Silver on the Tree is the last book in Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising Series. As with most of the books in this series, my review is mixed, but I still recommend it as a high-quality middle school and up book.
In this last book, all of our main characters come together for a last epic adventure. We get to dive into British legends, including King Arthur and his world. The story moves from being grounded in reality to dreamy other times and places as the children reach the final conflict. This novel is twice as long as the previous books and has the same combination of mystery and magic as the other. If you have read my previous book reviews for this series, this book has the same dark, light, and high magic complexity that I am not fond of.
*spoiler warning for this paragraph*
I really enjoyed the adventure in this book and even the results of the conflict. Unfortunately, Cooper then ends the book with all the mortal characters forgetting everything that had happened. This kind of ending drives me nutty! All the character development and all the growth is completely erased. Having the characters forget the magical events makes the whole series irrelevant to the characters. They have no benefit in anything they have done. As a reader, I almost feel like my time has been wasted. Personally, I am going to forget that part of the last chapter and pretend that all of the characters have changed and matured because of the secret events that they will forever carry with them.
So, in conclusion, Susan Cooper has written a good quality series with vivid descriptions, compelling characters, and fascinating events. I am frustrated by certain aspects of the books, but these frustrations do not prevent me from recommending the books. Wrestling with a novel or series is worthwhile when it challenges and engages our minds well.
Book1 Review: Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
Book 2 Review: The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
Book 3 Review: Greenwitch by Susan Cooper
Book 4 Review: The Gray King by Susan Cooper
Book 5 Review: Silver On The Tree by Susan Cooper
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