Rating: 
Summary: Why, Stephen? Why?
Review: Before I start let me say that I am not, on the whole, a Stephen King fan but my mother is. It was from her that I got the copy of "'Salem's Lot" that was the first of his novels I read. "The Gunslinger" was the second. I read it and "The Drawing of the Three" just in time for "The Waste Lands". Then I waited. And waited, like most of you did. Somewhere in there I read "The Stand." Enjoyed it a bit, say thankya. Then "Wizard and Glass".
I was, at least, mildly disappointed with "Wizard and Glass", though I read it basically in a single sitting. The story was fine, especially as concerning the adventures of young Roland in Meijis and his love of Susan Delgado. I could get past the obvious references to "The Stand" and even the extended nonsense of the "Wizard of Oz". My bone to pick then was that the Tower seemed little closer than it had at the beginning of the book, scant reward for ten hours of my time.
Finally "Wolves of the Calla", illustrated by Bernie Wrightson (and me an old Swamp Thing fan!). Again, decent story. I didn't cringe too much when Pere Callahan proved to be from "'Salem's Lot". Something like this was bound to happen as Mr. King tells us, in the afterword to Wizard and Glass, that there is a place in the Roland's world for character from his other novels. Callahan is mentioned by name.
But, dammit, there was the sneetch (snitch?). And the wolves themselves. And even the typeface used in the chapter headings. And the mentions of Mr. King within the novel himself.
Here's what I think- the room at the top of the Dark Tower is not empty; its occupant is Stephen King (pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, he is a good man but a bad wizard). C.S. Lewis once wrote that he had a hard time believing in Jesus as he thought that God interacting with creation was a little like Shakespeare talking to Hamlet. It couldn't be done; they were of different planes (levels of the Tower?). But Shakespeare could write himself into the play and, thus, have palaver with his creation. This is how Lewis saw Jesus, and how I see Mr. King playing out his story.
Further, though I am not the first to suggest this, Stephen King is the author of the Harry Potter novels (if page 683 isn't enough, look at the typeface, especially the headings, and look at the New York Times review for the fourth HP book). Just the mention of Harry Potter (and Star Wars and Marvel comics), let alone the substantial inclusion of elements from these sources is a disappointment. Borrowing from other sources for your stories is a good thing; it has been suggested that all fiction is a variation on Homer. Hell, using other people's characters can be done well, witness Alan Moore's "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (another Swamp Thing connection. Coincidence?). Let's just say that here it feels like filling a creative void.
This last I say with no joy: Stephen King is a coward. The Dark Tower was (in my limited exposure to his oeuvre) Mr. King's finest creation. It was apart from his other works and worlds, a different species of tale. Mr. King realized this, I think, and was scared by it. What did he do? He brought in characters that had worked before. The hints of it were in Wizard and Glass. It comes to fruition in Wolves of the Calla. Roland and his ka-tet may not have strayed from the Path of the Beam, but Mr. King surely has.
Rating: 
Summary: Fanboys are so predictable
Review: Two years ago, after reading the first four books in the series, I thought there's only one way this story can end. Stephen King himself will be at the top of the Dark Tower waiting for Roland, or something like that will happen making Roland realize that the world he traverses is a mishmash of fictional places and characters. How else can the series end, without the Tower itself being the focus of an anticlimax? When I thought of this, I also thought of how many silly fans would hate the idea and spend oodles of their time complaining about it. So after reading book five and its great final five pages, it looks as if my guess might come true. Of course, as soon as I start reading the reviews on Amazon, I see the initial protests of the silly fanboys. King placing himself in the series is not an act of hubris and it's not pompous, it's ka. This book is my second favorite in the series (behind The Waste Lands) and my only complaint is that there's an awful lot of buildup for such a short payoff. But the characters are why we all love this series, and their development is what makes this installment worth reading. The ending leaves hope for the potential brilliance of the last two. (On a side note, anyone else think the title of book seven is kind of funny? The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower. What's next? George Lucas calling his next movie Star wArs Episode III: Star Wars?)
Rating: 
Summary: Marked as a King fan: Black hands!
