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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
The series is really picking up steam. One of the most interesting storylines is the basis of this book, about The Wolves of Calla. Both a mystery and a western tied into the fantasy novel. And the overarching plot seeking the tower is ever looming in the background, to re-emerge full tilt in the next story...
adventurous
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
I enjoyed this a lot more than part 4, for fairly arbitrary reasons as it's just as long and drawn out. I guess I found it more involving as King strings together a bunch of shorter stories and a 'Salem's Lot sequel (which for me was the most engaging). The background story involving the 'Wolves' felt obvious and played out as expected, even down to the nature of the marauders. Still, there are some nice character moments and it has a good ending which takes a pop-cultural step into the metaphysical before setting up the next (shorter) volume.
I guess you wouldn't still be reading now if you weren't a fan but if you just like spending some time with King's voice then it's a fun ride.
I guess you wouldn't still be reading now if you weren't a fan but if you just like spending some time with King's voice then it's a fun ride.
“We spread the time as we can, but in the end the world takes it all back.”
It’s over 700 pages. It has rambling side quests. It’s self-referential and self-indulgent. The titular Wolves don’t show up until 93% of the way through the book. It introduces one of my least favourite plot lines (the chap).
And yet, it flows. It has high stakes and mystery. The place and people feel real (with a dialect I could listen to all day long). It moves the quest forward even though it stays in one place. It to adds to the mythos of the world(s).
If you’re in it for the journey you’ll love it. If you just want to get to the damn Tower, you probably won’t.
It’s over 700 pages. It has rambling side quests. It’s self-referential and self-indulgent. The titular Wolves don’t show up until 93% of the way through the book. It introduces one of my least favourite plot lines (the chap).
And yet, it flows. It has high stakes and mystery. The place and people feel real (with a dialect I could listen to all day long). It moves the quest forward even though it stays in one place. It to adds to the mythos of the world(s).
If you’re in it for the journey you’ll love it. If you just want to get to the damn Tower, you probably won’t.
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
When it comes to epic fantasy, I often see a complaint along the lines of “this did not need to be so long and lots of content could have been trimmed”. I tend to find myself disagreeing with those statements. That’s why this book baffles me. Truly, now that it’s all said and done, I have to ask myself: Why was it so long? The worst part is, this is not like series such as the Wheel of Time or ASOIAF, which both establish a precedent that the reader is embarking on a long, slow, and detailed journey. The opening of the Dark Tower might suggest a long one, but The Gunslinger and the Drawing of the Three are extremely fast paced. While The Wastelands and Wizard and Glass took it down a notch, the pacing development made sense with the characters now fully established. This book however, is just an oddity. I find myself very disappointed with it because of the high bar that was set previously. The series continues to be unique, absurd, and funnier than ever, and it’s a shame that I did not enjoy this as much as I could have. I have basically no qualms with the story itself or the characters, but what should have been a simple detour in the narrative got way out of hand.
Like a really, really long side quest. I think it only felt so long because the last book was a really, really long flash back. The end was fun though.
