Over Sea, Under Stone

The Dark is Rising Sequence, #1

by Susan Cooper

Paperback, 196 pages

English language

Published July 14, 2004 by Aladdin.

ISBN:: 978-0-689-87121-4
OCLC Number:: 56636707
Goodreads:: 11312

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(39 reviews)

Over Sea, Under Stone is a contemporary fantasy novel written for children by the English author Susan Cooper, first published in London by Jonathan Cape in 1965. Cooper wrote four sequels about ten years later, making it the first volume in a series usually called The Dark is Rising Sequence (1965 to 1977). In contrast to the rest of the series, it is more a mystery, with traditional fantasy elements mainly the subject of hints later in the narrative. Thus it may ease readers into the fantasy genre.

6 editions

Sean Bala reviewed Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising Sequence, #1)

Review of 'Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising, #1)' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

"The Dark is Rising Sequence" is a landmark series in Young Adult Fantasy. I was assigned the second book in my eight grade English class. I enjoyed it thoroughly and wanted to re-read it. I was surprised at the quality and depth of the writing - and just how much I missed when I read it as a young adult. What makes the series so special to me is the way it draws from the very rich folk traditions of Britain in creative and unexpected ways. It is a series very rooted in a particular place. Rereading the series also made me appreciate the abstract and creative methods that Cooper used to try to illustrate the eternal fight against the Light and the Dark.

"Over Sea, Under Stone" is the first book of series and is a bit different than the other four. That's because the author, a British immigrant to the United States, wrote this one before she had conceived the other four. According to the story, she was feeling nostalgic for home and so she attempted to write an adventure story for young adults. It feels a little less weighty and somewhat brighter though it maintains the same qualities that make the other four novels so good: mystery, deep roots in British folk culture, and a great sense of tone. It lacks the magical and mystical undertones that make the next books in the series so memorable.

NightDrake reviewed Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising Sequence, #1)

Review of 'Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising, #1)' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

This was a pretty enjoyable children's Fantasy novel that I wish I'd read as a child, and not an adult. I'll continue on with the series, of course, since I want to know what happens with the children.

Steen Christiansen reviewed Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising Sequence, #1)

Review of 'Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising, #1)' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Fun adventure story about Arthurian legend.

lijadora reviewed Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising Sequence, #1)

Review of 'Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising, #1)' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Entertaining. For children of ~ 10 - 12 years.

TaxideaDaisy reviewed Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising Sequence, #1)

Review of 'Over Sea, Under Stone' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Revisiting these books after many years, makes me want to revisit Cornwall too.

Sonya reviewed Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising Sequence, #1)

Review of 'Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising, #1)' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Not as fantastic as Dark Is Rising, it's more like a great prequel. I'd read it after the rest of the books, if I were you.

There's zero magic (at least overtly), so it's like the beginning of Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, but with more problem/puzzle-solving. L,W,W+Chasing Vermeer.

nekokat reviewed Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising Sequence, #1)

Review of 'Over Sea, Under Stone' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

There's so much to love about these books. I never read them as a kid, and I wish I had. They are as wonderful as Narnia, but I can stand reading them as an adult, too. Unlike Narnia, there's no abrasive religious undertones and the children actually get to take real actions with real consequences. There's a lot of complexity -- in the characters, in the world, in the notions of what it means to side with the Light or the Dark (and the sacrifices entailed by each). And wonderfully evocative descriptions of these places in Wales, suffused with magic and mystery.