Under the guidance of Merriman (who, as you might have guessed, is in fact Merlin), Will has to collect six Signs, powerful objects that will help the Light in the battle against evil. The story follows Will, who turns 11 and finds out from his family friend Merriman Lyon that he’s not a mortal boy, but one of the Old Ones, guardians of the Light who use magic to stand against the Dark.

(Just look at that cover – it’s not exactly friendly, and yet it pulls you in). The Dark is Rising first pulled me in because it’s set in my home county, Buckinghamshire in the UK, and draws on a huge amount of local legend – and also because there’s something intriguing and slightly uncomfortable about the book. Although it’s the sequel to Over Sea, Under Stone (which follows three siblings as they search for the Holy Grail in Cornwall), The Dark is Rising can be read as a standalone, as it deals with (mostly) different characters fighting their own part of the ongoing war between figures from Arthurian legend, and an army of evil forces collectively known as The Dark. First published in 1973, The Dark is Rising is the second book in a series which bears the same name, written by children’s fantasy giant Susan Cooper.

Susan cooper the dark is rising