I've been a big fan of the Dark is Rising sequence for many years. I found the books on my summer reading list in like 6th grade and got hooked, eventually getting the boxed set.

When the movie came out recently it got me thinking about the series again, i re-read it about once a year. I jsut finished Over Sea, Under Stone this morning on my way into work, and started The Dark is Rising.

Has any one else read these books, if so please feel free to stay and discuss anything form the book that you feel worth bringing up, though hopefully no spoilers for thsoe who have not read the books yet.

Also, thoughts and opinions on Merriman vs. the traditional immage of merlin?

I never liked the book.

I suppose it's because there is just so much fantasy, I'm pretty picky about which I read.

It's not to say that it isn't a decent book, it just copied to many ideas from similar books.

I've only read a few of them. I think Silver on the Tree was the first one I read. Anyway, I really liked Bran. He was a cool character.

that's weird that you read the last book first. and Bran is cool, I always cry when i read about his background yet he is still so strong.

I had no idea what order they went in. I didn't even know it was a series when I first picked it up. It was just a book on the library shelf that sounded interesting.

I've never heard of it, but I recently stumbled upon a book series called "Cirque Du Freak" And it is awesome! I'm almost done with the 10th book out of 12, then I'm going to read another 10 book series by the same author, called Demona. O was it Demonica? o.o

@Taviren kinda the same thing that happend to me. I found the dark is rising on my summer reading lsit at school and i read it first then i went and gread the green witch second lol and i was a bit confused, but that's becasue the lybrary's copy of over sea, under stone was checked out at the time. Now i own them so i can read them any time i want. and hopefulyl my kids will one day read and enjoy them as well

Of the series, I've only read the first book, and that in fourth grade. I dunno, I liked it, but I can't help but feel that I've outgrown it. I'm not sure if going back to read the read now would be a good idea.

that happenes some times. I've read alot of books, mostly fantasy, and some i have out grown like the American girls books and goosbumps... but i really got into the dark is rising sequence. it is very well written, and i have always been a fan of the whole merlin-king arthur thing so

I liked this series a lot when I was younger. I haven't really re-read them in a while though. I read them all but first one (I think).

I never really liked the series, to be honest. I found her writing very dry, slow and uninteresting. Totally a personal opinion though.

It's funny, when I was young I had the series and disliked it immensely. I found my old copies subsequent to university graduation, and thought, why not!
I read them again and found a whole new level of appreciation for them.
I like the ties she has made to mythology without bending it too far from its best known forms. The nods to history predating and yet not insulting Christianity.
I love that the characters are powerful and yet at the same time limited. Not fighting with hands or swords for the most part. But using words and just -being- at the right place and the right time.

It vexed me -enormously- that they changed that for the movie. He might as well have been "Superman who can't fly".
And the idea that blowing up an Auto, is just 'expressing yourself' is a tribute more to the world we live in and much less to the books.

the first one I read was actually the "Dark is Rising" book (2nd in the series I think if one goes strictly in order)

I very much empathize with will -from- the books and enjoy Miriman as he was originally written. Hawk-nosed, serious, tall and brooding.

((Sorry, bit of a tangent there))

I read the second book first, too. I read it in high school and I loved it - the characters, the story, the imagery, everything. I liked the third one, too. I only read the first one a few months ago, and I didn't like it quite as much, but it made me want to go back and read the second one again.

i'm planning on reading that book in a litle time