Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, Book 5)

Rating:
Summary: Doing Time in the Calla
Review: Stephen King set the pacing and style of this series with the first four novels in the series. I have read each book and thought that the next was better than the last because he continued to provide interesting new insights and tension, and his tendency to write stories within stories is an interesting way to give a reader more bang for the buck. However, "Wolves of the Calla" is quite different from the previous four books in significant ways, and the differences make this book the least book of the series thus far.

The ka-tet has survived "Wizard and Glass," an amazing book where we learn of one of the most important events in Roland Deschain's past. We join the ka-tet soon after meeting a bizarre character more than a little familiar to fans of the "Wizard of Oz." The ka-tet is entering the lands of the Calla, an arc of communities that are adjacent to Thunderclap.

Calla Bryn Sturgis is one of the towns of the Calla, and Andy the robot has warned Calla Bryn Sturgis that the Wolves are coming. Each time the Wolves come they kidnap one-half of each twin pair of children. The children eventually return, but they do so "roont," or brain damaged. The ka-tet of Roland of Gilead, Eddie Dean, Susannah Dean, Jake Chambers and Oy the bumbler are entreated to provide aid and succor to the town, thus being required by the code of the gunslingers to stand against the Wolves if it is possible to do so.

The next several hundred pages of the book are devoted to meeting Donald Callahan from "Salem's Lot" and learning how he arrived in the Calla, and the various intrigues surrounding the characters in and around Calla Bryn Sturgis. There is also an unusual introduction of Stephen King into his own story. Much of the story provides development of the characters of the ka-tet, in addition to the characters of the town. In considering other Stephen King books, this one is written somewhat like "The Girl Who Love Tom Gordon," only longer.

The story is well written. The character development is well done. However, it seemed to me that perhaps some of this development could have continued as the ka-tet continued on their quest for the Dark Tower. The result of delving into the characters of so many people in the Calla and of the ka-tet is that the pacing of the story slows down very much as compared to previous books in the story. The problem for readers is going to be that you really need to read the previous four books to get here, and if you prefer character oriented novels over action novels, you are unlikely to reach this point in the series. Conversely, fans of action-oriented novels or novels where there is a strong element of the bizarre will reach this novel and be less satisfied than with the previous books.

Another problem with the story is that King spent so much time on character development and giving so many hints that I had guessed the nature of the Wolves and several other important details well before the characters in the story made those discoveries. The best surprises come when you discover things at the same time as characters in the stories, not well in advance.

I also found the introduction of contemporary elements into the story, which you will have to read to see what I mean, to be amusing, though occasionally a little bizarre as I wonder at the motivations people might have to do certain things.

The five books in the series thus far are nicely tied together, and well written. I enjoyed "Wolves of the Calla," but I found this novel to contain less of what I typically enjoy in a Stephen King novel, and found the pace to be tedious at times. I provide a cautious recommendation for this book given the extensive amount of time King spends on character development, with only brief moments of action until the last fifty or so pages, where he finally moves beyond second gear into action. I am looking forward to "Song of Susannah," because the very end of this book sets up that novel, and I am hoping the pace picks up that book, which is much shorter than "Wolves of the Calla."

The fifth book adds another 700+ pages to the epic Dark Tower series, pushing the total page count toward three thousand pages. The cross time and space dimension epic is intriguing and usually exciting, and I yet wonder how Stephen King will tie it all together in the seventh book, "The Dark Tower." I recommend this series to fans of fantasy and science fiction, as this series combines elements of both.


Rating:
Summary: Horror, Intrigue
Review: Another DT book we cannot tear our eyes from. There are some pretty gruesome scenes here and there, but the underlying plot retains its cunning and keeps us reading. The love and disgust, cheer and horror, dreams and reality are all me3rged into this exciting story.

Rating:
Summary: "We Deal in Lead"
Review: Fans of The Seven Samurai (and its Westernized version The Magnificent Seven) will immediately recognize the opening situation of this book: a small farming village that is periodically raided, with its residents trying to figure out what to do about it that won't just result in their entire town being demolished. The raiders in this case are 'Wolves' who take one of each pair of twins born in the town (of which there are an inordinate number, nearly all births), but unlike most raiders, they return their booty at a later time - but by then the twin has been brain damaged (or 'roont') and have various physiological changes that turn them into short lived giants. The farmers' solution: hire a group of gunslingers (right out of the movie!). And of course the 'gunslingers' they get are none other than Roland, Eddie, Susannah, and Jake.

