The Dark Is Rising
#3044.02 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 5 books Status Complete 1965–1977 Reading commitment Low Susan Cooper Last reviewed 2026-08-12
Overview
A five-book British children's fantasy sequence weaving Arthurian legend and folk myth into contemporary settings, as the Old Ones (guardians of the Light) resist the rising power of the Dark across centuries.
Mythic fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (5 works) counts toward ranking
The Dark Is Rising sequence Susan Cooper
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Over Sea, Under Stone | 1965 | 1 | core | 3.86 (57,230 ratings) |
 | The Dark Is Rising | 1973 | 2 | core | 4.04 (61,455 ratings) |
 | Greenwitch | 1974 | 3 | core | 4.00 (32,517 ratings) |
 | The Grey King | 1975 | 4 | core | 4.16 (40,567 ratings) |
 | Silver on the Tree | 1977 | 5 | core | 4.11 (36,435 ratings) |
Five-book children's fantasy sequence weaving Arthurian and British-folklore "Old Ones vs. the Dark" myth into contemporary settings. Internal chronology matches publication order (per the sources above); no disputed internal chronology found.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Dark Is Rising? The Dark Is Rising's Core Canon is 5 books.
- What is the reading order for The Dark Is Rising? Publication order, starting with Over Sea, Under Stone. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Dark Is Rising finished? Complete (1965–1977).
- How much reading does The Dark Is Rising take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 5 Core Canon books · ~1,026 pages).
- How is The Dark Is Rising ranked? #304 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 228,204 reader ratings across 5 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #304?
Ranked #304 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.02 across 5 core books.
- Backed by 228k reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #303, Magids (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 5 books · Complete · 228k ratings · Ranks #304 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (5 Core Canon books)
- Over Sea, Under Stone (1965)
- The Dark Is Rising (1973)
- Greenwitch (1974)
- The Grey King (1975)
- Silver on the Tree (1977)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- Newbery Medal (Medal (Best)), 1976: won: The Grey King; The Grey King (book 4).
- Newbery Medal (Honor Book), 1974: honor: The Dark Is Rising; The Dark Is Rising (book 2).
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.02 across 228,204 ratings on 5 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: The Dark Is Rising sequence admitted; Core Canon = Susan Cooper's 5-book sequence (1965-1977) accepted 2026-08-12
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-12
Rule: Core = the complete 5-book sequence (1965-1977), a single continuous story told across generations; no disputed internal chronology.