In the third book of the series, the Drew kids and Will Stanton team up (not always happily) to find the stolen grail and figure out what's going wrong with the Greenwitch.

This book is in many ways Jane Drew's story. It is her participation in the Greenwitch ceremony and her wish for the Greenwitch's happiness that inform the events that transpire.

A wonderful exploration of the Greenwitch mythos seamlessly woven into the story of the battle of Light and Dark that Cooper is telling. This book both builds on the other two and makes you want to know what happens next. ( )

When the grail the Drew children found is stolen by the Dark, Simon, Jane, and Barney team up with their Uncle Merry and Will Stanton to get it back. But what is this mysterious Greenwitch ceremony and the magical creature, smelling of hawthorne and the sea, that begins to haunt Jane's dreams?

This is by far my favorite book of the series so far. I'm not a huge fan of Will Stanton but I love the Drew children and in this book, the interaction between Will and the Drews made Will's character very bearable for me. I think he's a much better character when he's not the sole focus of the narrative. Cooper also did a marvelous job of making him both an Old One and a young boy. There were instances when he was just charming and fun to read about and of course, the sibling interactions between Simon, Jane and Barney are never dull. Cooper's ability to develop relationships between her characters is really astounding in these books.

My only real beef with the series in general is that in so many scenes, there could have been much more description, and many could have been extended. However, one must remember that she was in fact writing this for the young adult audience and, though some may disagree with me, young teenagers and older tweens do tend to have shorter attention spans. I enjoy these books for what they are: good juvenile escapist fiction.

Highly recommended. ( )

Third in "The Dark is Rising" series, this book sees the meeting up of the three children from "Over Sea and Under Stone" with Will Stanton from "The Dark is Rising".

The grail that the children found in a cave in Trewissick, South Cornwall, has been stolen by an agent of the Dark, and Merriman enlists the help of the Drew children once again. Only this time the children are surprised and shocked when Merriman arrives with another boy - Will Stanton. That is surely going to be a problem, they think.

Susan Cooper writes this so well. The line between super human Old One and 11 year old boy is so perfectly walked. Each character develops nicely in this book, but especially Jane.

I loved this book as a child. The interactions between families and friends, and the stumbling move from antipathy to friendship between the Drew children and Will Stanton all stand out, along with flashes of humour and an exciting and mysterious tale, cunningly written.

As an adult reader this remains an important and enjoyable book in probably my all time favourite series. Definitely strongly recommended. ( )

I didn't like this book quite as well as its two predecessors, but I would still give it four stars. The highlight of the story, aside from its continuing to push the main quest forward, is that it introduces a third magical force separate from the Light and the Dark, and shows that there can not truly be any neutral ground between the two. This third force also draws much of the book's plot away from the main quest, however, and ends up interfering with the events of that quest in a way that is too convenient. I complained that in "Over Sea, Under Stone," it sometimes felt like the children were figuring things out too quickly, but in this book things just seem to happen without any figuring out at all; the Old Ones already know everything that's supposed to happen, and the children don't seem to have as much to do here. Their characters suddenly appear weaker when they are brought together with Will Stanton. However, there is a slight surprise at the end of the book in regards to the Dark character in this story, which lent at least some feeling that not everything in the story was completely predictable. ( )

This short book, The 3rd entry in "The Dark Is Rising" series, features both the Drew children and Will Stanton as they endeavor to redeem the scroll that in the first book Barney threw into the sea to avoid the Dark getting it. The scroll is needed to decipher the message on the grail. Another plot twist is that the grail has been stolen from the museum that was guarding it—while it was on display. (You would think that the Old Ones could think of a safer way to keep it until they need it! –one of many plot holes in this series. If my son who gave me this set of books was unhappy with the “plot holes” he found in the Harry Potter series I think he had better avoid this series altogether.) The story was interesting but again, the Drew children sometimes detracted from the story. Also, Cooper does not seem concerned with developing the characters of the children so they seem to be more deus ex machine to move the plot along rather than real characters. However, again I found the story interesting and the Greenwitch story somewhat moving. My other son, who read the series last year, says that this book is a bridge to the last two. This is now a series I would recommend to middle school children who are good readers and interested in fantasy. ( )

While many of the young adult fantasy series out there (Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, etc.) are perfectly readable and enjoyable for adults, this series is probably not one of them. It tends to be a bit too simplistic with the problems too easily solved. This is the third book in "The Dark is Rising" sequence and brings together characters from the first two books. One of the characters is clearly in control of the situation, not needing to work it solving the problems at all and the other three are just stumbling around blindly, never understanding what's happening at all. The climax comes and goes before you know it--very simplistic. I wouldn't recommend this as a serious read for adults. ( )

http://spwebdesign.livejournal.com/31... ( )

(Alistair) And now for the next in the Dark is Rising sequence, Greenwitch - a pleasant return to the standard of Over Sea, Under Stone (my review here) after what I felt was the slightly weaker The Dark is Rising (my review here).

