Yes, I am talking about the books, not that horrid movie that was just recently released! I know there are a few others of you on here who also love the five books by Susan Cooper called The Dark is Rising (Over Sea Under Stone, The Dark is Rising, Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree). So, I thought there should be a place for us to discuss them! Let's talk about it all from our favorite characters, the mythology, share graphics, and all that fun stuff!

OH I AM SO HAPPY!

So I chanced upon "Over Sea, Under Stone" a few weeks back, and had been looking everywhere for it's sequels ever since. No luck!
Then yesterday, I went into the same bookstore where I found it. I'd just about given up on seeing any sign of a "Dark is Rising" book and was ready to leave. As a last stab, I gloomily asked the saleslady if they had any DiR books at all in the new pile of books she was marking. Just my luck, THEY DID! They had ONE copy of "The Dark is Rising" and though the saleslady made me wait for a bit so she could make phone calls and verify the price and stuff, it was well worth it! :lol:

Oh, but that's not the end of the story!

Went into another used-book haunt of mine, not expecting to find anything really. It was more of a Anne Rice/Stephen King/Tami Hoag/John Grisham spot, not really prioritizing in YA or children's books...
...which is why I went absolutely NUTS when I found not only "Greenwitch" but also "The Grey King" in their meager stack of YA fantasy books! Had a giant,silly grin on my face while paying for them(the cashier was amused) andI practically floated all the way home :giggle: Now all I need is "Silver on the Tree"...three down, one to go!

I'm just REALLY REALLY HAPPY! :yahoo:

I'll drop by this thread once I've read them!

Congrats, Kusari! :huggle: I know what it's like to chance upon that One Book You've Been Looking For. I practically floated to the cashier when I found another short-story anthology by Neil Gaiman a couple of weeks ago.

Oh man, I've not read this series in... at LEAST a decade, I think. (This thread calls for a drastic re-read!) All I can provide for now are vague, rambling recollections like a a nutty old lady. XD

I got the whole set as a birthday gift from my uncle but, for shame, I didn't start reading them until a year later. :ow: To be honest, I found the first one rather... well, neither here nor there. At that time, I didn't quite realise what "collection" or "series" really meant, so it really annoyed me that the first book didn't seem to go anywhere.

Then I convinced myself to try the second book several months later and-- :woot: It all clicked! Awesomeness!

I loved the poem written in the beginning. I think that's what kept me going back to the book. There's also one particular scene in the second book that I remember vividly until now, in which Will is walking down this corridor(?) of paintings and one is described to be a fearsome horse with "ribbons of scarlet" dripping from its muzzle (or something like that... mayhaps someone here can confirm if I remember that phrase correctly XD). I don't know why that made such an impression on me, but damn.

And it probably helped that I was on an Arthurian legend high at that age, so it made me giddy with geeky joy to pick up references throughout the series towards the legend. Lessee, other than Will, Bran was my second favourite. I distinctly remember one scene between them in which Bran asserts he's not a type of cereal. :giggle:

Keep us updated on your reading, Kusari! Chances are your posts will stir up some of my own memories too. XD

Yay, fellow fans! :woot:

Oh my gosh, lol, I had the same deal! I recieved the series from my mom one Christmas and I kinda hated the first book and let them sit on my shelf for a year before my mom complained that I had never read them, so I picked up DiR. . . and I was completely hooked. I completely regret not reading them all right from the start.

I've always been a sucker for King Arthur and his Knights, and all that medievel stuff, so these books were right up my ally once I got into them. I just went back and read all the books last week, so they're fresh in my mind at the moment. :D

Kusari, conrads on getting most of the books! I'm really excited for you, and I hope that you will like them as much as I do!

Ah, you mean that skeleton horse with the red ribbons hanging off of it in Silver on the Tree? I can't remember what Bran refers to it as, but it chases him and Will through the Lost Land. Oh, wait, he calls it the Mari Llwyd! Maybe there is a painting of it in DiR, I can't recall, but ooh, yes that thing was creepy! I mean, wow, what imagery! That's something I really love about these books. Also with Herne the Hunter? He's described as having wolf ears, owl eyes, antlers like a deer, and the body of a man ? Isn't that just wicked cool? And yes, the poems are just incredible, I do agree. ^_^

Oh, if you'd really like an easy way to refresh yourself Lynn, then try this site: Dark is Rising Guide It is seriously one of the best sites I have ever found. It's meant to be a reference for FF writers, but it is wonderful and chock full of info.

:lmao: ah, yes, I remember that scene! That's when Bran is teaching Will how to say his name properly. He kept pronouncing it Bran like the cereal instead of saying it with the 'a' the way you do in farm or barn.

I have to agree though, Bran is my second favorite character after Will. He's just so incredible! And then I love Jane too. She's such a sweetheart, and she has such an odd connection to everything, much more than her brothers, you know?

