First and foremost I should mention that this book is the 6th in a
series of 7. It is a complex series and if someone wished to get into
them, most definitely start from the beginning. This book would not do
well standing alone.
The novels of The Dark Tower series, as are typical of Stephen King,
are long. Most range from 500 to 800 pages, and this particular book
is one of the shorter ones.
Because this book is part of a series and so close to the end, I feel I
should talk more about the series itself rather than give too many
details about this actual book.
It is a fantasy quest tale, but one that jumps between our world and
others. As you read you discover that there are many, many worlds out
there. Our hero is Roland, a gunslinger from a dying world. But to be
a gunslinger is to be compared to perhaps a Jedi knight in "Star Wars".
In simplest terms, Roland's quest is to conquer the Dark Tower, the
nexus of all worlds, which is corrupted and falling apart.
Other main characters come into the story, friends and enemies. The
turns and twists in these stories are unimaginable and exciting.
If you have read Stephen King before I feel I need to make a
distinction about something. Other reviewers have said this about his
work and I believe it's true. You have "old King" and "new King".
"Old King" was his novels famed for their suspense and often
bloodiness, where you hear the whole, "master of horror" fame. "New
King" is not horror such as that. Most are fantasy type tales with
darkness in them. People who were into "old King" often aren't into
these "newer" ones (ones out of the last 10 -15 years or so). And vice
versa.
Also if you have read Stephen King before you'll probably find what you
read before is connected to the Dark Tower. Almost all of his stories
are, especially the ones that have come out in the last ten years. In
fact, you would almost certainly find The Dark Tower series more
enriched by having read his other works if you enjoy the series, but
that's a lot of reading!
For this book of itself I found it a fast and enjoyable read that was
hard to put down. Only one part of the book didn't do a whole lot for
me, and I'm not giving anything away by saying that it's because the
author wrote himself into the story. Albeit not as a strong character,
thankfully.
In summarization, if you think you would enjoy a long epic tale such as
this go for it. I highly recommend it.
