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Susan Cooper
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The Dark is Rising Sequence: Over Sea, Under Stone, The Dark Is Rising, Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree Paperback – 25 Oct. 1984

by Susan Cooper (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 208 ratings
This spellbinding volume brings together the five novels from Susan Cooper’s classic fantasy sequence: Over Sea, Under Stone; The Dark is Rising; Greenwitch; The Grey King; and Silver on the Tree. Here Barney, Jane and Simon discover an ancient map in Cornwall; the mysterious Merriman reveals his secret purpose; and Will Stanton realizes that he is not just an ordinary boy but has a far greater role in fulfilling his destiny. Creating a magical world where the everyday mingles with the supernatural, The Dark is Rising Sequence weaves a story of secret codes, strange prophecies, the legend of King Arthur and a centuries-old conflict between the power of good and the forces of evil.
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  1. Reading age
    9 - 11 years
  2. Print length
    800 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Dimensions
    12.8 x 3.5 x 20.1 cm
  5. Publisher
    Puffin
  6. Publication date
    25 Oct. 1984
  7. ISBN-10
    9780140316889
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0140316889
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Product description

About the Author

Susan Cooper was born in Buckinghamshire, read English at Oxford and began her career as a reporter and feature-writer for the Sunday Times. Her sequence of fantasy novels, THE DARK IS RISING, won her numerous international awards, including the Newbery Medal. She has also written a Broadway play and several film scripts for TV and cinema. Susan Cooper lives in Connecticut, USA.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0140316884
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Puffin
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 25 Oct. 1984
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 800 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780140316889
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140316889
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 540 g
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 9 - 11 years
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.8 x 3.5 x 20.1 cm
  • Best Sellers Rank: 34,061 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 208 ratings

About the author

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Susan Cooper

Susan Cooper

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Susan Cooper is best known for her acclaimed five-book fantasy sequence "The Dark is Rising," which won a Newbery Medal, a Newbery Honor Award, and two Carnegie Honor Awards. Her newest books are 2 picturebooks: "The Shortest Day" (her classic solstice poem, illustrated by Carson Ellis), and "The Word Pirates," illustrated by Steven Kellogg. Born in England in 1935, Ms Cooper became a reporter and feature writer for the London Sunday Times--her first boss was James Bond creator Ian Fleming--before moving to the United States in 1963. Her first novels were "Mandrake" and the autobiographical "Dawn of Fear," followed by the complete Dark is Rising sequence (Over Sea, Under Stone; The Dark is Rising; Greenwitch; The Grey King; Silver on the Tree). The sequence, deeply rooted in the rich heritage of Arthurian legend and Celtic mythology, is a classic work of children's literature, still in print after 40 years. Cooper went on to write other well-received children's novels, including "Seaward," "The Boggart" trilogy, "Green Boy," "King of Shadows," "Victory," and "Ghost Hawk" as well as several picture books for young readers with illustrators such as Ashley Bryan and Warwick Hutton. She has also written books for adults, as well as plays and Emmy-nominated screenplays (some in collaboration with her second husband, the actor Hume Cronyn). Recent non-fiction includes her biography of Revels founder Jack Langstaff titled "The Magic Maker." Ms. Cooper lives in Marshfield MA. Visit her on Facebook or on her website at www.thelostland.com.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
208 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book series engaging, with one review describing it as an amazing fantasy rollercoaster ride with good v evil struggles and intrigue. They also appreciate the value for money, with one customer noting it's worth buying the individual book set.

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Story qualityValue for money
12 customers mention ‘Story quality’12 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, with one customer describing it as an amazing fantasy rollercoaster ride with good v evil struggles and intrigue.

"...is a book which has travelled well over the years, it is still a good story, very slight problem with the size of print in the combined editions..." Read more

"...delightful surprise the books are: beautifully written prose; an excellent story that stretches across all five books; an exciting battle between..." Read more

"...read as slightly dated (especially OSOS), that said the story and experience is as strong and emotional as ever...." Read more

"...I think they are suitable for ages 8 - 14, depending on the child of course...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Value for money’7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book set to be great value for money.

