhaps my favorite aspect of this book. Then, of course, there are the interactions among the group - such diverse kids who have been brought together for a quest that is beyond their comprehension. As always, Cooper's handling of the children and the way they interact with each other, especially the Drews, feels absolutely on point and realistic. Naturally, they are going to bicker. And, of course, the Welsh/English divide plays a role in this, setting Bran apart. The whole sequence has had history encroaching on the present and the present intruding into history; it is only fitting that that tense history also impacts the story.

This time around, I was a bit unsure about the pacing. It could simply be that I desire more - more adventures, more time with the Six together. But everyone spent so much time alone or in pairs rather than all together. There is so much that is hinted at - Bran's relationship to Herne the Hunter, for instance - that I would love to explore further. That's why I keep coming back to this book, I suppose, and yet...

Originally posted here.

It took me a significantly longer time to read this particular book. I had absolutely no recollection of it from when I read it in 2004. Back then, nothing in this story stood out as being interesting. The only thing I could recall was the Mari Llwyd scene, as I had used that bit in an article I wrote.

Does Susan Cooper have some sort of aversion to redheads? In this entire series, all of her villains seemed to have vibrant ginger hair (and I'm a redhead myself! :( )

In my opinion, this book was the worst of the lot. There was nothing interesting in it. I kept falling asleep while reading it, and I couldn't keep up with what was happening because I zoned out too easily. Nothing really gripped me. It was as if no one bothered to edit what Susan Cooper wrote. Several scenes had no relevance to the story and just took up several pages of boring narrative.

The scene where Will and his brother stop an Indian boy from being bullied, and then the bully's father tells us his problem with immigrants stealing jobs in Britain (it seems that 40 years later, nothing has changed!) This scene led nowhere. Also, there was another part with the Drew children down by the docks time traveling back to some time in olde Wales when a shipbuilder made ships so badly that boatloads of people were drowning - clearly an agent of the Dark (and a redhead, again!) This part of the story also went nowhere, except for Merriman coming into the story.

The part in the Lost Land was tedious and dull, and the challenges of Bran and Will were a little predictable. You never really felt that the Dark would win. You just read it to see how the Light would win because it was clear that they were going to. The Dark never did anything truly frightening except cause storms and make a lot of noise. They were no real threat, just riding around on their horses. At least in the earlier books, they seemed more of a threat when kidnapping, drugging, and deceiving the Light workers.

The bit by the midsummer tree and the mistletoe was a dramatic scene that couldn't really grip the reader, even with the importance of the moment. This just seemed to be a poorly told ending to the series. I wonder how good it could have been. Even a script writer would do a better job than this, making a movie far better.

I don't remember what I thought of this the first time I read it. Since I forgot everything in it but a horse skeleton, I'm thinking that I didn't think much of it then either. As I'm writing a review this time, I can critique it. Sadly, I think it's a bad ending to a could-have-been-good story.

**Update, 8/14/18**

I'm disappointed to be dropping this book from five stars to two. It seems I'm zero for five with this series. The two I thought were best didn't quite meet expectations, and the other three were better than I initially thought. Well, you can't win them all. This one had the biggest swing, though. I considered giving it 2.5 stars and rounding up to three, but I'm in a crappy mood and not inclined to be generous. And even though I let 13-year-old Pierce keep the Dark is Rising rating at five stars, I'm changing my own rules and the rating with this one because I'm grouchy and I can. (Plus I even admit in my original review that my memory of this one was faulty, and that five stars was risky.) So, there!

I almost feel like this book was pointless, and I'm going to argue with my original review (found below). I must've read this around a bunch of glue and permanent markers when I was 13. I can't for the life of me figure out what impressed me so much. The Light is stupid. The Dark is inept. So much doesn't make any sense, and then all of a sudden all you have to do to save the world is pick a flower?

\\"The calla lilies are in bloom again.\\"

No, no, no, no, no. This wasn't glamorous enough for Katherine Hepburn. This deserves Pee Wee Herman.

