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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I think this might’ve been my favourite one of the series so far, mainly because of the link with Stephen King and how it ties everything together. I don’t feel like King knew he was going to do that the whole way through but now that he has, it makes me appreciate the whole story line up to date.
This one was weird. A lot of random and poorly explained phenomena occurred that left me feeling confused about the world of this series. This book felt very different from the rest and was my least favorite so far. Hopefully the seventh and final book is more like the rest of this series!
King as a character
Probably 3 1/2 stars but not nearly as good as the others in series. Still not sure how I feel about King as a character in his on book.
Updated:
The more I think about the more I don’t like. Series feels like perfect example of plotters vs pantsers. King just started tossing things at the wall and started with Wolves (which I still like but) with lightsabers, Dr. Doom, Harry Potter and king himself and continues with bird and rat people, ex machina magic turtles and random strangers and becoming way too meta in the third act of a series.
Probably 3 1/2 stars but not nearly as good as the others in series. Still not sure how I feel about King as a character in his on book.
Updated:
The more I think about the more I don’t like. Series feels like perfect example of plotters vs pantsers. King just started tossing things at the wall and started with Wolves (which I still like but) with lightsabers, Dr. Doom, Harry Potter and king himself and continues with bird and rat people, ex machina magic turtles and random strangers and becoming way too meta in the third act of a series.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
“I hold to no God,” Roland said. “I hold to the Tower, and won’t pray to that.”
“It’s the end- game now,” Roland said. “All I’ve worked for and waited for all the long years. The end is coming. I feel it. Don’t you?”
"But I’m afraid,” Roland said. “I feel as though we’re approaching the center of everything—the Tower itself, mayhap. It’s as if, after all these years, the quest itself has become the point for me, and the end is frightening.”
Jesus! I've read nearly 20 Stephen King books and this is the first one I've ever labeled fast-paced. We start mere moments after Wolves of the Calla ended, and it was like riding merry go round that just got faster and faster and faster. It's funny, in a year of listening in on Dark Tower discourse, I've never heard any fan say they actually like this book. For most people it's the lowest point in the series. For me, Wizard and Glass probably still holds that position hehe.
Despite opening this review with three Roland quotes, he, Eddie, Jake, Callahan, and Oy were mostly side characters in this entry. Most of the book followed Susannah grappling with the demon inside her, Mia, who'd made a deal with the Crimson King's lackies to deliver her baby to them. Through Mia we learn a lot about what's going on--the baby inside them is Roland's baby, transfered through the sex demons of books 1 and 3. The baby is destined to grow quickly and be the gunslinger's downfall. Mia also tells Susannah that Roland doesn't mean to save the Dark Tower-- only to see it. We shall see.
The bits we do get with the other members of the ka-tet were acrion packed, especially Eddie and Roland who, for the second time together, have a shootout with Balazar's men, this time in Maine. The story got meta as HELL when they drove to a small town and met with their creator, writer Stephen King. That was a cool scene because they were in the year 1977, which meant King hadn't put out his gunslinger story yet, though he had it in the basement. In-story King was terrified to see Roland (he recognized him from his imagination), and confessed that he was afraid of writing his story as well. Roland and Eddie are pretty sure that both the rose in New York and King in Maine are the earth-incarnations of the Dark Tower, which made the ending all the more crazy--that in a moment.
As I got closer and closer to the end I could tell we'd be ending on a cliffhanger, and we did. Callahan, Jake, and Oy stowed Black Thirteen in a safe under the World Trade Center, then rushed in guns a blazing into the lair where Susannah is. Callahan is positive the three of them will die. Eddie and Roland are still in Maine, and the story itself ends with Susannah and Mia in Fedic (Mia's town), delivering the baby in the presence of a bunch of bird- and rat-humanoid servants of the Crimson King. Wild shit.
I know a bunch of character deaths are coming in the last book. Callahan felt it, Mia has implied it, and a bit of narration said that Eddie had a question for Roland but before he could ask it, death slipped between them. I'm worried for what will happen in the next book, but I'm excited too.
And actually, the bigger cliffhanger was not the birth, but a death. The coda/epilogue features journal entries of our in-world writer, Stephen King. The entries span 12 years (1977-1999), and all the while he's returning again and again to the Tower books. If those entries are based in reality, I was right that King was making it up/finding it out along the way. The reason stuff like the Crimson King, Walter being Flagg, etc don't show up for many books is because King himself didn't know. It was cool to see into his process. And then the big bomb: the journal entries end with a newspaper article from June 19, 1999 (all the numbers that have haunted the ka-tet), in which King died after being struck by a van. Once again, meta as hell. And now I wonder if the last book will be about them trying to save sai King 😆
The one drawback to this story was a lot of problematic passages concerning race. Like The Drawing of the Three, King's use of AAVE for the character of Detta can be a little cringy and over the top. The narration also contrasts Odetta's voice against Detta's by referring to her as an educated woman. Lastly, Mia (in Susannah's body) interacts with a crowd of Japanese people in one scene, and about every stereotype that could be there was there. Slanted eyes, yellow skin, husbands and wives looking identical, dialogue spelled out to show heavy accents, and their language sounding like chattering birds. That was a lot, and felt especially askew since this isn't even and old book (2004). So that was uncomfortable to read, especially since it seemed to kind of be played for laughs.
