Following Roland´s heartbreaking story, which was described in ´Wizard and Glass´, this fifth volume in King´s Dark Tower series finds the last gunslingers en route to End-World, where the Dark Tower stands. On the way, they are asked for help by the residents of Calla Bryn Sturgis. Every twenty-something years, the ´Wolves´ come from the land of Thunderclap and take away one of each twin in the Calla - only to return them without their senses, ´roont´.

As if that wasn´t enough to keep Roland, Eddie, Susannah and Jake busy, in the ´when´ of 1977 from which Jake came, the rose that might be the key to the Dark Tower - that might be the Dark Tower - is threatened as a younger version of Eddie´s old boss tries to intimidate the owner of the vacant lot where the rose stands, into selling.

And finally, the gunslingers meet an old friend, Pere Callahan (from King´s earlier novel ´Salem´s Lot), who becomes part of their ka-tet and must help them in both fights.

The quest for the Dark Tower continues...

I liked the way the changes in all the characters are described. Without spoiling anything, you can truly say that in this book, the characters are changing, Jake especially... or find out just how much they´ve changed.

In the first fifty pages or so, there is a lot of coincidence, but everyone just seems to take it for granted. Since I was questioning all those coincidences at every step, that seemed strange to me. Luckily, around page 50, that problem was resolved.

I wanted to immediately go to the bookstore and buy the next volume. But, unfortunately, volume 6 "The Song of Susannah" won´t be released until June 2004, I believe. I´m already looking forward to it!

It made me feel like I wanted to write something like it. But King always makes me feel like that.

Stephen King has been my favourite author since I was thirteen - I have read all his books except ´Danse Macabre´ - and I feel giddy every time I have one of his books in my hands, even if it is one I´ve already read before. He releases a book just about every year, which makes him a really productive writer. More on Stephen King can be found on his website: www.stephenking.com

I recommend this to people who have read the other four books in the Dark Tower series, because it clarifies a lot, and also because it makes you curious as to what´s going to happen next.

I would like to recommend anyone who hasn´t read the previous volumes in the Dark Tower series, to read those before starting in this one. Otherwise, the book is completely incomprehensible.

Interested in buying this? Support Writing.Com by making your purchase of Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, Book 5)   from Amazon.Com!

Created Mar 12, 2004 at 9:47am • Submit your own review...