But why should Roland interrupt his quest for the Dark Tower to help these people? In answering this, King brings into play something that has not been greatly obvious (though certainly present) in the prior books, the standard of ethics ingrained within Roland, part of his original world, of not just chivalry and nobles-oblige, but a groping for an absolute standard of right and wrong. This thematic line actually runs through just about all of King's books, but within this book I think it comes into clear focus, and must be the underlying lynch-pin of the Tower itself. Also apparent is the new focus King has brought to this work. In the earlier four books, there was a tendency to wander, to bring in items that seemed to have little relevance to over-arching story line. Here, there is a taut plot line, and an explicit explanation for the hows, whys, and makeup of this fantasy universe, a universe that can now be seen as encompassing all worlds, both `real' and fictional. In this, he seems to be following in the footsteps of Robert Heinlein's last few works (and Heinlein is directly referenced a couple of times in this work), in which Heinlein effectively tied all of his works together in a multi-verse of alternate time lines and author-created worlds.

Jake and Eddie both come in for some strong character development here, something I felt had been somewhat lacking in books III and IV, and Roland himself exhibits some characteristics that are new but quite fitting. Father Callahan (from Salem's Lot) is introduced as a major player, and his story forms an important sub-plot to this work, though I did feel as if this story was overly drawn out, and could have used a little judicious pruning. Susannah becomes the foreshadow of the next book, as once more she seems to develop multiple personalities, and may be pregnant with the Red King's child.

There is pathos, humor, satire, sacrifice, and soul-searching abounding here. Perhaps a little on the wordy side, but as another step towards the Dark Tower, this book achieves its goals well. For anyone who has read the prior books and become hooked by Roland's world, I think this book will satisfy.


--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

Rating:
Summary: CALLA IN NEED OF AN EDITING -- BUT A GOOD READ
Review: Of the 7 book series, this, book 5 ,is the second best behind #2, DRAWING OF THE THREE. Not because Roland, Jake, Eddie, and Susannah return, but more in spite of it. The stand-out character in this edition is Father Callahan, the priest from SALEM'S LOT. His story following the demise of the Lot is memorizing and the most interesting part of WOLVES. Dealing with the remnants of type 3 vampires and the Low Men from HEART OF ATLANTIS kind of ran off with the story.

Here, Roland and company make like the Magnificent 7, rolling into Calla Bryn Sturgis, a farm town plagued every 19 years or so by the Wolves. Doctor Doom look-a-likes who take one of every pair of twin children, for some fiendish purpose. The stories of Roland, Jake, Eddie and Susannah have grown stale in Roland's quest for the Dark Tower. Perhaps killing off the ka-tet would have been most merciful for the reader. Each book should start with Roland meeting and employing new characters to get killed off in his quest.

SK has pushed the made-up language of Roland's earth to the limit. If I read "Thankee, sai" or "commala" or "ken" one more time I'm going to scream. I don't understand what those annoying tag-lines add to the story. Also annoying is the turn of SK injecting himself into the story. You've got to be kidding me.

This book could stand a good editing out of about 200 pages. That done it would be flawless. Now that Susannah has come up pregnant with the demon seed and fled to give birth I have to read what happens next. I hope the next two books are tighter than this one, but WOLVES is well worth a read.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best of the series - no I'm serious.
Review: After finishing the whole series via a three month audio-book journey I can say that DT5 stands as one of the best of the series. I was somewhat disappointed with the book the first time through (before I decided to re-listen to everything) and now put it all on expectations I guess. Nothing ever lives up to those do they?

Another read made me see it as the climax of Jake and Eddie's character growth. The ka-tet is strong and they are all according-to-hoyle gunslingers. No fear of the mid-world boogy-men, just of their own choices and judgment. So there is nowhere to go but down, right?

But if you did not like this book, I say reconsider the following: DT5 is probably King's best job at putting you into another world/time/culture. DT4 did this very well, and is still I think my favorite, but that work is surpassed here. The Calla feels real to me. The language, the town, the people all run deep.

This doesn't even include the extra story of Father Callahan, which I also found fascinating.

I've read some reviews where people got sick of the made up language and accents but I can say they work wonderfully well as an audiobook.

King says near the end of the series that the story of the journey is the point of the DT series, not the ending. If that be true then DT5 is, to me, one of the richest parts of that journey.

Rating:
Summary: Could Not Put it Down
Review: If you have been hooked on the Dark Tower series, you should be longing to get your hands on this one.

The hero Rowland and his companions are still on their quest to reach the Dark Tower, but are repeatedly thwarted by problems.

This time a local farming community has been warned that the deadly Wolves of Thunderclap are coming back to wreak havoc and vengeance on their lands. The farmers desperately need Roland and his fellow gunslingers to protect them, but it is vital that Roland does not lose sight of his original goal.

Can they be successful in two missions?

This is classic Stephen King.