Star Trek Into Darkness - JJ Abrams and Co

To say I was apprehensive about going to see this film is an understatement. I love Star Trek. I have loved Star Trek for as long as I can remember. Watching it on a Wednesday evening at 6pm on channel 4 was a highlight of the week - I don't care how sad that makes me sound, I loved it and still do. I will also confess now that I have been a Khan fangirl since I saw the film many years ago. I also recall my best friend at the time taunting me over this and my fourteen year old self getting rather embarrassed... This fangirling never died. I have an action figure on my desk and a movie poster on my wall. I'm telling you this so you know what the new film has to live up to.

The first Star Trek film by Abrams was phenomenal but the thought of someone messing about with my all time favourite film made me squirm a bit inside. And you know what? It was all for nothing. Abrams has done a cracking job. The film is different enough for it to fit with the new pantheon but the similarities and parallels between the two are enough to keep raving fans like me happy.

I don't really know where to begin with my praise for the film, seeing how reviewing films is a whole lot different to my usual area of expertise. The script was great, dialogue between that characters flowed well and there is enough one liners to make you laugh without making a farce of it. There is even a point where Kirk tells one of the characters off for too many metaphors - I won't say which but it is a nice link between old and new.

 

The only thing I will mention is that this story isn't going to win any massive awards for individuality and uniqueness. There were parts that my partner and I could guess and knew what would happen next but I found that I didn't care that much. The acting and themes in the story detracted from these small predictability's and it made it a film well worth watching. JJ Abrams, I salute you.

The Gunslinger (again) - Stephen King

Yes, I know, I have already read and reviewed this book. Don't despair, I will read something different next, I promise. I loved it the first time and when this was the only book near me when my kindle decided to die (it just needs a recharge) I was overjoyed.

I've never re-read a book before and been as impressed the second time around than I have with this one. On the first reading you're all blown away with the tension building and then the release, the whirlwind of story and darkness of character sweep you off on an adventure that is like no other you'll ever have. I knew what I was getting myself in for when I picked it up this time, however, with this reading, it is the small details that stand out. There are concepts and ideas mentioned in the novel that are not explained until several novels down the line. It is a real credit to King's skills as a writer that this happens. These details make a lot more sense on a second reading and as a whole, make the story that much more enjoyable.

On the second reading, I no longer had to worry whether I liked the protagonist. This time, I understand his reasons for doing what he does and cannot hate him for it either. Yes, he is still the dark brooding antihero he was before but my perception of him has altered through gained knowledge and this enhances the whole experience. I also didn't feel the same about Jake, the young boy in the story, there was no sympathy for him on his 'experiences' (I won't say what it is, some of you may not have read his yet) as I knew what was ahead. What I didn't reckon on was there being the first chapter of The Drawing of the Three at the end, which has just made me want to read on. I will be disappointed once more when I open my next book and find Roland Deschain isn't in it!

The setting, language and mood of the novel are all as captivating as they were the first time around and I strongly advice those of you who have not read this novel/series yet to stop what you are doing, find a copy and read it. Why are you still reading this drivel? Go!

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austin

 

It's been a while I know! Some major things happened in the real world over the past couple of weeks which has meant I haven't been able to update but at last, things are settling back down and I am ready to commence reviewing once more. My latest read was like stepping back to my uni days. I've not picked up a 'classic' for some time but thought I should read this one.

I found it a delightful read. I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would and far more than I ever did when I was reading this sort of thing back at uni. The novel flows well and I found the language wasn't too challenging. As with most classics, it was written over one hundred years ago, which means the language could potential be an issue. This was not the case in this novel. I did have to read a couple of sentences more than once but that is a small price to pay for such a great book.

The best thing about this novel is the insight it gives into the way of life during the nineteenth century. Austin has captured many of the social issues facing those of her class and gender and yet the novel doesn't lose any elements of humour while dealing with these issues. One observation made is still true today - “For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?”- this shows Austin was capable of making good observations of those around her and us them to amuse others.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to those interested in nineteenth century history, particularly the social elements. I'll read her other works as well in the future.