Other than that though, this was a fantastic entry into the saga, and I'm absolutely thrilled to have the last book in my possession already. I got a first edition hardcover with a bunch of illustrations. It should be a good time.
“It’s the end- game now,” Roland said. “All I’ve worked for and waited for all the long years. The end is coming. I feel it. Don’t you?”
"But I’m afraid,” Roland said. “I feel as though we’re approaching the center of everything—the Tower itself, mayhap. It’s as if, after all these years, the quest itself has become the point for me, and the end is frightening.”
Jesus! I've read nearly 20 Stephen King books and this is the first one I've ever labeled fast-paced. We start mere moments after Wolves of the Calla ended, and it was like riding merry go round that just got faster and faster and faster. It's funny, in a year of listening in on Dark Tower discourse, I've never heard any fan say they actually like this book. For most people it's the lowest point in the series. For me, Wizard and Glass probably still holds that position hehe.
Despite opening this review with three Roland quotes, he, Eddie, Jake, Callahan, and Oy were mostly side characters in this entry. Most of the book followed Susannah grappling with the demon inside her, Mia, who'd made a deal with the Crimson King's lackies to deliver her baby to them. Through Mia we learn a lot about what's going on--the baby inside them is Roland's baby, transfered through the sex demons of books 1 and 3. The baby is destined to grow quickly and be the gunslinger's downfall. Mia also tells Susannah that Roland doesn't mean to save the Dark Tower-- only to see it. We shall see.
The bits we do get with the other members of the ka-tet were acrion packed, especially Eddie and Roland who, for the second time together, have a shootout with Balazar's men, this time in Maine. The story got meta as HELL when they drove to a small town and met with their creator, writer Stephen King. That was a cool scene because they were in the year 1977, which meant King hadn't put out his gunslinger story yet, though he had it in the basement. In-story King was terrified to see Roland (he recognized him from his imagination), and confessed that he was afraid of writing his story as well. Roland and Eddie are pretty sure that both the rose in New York and King in Maine are the earth-incarnations of the Dark Tower, which made the ending all the more crazy--that in a moment.
As I got closer and closer to the end I could tell we'd be ending on a cliffhanger, and we did. Callahan, Jake, and Oy stowed Black Thirteen in a safe under the World Trade Center, then rushed in guns a blazing into the lair where Susannah is. Callahan is positive the three of them will die. Eddie and Roland are still in Maine, and the story itself ends with Susannah and Mia in Fedic (Mia's town), delivering the baby in the presence of a bunch of bird- and rat-humanoid servants of the Crimson King. Wild shit.
I know a bunch of character deaths are coming in the last book. Callahan felt it, Mia has implied it, and a bit of narration said that Eddie had a question for Roland but before he could ask it, death slipped between them. I'm worried for what will happen in the next book, but I'm excited too.
And actually, the bigger cliffhanger was not the birth, but a death. The coda/epilogue features journal entries of our in-world writer, Stephen King. The entries span 12 years (1977-1999), and all the while he's returning again and again to the Tower books. If those entries are based in reality, I was right that King was making it up/finding it out along the way. The reason stuff like the Crimson King, Walter being Flagg, etc don't show up for many books is because King himself didn't know. It was cool to see into his process. And then the big bomb: the journal entries end with a newspaper article from June 19, 1999 (all the numbers that have haunted the ka-tet), in which King died after being struck by a van. Once again, meta as hell. And now I wonder if the last book will be about them trying to save sai King 😆
The one drawback to this story was a lot of problematic passages concerning race. Like The Drawing of the Three, King's use of AAVE for the character of Detta can be a little cringy and over the top. The narration also contrasts Odetta's voice against Detta's by referring to her as an educated woman. Lastly, Mia (in Susannah's body) interacts with a crowd of Japanese people in one scene, and about every stereotype that could be there was there. Slanted eyes, yellow skin, husbands and wives looking identical, dialogue spelled out to show heavy accents, and their language sounding like chattering birds. That was a lot, and felt especially askew since this isn't even and old book (2004). So that was uncomfortable to read, especially since it seemed to kind of be played for laughs.
Other than that though, this was a fantastic entry into the saga, and I'm absolutely thrilled to have the last book in my possession already. I got a first edition hardcover with a bunch of illustrations. It should be a good time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Racism
Minor: Rape
Just a tad over-indulgent on the writer's part to infuse himself into the plot (not necessarily a bad thing), lol, but the story was good and is becoming clear. Stoked to get to the finale. Commala-come-come.
Some books keep me up past my bedtime because they are exciting. Some books put me to sleep early because they are boring. And some books put me to sleep early because I would rather lie quietly in a dark room than continue reading them. This book falls into the last category.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Dark Tower books haven't all been massive hits for me, but I had a great time with this one! Reading it while on the verge of going into labour myself was also quite the head trip.
While still good, it was a little slow compared to the others, and while I understand it as necessary, seemed more like the setup for the last book than anything. It gave us a view of our characters when they're separated from one another, which was insightful, but I couldn't help feel the tug of wanting them to be together again, where they're safer. The fight they all go through to get reunited is fretful and had me emotionally gripped. I'm anxious to reach the resolution.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes