Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper

This book is the final episode in the Dark is Rising series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. All of the main characters from the previous books join forces in the decisive battle between the Light and Dark. Will must venture into an alternate world with Bran, who turns out to be the son of King Arthur, in order to acquire a silver sword hidden in a tree. The Light and Dark are unable to use their powers in this world, and Merryman is not available to help Will. Simon, Jane, and Barney also encounter the Dark forces in the modern world, but everyone comes together for the climax. The side in possession of the sword will hold a huge advantage in the final battle.

This plot is harder to follow, much like book two, because much of the setting and events are hard to imagine. The battles aren't always fought with swords and shields, as the forces uses magic to do their fighting. This series is definitely for advanced readers who enjoy fantasy worlds.

Greenwitch by Susan Cooper

This book is the third in The Dark is Rising series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. This book unites the main characters from the first two books as the setting returns to Trewissick. The Light must collect five objects to defeat the Dark, and two of them have already been found, the six magical Signs and the Golden Grail. However, the Dark steals the Grail, and the two sides are in a race to find the lead tube lost on the rocky shores of the ocean. Inside the tube are instructions on how to unlock the secret powers of the Grail. Greenwitch is a gift to the ocean goddess, created each year by the villagers, but it comes to life and finds the tube first. However, it will not give up the tube to the Dark or the Light. The Walker, an agent for the Dark, hopes to use Barney to help summon and control Greenwitch. The third object found within the lead tube holds a huge advantage for the Light or the Dark.

This plot was much easier to follow than book two. Simon, Jane, and Barney have no magical powers, so the events involving them were pretty straightforward. The author created some nice suspense between the two sides, and Greenwitch created an interesting complication to the problem. A seemingly innocent moment early in the plot became the key to resolving the conflict.

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

This book is the second in The Dark is Rising series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Other than Great Uncle Merriman, this book has none of the characters from book one. Will Stanton celebrates his eleventh birthday and notices things are very different; he is the seventh son of a seventh son. The animals seem to shy away from him, and he senses different things. Will discovers that he is actually one of the Old Ones mentioned in the first book, and one of the most powerful. He becomes more powerful as he collects each of the six magical circles, and the Dark fights to stop him before he learns to harness the powers. The Dark becomes more aggressive as Will collects more of the Signs, and the entire population of England may suffer as it becomes their battleground.

The first forty pages of the book were confusing since Will and myself did not know what was happening. Merriman's character shows up and explains things. It took imagination to follow the plot, so some readers may not enjoy that. The events occurred during different time periods, and characters were sometimes frozen in time as the magical characters interacted. The first book in the series can stand by itself, but I think you're committed to reading all five books in the series if you read this one.

The High King by Lloyd Alexander

This book is the final episode in The Chronicles of Prydain series, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Arawn Death-Lord has decided it's time to attack the rest of Prydain and rule over the entire kingdom. The plot opens with Arawn stealing Dyrnwyn from Prince Gwydion, because he knows that the sword's powers are the only thing that can stop him. Taran is sent to enlist the help of the Commots, common people, he met in the previous book, while Gwydion and others amass armies to help the Princes of Don defend Prydain. One powerful friend decides to command his troops to fight against them instead. Taran is assigned an important task, to delay the Cauldron-Born before they can return to Annuvin. Cauldron-Born cannout be killed, and the armies of Prydain will surely be defeated if Taran fails his mission.

This book is full of the action that some of the previous books lacked. The war started in chapter one and lasted until the last chapter. Taran and the others always seemed to be fighting impossible odds but always seemed to come out ahead. I like plots where small details forgotten, characters or objects, reappear to help the protagonists solve their problems. The last chapter had a very noble finish to the entire series.

You must read the books in the series in order, so use the search box in the top-left corner of the screen to find them. The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, and Taran Wanderer are the first four books.

Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander

This book is the fourth in The Chronicles of Prydain, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Taran hopes to marry Princess Eilonwy one day, so he sets out to discover information about the parents he never knew. His travels take him back to the three witches at the Marshes of Morva, and they tell him that the Mirror of Llunet might be able to reveal the information he seeks. He encounters an evil wizard, Morda, and a vicious marauder, Dorath, along the way, and he must fight for his life. Taran becomes discouraged with things he discovers, so he decides to apprentice with a blacksmith, a weaver, and a potter. They teach him their crafts, but they teach him much more about life.

This book has an interesting variety of characters. The antagonists and friendly folk Taran meets create different opportunities for Taran to learn. In the end, Taran learns that we are more than the blood in our veins. He returns to Caer Dallben a new, more knowledgeable, man.

You must read the books in the series in order, so use the search box in the top-left corner of the screen to find them. The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, and The Castle of Llyr are the first three books.

The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander

This book is the third in The Chronicles of Prydain series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Princess Eilonwy is sent away to learn how to act like a princess. Needless to say, she's not happy about it. Taran accompanies her on the journey, but the conflict heats up when Eilonwy is kidnapped by someone working in the castle. It turns out that the evil queen, Achren, wants the power hidden within Eilonwy. The keys to unleashing the power are a lost book of spells, and Eilonwy's bauble. Taran is accompanied by his usual band of characters, but he's joined by an inept prince. Taran is distracted a number of times as he tries to keep the prince alive, but will it cost Eilonwy her life?

The plot moves along nicely as Taran strives to fulfill his quest. The dangers faced along the way help keep it interesting.There's not as much funny interaction between characters as in the previous books, but the prince is an interesting addition to the cast.

You must read the books in the series in order, so use the search box in the top-left corner of the screen to find them. The Book of Three and The Black Cauldron are the first two books in the series.

Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

This book is the first in The Dark is Rising series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Simon, Jane, and Barney are visiting their Great-Uncle Merry in Cornwall when they discover an ancient parchment from King Arthur's time. It turns out that this parchment contains directions to find a holy grail, a large cup with powerful magic. The children discover that good and evil forces have been battling for centuries, and this grail may give evil the power to defeat good. The children are in a race to find the holy grail before the evil forces are able to stop them. However, it's sometimes difficult to tell good from evil.

The characters are developed well, and the secret evil characters help add to the suspense. The clues on the parchment are challenging but aren't mind busters. They were very understandable to me as a reader, unlike some of the newer novels. Also, everything the children were able to do was realistic. There was nothing super-magical in this book, but the sequels offer more of that.

The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander

This book is the second in The Chronicles of Prydain series, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Prince Gwydion organizes the armies of Prydain to take the Black Cauldron away from Arawn, the lord of  The Land of Death, who is using it to amass an army of undead. The cauldron was stolen from him, before the armies arrive, and Taran and his group of characters discover its new location. They must avoid a party of Huntsmen, whose powers grow if one of them is killed, and then attempt to retrieve the cauldron from three witches. Even then, there is another evil ruler waiting to possess the cauldron and start his own army to rule over Prydain.

This book was a Newbery Honor winner, and the plot moves along quickly. There are surprise twists to the story, and there is a bit of foreshadowing through the dreams of  Adaon, a bard leading the search. Ellidyr is a new character with a negative disposition, and he adds some additional conflict for Taran.

You must read the books in the series in order, so use the search box in the top-left corner of the screen to find The Book of Three.