\\"Look Vance! The calla lilies are in bloom again!\\"

That's more like it. But it's no wonder I forgot most of this. I remembered the beginning scene with Will and his older brother Stephen, and I remember the giant tornado at the end that the Dark travels around in because tornadoes are cool, and I remembered the white rider on his white horse, but instead of him being awesome (as I indicate in my original review), he blows, and I don't mean in a good way. The Dark is all talk and bluster in this, and I'm not sure why anyone is scared of them. They just stand there and recite stuff from the grade-one primer of malevolent threats, then ride away. The dead, bone-horse was cool, but that wasn't even the Dark's doing if I recall. There's no \\"big fight,\\" and what did happen was hardly \\"epic.\\" They stand around in a circle singing \\"Kumbaya\\" while Bran picks a flower off a tree, then Merriman throws it up into the air where it turns into a dove, and suddenly the dark is vanquished forever.... What?! And why does the light even need to do anything when the Hunter and his pack of hounds can just terrify the Dark into pissing themselves and running off any time he shows up? Like I said, too much of this just made no sense, and there were plot twists Helen Keller could've seen from a mile away. 13-year-old Pierce's scrutiny isn't as severe as his 39-year-old counterpart's, and I'm afraid I can't give this book a pass. Also, I'm going to have to give 31-year-old Pierce's review below a D-. There's not as much suspense, mystery, action, or adventure as he indicates, but it's certainly fantasy.

Overall, I suggest reading this book for the sake of completeness in all things if you read the first four. Also, I like the series as a whole, but what a bummer to end it with this one.

Alex Jennings narrated. Great job, and there was much less low-talking and whispering in this one, so I heard most of it.

**Original review, 8/16/10**

I remember thinking this book was AWESOME! I think it's because all the stuff from the past four books come together in this one, and there's a big battle, and all the bad guys and meanies reemerge, not to mention all the good guys. The three kids from books one and three, Uncle whosis, the-boy-whose-name-I-hope-is-Will and some other members of his family, King Arthur's really blond son... they're all in it. There's a big fight. It's epic. Wow... I'm really going out on a limb here giving five stars to a book I don't remember a thing about other than I really liked it. The man on the white horse, though he's a bad guy, is awesome. I remember that much. So, if you're a young adult (which I always found to be a weird description of an age group that is just about to - or just hitting - puberty, but that's what they call them in the literary world), and like suspense, and a bit of mystery, and action, and adventure, and fantasy, then this is the book/series for you.

A Quest

It is not just a story; it is a quest, an adventure that takes you on a journey. It is also a powerful warning for the future, beautifully written in a way that captivates the reader. Just wonderful, it leaves an indelible mark on the soul.

I vividly remember the first and only other time I read this. I was 19, and it was a summer day. I was on a geology field trip to Manitoulin Island. The sun was shining brightly, and the heat was intense. It was a day full of exploration and discovery.

Today, I find myself in Ottawa. It is January, and the temperature this morning is a bone-chilling -20 degrees Celsius. A storm is on the horizon, threatening to unleash its fury. But despite the vast difference in time and place, the ache in my heart right now is the same. It is as if that story from long ago still holds a special place within me, and the emotions it evoked then are still present today.

I never read these as a kid, though I was aware of them.

It was only as an adult that I delved into them. And I have a vivid memory of the entire series as a whole.

I often think that I'd really like to read them aloud to my kids, especially once we finish the beloved Harry Potter series.

Recently, in 2024, I did just that. My 15-year-old really liked it, but my 12-year-old wasn't quite as enthusiastic.

However, one challenge we faced was that it was extremely hard to remember all the details while reading aloud.

Since it was a read aloud that took us quite a while, there were times when we had to pause and try to recall certain情节.

But overall, it was still a great experience sharing these stories with my children.

SO a five-book series culminates in a three-page climax.

The main character, who can hardly be called a protagonist due to his minimal actions, is merely an observer.

