The Dark is Rising or Chronicles of Prydain?

[HelenaRavenclaw]

(I know these books are usually marketed as "children's books" but many adults still enjoy them. Since I'd be reading them as an adult I thought it better to post here instead of the Children's Books forum.)

Which series is better in your opinion if you've read both:
The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper or The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander?

I'm interested in easy-to-read fantasy dealing with themes of Celtic mythology, which I know are present in both series. (Of course I'm familiar with Arthurian legends, stories from the Mabinogion, etc. from other sources so these "children's books" will not be my first foray into these realms.) I will say that I am someone who enjoyed Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, and His Dark Materials far more than Lord of the Rings (which often felt like an elaborate exercise in world-building but didn't connect with the reader as well as the other series). I'm not interested in watching any film versions so please base your recommendations on the books only. Thank you!

In my view there’s no contest . Prydain I read a long time ago and thought it was quite fun but it didn’t really draw me in. I haven’t felt inclined to reread. The Dark is Rising sequence, however , I have read over and over again and find something new in them every time. Over Sea Under Stone is more of a standard adventure story than the others and is probably the weakest of the sequence. But they’re all brilliant.

The Dark is Rising! Perfect season for it.

The far is rising is excellent. Me and my sister often read the book around Christmas and we’re in our forties, might have to dig it out for this year.
if you like Arthurian legends read the mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

The dark is rising. Way better and stays with you, though prydain is a good light read it's much more straightforward and fairy tale like.

Also if you like Arthurian/Celtic stuff can highly recommend Mary Stewart's Merlin series.

Read both, loved them, but I agree with others, the Dark is Rising for my vote

I love this series and I think the Dark is Rising is better too.

Haven’t read Prydain, but Dark is Rising is brilliant, especially if you read it in the winter. They did a radio version every night last December over Christmas.
Alan Garner's books might appeal to you too.

I haven't read the other but I just came here to say the dark is rising is just an amazing book. I first read it as a child and it touched my soul. I tried to get DD to read it but she wasn't into at all which was so disappointing.

Absolutely The Dark is Rising. I always read it in real time as it were in December

Me too! Got my copy on the shelf ready to go.

Thank you everyone, looks like The Dark is Rising is the clear winner! Thanks for the other recommendations too. (I have already read some Alan Garner and enjoyed his writing.)

The Dark is Rising is lovely. And available on BBC as an audio book.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvp7

I've not read the other books but will have a look for them now. :) Thanks op.

The Dark is Rising. I have read it as a young teen and then throughout my life from time to time. My dd loved it too, I found it still the power to captivate us both

Oh I remember being read Alan Garner's Elidor as a child in school and falling in love with it. I might treat myself to a re-read of that too.

First response nails it! I absolutely agree.

It's not an exaggeration to say that TDIR pretty much shaped my view of an ideal family dynamic (and an ideal Christmas). I only realised this as an adult. The Grey King is wonderful too.

NB @pollyhemlock love your username.

Also the Dark is Rising. I have a lovely hardback edition that is all the books in one big bound volume. It is such a pleasure reading it.

I love both series, but would also agree that Dark is Rising is the superior one.

I don't think you can compare them, they're such very different animals. But the Dark Is Rising is better written.
I still revisit Alan Garner regularly, Brisingamen/Gomrath have really stood the test of time, as has Elidor. Diana Wynne Jones also touches on Celtic myth in many of her works, worth exploring if youo haven't already.

The Dark is Rising, definitely. The BBC radio series linked above is a very good adaptation.

I have a soft spot for Prydain, and I still shed some tears in the final chapter every time I read it.

But TDIR series is excellent, as are all the Alan Garner books, just as all the PPs have said.

I think you'll just have to re-read them all, many times over, really

If you are reading The Dark is Rising for the first time I envy you, OP. I read it for the first time from the school library aged 11, and have since re-read it more times than I can remember.

It is intelligent, imaginative and so haunting. The Chronicles of Prydain were enjoyable but they don’t live in the memory in the same way as The Dark is Rising series. It really is a modern classic.

I came on to recommend this! It’s wonderful ❤️

@TriceratopsRocks who was the publisher please? I would so love to have all the TDIR books in one. Thank you