The Grey King

Part of the classic Dark is Rising sequence, this is one of the darker stories. I have absolutely loved these books since I first read them in childhood. I still find elements of them disturbing and upsetting to this day. And yet they are beautiful and wonderful, and I adore the main characters (my son's middle name is William, but to me it's Will) Anyway, for some reason the story name had slipped my mind, and I was reminded of it, so I embarked on re reading the books, after many years. Im happy to report that they're just as wonderful now at the age of 53 as they were at 12. I've not started to read the last yet, because I have that "i don't want to get to the end" feeling. I'd love to hear recommendations for other books by the author

Always loved Book 2 as a boy and it’s still a big favourite, but it’s like the series also gets stronger book by book. Marvellous stuff. Rich in mythology and Welsh too!

This is a good novel, well written that keeps you wanting more. The story is easy to follow and on the whole, the book is easy to read. It says it is suitable for 12 years + which I would say is about right (although I am a bit older...by about 30 years!). There is a bit of "darkness" involved and given that it takes place in our own British surroundings, some younger children might find it a bit disturbing. I bought this book in my search for a story I read at the age of about 10-12, that I wanted to share with my son; I am not sure this is the one, but I have enjoyed reading it nonetheless. I hope you find this useful.

Another brilliant book in the Dark is Rising sequence. So atmospheric and filled with the Old Magic of the British Isles. These books are a perfect read over the Solstice Christmas period.

This series captures the imagination in a similar way to the Marina ones. Beautifully written with full characters in settings children can relate to. Well worth a read

This was a re-read and a totally impulsive buy as we were in Wales (the story is set in Wales) - Susan Cooper's series of five books is still a really good, engrossing read and I think this one is the best of the five (it is the penultimate) So easy to want it, buy it, read it on Kindle - even in the middle of the night if you have wi-fi!!!

I must confess that when reading these as a child I didn't get past this book in the series, and only managed half of this. As an adult re-reading it, I think that may have been because I got scared. This book is similar in style to the Dark is Rising, however it has a darker tone and the level of peril increases this, making it absolutely brilliant! The imagery of the welsh landscapes makes we want to visit. I would thoroughly recommend this for ages 12-15, especially with the lovely new matching cover designs! (Photos taken after reading and include full set purchased separately)

I loved this book! When I was younger I read this book and loved it ,so I recommended it to my ten year old daughter because she loves stories about King Arthur! I would recommend this to anyone who loves stories about King Arthur or a magical mystery!

Ich habe die Serie das erste mal mit 14 gelesen - und ich glaube, das war damals der Einstieg in das Fantasy-Genre für mich. Bis heute hat die Serie nichts von ihrer Faszination auf mich verloren - auch wenn es primär eine Jugendbuchserie ist. Ich habe sie mehrfach gelesen, als komplette Serie auf deutsch und auf englisch im Bücherregal stehen - und jetzt auch auf dem Kindle. Ich habe sie bestimmt auch nicht zum letzten Mal gelesen... Was diese Faszination ausmacht? Schwer zu sagen... Die Bücher spielen in England bzw. Wales. Ich war schon da und kann mir das alles ehr gut vorstellen. Die verwendeten Mythen gefallen mir, die Liebe zum Detail, die Geschlossenheit der Geschichte, die Tiefe der Charaktere... Ich würde einfach empfehlen: lesen und sich drauf einlassen! :-)

Great book! Great series!!

I remember starting to read this when I was young. I never finished it, but it always stuck in my mind. I am glad I finally got the chance to finish it.

Brilliant! A beautiful story for all ages. Immersed in magic with a smattering of the Arthurian legends at the end. The story of Will Stanton continues into new depths and adventures with his friend Bran, a Welsh boy with a distant past. The story takes the reader on a tour of the north Wales valleys, lakes and mountains with a bonus of learning a little of that poetic language of the bards, Welsh. It will be a delight to those who love fantasy and things Welsh.

Between wildfires and the breath of the Grey King, the tone of this book feels dimmed to me. Like the headlong rush of the foxes of the Grey King at the end of this volume, book 4's ending rushes us on to book 5!