Would you like to be a scholar and make five dollars per review?
Click here to submit a review!
Review Summaries
"Will Stanton, the youngest of 9 children, is approaching his 11th birthday in the midwinter. Powerful forces of good and evil congregate about him, and he learns he is the last of the Old Ones -- the first in 500 years -- who have guarded the Earth against the Dark. Will must find the six magical Signs that will consolidate the power of the Old Ones against the approaching Dark. With the protection and guidance of Merriman in particular, Will travels back to older times in the middle ages and 18th century, learns what he must know, and prepares for the great battle after Christmas. A flock of rooks, a witch-girl, a massive snowstorm and a flood are among the obstacles he will face. This is a stately and measured classic of young adult literature, the second in the five-part Dark is Rising Sequence."
David Loftus, Resident Susan Cooper Scholar
"Following 'Over Sea, Under Stone', this is the second tale of the war of the Old Ones against the Dark. Lead by the great mage Merriman Lyon, it is a wild and intense quest for the six talismans which must be found and then joined. The Grail is found and is safe. But now comes the time of the wizard apprentice - the raising up of the last that there will be in a line of great wizards. The atmosphere is intense, the characters real, the battles are breathtaking - a blend of Tolkien and E. Nesbit. This is but one battle in the war against the Dark which has raged through thousands of years, a complex struggle of mighty powers, illusions, mind control, time doors, sharp judgment and trickery, honour and treachery.
Now Will Stanton is just a boy and one of a large family, but he comes into his powers on his eleventh birthday and he must grow up, virtually overnight. As the power that lies within him awakens he must take responsibility, quickly learn control, master his emotions and rash impulses. He is alive to a new world, has a new language, new eyes and ears, new senses. The Dark is against everything he values. At stake is the world: family, friends, homely everyday things, and the mystery of music and the beauty that we all love. Even to protect his family Will must risk them, and he cannot even begin to explain to them the world he now inhabits. And many folk are not what they seem, he must learn to judge."
Michael JR Jose, Resident Susan Cooper Scholar
"Will Stanton is the last of the Old Ones, a group of immortal Magical beings who fight against the evil powers of the dark. Will, as the youngest, must find the six signs that will turn back the dark and save his family and humanity from their evil rule. While he is fighting the dark Will must also learn how to hide his growing powers from his friends and family and live like a normal child, not like one of the guardians of the Light"
pam, Resident Susan Cooper Scholar
"Midwinter is approaching and Will, the youngest child in his large family, is turning 11. Against a backdrop of traditional English Christmas customs, Will comes into his power as an Old One and joins the eternal battle of Light against the Dark. Will's first task is to find six symbols of the light, artifacts lost for years, and assemble them into a circle that will be useful in the coming battle. First Will's family, then his whole town become inadvertent pawns, making his quest all the harder - and all the more necessary. This book is the second in the Dark Is Rising series, and one of the most incredible and magical fantasy books ever written. Intended for children, but more than suitable for adults, too."
Ivy, Resident Susan Cooper Scholar
Click above for the new Obama Girl Parody video!
Overall Review
Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into
dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 30% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%
Tone of book
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- fantasy story on current Earth
Coming of age
Yes
Youngster becomes
- a powerful magician
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- mage/magician
Age:
- a kid
Has magical/special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character:
- teleportation
- can cast many different spells
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- magical being
Age:
- long-lived adults
Profession/status:
- mage/magician
Has magical powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist:
- fire/thunder/weather cntrl
- mind control
- can cast all sorts of spells
- can read emotions
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Setting
Terrain
- Forests
Earth setting:
- 20th century
- general past
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue?
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
TOP SCHOLAR: