Stephen King, The Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower)

Synopsis:

"Determined to reach the Dark Tower, gunslinger Roland and his companions emerge from the forests in the Mid-World on path that leads to a tranquil valley community of farmers and ranchers in the borderlands. Beyond the town, the rocky ground rises towards the dark source of affliction. Danger is imminent - the Wolves of the Calla are gathering once again, their unspeakable depredation poised to threaten the soul of the community. Unless the farmers can enlist the help of some hard calibers. Torn between protecting the innocent community and his urgent quest, Roland and his companions venture all as they face the unknown adversary. The risks are high. The enemy is cunning. The end is in sight, but the battle rages on as the future of the Mid-World once again faces crimson chaos."

Stephen King's novel "Wolves Of The Calla" is the fifth installment of the seven part epic "Dark Tower" series. The novel runs for 611 pages out of the series total of 3712 pages. The book starts off with King's 'final argument' which is the last introduction to the books for the series. There's also a two-page 'afterword' at the end giving the reader a little more insight into the writing of the book. As in all of the other 'Dark Tower' books, the large version includes colour illustrations by Bernie Wrightson that depict scenes within the tale.

Taking off from where we left the last installment, "Wizard And Glass", the book takes a while to really get going. King spends a long time setting the scene again, no doubt aware that when the book was first released there had been a six-year gap between the two novels. Once the plot finally begins to take shape, King builds on the suspense of the battle that will inevitably take place. A whole host of new and uniquely interesting characters are introduced throughout the novel, drawing the reader deeper into the strange atmosphere of Mid-World.

From "Wizard And Glass" the reader has now found a new and deeper love for the character of Roland, which King utilises with developing on the characters little traits and quirks. As the storyline builds, King carefully weaves in clever sub-plots that incorporate some of his other previous novels. This, as I'm sure you are by now aware, has been a recurring theme within the "Dark Tower" series, but never so dominating as within this book.

The tale mounts to its final conclusion, which although short, delivers an action packed climax that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Yet again, the novel closes on a dramatic cliff-hanger, setting the reader up for the next part of this epic adventure "Song Of Susannah".

All in all, I found the book an enjoyable read from start to finish, but unlike previous instalments, the storyline seemed to weaken somewhat through the middle. King is a writer who certainly likes to write for pages and pages simply setting a scene. For me this ended up with each chapter seemingly over padded, which on occasion made the novel seem to lose itself. Nevertheless, the novel was certainly a good read.

Stephen King, The Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower) was scary like most King books, but so long I often fell asleep during his detailed diatribes.

There's been too many negative reviews about Stephen King's The Dark Tower. If you're reading this book for the fight with wolves - forget it. If you want all out action and adventure: read something else. While the fight is brief but good with some great revelations the book reveals more about the tower and the characters with every page. So just chill and enjoy a great tale. Say Thank ya.