"...the complete all in one compendium but it has been worth buying the individual book set since it is a more comfortable and less daunting reading..." Read more

"...Review for the penguin print of sequence in one book. Good value, but print is a little small." Read more

"...I don't think anything has matched it for its sheer escapist value or its wonderful world of the Light and Dark, the Good and Evil...." Read more

"This set of books is great, a great storyline and reasonably priced. Its great to be able to read them in sequence" Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Karen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Surprise
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 October 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I recently had The Dark is Rising film on the tv as background noise, mainly because I've always considered it a bit of a "chewing gum" movie. I visited the Wikipedia entry to look something up and the article mentioned the books so I checked them out on Amazon and, on the strength of the comments, decided to buy this version. I've just finished reading it.

    What a delightful surprise the books are: beautifully written prose; an excellent story that stretches across all five books; an exciting battle between good (The Light) and evil (The Dark) and a cleverly developed mythology. My only complaint is how small the print is in this version - I felt tempted to use a magnifying glass as times.

    This book, and Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogies, are two exceptionally well written fiction series that have had equally dismal films made of them. The Harry Potter books, for all their success, are nowhere nearly as well written but the films are vastly superior. I suspect the reason for that is because J K Rowling maintained full control over the film versions. I think any author must do the same if they want a film version that truly reflects their ideas.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Lincolnshirejock
    5.0 out of 5 stars PLEASE remove the abomination of the film from your head
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2012
    Verified Purchase
    As per the title - if you have come here looking for the book after watching the film then please please please do this first: FORGET YOU EVER WATCHED IT!!

    I have read this series of books a myriad of times after being introduced during primary school. I can still remember the sense of awe and wonderment in several of the scenes across the entire quintet of novels.

    Even many many years later I can pick this up and blast my way through them in a matter of days. True, to my now experienced eyes they can read as slightly dated (especially OSOS), that said the story and experience is as strong and emotional as ever.

    There are several themes visited across the series of which I am not going to ruin for the uninitiated. My personal favourites lie in the menance and build up of "The Dark is Rising" and the raw emotional anquish of feeling in "The Grey King".

    So give it a shot and as I said at the start - remove all visage of the film before reading - or just don't bother with it in the first place ;-)
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Mrs A
    5.0 out of 5 stars Susan Cooper is magical!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 October 2015
    Verified Purchase
    My children loved theses books 35 plus years ago and my grandchildren are now reading them. They have just begun but seem to be enjoying these books too. I worried that being Harry Potter fans they might find these less appealing but they have their own different magic.
    I could not find the whole set individually initially so I bought the complete all in one compendium but it has been worth buying the individual book set since it is a more comfortable and less daunting reading experience.The TV / film that was made was disappointing and I would strongly recommend reading the books instead.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • KJM
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Box Set
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 December 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I read these when I was in primary school 30+ years ago and wanted my daughters to read them too, but never seemed to see them in any bookshops. So I was delighted to find them altogether in a box set on Amazon - really special thanks. I think they are suitable for ages 8 - 14, depending on the child of course. One of the books was made in to a film "The Seeker" (I think) - it was hopeless - don't let that put you off - these stories have stayed with me ever since I read them.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • animal lover
    5.0 out of 5 stars Delivery Excellent and product exactly as described
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 July 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This book was used but in excellent condition and the delivery service was excellent, arriving days earlier than estimated.
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  • wazdaka
    4.0 out of 5 stars Classic
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 July 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Good for old and young alike
    Review for the penguin print of sequence in one book.
    Good value, but print is a little small.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Erin Hackett
    5.0 out of 5 stars five stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 September 2014
    Verified Purchase
    The book arrived quickly and was in good condition, bar for a lingering smell of smoke. Which soon dissipated.

    I had read this series when I was younger, and wanted to buy it for my children. After rereading it, I fell in love with the story all over again. The writing is beautiful and gripping, the story line a little slow with the first book but definitely picks up speed with the Dark is Rising, and gets even better from there.