Review: What did the publisher make this book cover from -- crushed up newspapers? I always remove the dust jacket and read the book without it, and after two gripping hours I found my palms and fingers were totally black. Nothing removed this -- even Lava soap. Dropping off my daughter at pre-school that morning was an interesting experience, a sort of Pere Callahan moment. Marked, I'm marked!I'm a Tower fan and I found this book rich, compelling, beautifully written and very heartfelt. Like all tales told in more than one book, there are questions unanswered and new cliffhangers, there are foreshadowing events and twists. Relax. You're in the hands of a master storyteller. All things serve the Beam. Just remember to cover your book with plastic, like Calvin Tower, or you too will find yourself with the mark of the King fan.
Rating:
Summary: Of course it's good , it The Dark Tower
Review: I just got though reading it ,and of course love it ! However I gave it 4 out of 5 simply because there was Waaaay Waaaay and I mean waaaay too much Callahaun and not enough of Roland and his past ! I really hope that the next book has more of Rolands past with his former Ka-tet or that he would write additional books detailing Rolands past , but alas I really enjoyed this book and I hope that if any other charactors from his books make an appearance it's someone more interesting like Jack Sawyer from the Tailsman ! Looking forward to The next !
Rating:
Summary: It's just so............forced
Review: Wolves gets 3 stars from me because of how much I enjoyed it while reading. As someone who read the first three books eleven years ago at the age of ten, to be immersed in Roland's world again was a joy. However, not only is the book anticlimatic, but the last 10 pages turn everything before it on its head. Including the 4 previous books. WotC is seriously out of synch with the rest of the series. At times tonight after finishing the book I have wondered if it should have been ended after Wizard and Glass. Or in other words been left open to the imagination. I really wish that King would have written a fuller, more richer book 5 rather than finishing the last three in one swoop. Of course I haven't read the last two, but it's rather apparent that the last three are really the same book. Just as there are alternate yet similar world's in the Dark Tower, I feel that the end of the series resides in an alternate realm then the first 4 books. And I'm honestly disapointed. I don't know if Amazon allows this, but if you have thoughts on what I just wrote please e-mail me at shelbyrose7@yahoo
Rating:
Summary: A Short Review for a Long Series By My Favorite Author
Review: First, if you are a true fan of the King and this series, don't read the other reviews-- they are plot spoilers written by people who like to blast popular storytellers for not delivering the second coming of Jesus Christ (The Man Jesus, too) everytime they publish a book or screen a film. A mediocre Stephen King story is still 1000 times the story of what passes for a bestseller these days. And 'Wolves' is no mediocre King tale. It's... well, it's not Wizard and Glass (my favorite in the series, for the romance, the backstory, and the raw emotional ride of the build up and payoff), but it's not like any of the others, either. It is its own, and that is as it should be. After finishing Wolves of the Calla, I struggled to form a definite opinion and I will offer none here. Except to say that what I have always loved about the King's books are the combinations of horror, humanity, and humor; the utter surprise of direction each journey takes, especially in this series; and the comfort of listening to a storyteller who is the voice of the magic story-telling wizard of an uncle you always wish you had but never did...that's all here too. And lastly, a comment about the self-referential moments that some of the other "reviewers" are complaining about... I think what He (King)'s suggesting here is not nearly as self-centered as it first reads, and that these King-ish revelations are part of is actually a fairly logical course of events, especially when one considers that the Dark Tower is the nexus of EVERYTHING-- all realites, all times, all universes. Constant Readers will recall that the King has stated, many times, that he believes all stories are real somewhere, that "fiction is the truth inside the lie," and that the Dark Tower series is his very own version of Roland's Dark Tower. Hat's off to the Dickens of our time. May he end it with all the risk and reward he has delivered thus far.