Interesting custom at the center of this plot, and good characterisation, I thought, of both Jane Drew (who returns from Over Sea, Under Stone), who plays a large part in this book because she can take part in this women-only custom, and of the Greenwitch herself, its supernatural product.

Major criticism this time: really short. I mean, all these books are short, but this book is really short. Which, in a sense, is slightly unfair, since it doesn't short you in terms of plot, but it still leaves me thinking, damn, that was really short. ( http://weblog.siliconcerebrate.com/ce... ) ( )

Holds up well to a re-read. Still as good as when I was a kid. ( )

Greenwitch is the third book in Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising sequence. It is an odd book in some ways, and is both the shortest, and in my opinion, the weakest book in the series. The book is so short, in some ways, that it feels like it should have just been part of one of the other four books in the series. The book takes place between The Dark Is Rising and The Grey King, bringing Will Stanton and the Drew children together for the first time. The story revolves around a local folk festival in Cornwall, and the decisions made by Jane Drew.

As the book focuses on Jane Drew, and a folk festival that only women can participate in, this is the only book in the series that is told primarily from the perspective of a female character. Consequently, the fact that the folk festival is so obscure, and the book is so short is somewhat disappointing. Whereas the other books in the series are full of references to the myths and legends of the British Isles and have interesting storylines, this book seems to be very thin in comparison. The central myth dealt with in the book is, when you really look at it, quite small, especially since it is surrounded by the key elements of Arthurian, English, and Welsh national mythology. Even though the story is short, it doesn't feel rushed, just short, like there just wasn't much to say, and Jane just didn't have anything more to offer as a character.

Of all the books in the series, this one left me feeling the most disappointed. I felt like Cooper should have been able to give a more extensive story, but just couldn't come up anything more than a brief, linear tale to fill the gap. Though the writing is good, the plot is somewhat predictable and not really all that interesting. Fortunately, it is short, and as a bridge between the first half of the series and the second, it serves decently. ( )

The Dark is Rising Sequence, Book 3 ( )

Everyone comes together for the third of the “Dark is Rising” books, the Drews, Will Stanton, and Merriman. Once again they seek the grail, stolen by the Dark, and the manuscript that helps interpret the grail’s lettering. Will has changed in this book, less of a boy, and more set in his ways as an Old One. This is particularly noticeable when Will and Merriman with little consultation leap off the cliff together, an action so shocking that Captain Toms has to make the Drews lose their memories of it. But more interesting in this book is the central role played by Jane, an ordinary girl, who does extraordinary things. It is her sympathy for the Greenwitch that saves Light, although the way she gets the manuscript in a dream and wakes up with seaweed in the bed is rather cheesy. Still it all plays into my admiration of intelligent female characters (see Hermione Granger). I also really like the tradition of the Greenwitch as detailed in the book and the way folk traditions “come to life.” ( )

This book brings the Drew kids and Will Stanton all together. The grail has been stolen and they need to try and get it back. This all happens at a little sea side village where they are celebrating spring and making a Greenwich to through into the sea for good luck.

This is a neat set of books for young adults/Middle school kids. I read them when I was in Middle school and found them a little spooky, having reread them as an adult I found them an easy read and definitely written for younger readers. Great books to get younger readers interested in reading. ( )

Greenwitch is the third book in Susan Cooper's mythic five-novel Dark Is Rising sequence. In it, the reader once again meets up with the Drew children, Simon, Jane and Barney, who were introduced in the first book, Over Sea, Under Stone.

The tale begins with the Drews, along with their Great Uncle Merriman, returning to the Cornish seaside village of Trewissick, the setting of their earlier adventure. The ancient grail once discovered by the children has been stolen from its museum home by the forces of evil (the Dark), and a new search has to be mounted to find and recover it.