    Definitely one for the book shelf
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  • Pimlico Tim
    5.0 out of 5 stars pre- harry potter , harry potter ...+ deep 1970s darkness
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 April 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I remember the first book: on jackanory in the early 70s. seemed a little famous 5 (re-reading in 2019) at first, but very exciting towards the end ….and each book in the series more, dense more scary (often somewhat trippy), Arthurian legends, Welsh legends, 'Wicker Man' territory, horseman of the apocalypse, hidden treasure /grail quests , adolescents discovering their magical/eldritch powers and identities...phew! you get your money's worth here!!!!A++++
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • badcom
    5.0 out of 5 stars 闇の戦いがまとめて読める
    Reviewed in Japan on 30 May 2004
    Verified Purchase
    『光の６つのしるし』『緑の老婆』『灰色の王』『樹上の銀』の４部作＋それに先行する『コーンウォールの聖杯』の計５冊の原著がセットになって箱入りでこの価格。結構昔のシリーズなので、このセットで揃えるとお得だしいいと思います。
    ただマスマーケットなせいか版型が小ぶりで、字がかなり小さ目なので、児童書だと思って油断してると結構辛いかもしれません。
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  • chris2110
    5.0 out of 5 stars wundervolle Serie
    Reviewed in Germany on 10 September 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Ich kannte als Kind nur "The Dark is rising" in der deutschen Ausgabe (Wintersonnenwende). Das habe ich viele Male gelesen und heiß geliebt. Die Geschichte unglaublich mitreißend, manchmal begeisternd, manchmal bedrückend, immer überzeugend. Krähen im Schnee sind mir seither suspekt. ;)
    Als längst Erwachsene entdeckte ich, dass Wintersonnenwende Teil einer fünfteiligen Serie ist. Da die Bücher auf deutsch nicht mehr alle zu bekommen waren, habe ich mir kurzerhand diese Kassette mit der englischen Ausgabe bestellt. Die anderen Bücher finde ich teilweise kindlicher von der Sprache. Überraschend auch, dass die Protagonisten aus "The Dark is rising" andere sind als im Rest der Serie. Aber die Geschichte ist insgesamt wundervoll ausgedacht und geschrieben. Empfehlenswert.
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  • rachelleme
    5.0 out of 5 stars As described, wonderful to have childhood book again
    Reviewed in Canada on 16 August 2011
    Verified Purchase
    Book was received in the condition in which it was described. A couple of weeks delay in arrival due to the original seller not having the book and having to get an affiliate to send it from G.B. The delay was explained most kindly by staff upon my enquiry.

    Wrapped well, very happy with purchase and customer service.
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  • THe Neuro
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Story of Myth and Fantasy
    Reviewed in the United States on 14 September 2011
    Verified Purchase
    The Dark is Rising Sequence is a collection of 5 books: - Over Sea,Under Stone , The Dark is Rising, Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree - written by Susan Cooper. Their story is that of the three Drew Children(Jane, Barney, and Simon), their 'Great-Uncle Merry'(who is really Merlin), Will Stanton(the last and youngest of the Old Ones), and Bran Davies(a Welsh boy who is really the son of King Arthur). In the story, different combinations of these 6 characters, and various other characters, fight to stop the rising of the Dark as it seeks to take over the world. They are on the side of the light, and so in their quests, the often find various artifacts of the Light and keep them away from the Dark. The Dark tries several times to rise up and take over the world but each time it is repulsed, until it is vanquished it its last and greatest attempt to prevail(found in Silver on the Tree). After the Dark is vanquished, all forces of Light and Dark cease to interfere with the earth, and it is left to go in whatever direction man takes it in.

    The series is well written and the books intertwine beautifully into the common storyline. Cooper is very informative and explanatory, which makes you feel almost like you are there as you read the exciting, unpredictable, and yet still enjoyable boooks. The books are about 200 pages long each, and are void of dullness and boring parts. Any child who can read well should read these books as this great story is told masterfully in a way they will never forget. These books truly tell a great story.
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  • Mommy of Twins
    5.0 out of 5 stars Generations of Magic
    Reviewed in the United States on 25 November 2005
    Verified Purchase
    I don't remember when I first read the series, but I have always enjoyed it. This is partially due to my everlasting love for the Arthurian Legend, and the battles between Good and Evil. It also adds some Gaelic lessons, and Welsh mythology, and, of course, Magic.

    I now have children of my own, and my 6-year-old daughter is firmly planted in this world. She did not believe in Magic. I don't believe in children not believing in magic, so I went out and found Susan Cooper's series recently. I read a chapter a night to her and her twin brother, and last autumn, when the cold wind started to blow in the evenings, I heard rustling in their room well after they had been put to bed. I peered in, and there they were, little faces pressed up against the window peeking out into the night. My son said "I don't see them yet," and my daughter replied "You just have to let your eyes go a little unfocused. Don't worry, James, the Old Ones are out there." They brought Magic back into my daughter's life. Great books.
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