Over Sea, Under Stone (Dark Is Rising Sequence)

Product Information

Merriman Lyon: The first Old One, Lyon shares a special bond with Will Stanton, last of the line. A friend of the Drew family for over a generation, he helps and protects Barney, Jane, and Simon as they quest for the Grail. They occasionally refer to him as "Great Uncle Merry" or "Gumerry". Throughout the series, Merriman is portrayed in numerous historical periods, but particularly as King Arthur's chief adviser, the mythical Merlin; in Silver on the Tree, Arthur calls him "Mer Lion", old English for "my lion". Not that the kids know the situations are dangerous. That's one thing I liked about the characters. They are kids with short attention spans who forget about their quest because they are distracted by a carnival or want to lay out in the sun. Their imaginations interfere with their focus at times and it is endearing and also diffuses what might scare some. Others might find it annoying because it slows down the plot and as a reader you might be tearing your hair and shaking the book saying, "What are they thinking? They have to hurry or the bad guys will get there!" Old Ones: Ancient and immortal, the Old Ones are mystical beings who possess great magical power. They are found in all parts of the world and are of many races and cultures. Capable of performing seemingly impossible feats, including freezing time and controlling the elements, they serve the Light in the war against the Dark. The Great Lords of the Dark have many similar characteristics and abilities but are not Old Ones. The two factions struggle to determine the destiny of mankind; while the Light fights for freedom and free will, the Dark fights for chaos, confusion and the subversion of man's agency.

urn:lcp:overseaunderston0000coop:epub:a3e778ba-3bab-4d95-a251-863b61b20172 Foldoutcount 0 Identifier overseaunderston0000coop Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t0tr4zp59 Invoice 1652 Isbn 9781416949640 Over Sea, Under Stone is a young adult fantasy novel published in 1965 by the English author Susan Cooper. It is the first of five books in Cooper's The Dark is Rising series. It tells the story of the three Drew children who while on holiday discover secrets related to the legend of King Arthur. I think it’s partly that which makes the books survive for me — under the concerns of the children, there’s that darkness and fear. Things of Power: The Old Ones have four Things of Power that will be used in the final battle which will allow them to defeat the Dark: the circle of Signs, the Grail, the Harp, and the Sword. They are obtained in The Dark Is Rising, Over Sea, Under Stone, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree, respectively. Greenwitch is the story of the recovery of the stolen Grail. The other thing is how awful all the adults in their lives are. They are either not paying attention or truly villainous. Supposedly with the exception of their great uncle, but he PUTS THEM IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS ON PURPOSE!!! He's supposed to be painted as this fun uncle letting them in on grownup secrets and helping them on their quest, but what I see is a grown man allowing children to endanger themselves so that he can get what he wants. And look, I know having adults not paying attention for one reason or another is a very common trope in children's literature, but something about how this was done just hit different for me.The children work out the clues on the map and have a number of run ins with the Dark individually and as a group. While looking for the first clue Simon is chased by Mr. Hastings and Bill Hoover Jr.. After the second clue leads them to the headland at night, Simon, Jane, and Great Uncle Merry are ambushed and almost caught by Dark followers. Afterwards Barney is kidnapped and must be rescued. The children eventually follow the clues to a cave off the headland and discover the grail. Unfortunately they lose an important scroll from inside that is the key to deciphering the markings on the outside of the grail.

The Crystal Sword: A magical sword, commissioned by the Light, crafted in the magical Lost Lands by the Lost King. It is named Eirias; therefore, "blazing", also called sword of the sunrise. In the presence of the Dark, it burns with blue fire. It can cut portals through magical barriers, as seen in Silver on the Tree, and is encased in a magical scabbard of invisibility. It is used by Bran Davies, the Pendragon, heir of King Arthur, to cut the one fully blossomed silver flower on the Midsummer's Tree, which is caught by Merriman. The writing itself is lovely. Not too fancy, and yet still describing things well. There's a real sense of ominous danger in parts of it, and yet the writing also brings across a feeling of childhood, summer vacations and sunburns and going to see the sea. The rooks: The majority of these birds are servants of the Dark and attract their forces wherever they are seen. I think I would have enjoyed this more as a child, but coming to it for the first time as an adult there were a couple of things I couldn't get over. First, the children were SO STUPID!!! The number of times they did dumb things that got them into trouble, like pulling out a secret artifact when you know an enemy is nearby, or not thinking to bring a flashlight to go exploring a cave... It ended up feeling to me like a lazy way to create conflict rather than letting the children be smart.Smith, Karen Patricia (1994). "Susan Cooper: Overview". In Laura Standley Berger (ed.). Twentieth-Century Young Adult Writers. Detroit: St. James Press. Calkins, Lucy... (2002). " Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper" (PDF). A Field Guide to the Classroom Library. Heinemann . Retrieved 12 September 2007. Samples online (fieldguides.heinemann.com/samples).

Soon the house is burgled, with attention paid only to the bookshelves and the wall hangings, and the children guess that someone else knows of and seeks the manuscript. The children decide that it is time to confide in Great-Uncle Merry. Up on the headland they show him the map, and he tells them that it is a copy of an even older map that shows the way to a hidden treasure and that the children are now in great danger. He explains that some British artefact may have been hidden here long ago, and confirms that they will have dangerous grown-up rivals in its pursuit. So begins their quest for the Grail on behalf of the Light, which they have to achieve while being harried by Mr. Withers and his sister, who are agents of the Dark, desperate to stop them at any cost. Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2020-08-11 17:23:28 Associated-names Gill, Margery, illustrator Boxid IA1899410 Camera USB PTP Class Camera Collection_set printdisabled External-identifier Rutledge, Amelia A. (2002). "Susan (Mary) Cooper". In Darren Harris-Fain (ed.). Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 261: British Fantasy and Science-Fiction Writers Since 1960. Detroit: Gale. National Education Association (2007). "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children" . Retrieved 19 August 2012. That night, the Grey House is burgled while everyone is sound asleep. The children decide it is time to confide in Great-Uncle Merry. Up on the headland they show him the map and he tells them that it is a copy of an even older map which shows the way to a hidden treasure and that the children are now in great danger. And so begins their quest for the Grail on behalf of the Light, which they have to achieve while being harried by Mr Withers and his sister, who are agents of the Dark, desperate to stop them at any cost.The novel, however, is more than an adventure story; it is a modern fantasy, original but firmly rooted in the King Arthur stories. Merriman Lyon, who helps the children through their adventures, is Merlin, Arthur's magician, who is now living in the twentieth century. Knowing the Arthurian legends enriches the reading of the novel, but is not necessary. The legendary and allegorical overtones emerge clearly from the story itself. Updated review---Wow! I can't believe I read this almost 7 years ago and still haven't returned to finish the series until now. It really is a great start to a story. Once again, I loved traipsing through the Cornish countryside with Simon, Jane, and Barney. The addition to this story of some King Arthur archaeology is fantastic and still one of the points I love best about this book. I listened to it this time on audiobook, which enhanced the experience. Alex Jennings was the narrator and all I can say is it's fantastic!