Rating: 
Summary: Well written of course, but ... lacking in substance
Review: Before buying this book, I decided to check out the reviews here and get a feel for it. It's been a while since his last one, and I was sincerely hoping that it would be better than Wizard and Glass. After finishing this, though, I find myself looking back at the previous almost with nostalgia. At least that story of Roland's past, though long and sometimes boring, at least introduced (or revisited) characters that I would have liked to read about, and of course had the gunslinger himself. Though Wolves of the Calla is well written, King takes an immense amount of time before he resolves anything in it; readers will literally have to wait until the last 30 pages or so until anything truly happens. I remember reading one of the reviews here, which said that the story of father Callahan took up about 1/3 of the book. Well, after reading it, it seemed to me to take up almost twice that much, and while reading his long, overly-expanded tale, I found myself wishing he'd just get to the point. The stories main points could be summarized in about 2 pages, minus the 50+ page "moral of the story" about drinking. At least with Eddie and his drug addiction, it flowed well with the character and with the story, and was interesting as well as important. The one flashback I DO like has to do with Roland and his past, and that 1 - 2 pages was a VERY interesting read, but sadly, these good parts were very far in between. I found myself not caring about this character, because he wasn't written (created) with the feel that King's other characters were. If he had died on next page, I wouldn't have cared too much. But I also haven't read Salem's Lot, so maybe that's something. I find myself actually wanting to read it so I can respect this character some more. 50 pages could easily fit for the main ideas of this book, and sadly I find myself thinking of how Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books have become, bloated with detail and pointless text that doesn't deserve to belong. Of course, you HAVE to read this book. Don't buy it now, because then you'll end up wishing you hadn't, since for most people, I believe, it won't be satisfying, but it still is a Dark Tower book, and it does come before "The Song of Susannah" ... Maybe go read it from a library. But it in paperback. It does have a few good points, and those all have to do with the main characters, and their development. I believe it brings up some points which should have been up before, especially with Roland and, of course, Susannah. These 4, or 5 with the bumbler, I find myself liking more and more, though I wish a better story could have surrounded their latest adventure(s). This book deserves 2 stars, because just seeing these characters that we like so much again is not enough, because almost nothing is accomplished in this book. Maybe after reading it again, I can change my mind, but I doubt it.
Rating:
Summary: Alternate Universe or 21st Century?
Review: Reading a Stephen King novel is very similar to eating just one of a nationally known brand of potato chips: You can't stop at just one. King has a knack for encouraging the reader to spend significant amounts of time in his very real alternate universe. So much so, both the loyal fan and uninitiated hunger for more. It's a good thing then that his books are as enjoyable as a visit from an old friend time after time, read after read. For those who have not yet read any of the volumes in The Dark Tower series, it is more of a gift than a prerequisite to read the previous four novels prior to settling in with Wolves of the Calla. King's storytelling is so masterful that one does not absolutely, positively have to read the others before this one (as the author suggests in the brief synopsis preceding the first chapter) but like butter on hot bread, having that knowledge makes the story just that much richer. Wolves of the Calla takes place in an alternate universe within an alternate universe that could be earth's future, past or even present. The point being that it is an alternate universe with very real similarities to our own. King fans will recognize themes from other favorites such as The Stand, Hearts in Atlantis and Insomnia. Although the heroes of Wolves of the Calla don't actually appear as instrumental characters in the pages of these novels, their presence is certainly felt and their quest for The Dark Tower influences a plot or two. Rather, it is the underlying presence of evil that lurks on the pages of most King novels that is the common character throughout. The folk of Calla are good, hardworking townspeople who's spirits have been wounded by an evil force that preys on their children. Specifically, the many pair of twins who are born and reside in the town. In Calla, it seems having sets of twins is more the norm than the exception. The story builds as one by one the residents of Calla gather the courage to stand and fight the evil force preying on their spirits and the souls of their children. They must first, however, gather the resources to gain the assistance of Roland the gunslinger and his band of weary, yet fierce, warriors. In true King fashion, there is just enough truth to the horrific events that follow to allow a reader to question the thin fabric of the wool that covers the eyes of our reality. Gun battles, multiple personalities, computers gone haywire, corporations controlled by evil... Corporations controlled by evil? Sounds a lot like the 21st Century. Wolves of the Calla is an excellent blend of horror, science fiction and fantasy. It is entertaining and thought provoking. King develops the characters in a way that makes them human and allows the events to flow like a river downstream... into the gaping mouth of a blood thirsty monster. In this alternate universe nothing is what it seems, yet everything has an air of familiarity. It is in this familiarity that King frightens us the most, because there is nothing more frightening that the alternate reality of King's mind.
Rating:
Summary: no,no,no,no,nooooooooooooo!BIG SPOILER!
Review: i love this series and like the rest of you have been waiting a long time for this book.I cannot express how shocked,saddened and let down I felt at reading the last 2 pages.I mean come on Steve all these years and all this waiting and your gonna put yourself in the story?IT WON'T WORK and it's not toolate to change the last 2 books!
