I’ve been diving into middle grade fantasy recently, and one of my projects was to re-read one of Young Me’s favorites: Susan Cooper’s DARK IS RISING series. 

Which makes this a good time to do another post in our semi-regular series: Blast from the Past.

The gist: We will occasionally read (or listen) to a book we had loved as children but have not re-visited as adult writers. And then we’ll tell you about it.

How did the story hold up? Is the magic still there? What differences do we notice, both cultural and in storytelling techniques and how we respond as adult writers? Would our childhood faves appeal to kids today?

THE DARK IS RISING series consists of OVER SEA, UNDER STONE; THE DARK IS RISING; GREENWITCH; THE GREY KING; and SILVER ON THE TREE. They follow the epic struggle between the Old Ones of the Light and the powers of the Dark and pull heavily from Arthurian legends and Norse and English folklore.

As a kid I received THE DARK IS RISING for Christmas one year, diving in and wishing like mad that the snow Will got for his Christmastime birthday would arrive at our house. But it just rained, and I spent a couple of days immersed, then used my Christmas money to buy the rest of the series. While I read the books out of order originally, I listened to them in order this time. 

Gut Reaction

I was surprised to find that my reactions to each book and to the series as a whole were almost the same as an adult as they were when I was a kid. My favorites in the series involved the Drew siblings, with GREENWITCH still being a standout for me. And I could definitely see why pre-teen me had such a crush on Bran from the last two books. 

Then and now, I resonated most with Jane Drew, the only girl. Young Me constantly wished there were more girls in the stories and resented Jane being sidelined as the most fearful and sensitive child. Without spoiling, the ending upset Young Me, and although I understood it better as an adult, I still found it quite sad.

Most surprising was my reaction to the more fanciful and magical portions of the books – they were still too much for me, even as an adult who understood more of the references and purposes of the magic. As a kid they made me uncomfortable and scared. As an adult, they reminded me a bit too much of fever dreams. 

The Good

The Drew siblings! I loved their sibling dynamics, which felt very authentic, and each one of them had moments to shine. They were a great window for the reader into the fantasy world, being apart from it, but still involved. Their sense of adventure and longing to be included felt so familiar.

I also really enjoyed the historical, cultural, and mythological elements that Cooper wove into each book, particularly the two that took place in Wales. Although a lot of it is familiar to a western reader, it brought a lot of richness to the story and made the battles feel more tied to history.

The Less Good

As a kid, I loved the prophecy aspect of the books and trying to piece together the clues to the prophecies. As an adult, prophesy combined with people who could travel through time stretched my belief too far. I found myself getting impatient with the characters. The quests were fun to read, but the logic didn’t hold up for me.

There is very little diversity throughout the series. Bran, a main character in the last two books, has albinism, which is handled relatively well. But other than a couple of minor characters of color, this series has a very white, Western European lens.

The Great

A running theme throughout all five books was that effective leadership cuts you away from humankind. The Old Ones, as guardians of humanity, live among people. Will has siblings and parents, while Merry is a surrogate great uncle to the Drew kids. But they are also forced to sacrifice the health and well being of those they love for the greater task of saving all of humanity.

Young Me hated the unfairness of it, and I was afraid of the Old Ones because of it. If you are at all tender-hearted, it is difficult to watch a heroic character make cold and calculating choices, no matter what the justification. In the fourth book, Will tells Bran that he doesn’t have the luxury of considering individual people because he is trying to make the world safe for all people, and it is a terrible and deeply sad moment.

As an adult re-reading the books in the middle of a global pandemic and other crises, though, I found myself thinking a lot about what it takes to be an effective leader and if that is incompatible with being a good and moral person.

The Bottom Line

There are amazing moments of wisdom, beautiful descriptions of magic, and some heart-pounding adventure in every book.

That said, the style is a bit old-fashioned, and the pace definitely slower and the tone more serious than many of today’s middle grade fantasies. A fantasy-loving kid would probably readily enjoy them after getting hooked by more modern tales, but reluctant readers might find them too slow. I think they’re worth it, though. Today’s kids, who are living through multiple life and death struggles, might find a lot out to think about and comfort them as they navigate their futures.

We’d love to hear about your Blast from the Past reads, too. Have you revisited an old favorite? What did you think? Tell us in the comments or shoot us an email!