Scan barcode
A review by harlando
The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
2.0
I wanted to like this. The series gets great reviews even 40 years after publication, so it must be good. However, it doesn't do much for me. The writing is good, but I could not get into the characters or the plot.
I think my main objection to this is mechanics. Will Stanton is the 7th son of a 7th son, and on his birthday is identified as an "old one," and awakened to a heap of mystic power lying dormant within him. He is an emissary of "the light" needs to gather up six magical gee-gaws and use them to fight "the dark." Menacing agents of the dark scurry about throughout the book, but fortunately the light and the dark, despite their vast mystic powers, can't do each other much direct harm. That's where it gets bogus for me. There is a too much pre-destination and not enough initiative. Will needs to find a few things and shove them together. He gets tons of guidance from older 'old ones,' and isn't in much danger of being knifed or bludgeoned to death. I just can't take the plot tension seriously. No matter what he does, things are probably going to work out.
I read the first book, Over Sea, Under Stone. It was also not a favorite, but the protagonists there actually had some menacing and capable opponents and lacked fabulous cosmic powers.
I'll keep going to get to the gray king because everyone loves it, but this series seems overrated so far.
I think my main objection to this is mechanics. Will Stanton is the 7th son of a 7th son, and on his birthday is identified as an "old one," and awakened to a heap of mystic power lying dormant within him. He is an emissary of "the light" needs to gather up six magical gee-gaws and use them to fight "the dark." Menacing agents of the dark scurry about throughout the book, but fortunately the light and the dark, despite their vast mystic powers, can't do each other much direct harm. That's where it gets bogus for me. There is a too much pre-destination and not enough initiative. Will needs to find a few things and shove them together. He gets tons of guidance from older 'old ones,' and isn't in much danger of being knifed or bludgeoned to death. I just can't take the plot tension seriously. No matter what he does, things are probably going to work out.
I read the first book, Over Sea, Under Stone. It was also not a favorite, but the protagonists there actually had some menacing and capable opponents and lacked fabulous cosmic powers.
I'll keep going to get to the gray king because everyone loves it, but this series seems overrated so far.