The Dark Is Rising Audiobook By Susan Cooper cover art

The Dark Is Rising

Book 2 of The Dark Is Rising Sequence

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The Dark Is Rising

By: Susan Cooper
Narrated by: Alex Jennings
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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.

Listen to more in the Dark Is Rising Sequence.©1973 Susan Cooper (P)2000 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group Fantasy & Magic Science Fiction & Fantasy

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)

Captivating Fantasy • Exquisite Writing • Excellent Narration • Rich Worldbuilding • Compelling Plot • Nostalgic Appeal
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This series has always been one of my favorites and I've read this book innumerable times. I was hesitant about the audio version, because it can change the way you perceive the book. My only complaint would be that the recitation of the poems/chants wasn't, to my opinion, done very well, but that is a minor complaint. I really enjoyed the addition of the correct accent to the way I've always "heard" the story narrated in my mind.

Excellent Audio Version of an Excellent Book

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Would you listen to The Dark Is Rising again? Why?

Yes, every year.

What other book might you compare The Dark Is Rising to and why?

I think other Young Adult books remind me of the Dark is Rising. On a recent re-listen, II found that I was reminded of Septimus Heap, Harry Potter, Fablehaven.

What does Alex Jennings bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The accent!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Ignore the previous attempt

The Dark is Rising

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liked it once I wasn't so confused... the story for me was just a little hard to follow maybe there was something I had missed in the beginning of the book once I got to the last few chapters then things started to make sense. overall it was a good story

hmmm

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Glad to find this book. Surprised that it predates the Harry Potter series. Vividly written…an ancient tale. The reader was perfect!

A quest, a young boy and eternal values

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Best book ever if you like fantasy and magic or mystical things that take place in the real world such as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. I had to chose this rating there is literally nothing bad about this book. And don’t trust the rooks. :)

Great book

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One of my all time favorite books. And the reading is great. Really enjoyed it!

Wonderful!!

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perfect. amazing.
better than I remembered it being. I can't wait to listen to the rest of the series

the best British story ever

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As a kid this was one of my favorite books. I still enjoy rereading or rerlistening to it around Christmas every once in a while. This version is very well performed. listened to it as a late winter hit this year right around Christmas followed by a huge blizzard that turned to endless unseasonal rain. Perfect.

Nostalgic Favorite

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This audio version of one of my favorite books of all time was wonderful to listen to during the holiday season and is highly recommended for readers and listeners of all ages.

Beloved story from childhood stands the test of time

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Love this. One of my all time favorite stories, retold in a fun and easy read. Gladly listen to this one repetitively!

One of the best classic stories retold

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