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Struck down by an unknown illness, Old One Will Stanton is sent to stay with his aunt and uncle in Wales to recover. In his unhealthy state, Will is not aware of much that has been going on besides the weather, and indeed it is not until he meets a boy named Bran that his memories of being an Old One return to him. Bran has been visited by Merriman, and together he and Will begin the search for the harp with which to wake the sleepers.
What made this story especially interesting were the additions of Bran and his dog, Caval, as companions for Will instead of Merriman. In fact, Merriman hardly made an appearance. The secondary characters really carried this story, with Will just tumbling along headfirst into danger among them because he can’t understand Welsh. This small fact truly holds the entirety of the plot together, as Will knowing Welsh would uncomplicate his journey significantly.
The start of this book was rough and sharp. We are never given any description or name for the illness which Will had, just that it clouded his mind and weakened his body, making him forget all about the Old Ones for a time. It is never even expressly stated where he caught the sickness or if it was caused by the Dark. It’s as if Will woke up one day from a bad dream, realized he had been asleep for a few months, and just kind of had to guess what to do next to help the Light. The majority of the plot surrounds Bran and Caval anyway, and I felt as if Will was simply an avenue for explaining their presence. Overall, the story was good, but it felt disconnected from the previous three.
HHC Rating: 3.75 Stars
Other reviews in this series: Book 1 – Over Sea, Under Stone Book 2 – The Dark is Rising Book 3 – Greenwitch Book 5 – Silver on the Tree (Coming Soon!)