Ah, yes, that's my input for today. ^_^

Ah,I just started it! Talk about an awesome opening chapter...the imagery of the flurry of crows in the snow was so creepy! I got shivers when Will found the feather in his room...and those eerie warnings about "The Walker"... let's just say I now know the meaning of the word "foreboding" *feels delicious shiver*

Heheh, I'm surprised you guys didn't like "Over Sea, Under Stone"...I really thought it does a fine job of "setting up" for a saga, if you know what I mean. Especially in Barney's last line(*glomps the kid, because he was just TOO cute*) "We will, someday".

I'm glad you are enjoying it! And this is the right season to be reading DiR afterall. :D And all the snow outside here makes it even more perfect.

I wouldn't say that I hated OSUS, it was just a hard way to start the series off. With that book, there's so much left behind a curtain it makes things really confusing. DiR is a better way to start off I think- it gives you more insight to what is going on. While in OSUS the Drews are really kept in the dark (lol) about what really is going on, you know? I just think it's a hard way to start the series by reading OSUS, even if it is the first one, lol.

:lol: I think this was my first ever "series". Previously I only read stuff like Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys or Sweet Valley which were very much "one-off" books, so I had been used to books having a clear beginning, middle and conclusion, and all loose ends nicely wrapped up within that one book.

Obviously, that totally didn't happen with OSUS. :lol: I enjoyed it much more after I finished the series and understood that the first book was meant to be mysterious, whetting your appetite for moar.

It was definitely weird to be thrown into all that mystery right in the first book! But on hindsight I think I prefer that, rather than following traditional chronological sequence. Not that either one is a better format, of course, but now I like that DiR's sequence is different.

Exactly that! :woot: Freaking awesome imagery, s'all I can say!

Thank you sooo much for the link, Alantie! :huggle: I won't be going home for long this December, so I won't be able to re-read the books as planned. D: The site sounds like a fantastic resource, though!

And do you mean that... DiR fanfiction exists?! :woot:

Pah, I grew up with Sweet Valley too, no need to be ashamed! Kind of had a thing for Bruce Patman...don't look at me like that!

Yes, yes! There's no snow where I'm from, but it's very very cold weather, with winds to match. And bundled up in the sheets last night and this morning, reading about a freezing, windy, snowy universe...perfect :lol: It also amuses me that Will's birthday is exactly two days after mine...I could totally relate when Stephen said "I swear never to combine your birthday and Christmas"...wish my own relatives would say that to me too! :cry:

Errr, what do you guys mean about sequences? Do the latest editions of DiR have a new sequence now, just like in the Narnia series? :unsure:
Well, true enough, they were kept "in the dark"(pun! :giggle:) It's what made me so frantic to find all the other books because there seemed so much yet to be told. I can't wait to have Will meet up with the Drews, and the quest for the still-underwater map(No I didn't peek...it's in the back cover blurb of "Greenwitch" :D )

And Will IS awesome! Can’t believe he’s only eleven…he’s so damn mature! He’s doing a great job of balancing his normalness and his speshulness so far. I love the part where his Anglican schoolboy persona and Old One persona sorta argue with each other. :giggle: And oooh, I was so scared when The Rider walked right into Will's living room, I was so anxious for the Stantons! I've gotten a soft spot for them, particularly for James(hee!) and for Paul. They're all just SO cute together, going caroling and doing fun, cozy family stuff…plus the brothers are so nice to Will, not like those typical exaggerated relationships in Hollywood films where big brother= horrible big bully.
Got more shivers when Will erased Paul’s memory, “You will forget”. That’s the first time it hit me, how powerful he really is. I mean, at the beginning of the story, he was terrified and crawling into Paul’s room for comfort.
Am already in "The Testing", the part where they have to take the Walker to Huntercombe. I’ll prolly be done tomorrow.

Me, I was floored by the part where the Stantons are singing, and then suddenly, Will gets transported a century back, amidst sweet eerie music. Also, the Book of Gramarye scene! And when he dreams of the young boys carrying the seemingly dead Lady... :o

*giggles* No worries, I liked Sweet Valley and Nancy Drew too. I also. . . *cough* read the Baby-Sitters Club. *ducks thrown objects* Aw, c'mon! I was in 3rd grade!

DiR wasn't anywhere near my first series, nor my first fantasy books (that place is reserved for the Chronicals of Narnia! *squee*), since I only read them about 3 years ago or so. But yes, I think you are right- the reason OSUS was hard to get through the first time is it really isn't like the way most first books are. Usually you get an introduction to everything, but in OSUS you really don't get that explanation until DiR. It is unique, and after reading the rest, I don't mind it as much, though to new fans it might be a bit daunting, if you know what I mean.

You are most welcome!! :huggle: It really is a great resource- it's chock full of info an makes things a lot clearer and simple if you found anything confusing. It also gives great summeries of the books in general, which is always nice.

And yes, DiR fanfiction does exist! It can be hard to find, but it's there! There's a DiR fanfiction LJ, and FF.net does have some fairly decent ones. There's a good amount of Will/Jane, some Will/Bran (if you like slash, I don't personally), Will/Merriman, a little bit of Bran/Jane (I'm actually surprised there isn't more for this pairing), and of course, plenty of adventure fics with Will and Bran friendship and the rest of the Drews. I've been wanting to write some myself, but I have not any clue where to start!

Lol, really? That is awesome! I actually have friends who are twins, and their birthday is Christmas Eve! So yes, I can imagine how much of a pain it is when people combine the two together! I'm glad my own b-day is well away in the summer, lol.

What we were referring to was the DiR sequence in general. All five books. Is that what you were asking about?

Lol, I know, bad pun!!! But I'm glad OSUS did get you hooked into the series! I know what you mean, I was so excited for Will to meet the Drews after I read DiR. I won't give anything away for you, but it is rather interesting how the Drews recieve Will at first. :P

:fangirl: I'm so glad that you love Will though! He IS amazing, huh? I love how even before you find out that he's an Old One that he just seems much older than he really is. I can't remember which of his siblings say it, but they say that Will is "a rather old eleven", and it just gave me shivers! I just love how subtle Will's power is too. True he can do things like make people forget or create fire, but a lot of his power is being able to say the right thing at the right time, or simply being in the proper place. It's just so neat! And his family is wonderful, yes! They're all so loving and wonderful- if you have a big family, that's definately the kind you want!

Hee Alantie, I read BSC too...up till sixth grade *ducks more thrown objects*

I'm not done with it yet...eval skool gettin' in the way :tard:
But I read up to the part where The Walker's identity is revealed...WHOA! :o Just when I was starting to question who the *beep* this old guy is anyway...just like that...Hawkins is the Walker! Cheers to Susan Cooper, I didn't see that coming at ALL! :bow:

:lmao: A fellow BSC fan! Woot! I used to have so many of them. . . I always liked the Super Specials and the mysteries the best though. They were always the most fun. ^_^

I know, huh? That Hawkin is the Walker is totally something I wasn't expecting either! Susan is a genius for that manuver! I remember my reaction when I read it, I was all, "WTF? Hawkin's neat and tidy and NICE, this old man is creepy, rude, and gross! How did that happen?!" Bah, evil school disrupting your reading of teh awesome DiR! *shakes fist* Hopefully you'll be able to finish soon though!

School. is. evil. :cry:
But in between glucocorticoids and the biological aspects of wound healing, I finished the chapter "The King of Fire and Water". Woot, awesome! :woot: My goodness, I got the chills when Will saw the dead king in the ship; and when lightning set the ship on fire :ohmy:

EDITED: I finished it! MEEP, during the Herne the Hunter part, I kept thinking "Run away Will, run awaaay!" because the Hunter seemed so EVIL! See I once read a Buffy novel where aside from being a Voldemort wannabe, Herne the Hunter also had a son who he physically and magickally abused. And Buffy ended up decapitating teh eval Herne XD

I loved how the words of the poem had almost all the titles of the next books! And how the Old Ones mentioned the object under the sea...gosh, it makes me so eager to pick up "Greenwitch" now. *curses upcoming exams*

ANNND, I've found meself a copy of "Silver on the Tree"! Wahoo! :bunny: 'Twas at the same used-book store where I found Dark is Rising. The saleslady remarked that there was a sudden huge demand for them, and they're having a hard time rounding up copies for complete sets. Hee...I feel so lucky :giggle:

Out of Topic: Alantie, check out
this blog. It is a must-read for any BSC fan.

Oh yay! Awesome! I'm glad you got to finish it! It was wicked, wasn't it? And yes, lol, Herne was kinda freaky, and I didn't even read that Buffy book! :lmao: I think what makes him creepy is he's cobbled together from all these different critters and then he goes charging around after people. And the scene with the dead king was freaky! Did you get all teary during the scene with Hawkin? I did, lol.

And I'm even more happy that you managed to get the rest of the books! *cheers* Curse your exams for taking away your reading time! *shakes fist* I liked Greenwitch, mainly because the Drews and Will finally get to meet. It's a great read, and even better it's not terribly long.

I think the reason there's a surge in wanting the books is after seeing the awful movie people have become curious to see how the REAL thing is. I'm glad though- I'm happy people are giving the books a chance. ^_^

Off topic response:

Bwahahaha! I honestly cannot stop laughing- the sad thing is, its true, lol. Really clever and observant! Like that thing with Kristy on the cover- that's just disturbing, lol. And I always thought that Claud's fashion sense was wacked. :P Now I want to go back and read some of my old copies. :giggle:

Actually, I thought "Finally, he's at peace" :) But I did get sad when he said Merriman's name one last time.

