When The Dark is Rising started I was very confused. It was supposed to be the second book in a series, right? But, it starts with completely different characters and in a different village than Over Sea, Under Stone. Only as time goes on, do we see the connection.
Will Stanton is the seventh son of a seventh son and just about to turn 11 years old. Up until that point, he is a normal kid who has no idea there is anything special about his eleventh birthday.
Where Over Sea, Under Stone was subtle with its magical hints, this books throws you right into it. On his birthday, Will finds out he is an “Old One”. This is some kind of immortal force of the Light who can travel through time and protects the world from the Dark. Will is the youngest Old One and he is set on an important quest for a weapon to help the Light in what will be the final battle with the Dark.
When Will learns all about what he is, we get all the explanation that was only hinted at in Over Sea, Under Stone. It sets things up nicely to start bringing the bigger story together and it becomes clear that the series will draw on a lot of myths and legends from around the British Isles, not just the Arthurian ones.
Read the rest of my review at Loopy Ker’s Life.