Nothing in this book is ever properly explained and therefore, nothing really makes sense.
No clue as to where to start, what to do, who to talk to, how to use his powers to help him on this quest… not even any information on why the signs are important or what this battle between Light and Dark is all about.
Six signs, shaped like a circle with a cross in the middle have to be found and put together. Will is the Sign-Seeker and he is entrusted with a quest by Merriman and the Lady and some other Old Ones, who happen to be Will’s neighbours. And sadly, that whole introductory part of the book tells you exactly how the rest of it will go. So Will does, gets into danger, and gets saved by Merriman who then gives this vital bit of information to Will. Merrimen does not, however, tell Will not to use those powers because it draws the attention of the Dark… Which just seems like a cruel joke, considering any 11-year-old with the sudden power to make a fire would immediately try that power on his way home through the snow. Will meets Merriman – whom we know from the first book – and is taught a little bit of the awesome powers he now possesses, such as making a fire out of nothing or talking with other Old Ones telepathically. No further details are given because I guess labeling things “good” and “evil” is enough. It doesn’t take long for Will (and us readers) to find out that Will is an Old One, a person involved in the epic battle between the Light and the Dark. Birds behave weirdly, his wish for snow seems to be coming true, even though snow doesn’t usually stick around in his home town, and a homeless man appears to be following him around. Will Stanton is turning eleven just a few days before Christmas and strange things are happening. The second novel in Susan Cooper’s highly acclaimed Dark is Rising sequence. Will discovers that he has the power of the Old Ones, and that he must embark on a quest to vanquish the terrifyingly evil magic of the Dark. But there is an atmosphere of fear in the familiar countryside around him. It’s Midwinter’s Eve, the day before Will’s eleventh birthday.
This night will be bad and tomorrow will be beyond imagining. Opening line: ‘Too many!’ James shouted, and slammed the door behind him. Having read it, I honestly don’t know if me and all those other people have read the same book. The second book is a Newberry Medal winner and appears on all the lists of best fantasy ever so I had high expectations. I started Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising Sequence and I found the first book quite nice. Last year, I decided to catch up on some classic SFF that I hadn’t read yet because it’s so easy to get swept away by new publications.
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