HMS Surprise - Patrick O'Brian

This is the third installment of O'Brian's series and as I have enjoyed the last two, I thought I would go for the next to see if it was as good as the last.

The novel built on the themes and characters of the last two novels and introduced some new ones too. It was a joy to read even though it was written along similar lines to the last. The parts I found most amusing was Jack's inability to remember cliche sayings. He often merged two together and got them totally incorrect. As well as adding an amusing aspect to the character it shows genius on O'Brian's part for using cliches in a new way. Jack was rather hurt when other characters pointed out his failings and couldn't quite understand what he was doing wrong. It built on his already well established character and was enjoyable.

This time, the characters found themselves in India and the description of the setting is vivid and a credit to the author. I could almost smell the places they visited, feel the warmth of the humid sun and hear the cries of different people as they explored their surroundings. O'Brian is a master at conveying meaning through the eyes of his characters. The same scene is described totally differently depending on who is leading that particular section of narrative - it really is a treat to read. The sea battles are written in such a way, you can't read fast enough, you have to know what happens and the suspense is fantastic.

Also much improved in this novel is the time/location jumps. Many of the long sea voyages are glossed over - who wants to read about the monotonous six month voyage from England to India one day at a time? Important events are well written and this time, instead of just jumping forward, there is an explanation. The transition is much smoother and it makes a better read. The naval jargon is still there but at this point, I have learned enough to know the difference between sets of sails so it no longer seems to be much of an issue (for me anyway).

I am going to take a break form the series however, I don't want to have too much of a good thing! It's not finished though, I shall return to it in time. They really are worth a read!

Master and Commander - Patrick O'Brian

I have been wanting to read this book for some time and I have finally managed to sit down and do so, between the craziness that is preparing for World Book Day (7th March) and the other tasks that have been assigned to me. Here are my thoughts:

If I could have sat down and read this book from cover to cover without interruption from the real world, I would have. I instantly liked the hero - Jack Aubrey. Many of you will know him as played by Russell Crowe in the 2003 film. He seems to have two states of emotion to begin with, super happy or super angry. Fortunately he gravitates to happy and its so easy to get caught up with his fervor and passion for all things, from his love of music to the enthusiasm for his newest command. He is a simple enough character and easily likeable. I was quick to sympathize with his confusion part way through the novel when one of his lieutenants was forced to make a tough decision without his knowledge and then took his frustration out on Jack. The hero was much like a wounded puppy for a long while and it certainly earned my sympathy. In fact, it became rather hard to remember at points that this kind-hearted character had bite, but he does and wasn't afraid to use it either. His simplicity was delightful, especially after reading some novels with characters that are tough to like or get to know, Roland Deschain for example!

As a complete foil for Jack, is the ships doctor Stephen Maturin. He is a rich character but taken to dark moods and thoughtful contemplation rather than action. The two become fast friends and they work so well together. He is not always serious and there is an air of mischief about Maturin at times which I found delightful, like him putting in foul tasting additions with his medicine to make sure the crew know they are being physicked and when he falls overboard and the rest of the crew jump in to save him. The dynamic is a credit to O'Brian's skills as a writer and one of the reasons I was so hooked on the novel as a whole. The rest of the supporting cast are all individuals and you know who is speaking without it being tagged with a name - perfectly written and well balanced.
 

The story itself is relatively easy to follow for the most part. The sea battles are well written and kept me glued to my kindle. If not for work constraints I would have been reading well into the early hours. The battles were exciting and concise, I had no trouble following the action, nor the thoughts and feelings of the crew involved. I was routing for the crew and the Sophie all throughout their trials. Even the 'duller' aspects of sea life were interesting and well written. However, it was not always easy to tell where the crew were and there were some parts that jumped around. I found from one scene to the next drastic changes had happened. They may be aboard ship one moment and roaming around on shore the next with not much clue as to when that change occurred. This made parts of the novel hard to follow.

