Over Sea, Under Stone

Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising sequence draws on the legend of King Arthur to frame the protagonists’ arc as a journey of mythical proportions. In Anglo-Saxon mythology, King Arthur is depicted as a heroic warrior who ruled fairly and led noble knights in a battle against evil forces. In these tales, he is typically armed with Excalibur, his legendary sword, and aided by a powerful wizard named Merlin. Because various accounts from different regions of Great Britain and France have added to the myth over time, some elements of the original legend may vary. In more modern times, the legend of King Arthur has been adapted into a number of novels, movies, and other formats, gaining enduring popularity. Like Cooper’s series, other contemporary works often emphasize the supernatural and romantic elements of the story, which can be more easily adapted to the conventions of modern fiction.

Cooper’s narrative initially treats Arthurian legend as mere folklore, but the children’s explorations gradually reveal it to be historical fact, and this approach is designed to imbue the “real world” with a sense of wonder and intrigue. Through this fantastical world-building, Cooper introduces the adventures of Simon, Jane, and Barney, three regular children from modern day England who become involved in an