Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that Susan Cooper's powerful narrative vision will draw young readers into this exciting tale. There is some fantasy violence and a young man turns against his benefactor and follows the forces of the Dark. This is the second book in a five-book series and actually the best one to start with.
Families can talk about great fantasies. What are your favorite fantasy reads and why? Do they have characteristics in common? Why is the struggle of good vs. evil such a common theme?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Tara L. Rivera
This second book in the series of five invites readers into an intricate fantasy world. Cooper convincingly combines fantasy elements with folklore and mythology. Events coincide with significant dates, such as Will's birthday, which is close to Christmas and Twelfth Night, and the use of circles to create a link between the Six Signs and the power of the Light add to this story's mystical aura.
The discovery of the Signs is not an easy task. The author uses the device of time travel, and through this strategy, readers become more aware of the background of the Signs and the history of the Old Ones and the Dark. At times, however, the time-traveling sequences are subtle and hard to follow.
The characters are more fully developed than those in the first book in the series, and many readers skip the first book entirely. Will struggles with his new identity, and readers can actually see him mature: "Will was instantly a furious Old One, so furious that he did not pause to think what he should do."
Both Merriman and Will are relentless in their shared quest, and Hawkin, the tragic Walker, whose Judas-like behavior sentences him to walk the earth for centuries, painfully shows how he is a casualty of the struggle between good and evil.
Plot Summary:
Will Stanton meets his destiny on his 11th birthday. He is the Sign-Seeker, last of the immortal Old Ones, who must find and guard the six great Signs of the Light that will overcome the ancient evil that is overpowering the land. This classic fantasy is a bit slow, but enthralling.
Related Books:
Also in the Series:
Over the Sea, Under Stone
Greenwitch
The Grey King
Silver on the Tree
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ViolenceA sign is burnt into a young boy's hand, but the scar later disappears. A mother breaks her leg when she is forced to throw herself down a flight of stairs. A flock of birds attack people. Multiple encounters between agents of the Dark and the Light. |
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Social BehaviorA young man turns against his benefactor and follows the forces of the Dark. |
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