 The other aspect of the novel which was difficult to grasp was the terminology. I've studied 19th century sailing ships a little for a book I am working on so know a little bit about the parts of a ship, however I struggled with some of the names. If you don't know your forecastle from your mizzen and your foretopgallant from your mainroyalstay, you're going to have an issue. I'd advise you to keep a dictionary - or smartphone - close by while you give the book a read just to keep which sail is which clear in your head.

Don't let that put you off reading about two of the best characters I have met so far this year. There are 20 books dedicated to them and I'm going to go download the next one onto my kindle now. It's just too much fun not to.

The Hobbit - J R R Tolkien

Maybe I jumped on the band wagon a bit with this one but after seeing the film I felt a bit guilty about never reading the book. I have now remedied the situation and here's what I think.

The book was very easy to read, maybe because it is primarily published as a children's book. I was a bit apprehensive at first as it was written in 1937 and Tolkien also has a bit of a reputation of being wordy but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read without having to decipher any meanings or read between the lines. The reader is drawn into the world by the brilliant narrations of the author, not cajoled or bullied into believing that the world is reality, like some books I have read. The style is down to earth and friendly, however each character was his own voice which is distinct! Never at any time does Gandalf sound like Bilbo.

The songs in the novel add another element that is rarely found in other stories in this genre. They add a level of humour on some occasions, for example, when the dwarves are captured by the goblins and marched off to the under mountain they inhabit, they sing a song with onomatopoeic words. The scene would otherwise be full of threat. Some would think that this device detracts from the scene but I feel it adds to an otherwise dangerous scene. The song of the elves as the heroes approach Rivendell for the first time. It adds a sense of mischief and wonderment to what would be an otherwise bland scene.

The world that Tolkien writes in is perfect, there is no other word to describe it, just perfect. There is so much detail that the reader learns which makes the novel rich, however there is much that is not touched on and this is what makes the world complete. The added mystery of not knowing anything is far better than having every aspect explained. Gandalf's power is never explained, nor is where Beorn originates from and it is this that makes the world seem real.

There are many other brilliant points about this novel and I could go on and on about it however, it would be better if you went and found out for yourselves, go and read this book, its well worth it!

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

Something a bit different for you today. This is a review I did while at university as a part of my degree. I don't recall what mark I got for it but I do remember spending my half term playing the MMO as a part of my course - win! I hope you enjoy this review, normal service will resume next time I assure you.

Expansion or extension? Did Wrath of the Lich King really shake up World of Warcraft?

Believe it or not it’s been four years since Blizzard released it’s eagerly awaited World of Warcraft into the awaiting arms of would be adventurers, and nearly two years since the first expansion, The Burning Crusade. Although the release schedule appears lazy on behalf of Blizzard compared to other MMO’s, such as Everquest, who release two expansions per year since it started, it remains massively popular, boasting around eleven million players world wide. Expectations for Wrath are high, otherwise respectable people will forget to go to work or eat during the first few weeks of release. I have prepared by stocking up with a crate of Red Bull to keep me awake during the first few days. All eleven million of us are due to hit the frozen tundra of Northrend before the first week is out. Which leaves me the problem of where to begin? The game is so in-depth and involving it’s almost impossible to know where to start.

The appearance of the new zones certainly did something for me. Blizzard kept their promise by not making the entire continent of Northrend snowy frozen wastelands. The howling Fjords must have been based on the Norwegian Tundra, with more than a few hints of Norse mythology as well, players are sent to work in and around Viking encampments add to the feel as well. Grizzly Hills has a North American forest air to it; you can almost imagine the cool air as you explore the zone. Zul’Drak defiantly captured my imagination while playing too. It is possibly the most atmospheric zone of the entire continent, which enhances the type of mission you have to do in the zone. Battling undead trolls and freeing old Gods is not your everyday run-of-the-mill jaunt. Two of the new zones however seem totally out of place with the snowy theme. Borean Tundra, one of the starting zones is just a mash of different landscapes randomly stuck together; boasting everything from Salt flats to scorched charred earth, lush grassy plains to frozen tundra. It is almost as though the designers ran out of ideas and shoved everything they had left together. To even further disrupt the impression players are in the frozen north Blizzard have stuck a jungle basin in for good measure; Sholzar Basin, although it looks fantastic, would be better suited to a more southerly location rather than have a jungle in what is supposed to be a frozen wasteland.

