The Grey King is the fourth and penultimate book in Susan Cooper’s award-winning The Dark is Rising Sequence.
While recovering from an illness, Will travels to Wales to live on the farm of one of his uncles and aunts. Soon, he meets Bran and the duo set out on a quest to find the Golden Harp, needed to wake The Sleepers (which I believe to be the knights of King Arthur). However, the Grey King is determined to stop them, acting through a territorial farmer and shaking the mountain slopes. The Sleepers must be woken to combat the rising Dark, but will the quest be a success?
The Grey King is the main villain of the story. Due to multiple King Arthur references towards the end, I believe that the Grey King is Mordred (a knight of the Round Table that betrayed Arthur and took his kingdom). Also, the Sleepers are portrayed to be King Arthur’s knights, making the theory that Mordred’s spirit is still ‘alive’ in the present day reasonable. Meanwhile, there are two main protagonists, Will and Bran. Will appears in the previous two books and is originally the only character following the quest. Meanwhile, Bran is a new character and one that has inspired me. Bran didn’t have any friends at the start due to his white hair and pale skin. However, he was able to become friends with Will despite this. This inspired me because I was nervous about what people would think about my impediment, but Bran has shown that it is possible to make friends despite being different.
Good vs evil … this is the main theme of The Grey King and the previous three in the series. In the series, this battle takes the form of the Light vs the Dark. The Light is made up of Will, Bran and John Rowlands. Meanwhile, the Dark is the Grey King, who rules over the mountain. The villain doesn’t directly face the protagonists, using a special object to influence Caradog Prichard and observe what the heroes are doing.
Just before the first chapter, Susan Cooper has added a note to talk about the setting (something which I would like to see in more books with real settings): ‘Although all the characters are fictional, the places are real. I have however taken certain liberties with the geography of the Dysynni Valley and Tal y Lyn, and there are no real farms where I have made Clwyd, Prichard’s and Ty-Bont stand.’
I would recommend this book to those 12 and older as it can be tricky to follow and there are complex place and character names. Also, a basic understanding of the King Arthur legends (specifically the downfall of Logres, and the relationship between Launcelot and Queen Guinevere) could add to the enjoyment. Looking for a thrilling read of magic and good vs evil? This could be for you!
