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purpledragonfly48's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
A charming children's adventure story with overtures of King Arthur. I read this series years ago, and decided to re-visit it via audio book. I love kid's books from this era, mostly because it reminds me of reading and enjoying them as a kid. Would recommend for readers who like authors like E. Nesbit and Edward Eager.
One disappointing note: As with a lot of books from a similar time frame there are some mentions of colonialism and "rude natives" in a rather positive light, as in the children in the story are pretending to be explorers and are afraid the indigenous peoples will come and attack them, talking about stealing their treasure, etc. However, this is mostly confined to the early section of the book.
One disappointing note: As with a lot of books from a similar time frame there are some mentions of colonialism and "rude natives" in a rather positive light, as in the children in the story are pretending to be explorers and are afraid the indigenous peoples will come and attack them, talking about stealing their treasure, etc. However, this is mostly confined to the early section of the book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Xenophobia and Colonisation
marmar0326's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny, Racism, and Colonisation
francescaastraea's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Devastated I never read this as a child and missed the opportunity to become OBSESSED with Arthurian legend, caves and finding lost kings.
(What's that sound? My copy of the Raven Cycle bristling? Hahaa.)
(What's that sound? My copy of the Raven Cycle bristling? Hahaa.)
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism and Colonisation
craftysnailtail's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I adored this series as a kid, so I thought I'd reread them. I was unaware of just how old this series is, so the racism in the first book really took me off guard and quite upset me. It's simply not something I noticed as a kid in the 90s, but I do understand that it was written in the 60s from a very posh, white-centric view. The later books don't have this sort of casual racism, so thankfully Cooper did change with the times... Still something important to note, in my opinion.
The plot itself is still just as good as I remembered. Not as exciting now that I'm an adult, but I still love Cooper's style of writing and the overall mystery surrounding the light and the dark. It's very easy to get lost in her stories and I found it both fun and relaxing to read, but maybe that's because I knew how it would end.
If you enjoy easy, adventurous reads with a Narnia/magical realism feel, that focus on Arthurian legend, then you'll probably really enjoy this series.
The plot itself is still just as good as I remembered. Not as exciting now that I'm an adult, but I still love Cooper's style of writing and the overall mystery surrounding the light and the dark. It's very easy to get lost in her stories and I found it both fun and relaxing to read, but maybe that's because I knew how it would end.
If you enjoy easy, adventurous reads with a Narnia/magical realism feel, that focus on Arthurian legend, then you'll probably really enjoy this series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Colonisation
frederikfaultier's review
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Colonisation