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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
slow-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
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pretty slow for most of it but kept me interested, ending went from interesting to weird fast.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
This series has become a bit of a chore. As much as the setting and the plot still fascinate me - and the fact that I've made it all these years without having any spoilers as to the end result spurs me on – this was for me the weakest installment so far. I can justify its point to a degree (days and weeks of preparation for an event that lasts all of five minutes), but that doesn't mean I particularly enjoyed it.
Roland and his ka-tet continue their quest for the Dark Tower, but are intercepted by farmfolk from The Calla, who are suffering a regular reaping of their children by the wolves from Thunderclap. They come from the east, taking one of every pair of twins (which is as common to Calla folk as having single offspring is to us, though it's never explained why, at least not in this novel) who come back 'roont' – suffering extreme and permanent mental damage – and die relatively young. No one knows what happens to them to cause this, but one in every pair of twins is taken. And this occurs every twenty-ish years.
It's a BRILLIANT premise, it's captivating from the word go, and I was really hopeful. I put this novel off for so long because I hated Wizard and Glass, and this installment marked King's return to writing the Dark Tower series after his accident. The break was long, and I was worried that the magic would be lost. From the first fifty pages, I believed I was wrong.
Then... it's just incredibly slow-paced. It has moments of interest, but it needed to be pared down enormously. Too much time is devoted to fleshing out Callahan's character and incorporating a weird tie-in with 'Salem's Lot' – which DOES have a purpose, but it's unnecessarily long backstory. The cost of this was, in my view, any real investment I had in a 'winning the townsfolk over' plot where many begin undecided about the idea of fighting the wolves.
It also feels very much like the direction has changed from what King originally intended. It's deviating worryingly into a 'Stranger Than Fiction'-esque main story arch, and going back and forth between worlds has become a little TOO easy now and loses its sense of urgency. I'm not sure what the original intention of the series WAS – maybe King didn't even know – but the sudden proliferation of self-insert definitely feels like a new idea.
But I SO love the setting and the characters, so I will be continuing my journey to the Dark Tower with them until the end...
Roland and his ka-tet continue their quest for the Dark Tower, but are intercepted by farmfolk from The Calla, who are suffering a regular reaping of their children by the wolves from Thunderclap. They come from the east, taking one of every pair of twins (which is as common to Calla folk as having single offspring is to us, though it's never explained why, at least not in this novel) who come back 'roont' – suffering extreme and permanent mental damage – and die relatively young. No one knows what happens to them to cause this, but one in every pair of twins is taken. And this occurs every twenty-ish years.
It's a BRILLIANT premise, it's captivating from the word go, and I was really hopeful. I put this novel off for so long because I hated Wizard and Glass, and this installment marked King's return to writing the Dark Tower series after his accident. The break was long, and I was worried that the magic would be lost. From the first fifty pages, I believed I was wrong.
Then... it's just incredibly slow-paced. It has moments of interest, but it needed to be pared down enormously. Too much time is devoted to fleshing out Callahan's character and incorporating a weird tie-in with 'Salem's Lot' – which DOES have a purpose, but it's unnecessarily long backstory. The cost of this was, in my view, any real investment I had in a 'winning the townsfolk over' plot where many begin undecided about the idea of fighting the wolves.
It also feels very much like the direction has changed from what King originally intended. It's deviating worryingly into a 'Stranger Than Fiction'-esque main story arch, and going back and forth between worlds has become a little TOO easy now and loses its sense of urgency. I'm not sure what the original intention of the series WAS – maybe King didn't even know – but the sudden proliferation of self-insert definitely feels like a new idea.
But I SO love the setting and the characters, so I will be continuing my journey to the Dark Tower with them until the end...
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Original Notation: Did not enjoy this book as much as the rest, but it is part of the journey... so I am game (no pun intended).
Today: I still feel the same; but it was not as much of a downer as I thought it would be, going in. I think I appreciate the journey more. I am not in a rush to get to the killing. The killing comes soon enough. I am glad I reread this and I enjoyed it much more than when I was younger.
Now, to find Mia..(??)... :/
Today: I still feel the same; but it was not as much of a downer as I thought it would be, going in. I think I appreciate the journey more. I am not in a rush to get to the killing. The killing comes soon enough. I am glad I reread this and I enjoyed it much more than when I was younger.
Now, to find Mia..(??)... :/
Roland and his ka-tet arrive in a small town being terrorized by mysterious raiders known as the Wolves. Roland and his group agree to help defend the town, but as always, their journey is filled with danger and strange encounters.
After several books, I’m starting to feel a bit tired of the Dark Tower series.
While the story has some strong moments and the world-building remains intriguing, the pace feels slower, and the plot sometimes drags.
I’m thinking I might need to take a break before moving on to the next book.
After several books, I’m starting to feel a bit tired of the Dark Tower series.
While the story has some strong moments and the world-building remains intriguing, the pace feels slower, and the plot sometimes drags.
I’m thinking I might need to take a break before moving on to the next book.