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Preview
  • The Dark Is Rising

  • Book 2 of The Dark Is Rising Sequence
  • By: Susan Cooper
  • Narrated by: Alex Jennings
  • Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (355 ratings)

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The Dark Is Rising

By: Susan Cooper
Narrated by: Alex Jennings
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Summary

On the Midwinter Day that is his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers a special gift: he is the last of the Old Ones, immortals dedicated to keeping the world from domination by the forces of evil, the Dark. At once, he is plunged into a quest for the six magical Signs that will one day aid the Old Ones in the final battle between the Dark and the Light. And for the twelve days of Christmas, while the Dark is rising, life for Will is full of wonder, terror, and delight.

This book is a rare act of creative imagination in which the listener will be equally moved by the warm happy village life Will shares with his large family and the nearly overwhelming danger he encounters, often in other centuries and places, while he seeks the Signs and learns their power. Interweaving ancient Celtic and English traditions with the legends of the Buckinghamshire hills and valleys where she grew up, Susan Cooper has written a superlative dramatic fantasy of the eternal conflict between good and evil out of which all myth is made.

©1973 Susan Cooper (P)2000 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group
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Critic reviews

"As narrator, Alex Jennings superbly conveys Will's mixed emotions." (AudioFile)
"So perfect is the match between Alex Jennings' voice and this mysterious magical tale that it is difficult to imagine any other voice reading these words." (The Horn Book Magazine)

What listeners say about The Dark Is Rising

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  • Overall
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    4 out of 5 stars

a lovely story

there's a richness to the storytelling and takes you on a real adventure. very magical

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The Dark is Rising

A brilliant book full of detail that keeps you in suspense from start to finish

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Cracking story

Fabulous yarn. Beautifully read. Loved all the folklore references. Truly magical. I wholeheartedly recommend it

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A magical Christmas treat!

Susan Cooper's wonderful story reminds me of another of my childhood favourites, The Box of Delights. Both feature characters from folklore and are set at Christmas. I was going to re-read the book but thought it might be nice to give the audiobook a try. I am so glad that I did! The superb narration by Alex Jennings makes Cooper's story come alive. I will definitely be seeking out more books read by him and I am looking forward to listening to the other books in the Dark is Rising series.

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Forget A Christmas Carol!

I have read this book to myself or to my children on many a Christmas! It is fabulous. Full of the dark of the old origins of the season and the light of the new, all wrapped up in a warm, cosy, big and busley family with more than a pinch of magic! Perfect!

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A fine Christmas fantasy

I love the way the book mixes the good-natured rough and tumble of a huge family at Christmas with a highly imaginative fantasy story. The performance is spot-on.

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Fantastic story, beautifully read

Will Stanton is a courageous, intelligent hero. Beautifully written by Susan Cooper and much to discuss afterwards, particularly the person and role played by Hawkin.

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Escape

My sons and I read this as children,loving it ,and now I’ve listened as one of the old ones and loved it even more. Thank you.

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So good I just want to start listening to it again

I've read this wonderful story many times for at least thirty years in the run-up to Christmas - it's basically become a tradition of mine. I still enjoy reading it immensely.

I discovered the Audible version of it a couple of years ago and now listen to that during long car journeys in the run-up to Christmas.

It is a truly wonderful performance by Alex Jennings - easily one of the top audiobooks I own.

As soon as I've finished listening to it I just want to go back to chapter 1 and listen to it again!

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A splendid and enthralling read

I enjoyed this book immensely and think it would give pleasure to anyone, of any age, who enjoys an enthralling story. It was read perfectly also, which enhanced my pleasure.

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