He is never in peril, never faces emotional challenges, and fails to grow or change.

He does what is expected of him, just like everyone else in the series, but there is never a genuine reason to have any feelings for him, about him, or with him.

The writing is at times beautiful, and the world is interesting, with a sometimes brilliant reimagining of Welsh legend.

However, there is never a reason to feel anything for the characters.

We are frequently told that they cannot be harmed, so the reader never fears for them and never doubts that the light will prevail against a dark that is never truly all that dark and that, even in the final battle, never really does anything.

This lack of emotional investment makes it difficult for the reader to fully engage with the story and its characters.

Despite the beautiful writing and interesting world, the series ultimately falls short in creating a truly compelling and emotional experience.

A triumphant conclusion to the series!

The story has reached its exciting finale, bringing a sense of satisfaction and closure to the readers.

https://tinyurl.com/48aj98me

This link provides access to the concluding part of the series, where all the loose ends are tied up and the mysteries are finally solved.

However, it is important to note that I do not advise reading out of order.

Although some may claim that you can skip "Over Sea, Under Stone", doing so would mean missing out on a charming story set in the beautiful Cornwall.

Each book in the series builds upon the others, and reading them in sequence allows for a more comprehensive and enjoyable experience.

So, if you truly want to immerse yourself in this captivating series, it is recommended to start from the beginning and follow the story as it unfolds.

For a bit of backstory, "Silver On The Tree" is the final installment in the iconic "Dark Is Rising Sequence" by Susan Cooper. I received this series for my birthday but only recently got around to reading it. I'll admit that I initially wrote it off because its target audience is 11-year-olds. The first book felt like a slog, a very standalone "magical book" about a one-off adventure. However, it was as if the author suddenly realized that these books were actually quite good, or at least they were selling well. By the second book, we were introduced to an extensive world of Dark vs Light, of which that first adventure had only been a small part. It reminded me of how the first Narnia book is actually "The Magician’s Nephew", but people only remember "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe".

Whilst reading, I found myself comparing it to Harry Potter. I think the main thing it was lacking (apart from all the world-building and Luna Lovegood) was the characters. "Silver On The Tree" had quite obvious plot twists, but I wasn't the intended audience. The characters were all rather flat. In a very 70's fashion, there was only one girl who was quite scared, and the rare moments she wasn't, Jane (yes) was stubborn and grumpy and always the one who wandered off into the obvious lair of the evil dragon. Hmmm. On the other hand, the boys didn't have discernible personalities. It made me want to read Harry Potter again.

There was also some interesting social commentary from the time. Obviously, it was published in the 70's, and a lot has changed since then, especially in terms of how gender and different races are portrayed in literature. That was quite interesting to note. Although, the book did include a few choice words that wouldn't be seen in a kid's book today.

This might be a strange observation, but it felt like there was often a deeper message than just some people destroying the Dark. It almost used the whole fantasy front as an excuse to put forward adult ideas to a younger audience. One of the main boys, Will, was an Old One, so these messages could be pushed through to an eleven-year-old reader through a fictional eleven-year-old who could say adult things because he was actually an ancient wise man. Handy, right?

The pacing of the book was really slow. Not a lot happened, but the little that did was so vivid and detailed. Susan Cooper was brilliant at creating atmosphere with rich, almost cinematic imagery. I could envision them making great movies! She had also nailed the dialogue by this last book.

Additionally, I had to accept that I was confused about the visuals of some scenes. It was all very out of this world oddness, with nothing to parallel it to. I had to accept that I'd just build an overall picture of the scene rather than going back and trying to understand what all the details would look like. Although I said it was out of this world, it was also very much in it. Susan Cooper didn't create a new magical world like Narnia or something; Wales was seen as the magical land. And I really loved that - not just the whole Britishness of it but also how I could so clearly see Wales as this wild wilderness full of old spells and higher magic. And all that detail brought it to life (even if there was perhaps a bit too much of it). So, this was actually an incredibly good series: one that I'm very glad I didn't DNF because I thought it was for a younger audience.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Find the full review and more at https://hundredsandthousandsofbooks.b...