Rating:
Summary: Different, and yet I can't put my finger on exactly why...
Review: Like most of you I waited several years for the release of Wolves of the Calla, much like I waited for Wizard and Glass before it. Anyone familiar with the series is likely to be a hardcore fan of it like myself, appreciating it for it's very unique blend of Western, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Tolkein level sense of Epic. These are among the most complex set of characters that I've ever read about. Wolves of the Calla covers somewhat new ground for this series. It is also very different from it's 4 predecessors, and as the title of my review indicates, I can't tell you exactly why. There's no one thing that makes it different and yet the feel is a little *off* from the rest of the DT books. I don't seem to be alone in this as others have pointed out what they feel might be the cause/s for this. I hate putting numbered lists in my reviews, but it might be the best way to do it here... 1. Callahan. If any of you have ever read Salem's Lot(a great book on it's own merit)then you'll recognize this character right away. At the end of that book Father Callahan hopped on a Greyhound headed anywhere, with the Mark of Cain on him. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I seem to remember that this mark..this *aura* if you will, about him made other people shy away from him, filling them with a sick dread with his presence. And yet from the time he leaves Maine and lives in the Calla this is essentially not there. Further his backstory takes up a great deal of the book, a surprising amount of it actually. Ordinarily this wouldn't bother me but...I don't feel the same lure to this character that I do with the main characters of the ka-tet that we know and hold dear to us. Perhaps this will change as the story moves on, and I suspect it will. 2. The ka-tet is getting a little frayed. This is a little difficult to explain, but with every book before there was always this magnetic force, a tangible thing you could feel as you read, between the characters of Roland's group. It was there briefly at the beginning of the book but disappears shortly after. Characters do thier own thing, the group is splintered somehow, and it boggles me. I know that part of this is in the plot of the story, but...c'mon folks, one of the things that's made the DT series so endearing was how this group of strangers became as close as a family and worked in perfect cohesion. Without that under everything the story loses something. 3. Roland is beginning to concern me. Save for a very believable and understandable period at the end of Wizard and Glass, he has seldom displayed emotion more than the occasional hint of smile. Yet in Wolves of the Calla...he laughs...he smiles (a lot), he displays great impatience (the twirling of his finger and "speed up the story"), and out of the blue comes arthritis. I suspect maybe all of this will be incorporated and successfully woven in somehow in the last 2 books of the series, but how I have no idea. It didn't feel *exactly* like the enigmatic Roland that I've come to know from prior books. The only flashback (another post mentioned there's almost none), is one that greatly interested me. Of Roland and Cuthbert at the battle of Jericho Hill. Please....*tell me more*, for your father's sake. 4. New York. Probably one of the things that made The Drawing of the Three so great was watching Roland's interaction with a city like New York. "Tooterfish", "astin", and gunslinger/cops. It made you smile (and often laugh with Eddie's side commentary) and yearn for more. But in Wolves, visiting our world has become...well...mundane somehow. It feels like ground already trodden, and because of this the story suffers somewhat. I don't want to goto New York, I want to find more mysterious burnt out cities, speaking rings, and weird locales and situations that made the first 4 books so great. 5. Miscellany. What I'm quickly discovering is that Roland's ka-tet interacts *wonderfully* within itself. But when others become involved (or an entire settlement) the interaction feels rather weird and sometimes strained. While you'll see parts in here that link to Hearts in Atlantis, Salem's Lot, etc, a lot of it feels....forced somehow. I just can't put my finger on it exactly though. And the ending! Steve buddy...I'm going to trust you in spite of it...you're one of the few who might be able to pull something like this off. I'm trusting you Mr. King...please don't let us all down. The story itself has slow buildup, and when the titular characters finally come the fight lasts about 8 pages (while very good in itself). The artwork while a little heavy-handed is still worlds better than the neo-cubism/scratchwork art of Wizard and Glass. To quote Jake, That is the truth. It's a good book...it just feels...different somehow. And maybe a little forced and too convenient for itself at times. It's good enough for me to give it 4 stars, but it is by no means the best of the DT series (I reserve that distinction as a tie between Drawing of the Three and The Wastelands). Bring on Song of Sussanah, ye ken? We're all waiting!
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