So, what has Blizzard changed about the mechanics of the game itself? Not a great deal really. OK, there are some new quest formats which were fun, controlling a frost giant to stomp on some undead is one that sticks out. Being disguised as a ghoul in order to bring down one of the Lich King’s minions is another. These quests however are few and far between. I find myself once again killing X amount of Y mob, one quest in Winterhoof Village had me picking up Hippogriff feathers. I thought I left all this behind in the Hinterlands! Let us not forget the odd bombing run for good measure as well, because we didn’t have enough of that in Outland. It’s not all rinse and repeat though, the addition of phased areas is a huge step forward for the game. It makes individual players feel like their actions are making a difference in the fight against the Lich King.  I aided one faction in the capture of an undead base, and since then it has been a place of refuge for me and the faction I was working for. It was also a grand kick in the proverbial for the Lich King, who personally turned up and threatened to kill me for my actions. This is another great change for Blizzard; apparently, the major bad guy for Burning Crusade was Illidan, he never turned up to threaten me with a painful death! I didn’t know who Illidan really was until I got to kick him in while on another quest chain in Ice-mordor, which showed me a little of the history of the Lich King. This is another innovative Quest chain for “noobs” like me who never played Warcraft 3 or any of its expansions.

This leads me nicely into commenting about the lore of Lich King, Northrend is filled with it, not so obvious it is forced onto players unwillingly, but those who want to know more can seek it out. Players have the opportunity to find out how and why the Lich King came into being and even get to go back in time to aid Arthas Menthil while he was still a goody-two-shoes prince of the light, although some may argue how good slaughtering a load of plague-infested peasants really is. It’s refreshing to see Blizzard expressing a less wholesome side to its usual moral self. The new hero-class they have added starts off as a minion of the Lich King, being ordered to do general bad guy stuff, steal horses and  murdering innocents is all in a day’s work for the Death Knight. Although in the end you’re redeemed and sent off to become a member of the Horde or Alliance depending on your choice of race. The downside to playing the killing machine that is the Death Knight is by the time you’ve turned to the good guys your only level 58, which means having to play through The Burning Crusade content and both you and I have levelled enough alts through that already. It also seems that the new class has received a lot more of the developer’s attention than the already existing ones. Ok, they got a few new abilities here and there and a talent reshuffle, which seems to have made some abilities a lot more awkward than they used to be, and that is it. Maybe we should expect more from the company that’s supposed to be the leaders of the MMO market.

Accessability is another issue I have to raise with Lich King and any future releases from Blizzard. Every expansion they have released has raised the level cap by 10 levels. At level 80, the idea of starting again at level 1 turns my stomach, even taking the time to level my alts through from 70 is a daunting task. The game play is wonderfully easy to learn but very time consuming and this may put potential new players off. All the new content seems to be aimed at the high end players too. There has been nothing new for those casual players who are content to remain somewhere between level 20 and 40, and I know a number of people this applies to. Some new instance or maybe a new battle ground for these players certainly won’t go amiss. On a more positive side, Blizzard has applied Heroic mode to all their raid dungeons. Players now have the choice of either 10 or 25 man groups, meaning smaller guilds can now see the content without having to merge with larger guilds or brave the elements and entering a Pick up Group (PuG for short) and the very thought of doing so will send most players running away screaming. Naxxramas, the first 10/25 man of Lich King is the same as it was at level 60, exactly the same... except the mobs are designed for 10/25 people, not 40. I am not entirely sure how to take Blizzard’s recycling of old content. Admittedly I am one of the lucky few who actually saw Naxx at level 60. It was the hardest dungeon in the game back then and only a handful of people got to see it, it needed 40 of the best geared hardcore players, and even then it wasn’t easy. One part of me wants to accuse Blizzard of being lazy and to slander the designers as lazy good for nothing no brainers, the other thinks this is brilliant because now everyone gets to see it and enjoy what I think is one of the best instances in the game. Everyone can now have their chance to shoot Mr Bigglesworth and alert Kel’Thuzad that we are coming and these in game jokes are now shared with the entire 11 million players, not just those lucky, or nerdy enough to be in the top end guilds.

