The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

On the Midwinter Day that is his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers a special gift -- that he is the last of the Old Ones, immortals dedicated to keeping the world from domination by the forces of evil, the Dark. At once, he is plunged into a quest for the six magical Signs that will one day aid the Old Ones in the final battle between the Dark and the Light. And for the twelve days of Christmas, while the Dark is rising, life for Will is full of wonder, terror, and delight.

Stichley's Rating:
While The Dark is Rising is technically the second book in the series by Susan Cooper I personally would recommend reading this book first.  This series was one of my all time favorites.  I have read it several times, but have met quite a few people who were put off from the series because they had a hard time getting into the first book.  When they read this book and then went back they found that it was much easier to get into the first book in the series.  This series mixes old English, King Arthurian Myths, and the battle between Light and Darkness making for an enjoyable and award winning series.

The sequence as published: Over Sea, Under Stone (Book One), The Dark is Rising (Book Two), Greenwitch (Book Three), The Grey King (Book Four), Silver on the Tree (Book Five)

Instances of Swearing:

• Ass: 1