Rating: Summary: Like many, I had some problems with this one Review: As any true blue King fan can tell you, the Dark Tower is at the center of King's entire universe. It's not essential to read the DT novels to enjoy his other works, but for a King junkie, Roland's quest is like china white (ask Eddie if you don't know). Wolves of the Calla, fifth in the DT series, is in many ways the most complete story of the bunch. Not only does it have a self contained adventure that forms the crux of the novel, it weaves in elements of all 4 previous tales, not to mention Salem's Lot and Hearts in Atlantis. It most clearly resembles the flash back in Wizard and Glass (my personal favorite) in style and setting, but it revisits scenes and devices from books 1-3 as well. So, everything seems to be coming together splendidly...until the end. I won't ruin it for you (as others do below - so be forewarned), but let me just say that it feels like a cop out. Now, since it is a cliffhanger ending (well, actually its got a few loose threads hanging out there) I'm willing to give SK the benefit of the doubt, for now. But I really didn't like the turn this one took.
Rating: Summary: A wonderful addition to a stellar series! Review: Like many of you, I have waited for several years for this book. When I got it, I could hardly put it down, and probably wouldn't have had I not had children to take care of! Although I had re-read books 1-4 a couple months prior to the release of this one, I fell right back into the lives of this ka-tet with comfortable ease. But this is the nature of King's work. It draws one in completely and when it lets go, it can leave one in withdrawl. I am seriously anticipating the 2 following books, however a part of me has to say that I am also dreading it. I loathe the idea of saying goodbye to this group of unlikely heros. As for the rather "controversial" ending, I think people need to have more faith in the writer here. The genius of his storytelling has carried us this far, and I believe that same genius will see us through to a brilliant, thought-provoking ending. This story is King's baby. His opus. And I believe he will treat it as such. I for one thought the plot twist was quirky and creative and I eagerly anticipate the outcome. I do have one question though- if Balazar and the Sombra Corporation are trying to buy the vacant lot in Jake's when (1977), then what was the state of affairs with the lot in Eddie's when (1986)? I've never been much for ignoring the paradoxes created by time-travel and the such, but I wonder if this question will be answered in the following books. And a final note- I too was "marked" by the black dye from the book cover, and the stuff is pretty stubborn to get off. I found that Dial Complete soap and hot running water with a bit of scrubbing did the trick.
Rating: Summary: Good? Sure. The best? Well... Review: If you're a freak like me, you'd probably read the prologue to Wolves of Calla a two years ago when it popped up on the old Stephen King website. And, if you're like me, it drove you completely insane. I'm a pretty hardcore King fan, having read all his books, most more than once. My first impression of this recent addition to the Dark Tower series is that falls a wee bit short in comparison to the rest of the books... This is just me, but I really liked the original stories and concepts. The addition of the new "nineteen" theme, as well as obvious references to himself and Bachman worry me slightly. Who am I to say where he's going with this; I'm just worried because he gives himself a lot of room to play the "and then they woke up" card. I should have more faith, eh? In all, this book didn't pull me the way the others did, perhaps I need to let it settle. In comparison to the other books, it is not as sharp as the second, or poetic as the first, or as crazily detailed as the fourth (but the language and town descriptions fall along the same lines). It has a lot of similarities to the third book, and we do see the rose once more, but I feel that in going back to that corner the rose has lost a little of its mystery. One last note, althought Wrightson did excellent work in The Stand and Night of the Werewolf, I thought his paintings were a little blah. Definitely not Whelan. Think glaringly obvious central image ala Wastelands, but sloppier and less riveting (who doesn't like Soared on Leathery Wings?). Sadly, Roland looked like a dorkface and I won't go in detail about Oy the wiener dog. So yah, this is an ok book. But for one hardcore Tower fan, its not the best.
Rating: Summary: Great read, but something nagging. Review: I'm not only a King fan but a huge Tower Junkie. Wolves has been to long coming, but it was worth the wait. In this book he does what he says he was going to do, he wants the Tower books to be a kind of sequel to other of his books. Salem's lot is now finished, our questions about Callahan are now put to rest. The other books will be a kind of sequel to some of his others I believe. Now the only probelem I had with this story was some of the words, comalla, say thankya big big. Now after awhile these were getting annoying but Steves proise at telling a story kept me going, and all in all Wolves was a great story. He leaves us with more questions than we had going into the story, and that is great story telling. Why? Because it makes you want to read the next book to find out. He is keeping his readers hanging on, and in the end I don't think he will dissapoint. Now to say something about the ending that so many people have a problem with. Do you really think this will hurt the story? No, I don't think it will. Clive Cussler does it in all of his Dirk Pitt stories and I find it humorous. If he becomes a huge character in the next books I might be a bit dissapointed, but if there is just a small reference then it will be entertaining. Give the guy a chance before you hang him.
