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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
“No one ever does live happily ever after, but we leave the children to find that out for themselves.”
Wolves of the Calla, fifth volume of the Dark Tower series, finds Roland and his companions returning to the path of the Beam and being followed by some people of the town of Calla Bryn Sturgis.
They need the gunslingers' help to face a band of masked riders, called the Wolves, that every generation gallop to town and kidnap half of the children, only to return them some time later, but mentally and physically ruined. Will Roland and his tet defeat these Wolves? And what will they learn from the people of the Calla? And how is this new adventure a plan of the "ka"?
I was so book-hangover after Wizard and Glass and the Wind through the Keyhole, that I read back to back and liked less than previous books, so I took a break from the Dark Tower quest. A one year break. So it was just time to go back to my favorite gunslinger and well... this book did not disappoint! It's literally the perfect book, considering where we are in the Dark Tower journey.
All the action provided by the town of Calla Bryn Sturgis, its peculiar inhabitants and the Wolves, not only is a great stand-alone story that kept me glued to the pages, but it's also an amazing expedient that King used to enrich the path of Roland, Jake, Eddie and Susannah and their quest. I loved the reintroduction of Father Callahan, that readers met in another King's book, and I loved how his complicated and fascinating past blends so well with the main plot of the series.
And besides the "classic" western action that the fight against the Wolves provides, this book gifts us with suspense (is there a mole?), horror (hello vampires and baby demon), fantasy and time travels (definitely my favorite part!) and looots of references to books and general pop culture.
I really really enjoyed this book and I am so glad I picked this series up again.
5 stars and the Dark Tower is so close!
Wolves of the Calla, fifth volume of the Dark Tower series, finds Roland and his companions returning to the path of the Beam and being followed by some people of the town of Calla Bryn Sturgis.
They need the gunslingers' help to face a band of masked riders, called the Wolves, that every generation gallop to town and kidnap half of the children, only to return them some time later, but mentally and physically ruined. Will Roland and his tet defeat these Wolves? And what will they learn from the people of the Calla? And how is this new adventure a plan of the "ka"?
I was so book-hangover after Wizard and Glass and the Wind through the Keyhole, that I read back to back and liked less than previous books, so I took a break from the Dark Tower quest. A one year break. So it was just time to go back to my favorite gunslinger and well... this book did not disappoint! It's literally the perfect book, considering where we are in the Dark Tower journey.
All the action provided by the town of Calla Bryn Sturgis, its peculiar inhabitants and the Wolves, not only is a great stand-alone story that kept me glued to the pages, but it's also an amazing expedient that King used to enrich the path of Roland, Jake, Eddie and Susannah and their quest. I loved the reintroduction of Father Callahan, that readers met in another King's book, and I loved how his complicated and fascinating past blends so well with the main plot of the series.
And besides the "classic" western action that the fight against the Wolves provides, this book gifts us with suspense (is there a mole?), horror (hello vampires and baby demon), fantasy and time travels (definitely my favorite part!) and looots of references to books and general pop culture.
I really really enjoyed this book and I am so glad I picked this series up again.
5 stars and the Dark Tower is so close!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Stellar addition in the dark tower cycle, but unfortunately will have to be 6th place out of the six I’ve read so far. Something about it didn’t grab me until the very end. I adored the world building of the various callas, and the sisters or riza were some of my favorite parts of this series so far. But the fight felt anticlimactic, and the ending felt like too much of a rush into the next book. Now, as I did with every other book in this series, I may come back and adjust my star rating to a higher rating. Most of the books have had to sit with me a while before I realize how much I enjoyed them.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
An especially thoughtful and considerate follow on from the last book which again is rich in character development and delves deeper into the lives of Roland and his companions. Their interactions with the supporting cast and their time in this place make for a compelling and long read. Despite it’s length it doesn't feel bloated but I think provides a detailed exploration of the characters and the world they live in.
”No one is above ka.” - The Man in Black
King spends a lot of time getting to know the supporting cast, their culture, and way of life. This focus on character and setting adds depth to the story, making you feel more invested in the ka-tet's quest. I was immediately drawn in by the story and the detailed world that King has created. The book has many a story within the story that adds layers of complexity and a new understanding of the characters and their motivations.
”I think that all of us are born with a hole in our hearts, and we go around looking for the person who can fill it.” - Susannah Dean
In conclusion it's a book that successfully blends elements of fantasy and Western genres in a post apocalyptic setting. The story is engaging and engrossing with a strong focus on character development and world building. I must confess that a few times in the book (especially around 75%) I imagine Roland twirling his fingers on his right hand in his customary gesture.
