In her The Dark Is Rising series, Cooper creates two basic character types—contemporary human mortals, and ageless figures drawn from ancient British mythology. In The Grey King Will Stanton is a normal modern boy, as well as the last-bom member of a small select group with special powers, the Old Ones. In The Dark Is Rising, Will celebrates his eleventh birthday in the manner usual with his family, but he is also initiated into the group of immortals whose number includes King Arthur and Merlin the Sorcerer. Merlin in his last manifestation as Merriman Lyon is Will's teacher. Through him Will learns to step in and out of time whenever he likes, to exercise control over natural phenomena such as fire, and to prepare himself to do battle with the dark forces of Evil. He and the other Old Ones are the...