Books › Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising #1)
Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising #1)
First published 1988 · 449 pages
A windswept coastal holiday unravels into an ancient, mythic battle between light and dark.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a brisk, salty wind on a rugged Cornish coastline, where the cozy comforts of a summer holiday slowly give way to the creeping chill of ancient myth. It begins with the familiar, nostalgic warmth of siblings exploring an old house, but the atmosphere steadily thickens with a sense of profound, hidden history. The prose is grounded yet evocative, anchoring the reader in the tactile reality of rocky shores and dusty attics before pulling back the veil to reveal a timeless struggle between good and evil. It is a steady, atmospheric burn that delights readers who crave classic British fantasy, offering an earnest, suspenseful journey where ordinary children are thrust into the shadows of Arthurian legend.
- Mood
- windswept
- atmospheric
- suspenseful
- ancient
- Tone
- earnest
- mysterious
- nostalgic
- ominous
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- hidden magic in the mundane · sibling bonds · the weight of history · loss of innocence · good versus evil
- The writing
- Evocative and grounded, blending the cozy details of a British seaside holiday with the mythic resonance of Arthurian legend.
- The arc
- Begins with the carefree excitement of a summer holiday and gradually deepens into a sobering realization of ancient, perilous responsibilities.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love classic, atmospheric British children's fantasy where ancient myths bleed into the modern world.
Content notes
- mild peril
- child endangerment
About the book
On holiday in Cornwall, the three Drew children discover an ancient map in the attic of the house that they are staying in. They know immediately that it is special. It is even more than that -- the key to finding a grail, a source of power to fight the forces of evil known as the Dark. And in searching for it themselves, the Drews put their very lives in peril. This is the first volume of Susan Cooper's brilliant and absorbing fantasy sequence known as The Dark Is Rising.
Description from Open Library.
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