I'm in the middle of 'Greenwitch' right now; I've just finished the part where Merriman and Will take a full plunge off Kemare Head. Boy, poor Simon, imagine having to watch some weird, evil-voiced thing posses your sweet little brother. How traumatizing! XD And the Greenwitch is...*shivers*. I know it's been said before, but damn, such imagery, Ms. Cooper! The eerie dancing beneath the waves, and then "I have a secret, I have a secret..." *shivers again*

Oh yes, it's...interesting how the Drews react to Will XD Acting like he's the outcast when actually, it's the reverse( but of course they don't know that yet :lol: ) I love Will even more for still being so gracious about their coldness. Honestly, even if he's 'in the way', how can you dislike a boy who's that nice? :P

I know- the Greenwitch is really creepy, but also so childlike. It's a weird combo, but Susan Cooper pulls it off fabulously. She is a master I tell you. *bows to her awesome*

I know!! The fact that Will deals so well with being treated that way only makes me love him more. He's so understanding and kind it just makes me swoon. Simon is the most hostile towards him, and Barney- I can't remember. But out of the three of them, Jane is the most accepting of Will- she wants to try and be friends with him even though Simon tries to dissuade her. I love it- the Drews are completely unaware that THEY are the outsiders. It makes me laugh. :lmao:

That part is freaky- I know if something like that happened to me I wouldn't forget it any time soon. I've never fully understood why Barney was able to do the scrying thing and not someone else. *shrugs*

I'm glad you are enjoying Greenwitch though! ^_^

Edit: Ah, while I'm thinking about it! I came across the most amazing DiR/Harry Potter crossover. It is seriously wonderful! It picks up just before Harry returnes home in book 4 and is AU from there. If you want to read, the author's site for it is HERE.

I also located this interesting essay that concerns both HP and the DiR. Definately worth checking out. It's very true too, if you think about it! you can find it HERE

Enjoy!

I won't check out that site until I finish the series...don't wanna be spoiled. But thanks for the links! :D

I only now finished 'Greenwitch' and I'm a bit confused. Was Roger Toms really the Painter? :unsure: And who the heck's the 'drowned man' that Jane saw crawl of the waves...Tom Potter?

No, Roger Toms was the 'descendent' of Captain Toms, supposedly. Or it might have actually been the Captain several hundered years ago, since the Captain is an Old One. Its sort of confusing.

The painter is an angent of the Dark, a fairly lesser one. He goes against orders though, trying to elevate his status, and ends up being taken by the Wild Magic, never to be seen again. . .

The confusing thing about this part is that it's almost as if the past mingles with the present, so I'm not sure if the drowned man is Tom Potter or not- but the painter isn't Roger Toms.

:sweat: I'm sorry, I don't know if I answered your questions really or not. But if you go to the DiR guide I posted on the last page, you can read through the summery of Greenwitch and see if that helps.

Oh dear, it looks as though even that concise site doesn't know the answer to my question :lol: But now at least I get who the painter is...or rather, who he is not. Hmmm, I think the drowned guy could be either Roger Toms or Tom Potter, and the past people of Trewissick were angry that Potter was sentenced to death.

The whole Wild Magic subplot was great. I think it's cool that it's sort of an in-between power- neither of the Dark or the Light. And daaamn, it will take me a long time to get that Tethys scene out of my mind, I've never read anything like it before! Like the sea itself was talking to them... :o It was just so, so...dangit, Susan Cooper, I'm running out of superlatives to describe your writing!

I've just started 'The Grey King'...I'm excited to see how Will is gonna operate without Merriman! :)

Oh yeah, I sneaked a peek at the movie's trailer just out of curiosity...pray tell me, WHY is Will drooling over some hawt girl on a bus?! :angry: And why the heck are Paul and Robin picking on him?! And who the hell is that? That's not our gentle, sweet-faced Will, that's a gawky doof! Urghhh, Hollywood <_<

Yeah, there's a lot of things that Susan Cooper leaves open like that, but I'm glad it helped a little bit.

The Wildmagic is awesome- it's almost a balance to even out the Light and the Dark because it serves neither. Pretty nifty! But I agree, the part with Tethys was very powerfully written- it is like they are speaking to the sea itself with her voice booming all around them. . . *shivers*

Oooh, The Grey King is one of my favorites! And you'll finally get to meet Bran! :D

*cringes* I know, it's simply aweful. The hawt girl Will is drooling over is Maggie Barns- you remember her? They completely messed everything up- making Will into a doofus American (yes! His family MOVES to Britian!) adolescent teenager. Yes, they moved his age up to 13, I think. And to create chaos they turn the loving Stanton family into meanies. *shakes head* They completely trashed it, trust me, don't go see it. >_<

I've actually been trying to think of someone good to play Will if I were making the movie, but I haven't had much luck- I'm not up and with it when it comes to child stars. :sweat:

O-kay I looked at the movie synopsis. WHO THE :X IS TOM?! *severely pissed*

You're not alone...I was thinking maybe Josh Hutcherson might have made a good Will :D I think he looks the part(roundish pleasant face, straight brown hair), also he was really good in 'Bridge to Terabithia' so I think he could have pulled off the role! All he could have needed was a British accent.