Rating: Summary: Stephen King fan or Dark Tower fan...this book is Awesome! Review: I am almost to the end of this book, and I can honestly say that I have not read a Stephen King book this GRIPPING since 'IT'. I have been glued to this book since I bought it, forsaking sleep, forsaking meals, forsaking all but the face of my father. If you've been dying for the next installment of the Dark Tower/ Gunslinger series then you've probably already clicked 'Buy' before you've read this review, and you WILL NOT be disappointed. If you haven't read of Roland of Gilead yet, then buy them all... This book is incredible. I can't wait to see it out to it's end, and yet I don't want to finish it, because then it will be another year (at least?) until I get to read the next one!!! (Don't let us down Stephen and make us wait 3 4 5 7 years!) This is a great book for all fantasy fans as well as fans of the horror genre...I can't say enough good things about it so I'll just shut up now...
Rating: Summary: Wolves is brilliant! Review: This installment of the Dark Tower series captures the magic of the previous books while adding some shocking twists, unbelievably creative storytelling and MORE. Tower junkies will jump for joy as they continue along the path of the beam! If you are not a tower junkie, start with Gunslinger (Dark Tower 1) and hurry to catch up with Roland and his ka-tet in the Calla!
Rating: Summary: Just what the Dark Tower fans have been waiting for! Review: After much waiting, and re-reading the first four books at least a half-dozen times in the process, we have finally been gifted with a new volume of the Dark Tower story. While the book does not take us very far along the journey, it details a great battle and volumes of character development. I read this book all the way through in just two sittings, the flow of the story and the suspense just made it impossible for me to put it down. Dark Tower fans everywhere will love and cherish this new novel.
Rating: Summary: We're Back On The Path Of The Beam! Review: After getting through "Wizard and Glass" five years ago, I was very worried that the Dark Tower series was heading right down the toilet. While not horrible, Roland's flashback takes up far too much time and progresses us forward very little. The story was necissary, but the point is obvious almsot from the very begining and wastes too much time with Steve's (at the low point of his career - it took a car accident to smash him back to his former glory) very lackluster writing. But here comes "Wolves of the Calla" which I had been anticipating/dreading for a few years now. Boy was I wrong to ever doubt you, Mr. King, you've put your epic right back on the map with a BANG! As hard as it was to wait seven years after reading "The Waste Lands" and its cliffhanger ending, I don't know how I'm going to make it through the next six months waiting for "Song Of Susannah" So many questions are floating around in my head, brought up by this wonderful book. What is Nineteen? Where did Mia go? What is the connection between "Calla" "Callahan" "Calvin" etc. How is the ending of this book going to fit into the next two? I can't wait. Thank you, Steve, you've written the best Dark Tower book since "The Drawing of the Three" You can count on me as a fan for a long time.
Rating: Summary: re: Marked as a King fan: Black hands!, Review: I already wrote a reveiw but yes it was horrible the black marks that i got on my fingers, that i couldn't remove, from reading this book without it's dust jacket. Great Book, horrible construction.
Rating: Summary: Limited but vast. Review: Ok, if your a fan of the Gunslinger novels you realize how King relates the majority of his books to this series. It's actually kinda sick how over a 30 year career King can interelate the majority of his books to this series. (Being a Gunsliner fan but not a King fan as a whole, I'll tell you that this book makes me waht to read 2 or 3 King books from the past due to the interconnections) While this book is extremely limited in it's storlyine it is an EXCELLENT story that continues the gunslinger experience and does a tremendous job of foreshawdowing the future. By the end of the book you realize that Roland and the gang are inches away from the Dark Tower in the entire scheme. The only problem is that until this point, the series has taken too long to develop and King is a little behind in the times. He makes current pop culture references in each novel, but it seems to be for shock value/coolness/relativity instead of fitting the era of the past novels here. The Gunslinger began about 10-15 years ago and stays with the eras introduced there (which is great to keep the storyline) but at the same time King tries to include recent literature phenomenom that doesn't fit the bill. (sorry, when a series takes this long to be published it's hard to keep with the times and King incorporates technology that was cutting edge in book 3 but is now lame in book 5 but at the same time appears to have made last second changes to incorporate modern culture) It's great, but at the same time unfortunate, that a series that in the end will define KING, took too many years to finish and when he releases the last 3 out of 7 books in the series, over a year and a half makes (KING says the 6th and final book will be realesed next year) the first 4 books dated and the last 3 books (assuming the last two hit on current tech and lit) vastly different. Regardless, KING sticks to the original beauty of all the characters and "The Wolves of the Calla" makes you want to re-read the entire series. OUT OF EVERY FANTASY SERIES I'VE READ KING IS THE ONLY ONE THAT SLOWLY BUT SURELY INCORPORATES ENOUGH BACK STORY TO ALLOW YOU TO RECALL THE PREVIOUS 4 BOOKS.
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