Susan Cooper (1) (1935–)

All of the characters from the previous four books in Susan Cooper's marvelous Dark Is Rising Sequence—the three Drew siblings, Will Stanton, Bran Davies, Merriman, John Rowlands, the Black Rider of the Dark—come together in this fifth and final title, as events lead on to the final rising of the Dark, and the Light's great battle to defeat it for all time. Set in the same area of Wales as The Grey King, the book follows the children as they search for a sign from the Lady, before Will and Bran set out on a journey through the Lost Land, in order to seek the fabled crystal sword—the last Thing of Power needed to defeat the Dark. The final section of the book is devoted to a train ride through time to the Midsummer Tree, where the final battle rages...

I adored Susan Cooper's series as a child, reading and rereading it countless times, and while Silver On the Tree has never been my favorite of the five books—an honor belonging to The Dark Is Rising, although Greenwitch and The Grey King are also marvelous—I do think it is very good. I have always enjoyed the various story strands here, from Jane being the conduit for the Lady's message to Will and Bran's trek across the Lost Land, guided by Gwion (AKA Taliesin). I have also greatly appreciated certain specific episodes, from the meeting with Owain Glyndŵr to the heartbreaking revelations about Mrs. Rowlands and her true identity. That being said, I've never felt that the various pieces of story here fit together quite as well as they could, and the final confrontation has always felt a little lacking. All of these feelings and impressions were confirmed on this latest reread. I don't want to overstate the case, of course. This is still a wonderfully engaging work of fantasy fiction for children, full of Susan Cooper's rich blend of folkloric allusions and her powerful evocation of place. Although not my favorite, I do strongly recommend it to all readers who have read the previous installments of the series.… (more)

The eponymous magician's boy finds himself in hot water one day, when the puppet needed to play St. George goes missing from the set he uses during performances of St. George and Dragon. Dispatched by the magician to the Land of Story on a quest to find the missing saint, the boy meets many nursery rhyme and fairy-tale characters, from the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe to the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Jack of Jack-in-the-Beanstalk fame to Little Red Riding Hood. Guided on his way by a signpost, he eventually discovers where St. George can be found (he himself must assume the role), and returns to the human world, where his master is impressed, and finally agrees to teach him magic...

I enjoyed The Magician's Boy, which I largely sought out because of my great fondness for some of its author's other works—namely, her marvelous The Dark Is Rising Sequence, her entertaining Boggart books, and her lovely folktale retellings—although I don't know that it is really the equal of some of those other books. The story idea—a hero who must traverse the world of stories, interacting with some of its famous denizens—is one I have seen before, but is entertaining nevertheless, and I thought the resolution here, in which the boy is himself the object of his quest is intriguing. That said, I never felt too deeply involved in this one, perhaps because of its brevity, and the fact that it is aimed at beginning chapter-book readers. Despite the fact that it is not destined to become a favorite, I am glad to have read it, and do recommend it to beginning chapter-book readers who enjoy fantastic fiction.… (more)