The Dark Is Rising

Book 2 of The Dark Is Rising Sequence

By: Susan Cooper

Narrated by: Alex Jennings

Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

On the Midwinter Day that is his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers a special gift: he is the last of the Old Ones, immortals dedicated to keeping the world from domination by the forces of evil, the Dark. At once, he is plunged into a quest for the six magical Signs that will one day aid the Old Ones in the final battle between the Dark and the Light. And for the twelve days of Christmas, while the Dark is rising, life for Will is full of wonder, terror, and delight.

This book is a rare act of creative imagination in which the listener will be equally moved by the warm happy village life Will shares with his large family and the nearly overwhelming danger he encounters, often in other centuries and places, while he seeks the Signs and learns their power. Interweaving ancient Celtic and English traditions with the legends of the Buckinghamshire hills and valleys where she grew up, Susan Cooper has written a superlative dramatic fantasy of the eternal conflict between good and evil out of which all myth is made.

Listen to more in the Dark Is Rising Sequence.

©1973 Susan Cooper (P)2000 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"As narrator, Alex Jennings superbly conveys Will's mixed emotions." (AudioFile)
"So perfect is the match between Alex Jennings' voice and this mysterious magical tale that it is difficult to imagine any other voice reading these words." (The Horn Book Magazine)

Excellent Audio Version of an Excellent Book

This series has always been one of my favorites and I've read this book innumerable times. I was hesitant about the audio version, because it can change the way you perceive the book. My only complaint would be that the recitation of the poems/chants wasn't, to my opinion, done very well, but that is a minor complaint. I really enjoyed the addition of the correct accent to the way I've always "heard" the story narrated in my mind.

The Dark is Rising

Would you listen to The Dark Is Rising again? Why?

Yes, every year.

What other book might you compare The Dark Is Rising to and why?

I think other Young Adult books remind me of the Dark is Rising. On a recent re-listen, II found that I was reminded of Septimus Heap, Harry Potter, Fablehaven.

What does Alex Jennings bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The accent!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Ignore the previous attempt

hmmm

liked it once I wasn't so confused... the story for me was just a little hard to follow maybe there was something I had missed in the beginning of the book once I got to the last few chapters then things started to make sense. overall it was a good story

A quest, a young boy and eternal values

Glad to find this book. Surprised that it predates the Harry Potter series. Vividly written…an ancient tale. The reader was perfect!

One of my YA favorites

Wonderful book from a fantasy series wrapped in Arthurian legend. Don't even talk to me about the movie adaptation. So much of the identity of the book was lost. This and The Grey King are the best books of the 5 book series.

A tour de force

Really quite incredible. This book is head and shoulders above the first book in the series, which was truly an entertaining children's story. This is a dramatic shift in depth and breadth and sophistication, all of which is exquisitely heightened by the virtually perfect narration. This is something of a masterwork and one I'll enjoy listening to again.

Just as good as an adult as when I was a kid

excellent book and naration. Good Arthurian style legendry. I listened to this book many years ago and reliatened for some nostalgia.

An awesome reading of a truly classic Christmas story.

I listen to it every year with continuing delight at the plot, the characters and the author’s exquisite turn of phrase. Beautiful!

Great for a children's book series

I had read so many good reviews about this book, and many people read it every December (since it takes place in the days proceeding Christmas), so I thought I had to pick it up, even with it being a children's/young adult book. I found it enjoyable, and the narration was excellent. The storyline was fairly generic (kid who thinks he can't possibly be special discovers he's actually special and part of some secret guild, etc. etc.). He doesn't really DO anything to prove his abilities at any point, and many things just happen to fall into place. However, there are lovely descriptions and it is an age-appropriate read for tweens.

Amazing!

I would definitely suggest it to a friend. Susan Cooper has a great way of telling stories. She does an excellent job at giving you that creeping feeling of dread. And Alex Jennings just absolutely does an amazing job setting the scene. If you get the chance to listen to it, do it.