Opening on Midwinter Eve, this immensely powerful and intensely engaging children's fantasy, the second in Susan Cooper's five-volume Dark Is Rising Sequence, is a book I read again and again as a girl. Will Stanton, who turns eleven on Midwinter Day, coming into his own as one of the Old Ones—servants of the Light, in eternal conflict with the forces of the Dark, which are intent on ruling the world—learns more about his role as the Sign Seeker as he travels through time, visiting England in different centuries. The book follows him on his quest to assemble the six signs, which together form one of the Things of Power that the Light will use to eventually defeat the Dark for all time. It is a journey that is intertwined with his large and loving family's celebration of the holiday season, from Midwinter through Christmas, and on to Twelfth Night, and one that will eventually draw in figures and traditions from local folklore, including Herne the Hunter and the Wild Hunt...

Published in 1973, a number of years after the first book in the series, Over Sea, Under Stone, which came out in 1965, The Dark Is Rising switches focus a bit, changing protagonist and setting. Whereas that earlier title concerned the three Drew siblings, and their quest to find King Arthur's chalice, hidden on the headland of a small Cornish village, this entry focuses on Will, the youngest of a large Buckinghamshire family, and expands the overarching narrative considerably, exploring the larger and deeper cosmological struggle only hinted at in the earlier book. The Drew children do not appear here, and are not mentioned, although the chalice they found is referenced, as the first of the Things of Power being assembled in the Light's struggle against the Dark. The bridge between the two is really the character of Merriman, the oldest and one of the wisest of the Old Ones, who guides Will through his education and quest.

Beautifully written and wonderfully conceived, it is not difficult to see why this book won a Newbery Honor in 1974. From the time I first read it, I have loved it, and this latest reread, undertaken as part of a project to read the entire series with friends, has not changed my feelings an iota. I still love the use of folklore and mythology throughout, in both overt and discreet ways (so many of the names have a deeper meaning!), I love the settings, and quest itself. I love the poem, which I memorized and would recite with a friend and fellow admirer of the series, when young. I both love and am haunted by the story of Hawkin, whose fate is one I have always struggled with, from childhood to adulthood, worrying away at the questions of choice, justice, and morality. This is truly a marvelous book, and is one I wholeheartedly recommend to all fantasy readers. I finished this reread with a keen desire to proceed on to the next in the series, Greenwitch. ( )

I remember this book being epic. I got so excited while listening to the audio book that i borrowed the print version from my brother. Except, it's an exciting book when being performed by an older british man, less exciting when read in print. I also kept feeling like i was missing something, like, if i had majored in mythology i would understand why the Great Hunt had to save the day. I think the first half, focused as it is on Will's family was interesting, but when he just goes through the motions of his destiny, i was bored. ( )

This was amazing! I love how Will's character is developed throughout the book, and I enjoyed the folklore elements of the story. It might be a little too challenging for tweens, but I think it's perfect for any who enjoy older (it was published in the 70s but reads more like Narnia) YA/middle grades fantasy. ( )

I think that if I were more knowledgeable about the mythology that Cooper is drawing upon for the world she has created, I would have enjoyed this more. I'm familiar with the Greeks, but only just barely acquainted with the more well-known characters from other traditions. I didn't find the characters to be particularly well drawn or compelling and the conflicts had little real tension. Will seemed to only passively move from one miniquest to the next, and nobody ever seemed to be in any actual danger. The Dark simply had no teeth. But there is a love of language that leavens the dullness of plot and characterization. The world created is beautifully described; it only needed a good story to go with it.I still plan to read the entire series, though. The frustration I felt at the age of eleven with a book I couldn't understand is still with me. I'm determined to read it again in context and finally put those questions to rest. ( )

Did my semi-traditional winter read, for the umpteenth time.