If your young readers enjoy the Harry Potter series, they will enjoy these also. Susan Coopers books are more serious. They books are full of magic and dark evil. You won't find the humor like the potter books, but you will find page after page suspense

I first read this series ten years ago when I was still in primary school. My teacher mentioned it to me as something she thought I'd like and she was right. When I found it again a couple of years ago I read the whole series in about a week and remembered why I adored it. I will credit this series forever as the one that made me fall in love with reading and it will always hold a place in my heart. A simply wonderful fantasy that has the ability to hold my attention effortlessly. I'm not sure that it would be as special to me if I was reading it now for the first time but as it stands, this series is one of my favourites of all time. ( )

Pre09:
Characters: Love the lead and the other old ones. The rider is great too.
Plot: Convoluted as crap. Not really the selling point.
Style: Gothic all the way. Very memorable. Love the sense of wonder as a kid. ( )

This 4th entry in "The Dark I Rising" sequence was the Newbery Winner the year it was published and definitely the best in the series so far.. For my taste, one of its strengths is that the Drew children don’t appear. My adult son who read the series before I says I'm too hard on the Drew children; he likes them.

The story takes place in Wales and we get deeper into the Arthurian legend. The new character, Bran, is interesting and you care about both Bran and Will. Will’s task, with Bran’s help (who turns out to have a pivotal part to play in the contest between the Dark and the Light) is to wake—with the golden harp—the six who must be roused from their long slumber to be ready for the final battle between the Dark and the Light. The Grey King is the spirit of the mountain determined to keep Will from succeeding. This is the best book in the series so far. It also gives such a good description of Wales that now I would like to go there. That will please my older son, who gave me this set, because Wales is one of his favorite places. ( )

Start with book #2. If you like it, read the others starting with one and continuing with 3. Book 2 is the best. ( )