...And OMG BRAN IS LOVE. :giggle: Before reading the series, I might have thought that the concept was unrealistic and too anime-ish : strange,slightly arrogant Welsh albino boy who has gold eyes and likes to wear dark clothes so he can be 'different'...but now...:wub:I just love how snarky and stand-offish he is and how he got exasperated with Will's lousy pronunciation... I keep thinking of him as the cereal boy rather than the raven boy :lol:
...need I even say that the scene where they were watching the stars...or rather, where the stars where watching them= awesome? Meh, every other scene in this series is made of awesome! Poor Cafall, though :(

In the books, Tom is one of Will's older brothers, but he died when he was very little, so none of the children know about him. I think what they did in the movie was make it so that the Dark kidnapped Tom and kept him imprisoned in a snow globe or something for most of his life. O_o It is extremely retarded, and I still want to kill Walden for butchering the movie. :mad: I remember being so excited when I first heard about it, then I saw the previews and was devistated. Then the fans started talking about it, and I was crushed.

I've never seen BtT, but I have read the book. That kid does look pretty good, though! He could play Will, and I'm sure he'd do a better job than the retard they used in the real movie. <_<

:lmao: I knew you'd like him! Bran is just incredibly awesome! He's such an interesting mix of characteristics, you can't help but love him. (Will will always be number one of me though! :P) His snarkyness is love, I completely agree! :wub: And the air of athority he always has? Totally awesome. I love that he doesn't realize that subconsiously he wants to startle people so that's why he dresses the way he does. He's so lonely though, and I love how much he and Will bond over so short a time. They are incredible best friends! And yes, lol, I think of him as the cereal boy sometimes too. XD

I know, I cried at that part. I loved that dog, and he was all Bran had for ages. It was just wretched and I wanted to strangle Prichard for it. >_<

It's a short book, but GK is soo good. Definately my second favorite. I'm glad you are enjoying it so far!

Oh yeah, I forgot that Tom was an actual canon character;only thought of him as 'the brother who died'. But WTF, a TWIN BROTHER, trapped in a SNOW GLOBE? <_<

I'm done with "The Grey King"; I think it's my favorite so far:lol: My only complaint was that it's so short! I would've liked a 'closing scene' after the Grey King was defeated and Prichard went permanently crazy. Like the museum scene in OSUS, or the dialogue between the Penhallows in GW, or Will going back home in DiR. But nope, it ended so abruptly!
Guh, Prichard, I felt no sympathy for him at all :angry: It's quite interesting that the only villain who is a mortal man, aka, not really a member of the Dark, is the most hateful so far! I mean, I felt sorry for Hawkin, and even a teensy bit for the Painter...but let Prichard rot :shifty: Will has a heart of gold for even considering to spare him!

Oh I really liked Rowlands; he was so kind to both Bran and Will! Also, even when it was emphasized that he is only mortal, I sort of got a sense that nothing magic or human could really harm him because he was such a strong character!(But something still tells me there's more to him than meets the eye...hmmm...)

Sniff...I almost cried when Bran confronted Owen Davies about his heritage, and when the Dark magic was taunting him about being a freak :sad: Makes me even gladder that he has Will now. I was kind of upset when he lashed out at Will after Cafall died(not that I blame him-that dog was all he had!) but I just melted when they reunited and were running around, snickering about what Bran did to Prichard :fangirl: *is officially Will-Bran fangirl*

And oooh, I got shivers(most of them fangirly XD) during the Pendragon part, and Bran was described as looking arrogant and kingly. Can't wait to see how the Drews(*coughSimoncough*) are going to react to him

At the same time, I kind of don't want to start 'Silver on the Tree' yet, 'cos I'm getting that happy-sad feeling of not wanting it to end yet! Hope that makes sense
:giggle:

Yeah, I know, completely lame. <_<

I know what you mean though- GK is so short, but is definately one of the best ones , my second fav. I wish they had shown Prichard getting what he deserved- he was definately one of my most hated characters. :angry: But like Merriman says, only mortal creatures take from each other. In a way that makes them even worse than the Dark. And yes, our Will is so compasionate and always sees a potential for goodness in everyone. *hugs Will*

Rowlands is a great character. I love how unshakeable he seems. I won't say anything about your suspicions. You shall just have to wait and see. :D

And yes, Bran is completely awesome in all of those parts. :fangirl: I'm a Will and Bran friendship person, but there are plenty of Will/Bran fics out there to satisfy all your needs, lol. As for the Drews reaction to him. . . heheheheh. It is very interesting. But I shall say no more. Hee.

I know, it's always horrid when a series ends, but you have to start reading Silver on the Tree sometime, silly! :P Then you can start reading fanfiction and all that wonderful stuff!

Well, I couldn't hold off for very long; I started it and I'm at the Bearded Lake chapter now. :giggle: Bah, why is the line 'one goes alone' making me uneasy?
Heheh, from the time he assured Will that he'd never mix up birthdays and Christmas, I knew I'd like Stephen if I ever got to meet him. That part where he dropped the kid in the water was priceless! :lol: And I know we only got to see the Stantons for a short while but I *love* how they all told off that bigot!
...Oooh, it's miracle; Simon's actually taking Bran's bossiness pretty well. And great to see him trusting Will now! Gotta love how Bran calls the Drews 'girl' or 'boy' as if he's so much older than them(Simon's older than him, isn't he?) XD

Yeah Bran, I can see you're not proud of your Welsh heritage or anything :giggle: :wub:

I am now such a fangirl got so curious about Bran's Welsh accent that I Youtubed it... now I have to imagine mostly hard r's whenever he speaks. :lol:

Wait, I'm a bit puzzled by the part where Will had to recover the Signs. I don't remember him and Merriman hiding them in DiR! Or did their concealment of the Signs happen offpage? :unsure:

:lmao: I knew you wouldn't be able to resist the lure for too long! As for that line. . . it should be making you uneasy. That is what it is intended to do. :P And I agree, Stephen was so awesome- I loved it when he stuck up for that kid. The Stantons are such an incredible family. *hugs them all*

I know- I'm actually surprised too that Simon took to Bran so well, especially after being so mistrusting of Will! But there is something about Bran that commands respect, heehee. And its his regal heritage coming into play when he calls them 'boy' or 'girl'. Bit stuck up of him, though I don't think he does it on purpose. *squishes Bran* I love how much he clearly adores being Welsh. It makes me giggle too. ^_^

You found a Youtube vid of someone with a Welsh accent/speaking Welsh?! Ooh, please share! *bats eyes pleadingly*

The concealment happened offpage, presumably sometime after DiR I believe. So don't worry, you didn't miss or skip anything!

I am done.

But...! But...! But...!

... :sad:

Yeah.

Okay. It's one of the best things I've ever read and I don't say that lightly.
... but why did she have to end it with two of my least favorite literary tropes ever??? Namely 'they-forget-everything' and 'he-lives-on-forever'? :cry: :(

I KNOW! I was so upset that everyone except Will forgot. It about broke my heart- and to have him all alone. . . . :sad:

I'm glad you liked it though. Personally, SotT isn't one of my favorites out of the series, though it was still good. It frustrated me at times because there was almost TOO much going on, which is different from the others. In the rest I felt the pace was much slower, the characters took each step one at a time, and there wasn't much of a rushed feeling. I don't know, just my feelings on it.

Bran giving up his birthright also kinda made me mad. I saw it coming, but I didn't like it. It just felt wrong somehow. I did like though that Bran and Will are compared to Arthur and Merry- that Will is the magician/advisor to the king to be. It just makes me really happy for some reason. :D

Oh yeah, here's the Welsh accent!

I absolutely loved the part where they were journeying through the Lost Land...if it weren't for the ending, it would be my second favorite!
...Why does the housewifely, kind woman always turn out to be evil? :lol: First Mrs Palk, then Maggie Barnes, now Blodwen Rowlands!

I wouldn't have minded that he gave it up, if only he hadn't forgotten about everything they'd done. >.< I mean...he was so magnificent and kingly and suddenly, boom, ordinary boy again. And I'd have been fine with that if only he remembered what he'd done and what he'd been! Ugh
After all the running around and the traumatic stuff the Drews went to, they're ultimately kept in the dark? Meh.
*cuddles Will* :sad:

Oh I know! I just finished reading this amazing fic that is exactly about that.

...speaking of which, I think the ending is VERY open for all kinds of fanfic. Well that's one advantage of it, I suppose :D I want a big epic one where everyone remembers and Will isn't confined to a lonely fate. HAR! *starts fic-hunt*

YAY! The Welsh accent!!! *goes off happily to listen*

That part was really awesome! What did you think about the skeleton horse? I can never remember what Bran calls it- but wasn't that just creepy?! And the tunnel of mirrors, ooh. *shivers* That would have driven me mad!

:lmao: It does feel that way, doesn't it? I was never sure though if Mrs Palk knew what it was she was doing- because the Dark uses many people and they don't even know it at times. Though I tend to think she knew perfectly well what she was getting into! Blodwen always kinda made me suspicious though- there was just something not quite right about her from the begining, so I wasn't surprised there.

Yes, yes, that would have made that better for me too! I mean, if Bran had at least been able to carry that memory off with him through his life, of who and what he was, then it would have made him giving up his birthright somewhat easier. But for him to forget! And to just go back to the way he was, never knowing, never understanding. . . It just makes me so sad! :sad: Same for the Drews too. I felt it was extremely unfair, after all the hard work they had done! And then poor Will, left to carry the burden alone. . . . :cry: *joins in the cuddling of Will*

KWAAHHH!!! It's by GRAMARYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :woot: That's the same one who wrote that incredible HP/DiR crossover that I posted the link to!!!

Oh, I KNOW. There's so much room for fantastic fanfiction!!! I know there are some very good fanfics out there. I have some favorites, mostly pairing because I'm insane that way. I like Will/Jane and Bran/Jane, but I'll warn you if you don't like either of those. . . I'll hunt down the links and share them with you in a bit!