”Ka works and the world moves on.” - Roland Deschain
Again this is my fourth read through and I’m finding lots of details I didn't see the other times, and again I am filled with joy..
”No one is above ka.” - The Man in Black
King spends a lot of time getting to know the supporting cast, their culture, and way of life. This focus on character and setting adds depth to the story, making you feel more invested in the ka-tet's quest. I was immediately drawn in by the story and the detailed world that King has created. The book has many a story within the story that adds layers of complexity and a new understanding of the characters and their motivations.
”I think that all of us are born with a hole in our hearts, and we go around looking for the person who can fill it.” - Susannah Dean
In conclusion it's a book that successfully blends elements of fantasy and Western genres in a post apocalyptic setting. The story is engaging and engrossing with a strong focus on character development and world building. I must confess that a few times in the book (especially around 75%) I imagine Roland twirling his fingers on his right hand in his customary gesture.
”Ka works and the world moves on.” - Roland Deschain
Again this is my fourth read through and I’m finding lots of details I didn't see the other times, and again I am filled with joy..
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great ride. Many winding paths that find their way together in loud and bloody manners. The 'Salem's Lot stuff was fun, too.
Only beef is a forced bit of suspense. A secret is withheld from the readers, but not of whose point of view you're reading along with. Like, the Gunslingers talk around it and King wrote around it, pretty much saying there's a secret here I'm going to keep from you, readers, na na na boo boo stick your face in do do. I've seen that stuff before, but I doubt ever touched on now and then for 300+ pages and never in a King book. It's something Jeffrey Archer does and it's fucking irritating.
Only beef is a forced bit of suspense. A secret is withheld from the readers, but not of whose point of view you're reading along with. Like, the Gunslingers talk around it and King wrote around it, pretty much saying there's a secret here I'm going to keep from you, readers, na na na boo boo stick your face in do do. I've seen that stuff before, but I doubt ever touched on now and then for 300+ pages and never in a King book. It's something Jeffrey Archer does and it's fucking irritating.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Updated re-read review posted at Brunner's Bookshelf
This was an amazing book!!! I have loved every instillation in the Dark Tower series more and more. That may be because they seem to get longer and longer but this was great.
Reading the reviews before and as I read I noticed a lot of people were not happy with the pace and the length of it. There might have been a few things that could have been left out to cut down on the length, but as long as this is at 925 pages, it didn’t feel that long. Well the book is rather heavy so I felt the weight of it, but I seemed to breeze through this when would get the brief chance to read it. Even though the free time I had was short I found myself downing 50 to 70 pages at a time.
In this book the four Gunslingers come across a town on their journey to the tower and are asked for some assistance. This town, Calla Bryn Sturgis, is having one child from there many sets of twins taken by the Wolves every 23 years or so. This is the year the wolves return to claim these children and the town doesn’t want this to continue any longer. While in the town Roland and his Ka-Tet stay in the town to try and uncover the many mysteries these people hide while preparing for war.
This is an amazing story and every book has kept me on the edge of my seat. That characters are so well developed I felt like part of the town. For those who have not read the Dark Tower series I would highly recommend it. I can’t wait for the next chapter in this epic saga.
This was an amazing book!!! I have loved every instillation in the Dark Tower series more and more. That may be because they seem to get longer and longer but this was great.
Reading the reviews before and as I read I noticed a lot of people were not happy with the pace and the length of it. There might have been a few things that could have been left out to cut down on the length, but as long as this is at 925 pages, it didn’t feel that long. Well the book is rather heavy so I felt the weight of it, but I seemed to breeze through this when would get the brief chance to read it. Even though the free time I had was short I found myself downing 50 to 70 pages at a time.
In this book the four Gunslingers come across a town on their journey to the tower and are asked for some assistance. This town, Calla Bryn Sturgis, is having one child from there many sets of twins taken by the Wolves every 23 years or so. This is the year the wolves return to claim these children and the town doesn’t want this to continue any longer. While in the town Roland and his Ka-Tet stay in the town to try and uncover the many mysteries these people hide while preparing for war.
This is an amazing story and every book has kept me on the edge of my seat. That characters are so well developed I felt like part of the town. For those who have not read the Dark Tower series I would highly recommend it. I can’t wait for the next chapter in this epic saga.
I really liked this instalment of the Dark Tower series. The third is still definitely my favourite, but this one was very enjoyable. I really wish that I would've read Salem's Lot before reading this book because there were so many crossovers and references that went over my head.