bloodygranuaile

I think the reason the Dark is Rising books feel so much darker (despite all the tea and the adorable family stuff) is the constant repeated emphasis on the fact that Good (or the Light, or whatever you want to call it) is often kind of the opposite of nice. All the Hawkin stuff in the first book - that's the kind of thing that in LotR would just be "alas, Hawkin was weak," because everyone is expected to be strong. In the Dark is Rising is like "well, yes, but also the Light was an asshole to him, because it had to be, and that's the kicker."

Also, in Lord of the Rings, the great evil never turns out to be your mom.

(Okay, pseudo-mom. But still.)