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.