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In this fourth book of The Dark Is Rising sequence, Will Stanton, visiting in Wales, is swept into a desperate quest to find the golden harp and to awaken the ancient Sleepers.Tags
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infiniteletters The Grey King is technically Book 4 of a series, but it could be read alone. Silver on the Tree also has Welsh mythology.
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Will Stanton, youngest of the Old Ones—servants of the Light who must battle the forces of the Dark, in order to keep them from ruling the world—goes to Wales in this fourth installment of Susan Cooper's marvelous five-volume Dark Is Rising Sequence. Recuperating from an illness which has robbed him of his memory of who he is, Will is sent to stay with maternal relatives on Clwyd Farm, in the shadow of Cader Idris, the great mountain home of the malevolent Brenin Llwyd, or Grey King. Here he meets the pale Bran Davies, a lonely boy his own age, and his beloved dog, Cafall, and through them regains his memory, and his knowledge of his task: to find the golden harp needed to wake the Sleepers—long slumbering knights who will rise to show more do battle alongside the Light, in their coming final conflict with the Dark. Together Will and Bran have many adventures, winning the harp and eventually accomplishing their purpose. But in the process they experience heartbreak, loss, and an astonishing discovery of Bran's true identity...
Published in 1975, The Grey King was the winner of the Newbery Medal in 1976, and it is not difficult to see why. Although not my favorite of Cooper's sequence—that honor belongs to the second book, The Dark Is Rising, which was a Newbery Honor Book in 1974—this is a powerful book, one that I find deeply moving, emotionally, and intensely involving. I have read and reread this book many times, from the moment I first discovered the series as a child, and am always heartbroken atthe death of Cafall . Approaching that section of the book I always feel a strong sense of dread, and reading it I am always caught helplessly in a maelstrom of sorrow. But although this incident in the story stands out, there is also a strong undercurrent of feeling that Cooper captures skillfully, and with nuance: Bran's loneliness, Owen Davies' sense of lostness, John Rowlands' simultaneous wonder at and distrust of the Light, Carradog Pritchard's malevolent madness—a lostness of a different kind. These all come home to me, each time I read this book. So too does the strong sense of place and of atmosphere, something Cooper excels at capturing. One feels the beauty and enchantment of these Welsh mountains, and their ancient traditions and lore.
Rereading as an adult, I do question the cosmology of Cooper's world more than I did as a child, and am not convinced it is entirely coherent. In particular, the concept of High Magic, and how it works in relation to the Light and Dark (not to mention the Wild Magic, which does not come into play here, but which is dealt with in the previous title, Greenwitch), and how the (presumably) at one-point humanKing Arthur could be the representative of the High Magic—none of this was at all clear to me, when I really thought about it, and therefore felt unconvincing. I shall have to think about it some more, which is no great negative, for any book. In any case, I still found this as moving and as engrossing a read as ever I did, and am glad to have revisited it. Highly recommended to all young fantasy fans, although I think it is necessary to read the entire series in order, to get the most out of it. For my part, I look forward to my reread of the fifth and final title, Silver on the Tree. show less
Published in 1975, The Grey King was the winner of the Newbery Medal in 1976, and it is not difficult to see why. Although not my favorite of Cooper's sequence—that honor belongs to the second book, The Dark Is Rising, which was a Newbery Honor Book in 1974—this is a powerful book, one that I find deeply moving, emotionally, and intensely involving. I have read and reread this book many times, from the moment I first discovered the series as a child, and am always heartbroken at
Rereading as an adult, I do question the cosmology of Cooper's world more than I did as a child, and am not convinced it is entirely coherent. In particular, the concept of High Magic, and how it works in relation to the Light and Dark (not to mention the Wild Magic, which does not come into play here, but which is dealt with in the previous title, Greenwitch), and how the (presumably) at one-point human
Well this was... haunting. Deep old powers in the Welsh hills, terrible family secrets, a lonely boy and his beloved dog, a convalescent protagonists who is more than even he remembers, wild grey foxes and mad farmers with shotguns. Caves under the mountains full of secrets and a magic harp and an enchanted lake. Stunning writing, clear and sharp and cold as a mountain stream, and the great chill of the whole sequence, the distance between Old One and human, and what Old Ones will do to defeat the rising Dark. Bit of a masterpiece, on the whole.
Fire on the mountain top shall find the harp of gold/Played to wake the Sleepers, the oldest of the old
So speaks the prophecy of the Old Ones.
Will Stanton, youngest of the immortal Old Ones, is deathly ill- something that should be impossible for an Old One. To regain his strength, his family sends him to the Welsh mountains to recover, and there he meets a boy of his own age- albino, strange- almost fey- whom he befriends. Will is struggling to regain his memories as an Old One, while his friend Bran and Bran's dog, Cadfael- named for King Arthur's dog- have unpleasant encounters on the mountain ruled by the eponymous Grey King- one of the greatest Lords of the Dark, who for unknown reasons restricted his demesne to a single Welsh show more mountain and surrounding valleys in ancient days.
For the Grey King stands sentinel over the Sleepers and the Harp of Gold- and only the rightful lord of Britain has command in the face of his power. Bran's secret is unknown to himself, when his mother was taken elsewhere by Merriman to have and leave her baby, for she had once been unfaithful to her husband- and the Pendragon was needed by the Old Ones in a time not originally his own.
The best-written entry in the series, this one is highly enjoyable- although it loses quite a bit without having read at least The Dark is Rising first. Highly recommended. show less
So speaks the prophecy of the Old Ones.
Will Stanton, youngest of the immortal Old Ones, is deathly ill- something that should be impossible for an Old One. To regain his strength, his family sends him to the Welsh mountains to recover, and there he meets a boy of his own age- albino, strange- almost fey- whom he befriends. Will is struggling to regain his memories as an Old One, while his friend Bran and Bran's dog, Cadfael- named for King Arthur's dog- have unpleasant encounters on the mountain ruled by the eponymous Grey King- one of the greatest Lords of the Dark, who for unknown reasons restricted his demesne to a single Welsh show more mountain and surrounding valleys in ancient days.
For the Grey King stands sentinel over the Sleepers and the Harp of Gold- and only the rightful lord of Britain has command in the face of his power. Bran's secret is unknown to himself, when his mother was taken elsewhere by Merriman to have and leave her baby, for she had once been unfaithful to her husband- and the Pendragon was needed by the Old Ones in a time not originally his own.
The best-written entry in the series, this one is highly enjoyable- although it loses quite a bit without having read at least The Dark is Rising first. Highly recommended. show less
This is the fourth book (out of five) in The Dark is Rising series and so far, one of my favorites. Will Stanton is young boy on the outside, but he’s also one of the “Old Ones,” who are in the midst of fighting a continuous battle against the dark forces that try to corrupt the world. In my opinion, the later books do not work well as stand alones. You really need to read the earlier ones to understand who the Old Ones are and grasped the overall story, so start at the beginning.
In this book Will gets sick and his family sends him off to Wales for a little R&R with some extended family. Once there he makes friends with Bran, a kind albino boy, and his faithful dog Cafall. Bran is a wonderful addition to the stories mythology and show more I love watching his story unfold. I was also glad to see Merriman make an appearance as well.
I will admit that I’m sure I would have loved this series even more if I’d read it when I was younger. A mystery, good vs. evil, a bit of fantasy, it would have been right up my alley. That’s not to say I still don’t love it, it’s just different when you can read a series with a certain innocence. Your mind isn’t already saturated with hundreds of books and each new addition is startlingly new and wonderful.
As it has been with the other books in this series, the best part of the plot comes as things are wrapped up in the end. There’s always a little twist or new bit of the story revealed and I particularly loved this one. I won’t give anything away, but I am really looking forward to reading the final book in the series. show less
In this book Will gets sick and his family sends him off to Wales for a little R&R with some extended family. Once there he makes friends with Bran, a kind albino boy, and his faithful dog Cafall. Bran is a wonderful addition to the stories mythology and show more I love watching his story unfold. I was also glad to see Merriman make an appearance as well.
I will admit that I’m sure I would have loved this series even more if I’d read it when I was younger. A mystery, good vs. evil, a bit of fantasy, it would have been right up my alley. That’s not to say I still don’t love it, it’s just different when you can read a series with a certain innocence. Your mind isn’t already saturated with hundreds of books and each new addition is startlingly new and wonderful.
As it has been with the other books in this series, the best part of the plot comes as things are wrapped up in the end. There’s always a little twist or new bit of the story revealed and I particularly loved this one. I won’t give anything away, but I am really looking forward to reading the final book in the series. show less
The fourth book of five in Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising sequence is definitely my second favorite thus far, after "The Dark is Rising." Cooper has a way of creating mood and atmosphere that no other children's fantasy writer I've come across possesses. Her books may not necessarily be flawless but her execution definitely makes up for it. You completely feel like you've stumbled into the Welsh countryside yourself when you read the book. The landscape, geography and people are all described vividly and deftly.
Bran is the main character introduced in this volume and he makes a nice counterpoint to the character of Will Stanton. They seem the perfect pair for each other and they both seem up to the task of their battle against the show more Dark. Sadly the character of Merriman is hardly present at all in this tale, but I'm sure he'll make a strong presence in the last entry, "Silver on the Tree." John Rowlands seemed to be a "replacement" for Merriman in this story, since he strongly reminded me of him.
How clever of Susan Cooper to also put a little Welsh language study lesson into the middle of her book! I was sounding out the words myself as I read. I felt like I'd actually learned something.
I also thought it was interesting how Cooper included grey foxes as the "evil creatures" of this book in the series. I never really thought of foxes as threatening since most of the time they seemed to be the ones being chased in hunts and things. They made a good adversary for the dogs in the story.
I especially love how major thematic elements in the series finally seem to be starting to come together in this book. We have all the full Arthurian elements in play, and we have a much better understanding of the relationship between Light and Dark.
My only complaint would be that Cooper doesn't give us a clear understanding about Will's powers. His magic does have limits and rules, but we're never told exactly what they are. The first half of the book also seems to be stronger than the second. In the first half we're introduced to all the new interesting characters, there's the exciting fire scene on the mountain, and the atmospheric scene inside the mountain with the finding of the harp. In the second half the only really memorable chapters are the Warestone scene and the spectacular finale. A minor gripe though when looked at the book as a whole.
I'm looking forward with great anticipation to reading the finale of the series, "Silver on the Tree," which I already have on order in a hardcover edition. I've been buying each installment in hardcover since I know I'll be reading them over and over again as time goes on. What a splendid series! Definitely one of my all-time favorites. show less
Bran is the main character introduced in this volume and he makes a nice counterpoint to the character of Will Stanton. They seem the perfect pair for each other and they both seem up to the task of their battle against the show more Dark. Sadly the character of Merriman is hardly present at all in this tale, but I'm sure he'll make a strong presence in the last entry, "Silver on the Tree." John Rowlands seemed to be a "replacement" for Merriman in this story, since he strongly reminded me of him.
How clever of Susan Cooper to also put a little Welsh language study lesson into the middle of her book! I was sounding out the words myself as I read. I felt like I'd actually learned something.
I also thought it was interesting how Cooper included grey foxes as the "evil creatures" of this book in the series. I never really thought of foxes as threatening since most of the time they seemed to be the ones being chased in hunts and things. They made a good adversary for the dogs in the story.
I especially love how major thematic elements in the series finally seem to be starting to come together in this book. We have all the full Arthurian elements in play, and we have a much better understanding of the relationship between Light and Dark.
My only complaint would be that Cooper doesn't give us a clear understanding about Will's powers. His magic does have limits and rules, but we're never told exactly what they are. The first half of the book also seems to be stronger than the second. In the first half we're introduced to all the new interesting characters, there's the exciting fire scene on the mountain, and the atmospheric scene inside the mountain with the finding of the harp. In the second half the only really memorable chapters are the Warestone scene and the spectacular finale. A minor gripe though when looked at the book as a whole.
I'm looking forward with great anticipation to reading the finale of the series, "Silver on the Tree," which I already have on order in a hardcover edition. I've been buying each installment in hardcover since I know I'll be reading them over and over again as time goes on. What a splendid series! Definitely one of my all-time favorites. show less
I am involved in a group read that is working through this series, so I re-read this book for the first time in what must be more than 20 years. As a child I loved it and read and re-read the book, to the point that I still had a vivid memory of some of the scenes. On re-erading it I rediscovered some scenes I had forgotten.
Susan Cooper has written a classic series, with an incredible sweep of imagination, and such an enduring appeal that some of the things she invents in these books are even being remembered as a kind of new folk lore! For instance, the association between Cader Idris and King Arthur is actually quite modern, but these days anyone will tell you that the mountain is Arthur's seat! That tells you how widely these books show more have been read and are still read.
And so they should be read. The stories areclassics. This one rightly one a Newbery award. It is not quite the perfect children's book that the earlier "The Dark is Rising" is, but there were aspects of this book that made me almost ache as a child! I remember when I first read the start of this book, where Will Stanton wakes up from a fever grasping at a memory that he has lost. That was, for me as a boy, an incredibly powerful way to start this story - and the rediscovery, followed by the mystery around the boy, Bran, all worked perfectly driving to the conclusion.
Caradog Prichard is an annoying nasty character that had me feeling terrible righteous anger - and he is but the helper of the real antagonist - the Grey King.
What is more, the location of this story in the beautiful Dysynni valley was so perfect for anyone who has ever visited that part of wales. The landscape of that valley just evokes mystery and a feeling that this is the centre of some old and wonderful legend.
On the downside, this book was written in the 1970s and in places the dialogue sounds a little clunky to 21st century ears. Will Stanton uses phrases like "Good Lord, no". The Welsh is also rather formal and uncolloquial (not that a non Welsh speaker will care about that!) But just because the book is now 40 years old does not mean it is any less a good read. Children still read all kinds of other books from that generation - and this series should be among them.
Suitable for ages about 10 and up, and it was something of a cult book when I was at University too, so there are no upper limits here. show less
Susan Cooper has written a classic series, with an incredible sweep of imagination, and such an enduring appeal that some of the things she invents in these books are even being remembered as a kind of new folk lore! For instance, the association between Cader Idris and King Arthur is actually quite modern, but these days anyone will tell you that the mountain is Arthur's seat! That tells you how widely these books show more have been read and are still read.
And so they should be read. The stories areclassics. This one rightly one a Newbery award. It is not quite the perfect children's book that the earlier "The Dark is Rising" is, but there were aspects of this book that made me almost ache as a child! I remember when I first read the start of this book, where Will Stanton wakes up from a fever grasping at a memory that he has lost. That was, for me as a boy, an incredibly powerful way to start this story - and the rediscovery, followed by the mystery around the boy, Bran, all worked perfectly driving to the conclusion.
Caradog Prichard is an annoying nasty character that had me feeling terrible righteous anger - and he is but the helper of the real antagonist - the Grey King.
What is more, the location of this story in the beautiful Dysynni valley was so perfect for anyone who has ever visited that part of wales. The landscape of that valley just evokes mystery and a feeling that this is the centre of some old and wonderful legend.
On the downside, this book was written in the 1970s and in places the dialogue sounds a little clunky to 21st century ears. Will Stanton uses phrases like "Good Lord, no". The Welsh is also rather formal and uncolloquial (not that a non Welsh speaker will care about that!) But just because the book is now 40 years old does not mean it is any less a good read. Children still read all kinds of other books from that generation - and this series should be among them.
Suitable for ages about 10 and up, and it was something of a cult book when I was at University too, so there are no upper limits here. show less
I was a little bit underwhelmed by the slow pacing in Greenwitch, but Will's "recovery vacation" to Wales certainly picked things up again. We're quickly thrown into classic Welsh mythology as Will explores the mountains and lakes around his relative's farm in an attempt to wake the sleepers and complete the next part of the quest to halt the rise of the Dark. Some of the language and finer points will undoubtedly be lost on readers who aren't very familiar with the more obscure Welsh lore, but we are all more than familiar with the stories of King Arthur so Cooper gives us something familiar to work with at least. Even though we might not know the stories of the Grey King or how his role in these mountainous communities, his role here show more as foe is intriguing. You would think that as a ruler of the lands his role would be as a protector of the Welsh people, but instead ut seems to be more as a means of control and tyranny (possibly even a mythological reference to the Welsh's control by the English crown, a foreign and mysterious body to the Welsh commoner). By the end of the tale Will and his friend Bran have managed to complete the next phase of the quest, so we're well set up for the conclusion in the next book of the series. show less
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Author Information
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Susan Cooper was born in Buckinghamshire, England in May of 1935. She attended Slough Grammar School, and then went on to Somerville College and Oxford. She was the first woman to ever edit the University Magazine, the Cherwell. She graduated from Oxford with an MA in English and went to work for London's The Sunday Times as a reporter on the show more Atticus Column for Ian Flemming. She evenutally made it to features writer, during which time she wrote her first book, "Mandrake," a science fiction story for adults. Soon after the publication of "Mandrake," Cooper wrote the children's story "Over Sea, Under Stone" for a publishing house competition. It would later become the first of a five book series she would become famous for. She left England in 1963 to marry an American professor. Once there, she wrote two more books for adults, "Behind the Golden Gate" a study of America, and "Portrait of an Author" the biography of J. B. Priestley. In 1970, Cooper published "Dawn of Fear" an almost entirely autobiographical book about growing up as a child during the war. Even though Cooper wrote "Over Sea, Under Stone" as a entry for a publishing house competittion, she did not know at the time that it would be the first of her most famous copilation, "The Dark is Rising Series." In 1973 she wrote the second in the five book series, entitled "The Dark is Rising," published more than ten years after the first. In1974, Cooper published Greenwitch, book three, and book four, "The Grey King" a year later. "The Grey King" won the Newberry Medal in 1976. "Silver on the Tree" was the fifth and last book published, completing the series in 1977. After completing the "Dark is Rising" series, Cooper turned to writing for the theater, learning the style from Urjo Kareda at Tarragon Theatres in Toronto. She wrote for Jack Langstaff's "Revels." Her first major play was called "Foxfire," which was written in coolaboration with Hume Cronyn. The play eventually went to Broadway in 1983 and starred Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, who won a Tony for her performance. Cooper then began working on "Seaward," but was interrupted by Jane Fonda, who wanted her to write the screenplay for Harriet Arnow's "The Dollmaker." She wrote the adaptation with Cronyn and won a Humanitas Award for it, while Jane Fonda won the Best Actress Emmy for her role. Cooper also got an Emmy nomination for her adaptation of "Foxfire" for television. "To Dance with the White Dog," a made for tv movie, was the last collaboration of Cooper, Cronyn and Tandy, Tandy having died in '94. IN the '80's and '90's, Cooper wrote the text for many children's picture books such as, "Jethro and the Jumbie" and "Danny and the Kings." 1993 marked her return to the Children's Book List with "The Boggart" and int's follow up "The Boggart and the Monster" in 1997. In 1996, Cooper published a collection of essays on children's literature entitled, "Dreams and Wishes." Over the course of her career, Cooper has written for newspapers, books for children and adults, screen[plays for television and cinema, and a Broadwat play. Today, she lectures on children's literture and continues to write. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Grey King
- Original title
- The Grey King
- Original publication date
- 1975
- People/Characters
- Dr. Armstrong; King Arthur; the Brenin Llwyd (the Grey King); Cafall (dog); Bran Davies (the raven boy, the White Crow); Owen Davies (show all 19); David Evans; Jen Evans; Rhys Evans; Idris Jones Ty-Bont; Mrs. Jones; Merriman Lyon; Pen (dog); Caradog Prichard; Blodwen Rowlands; John Rowlands; Alice Stanton; Will Stanton; Tip (dog)
- Important places
- Tywyn, Gwynedd, Wales, UK; Craig yr Aderyn, Gwynedd, Wales, UK; Llyn Mwyngil, Gwynedd, Wales, UK; Tal y Llyn, Gwynedd, Wales, UK; Gwynedd, Wales, UK; Wales, UK
- Epigraph
- On the day of the dead, when the year too dies,
Must the youngest open the oldest hills
Through the door of the birds, where the breeze breaks.
There fire shall fly from the raven boy,
And the silver eyes that ... (show all)see the wind,
And the light shall have the harp of gold.
By the pleasant lake the Sleepers lie,
On Cadfan’s Way where the kestrels call;
Though grim from the Grey King shadows fall,
Yet singing the golden harp shall guide
To break their sleep and bid them ride.
When light from the lost land shall return,
Six Sleepers shall ride, six Signs shall burn,
And where the midsummer tree grows tall
By Pendragon’s sword the Dark shall fall.
Y maent yr mynyddoedd yn canu,
ac y mae’r arglwyddes yn dod. - Dedication
- Acknowledgments:
Although all the characters in this book are fictitious, the places are real. I have however taken certain liberties with the geography of the Dysynni Vallen and Tal y Llyn, and there are no real farms whe... (show all)re I have made Clwd, Prichard's and Ty-Bont stand.
The Brenin Llwyd I did not invent.
I am grateful to the Rev. Kenneth Francis, Mr J.L. Jones and Mrs. Eira Crook for kindly checking my Welsh. - First words
- "Are you awake, Will?"
- Quotations
- When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back;
Three from the circle, three from the track;
Wood, bronze, iron; water, fire, stone;
Five will return, and one go alone.
Iron for the birthday, bronze carrie... (show all)d long;
Wood from the burning, stone out of song;
Fire in the candle-ring, water from the thaw;
Six Signs the circle, and the grail gone before.
Fire on the mountain shall find the harp of gold
Played to wake the Sleepers, oldest of the old;
Power from the green witch, lost beneath the sea;
All shall find the light at last, silver on the tree. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Then the mist closed over Llyn Mwyngil, the lake in the pleasant retreat, and there was a cold silence through all the valley, save for the distant bleat, sometimes, of a mountain sheep, like the echo of a man's voice calling a girl's name, far away.
- Disambiguation notice
- This LT work, The Grey King, is Book 4 (of 5 Books) in Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising Sequence. Please distinguish it from other single titles in the series, and from any combination(s) of part or all of the... (show all) series. Thank you.
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- Fiction and Literature, Fantasy, Kids, Tween
- DDC/MDS
- 823.914 — Literature & rhetoric English & Old English literatures English fiction 1900- 1901-1999 1945-1999
- LCC
- PZ7 .C7878 .G — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
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