Under Sea, Under Stone is the first book in The Dark Is Rising series. It features the three Drew children—Barney, Jane, and Simon—who, while on vacation in Cornwall, discover an old map in an attic. Their Great Uncle Merry, or Merriman, helps them decipher the map and aids their search for the Holy Grail, famous in Arthurian legend. This relic is the source of a secret power in the eternal conflict between good and evil. Will Stanton, who does not appear in the first novel, is introduced in The Dark Is Rising. He discovers his identity as an Old One, and his first quest is to find six signs that will help in the struggle against the Dark whose power rises during the twelve days of Christmas. Will's birthday is on Midwinter's Day which falls within this period. On Twelfth Night, after...