Squeaked this in just before 2013 began.

There's little more I can say about this book. I truly don't understand those people who don't like it. They seem unable to perceive the numerous layers of ambiguity within it, the way that there is always something more to discover.

Mind you, I'm certain that it's partly me who brings that aspect to this most beloved story.

I love that Susan Cooper's characters are real people. Most of them are neither completely Dark nor entirely Light but rather ordinary people, simply trying to live.

I've needed a Stephen Stanton in the past, and Susan Cooper reminds me, just as Will is reminded by his family, that people like him do indeed exist. There's nothing impossible about the human characters in her books.

Right now, I just have a moment of regret that we don't see Owen Davies in this book. I mean, considering the ending of The Grey King and what he knows about his son.

How would he react to what occurs in this book? What does he hope for, or what does he fear? Does he know that Bran will meet his real father during the course of all this, and does he wonder if Bran will ever come home? That would have been extremely interesting to witness.

At this point, I've constructed so many what-ifs and could-have-beens based on this book that I could probably pen a book of my own on them.

A Solid Conclusion to the Series

This series has come to a truly solid conclusion. I am reading it for the first time as an adult, and to my surprise, I find myself thoroughly enjoying it.

Middle grade books have a special charm. When they are well written, they can be a delight for readers of all ages. It doesn't matter how old a person is; these books have the power to engage and entertain.

The characters, the plot, and the overall story arc in this series are so well-crafted that they draw you in and keep you hooked until the very end. It's a testament to the skill of the author.

Whether you're a child just starting to explore the world of books or an adult looking for a light and enjoyable read, this series is definitely worth checking out. It proves that good literature knows no age boundaries.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a great story. It's a wonderful addition to the world of middle grade literature.

My full, more comprehensive review of this book can be found here.

This particular review focuses on my most recent reading experience. Unfortunately, it was rather rushed.

My poor girlfriend needed to sleep, and by sometime past midnight, I was only halfway through. So, I had to hurry up, which meant I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to truly savor the vivid images and the rich taste of the words.

Interestingly, in a way, it seems appropriate to read this book as a race against time, as that is precisely what the story is about.

From the initial sleepiness and slow start in "Over Sea Under Stone," to Will's gradual awakening in the second book, the sense of urgency has now become desperate.

All the characters have their own quests to fulfill.

This time around, John Rowlands is the character who really stood out to me. He is such a truly good man, perhaps even better than those associated with the Light.

He is used by both the Dark and the Light, yet somehow, he doesn't become bitter.

He doesn't wish ill upon them and withdraw. Instead, he still feels a responsibility to the world and to humanity.

He recognizes this and discharges his duty admirably.

However, it's hard not to feel that the ending is a bit of a cop-out.

Why can't Bran remember? Why can't he have the memory of his real father to give him strength?

Why does Will have to be left completely alone, the only one who remembers?

Jane, Simon, Barney, Bran, and perhaps John Rowlands, are the only ones who could potentially begin to understand what Will is and what he must do.

And yet, the Light has shut off all hope of that.

It's the cold, hard justice at the heart of the Light, I suppose.

My irritation with the ending of this book (and series) never disappears, no matter how many times I reread it!

It's truly a pity. The story builds up so beautifully, with engaging characters and a captivating plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

However, when it comes to the ending, it just falls flat. It feels rushed and doesn't do justice to all the build-up.

With a different ending, it would be perfect. It could have tied up all the loose ends in a more satisfying way, leaving the readers with a sense of fulfillment.

But as it is, it undermines the main theme of the book. It makes you question all the things you thought were important and leaves you with a sense of disappointment.

It's a shame that such a great book had to end this way. I still enjoy reading it, but the ending always leaves a sour taste in my mouth.