The Dark is Rising

This series was life changing for me. The power and insight of these themes and the special relationship I share with these characters makes these 5 books especially dear to me. Will finds out on his 11th birthday that he is more than a boy, he is an Old One of the light, and more than that, the Sign Seeker.  Through the series he works with other children to find the Things of Power, and like his ancient predecessor, finds eternal friendship with the boy that holds the power of all the light in his hands.

Audience

This series depends more on abstract thought, so I wouldn't go younger than 10. It appeals to boys and girls equally. Plenty of magic, plenty of history. Set in several times across the history of Great Britan-both Wales and Cornwall. Heavy on achetypes, but still with adventure and some humor.

Why I Love These Books

To me, much of this does not feel like fiction. I thought all the family by-play was spot on, especially the relationship of siblings. As the concepts of Light and Dark are explored it is obvious that this was meant as much more than a story, it was meant as an honest look at the forces and nature of good and evil. In it I saw people I felt I knew and people I wanted to become. With these powerful themes and characters I find easy to love these books were destined to make my hall of fame.

Cautions

1) The characters are quite wordy and do not talk at their ages.
2) The tone is somewhat eerie, similar to A Wrinkle in Time

3) The series characterizes the Light as being cold, willing to sacrifice the one to save the many, willing to hurt the one to gain the safety of others. Whether the narrator is reliable is left to the reader's judgement

4) The Grey King and Silver on the Tree both deal with broken homes and their repercussions
5) Silver on the Tree is very unorthodox, taking characters into settings I found alien and hard to relate to. I did not enjoy the book until the second reading. The complexity and multitude of characters and settings prevented me from seeing the thread of the story at first.

6) I disagreed with the artistic decision the author made on the last page of the last book. In my mind the series ends differently, but I won't post spoilers

Series

Over Sea, Under Stone

The Dark is Rising

Greenwitch

The Grey King

Silver on the Tree