Young Will Stanton has had a nasty illness, when he finally recovers his doctor suggests he take a holiday with family in Wales. Little does the young man know that he is drawn to this ancient place by forces more powerful than the country doctor. While in his fevered delirium Will has forgotten something he meant to keep forever.
In Wales at his aunt and uncle's farm Will becomes stronger. Under the crags of the Grey King, a local name for the mountain, snippets of a poem return to Will. He meets Bram, a curious boy and the Raven Boy from his poem. With the new friend and ally Will remembers his mission and his place as an Old One in the cosmos.
The quest set before Will, and inclusive of his new friend, is for a Thing of Power, a magical harp which will help him wake the Sleepers and bring aid to the Light in the upcoming ultimate battle with the Dark. But finding the harp is just the beginning.
With his returning memories Will attracts the notice of the Lord of Darkness: the Grey King. The Grey King raises his minions to combat Will at each turn. Through the Dark the local sheepherding peoples become violent and oppose the boys and their galavanting. A neighbor to Will's uncle, Pritchard, becomes a nuisance; eventually he creates the greatest hurdle in Will's quest. Will and Bram are persistent, but will they manage to install one more stone in the wall of humanity's defense against the Dark?
Like the previous installments of the Dark is Rising Sequence, The Grey King is high fantasy mixed with the solid traditions of the local peoples. Will is an outsider who finds his place with the help of another outsider - the albino boy Bram - and fights for the future he believes is right. Readers who enjoyed the Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia will enjoy this young adult fantasy.
No comments:
Post a Comment