Ooooh, the Mari Llwyd! *shivers* It was so freaky, all those red ribbons coming out of it's mouth! I also love when they're facing the whole crowd of people, and Bran screams out Eireias's name :fangirl moment:

Oh, I like both! Will and Jane already have a nice bond...but then Bran was the one who noticed she was pretty, and heck, he gave her a pet name only one day after knowing her! I like Bran/Jane slightly more than Will/Jane because Bran and Jane's more polar personalities...Will and Jane are kind of similar, if you think about it.
I also like the idea of a love triangle, though not the hostile two-boys-fighting-over-a-girl kind. Really, considering Will's lonely fate, I think he'd be happy if at least Bran and Jane got together :(
...but I gotta say, I like Bran/Will best of all! Will and Bran just have an incredible bond and the slash-loving part of me can't not see it as romantic too! :giggle:

Yes indeed!! *shivers thinking about it* And I completely, agree, when Bran shouted that I was squealing.

Ah, good! Glad to see that you like both. I tend to lean towards Will/Jane, though I think that Bran/Jane is more canon. Yes, the name he gave her was rather cute, and I giggled when he said he thought she was pretty. I think the reason Will was startled by the suggestion was that he's something of a work-aholic in the fight against evil- he didn't take time to think about it, though once he does he admits that Jane is pretty. :giggle: I too rather like the idea of a LT- I've seen a few fics write about it pretty well.

Lol! I'm anti-slash myself, so I'm afraid I won't be able to help you in your quest for fics of them, but that shouldn't be too difficult. There are lots of fics for that pairing hanging around!

Now, to some fic recomendations, as I have promised!

Step, Jump, Leap Well what do you know? An LT fic that I just found! :D Not a fighting one either- just kinda angsty for Will. . .

Layers of Thoughts and Images Another angsty LT fic, again without the fights. But so, so heartbreaking. . . :sad:

A Shared Melody A sweet moment between Jane and Bran

Depths of Gold Puppy love? Or is it. . . Bran/Jane

El Fin A chance meeting, and words of farwell. Hints of Will/Jane, implied Bran/Jane

The Dreamer and the Dream Bran and Jane meet again, and discuss the past. Can what they remember as a game really be the truth?

When Sleep Comes Jane is tormented by nightmares she doesn't understand. Is there anything Will and Bran can do to help? I swear, one of my most FAVORITE DiR fics.

Something for Jane Another Will/Jane fic. Angsty- you have been warned!- and it does have fighting between Will and Bran over Jane.

Miss You Dearly, Signed Sincerly Sequel to Something For Jane. Angsty. Will/Jane.

Now You Are Free Jane won't let go of her memories regarding Will and what they endured. Soon it develops into an obsession that effects more than just herself. VERY angsty. *tear*

None Too Soon A missing scene from Greenwitch. Will/Jane

Caught Up Will resolved not to grieve at Bran's funeral. Will/Jane

False Being alone is preferable. Will/Jane

Memorable She knew he'd be going away, somehow. Will/Jane

The Last Bouquet Will's days as the Watchman draw to an end.

Drabble A very short Will/Jane drabble. Angsty.

Ok, that should be enough for the moment! Sorry for so much Will/Jane- its surprisingly easier to find stuff for them than Bran/Jane. Will/Bran is pretty easy to find, so you should have no troubles with that! :sweat: It's late- I'll post more later!

Edit: Some more! Some are really short, but still good!

Drabble2 A missing scene from Greenwitch between Simon and Will.

Cofio Am Y Tywyllwch An interesting little piece about the four half remembering what happened. It was planned to be continued, but I don't think it ever was, yet I like it the way it is.

The Day of the Dead It's autumn again, and there's too much Will can't forget.

The End of Summer It's time for Bran to go home.

Gramarye's Fanfics Since she writes such good stuff, I'm just posting a link to her archive.

Loyalty A seven part fic. Six must be gathered again, to face an old threat wearing a new face.

The Old Ways The perfect evening was wasted on one Will Stanton.

Time to Go Bran/Jane The Drews were at the station, ready to leave.

What Will Be Owen has no comfort for John.

The Once and Future King Will did visit the grave.

Lacking Bran/Jane. Bran felt he should have been something more.

Words Bran says something Owen's been needing to hear.

Coordinate Bran envies John and Owen's friendship.

Envy Bran/Jane. Bran wanted to make a point.

Farewell Will walks through the doors for the last time.

Medium and Average It was hard to believe there was anything extraordinary about Will.

Protect Owen worried about what would happen, with Will Stanton back again and bringing trouble with him, as before.

Dregs A bittersweet moment for Will.

First Meeting Bran and Cafall, together, before it all started happening.

Surprise Will was in the area.

Tomorrow Family buisness as usual.

Into Nowhere Barney had to show him.

Yearning Paul's music suits Will's mood.

Fragile Stephen holds his little brother for the first time.

By This Shall I Know You Will began to see it when Bran did not age.

Tomb of Every Hope He did not want to hate Bran.

The Lightning Stones It's 3 years after SotT. Will has to get something back for The High Magic and needs Jane's help. They meet Bran who seems to be remembering too much... Will/Jane

*headdesk* Ok, that's all the fics I have on my list. I will continue to search for more!

Also, some other links you might enjoy: The Light's Journal An LJ community for DiR. Has some really good stuff on there!

When the dark comes rising A place for fanworks of DiR. Mostly fanfiction.

The Dark is Rising 100 A community for writing 100 word drabbles, challenges posted.