They're joined in their quest by a mysterious stranger – a young boy who is the nephew of a friend of Merriman's. The Drews are puzzled by the fact that while this newcomer is about the same age as young Barney, at times he acts much more like an adult. And their great uncle seems to treat him as an equal. The boy turns out to be Will Stanton, introduced in the sequence's second book, The Dark Is Rising. Of course, Great Uncle Merriman knows what the children don't: that Will is, in fact, the last of the Old Ones – immortal beings dedicated to keeping the world safe from the evil domination of The Dark.

The search for the missing grail once again involves the children in a series of exciting, and sometimes dangerous events. It also introduces them to the Greenwitch – a framework of leaves and branches made into the shape of a woman – that for centuries has been constructed by the women of the village and then thrown into the sea to bring good luck to the fishermen.

I really enjoyed Greenwitch. While it sometimes feels a bit like it was written solely as transition, it's also interesting and entertaining on its own. It ties strands of the various books together quite nicely, and brings all the major characters together for the first time. And it's also the shortest of the five books in the sequence – which helps make it a good, fast-paced read.

I also found it very appealing that the book gives Jane Drew a chance to take center stage away from all those males for a while. Only Jane is permitted to be present at the ceremony where the village women construct the Greenwitch, and she forms a kind of mystic bond with the creature – a bond that will become very important in the struggle to overcome the forces of darkness. ( )

See The Dark Is Rising. ( )

(Review at my blog) ( )

hamza nouman

I don't know how I've missed The Dark Is Rising sequence all these years, but these books are very enjoyable and suspenseful reads, especially for someone like me who likes Arthurian and mystical fantasy. Much like Jane, I felt a compassionate and loving awe for the Greenwitch. And again, as in the other books, this story is filled with nail-biting suspense and vivid imagery that is both compelling and delightfully scary. ( )

http://storyjunkie.livejournal.com/25...

This is a slim volume, finished in an afternoon, yet packs a big philosophical punch. The Drew children still read their age, responding as children would to such strange occurrences as stolen treasure, a mysterious uncle and a hunt for answers. The chalice that they found in Over Sea, Under Stone is stolen, and they must return to Wales to try and find it. Their Uncle Merryman arranges the trip with an old friend of his and that old friend brings his nephew, Will Stanton.

I have to admit to being curious how much Will would read as his age (still eleven) when compared to the Drews, and I wasn't disappointed. There was real conflict between the reactions of the child and the Old One, with clear distinctions mentioned in tone, the way he referred to people, and the way he treated people, depending on whether he was acting as an Old One or not.

I quickly became frustrated with the characters, and their secrets, particularly Merryman who seems far too accepting of the division between humans and Old Ones. He seems not to trust the Drew children with much information, just enough truth to get them into trouble, but not enough to understand the nature of the battle, but this treatment lumps all humans into one category - untrustworthy. The error of this broad definition is pointed out constantly through the behavior of the Drew children, as the two boys become jealous and try to drive Will away, believing that he will hinder their hunt for the stolen chalice, and Jane dismisses their behavior and remains empathetic, polite and tries to be friendly.

To me, Jane's empathy is the most significant character trait in the book. Where other characters seem swallowed by the thought processes of war - no trust, keep your secrets, constant danger and adventure, the enemy is not like us - Jane retains the ability to reach beyond herself, if not to trust then to at least see sentience and worthiness in others. This warmth of attachment is contrasted to Merryman and others having a cold approach: that of nature which is both awesome and terrifying and indiscriminate about who it helps or harms, somehow beyond the scope of human understanding. Other beings are nearly reduced to tools, to be used in the battle, rather than people to be protected from the battle. And standing between to two approaches is Will, who does not decide on one over the other, and is not the main focus of the action here.

It is very much Jane's book, and she is a hero without having to be Xena or Buffy, but not a weak hero either. ( )

3rd book in the Dark is Rising series. Goodk, but not as good as the 2nd, the Dark is Rising. ( )

This brings together Will Stanton and the drew children, on another long drawn out, boring, but well-written adventure.
I looked up the series on wikipedia, and read what happens in the rest of the series. I don't think I will be listening to the rest of the books. ( )

I found that Greenwitch targeted the female audience, but it was still a good read. ( )

Read 4/1979

The third in the Dark is Rising series, Will meets the three Drew children in Cornwall when they all join Merriman in a quest to reclaim the grail. While there, Jane helps make the Greenwitch and wishes it could be happy. This simple wish sets in motion events that are beyond their control. ( )