The Dark is Rising

The second in the Dark Is Rising series, the story follows Will Stanton, last of the Old Ones.

On his eleventh birthday, he learns he is a warrior with great power, compelled to take part in the ancient cycle of battle between the Dark and the Light.

Moody, atmospheric, and with a carefully constructed backstory filled with Celtic folklore and the natural world, it’s beautifully written, sophisticated in a way children’s literature rarely is, and has echoed in my mind for years. 

Shortly after I finished the Chronicles of Narnia series, my teacher suggested I try The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper.  I grabbed what I thought was the first book—only learning later that it’s actually the second book in the series—and quickly fell in love. An 11-year-old boy learning he has magical powers and is the world’s last chance? Yes, please!  

I also really enjoyed Merriman. I have a soft spot for mysterious mentors, which is why my character of Doyle is written like that in my first book.

The second book in Susan Cooper’s children’s fantasy series based on Celtic mythology focuses on Will Stanton, a seventh son of a seventh son. Susan Cooper details a magical world beneath the English countryside where the main character, the last of the beings known as the Old Ones, is celebrating his eleventh birthday. 

There are so many legends touched on in this book that I felt spoilt for choice. The magic of this book has stayed with me for over forty years even though I first read it as a young adult. This is a book I still read to… show more.

Another great coming-of-age fantasy series which I could not put down as a young reader. The sequence has five books in total and completely swept me away. Well-paced and gripping, the stories focus heavily on a variety of Celtic and British myths and legends. This series has a timeless and classical feel, and Cooper’s storytelling is fantastic. I have a particular fondness for these stories as—shortly after finishing them—I was inspired to recreate my own story, along a similar vein. The only problem was I failed to explain to the other children that this was all… show more.

I fell in love with this book, which weaves together all sorts of British legends and bits of history, when I was a child. Although it’s nominally a children’s book, I still re-read it every couple of years – it's a perfect book to read round about Christmas, full of snow and magic. It’s also been a huge influence on my own writing, so I’ve got a particularly soft spot for it. It’s part of a sequence of five books – all very good – which follow the eternal battle between good and evil, bringing in Celtic, Norse, and Arthurian… show more.