TDIR art club on DA

The Dark is Rising fanclub on DA

Whew! There you go! Enjoy!

*sobs* "The Old Ways" was so sad! Worst thing is, I can really see something like that happening, if I'm morbid enogh. It reminds me of this one:
Do Not Let This Parting Grieve Thee…The end is nigh... You have to be in the right place for you, even if it hurts.

But "The End of Summer" was beautiful! *wipes away happy tear* I prefer to think something of that sort is in store for Bran :)

Oh, remember that DiR site you linked? The site's owner has written some nice long novel-length fanfics right here.
'Walking Shadow' is a 20-years-later fic centering on Will, Jane, and Bran; and it's also got a sequel, 'Falling Shadow'. And 'The World to Come' is an AU where the Dark has risen, and goes through 24 years with Will, the Drews...and a Bran who's gone over to the Dark side. :shifty: Haven't started on either of them yet, but I've just finished her Bran/Will epic and I can say that she's an excellent writer. :bow: Gorgeous prose, plus great grip of the characters and the series mythology. (The two fics I mentioned have no pairings, though)

And I finally found a Bran/Jane fic that's more than a drabble, and has Will visiting and Bran remembering :lol: Eireias

I know- Old Ways broke my heart. :sad: And I truly believe its a possiblity too, which makes it only worse. But holy, talk about sad!!! Do Not Let This Parting Grieve Thee was TRAGIC. *sobs* That's like, one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever read. I cried after reading it.

Erias was really quite good! And Bran and Jane were married! *gasp* I do like the idea that both of them remember what had happened in their dreams- it makes a lot of sense.

Oh, wow!! A dark Bran fic? :woot: That is seriously awesome! I'm definately going to check her fics out! *settles in for a long reading time*

Whoo. . . I just read a bit of The World to Come. . . I'm in part 2 chapter 6. It's friggen amazing! I've seen several takes on what the world would have been like if the Dark had one, but this is definately the best so far. You weren't kidding when you said she was talented!! I'll be back when I've read more! :D

EDIT: OMG. :cry: I cannot say anymore until you have read The World to Come. It made me sob- it's so heartfelt and real, and absolutely beautifully done. Go! Read! I'm going to read the other two of hers!

Yeah, I got teary-eyed countless times while reading her 'Two Worlds' and to think that was a pairing fic! I can quite imagine what she'd do in a fic that is deliberately dark. XD

I just finished her "Walking Shadow" then I'll read the sequel "Falls the Shadow". THEN I'll read "The World to Come"

I took some time to get used to the bitter, hostile characterization of Bran(in 'Walking Shadow') but now that I think of it, it's very IC. It's probably how he'd have ended up if he never met Will.

EDIT: Am done with World to Come. Ho-ly crap! :o I just about lost it when James died in his arms, and then “It can't be, Will would never be that cruel” *sobs*. ...Was kind of wishing for something to happen between Anthony and Will...c'mon, you have to admit Will needed a hell lot of TLC in this fic XD.
And props to her for doing the impossible: actually making me like Simon more than Bran :lol:
Oooh, her “Shadow”duo has an awesome ending...Will completely deserved it :D

This girl should be published or something! Pity she stopped writing DiR fanfic, now I've run out of her stuff to read. *pouts* I was just thinking how awesome it would be if she expanded this drabble set into another chapter fic!

Guh, I know! I'm out of DiR fics too. . . *grumbles* Did you read the HP/DiR crossover? Legacy of the Light? That one is also very well written! I wish that had happened in HP instead. . .lol. But yes, I'll keep my eyes open for more to share with you!

Yes, the World to Come was definately a weeper fic. I really felt that Bran being that way was very IC. But gosh, so much angst! And poor Jane!! Her plight really hit me hard for some reason. And that scene where Will comes in and she asks him to save her? :sad:

The Shadow fics were both very good and well written, but though I did think Will deserved his mortality, it was almost. . . too convienient, you know? Part of being an Old One is not being a part of the world, being mortal, and that nothing can kill them. To have Tethys just take that away, easy as pie, I dunno. It just wasn't believable to me. :sweat:

EDIT: I've found a few new DiR fics, Kusari!!

Outside Time Jane/Bran, unrequited Will/Jan. Angtyish, and not at the same time.

Of Smoke and Gold and Breathing Jane/Will/Bran. (I squint my eyes to ignore some of the slashyness, but I think you like slash?) Two times, but the three of them are always together.

The Ascent
A future fic, told from Barney's POV. The gang is being drawn back together.

And a Little Child Shall Lead Them Arthur and Guinevere wonder how Bran is doing.

Only Revolutions Jane dreams and wakes.

Of the Sea Jane grasps for memories in her dreams.

Inspirations Will has an interesting conversation in the bookstore. . .

Spirals of Light Bran spends Christmas with Will and his family.

The Land of Lost Content The Dark still has agents in the world, and they have swayed one of the six to their side. Will must stop the Dark again.

Waltz in Minor Key Will/Jane/Bran. Barney wants to see Jane's home, so he drops by. . .

Enjoy!!