The other major new input for the game is the new Player verses Player (PvP) zone Wintergrasp. This is a high level PvP chaos that rewards good team work, either the Horde or Alliance takes control of Fortress Wintergrasp and has to destroy the workshops before they can construct siege weapons to smash afore mentioned fortress to smithereens, which awards coordination and team work on behalf of the two teams. Those brave or foolish enough to go it alone soon find themselves killed off by packs of opponent players, no matter how good a players experience or gear is, they are not going to win against a catapult. It is a refreshing new take on PvP however; this is not the drop-in drop-out available-to-all zone that it could have been. For a start it is totally inaccessible for those who do not have a flying mount and given the nature of the area only really going to work for those players that go there all the time. Instead of being available for all players it has turned into a club for elitist PvP players, perhaps not what Blizzard wanted in its answer to the PvP-centric Warhammer online.

The expansion has its good and bad points, it may not have shaken up or reinvented Warcraft as maybe it should have done, it has merely extended an already massively popular, easy to use game mechanic. It has had two years to develop and shake up the genre, instead it just prolongs the same experience that people have been waiting to continue for years. Despite its faults I, and around 11 million others, will still be chewing our way through the masses of new content, staying up way too late on a ‘school’ night, forgetting to eat and playing until our eyes bleed.

The Wind Through the Keyhole - Stephen King

I got the latest Gunslinger book for my birthday, which made me a very happy person I can tell you. I've been meaning to get my grubby little paws on it for a while and it was well worth the wait.

It was delightful to open a book and find Roland and Co in it. Something that has been disappointing me when I have opened other books lately. King seems to have ruined a lot of things for me by having awesome characters I want to read about. Not a bad thing, this new book was ace. King uses the story within a story frame set for this novel and does so masterfully. The flow of the stories are perfect and fit together seamlessly proving once again that he is a master author.

I was a bit concerned that this novel would turn out to be a cash in on a complete series, that the tone of this book wouldn't fit in with what I've come to know and love. I couldn't have been more wrong, all the flavours from the original novels are in the book and yet we still manage to learn new things about the characters. The themes that permeate theother books are present, although its more subtle as the majority of the novel is set in Roland's past.

The use of language is such a high standard in the novel that I don't even know where to begin, it is easy to see why King has built himself an empire! The same can be said for the world building More detail is added to Mid-World that we didn't know about and although the place is dying, you can really see the place with deep colour.

I could praise this book all day and then go some more but really, it speaks for itself, go and read it. You don't need to have read the other Gunslinger novels to follow the story which makes it a wonderful introduction to the series. However, it has also made an old fan like me very happy once more.

Complete Works - H P Lovecraft

I needed to read something different. I've read a couple of really good books lately and to read another novel in the same genre would be unfair. I've wanted to read some Lovecraft to see what all the fuss was about and now seemed like a good time to do so.

I must indicate before I review the short stories that they cannot really be judged by modern standards, written between the late 1910's to 20's the language is vastly different to what we read now. Writing conventions were different and subject handling has also altered. to apply my modern standards onto a book written nearly one hundred years ago would be unfair.

At first, I struggled with the language of the short stories, some of which is rather archaic. The sentence length is typical of the writing period: long, which makes them difficult to fathom at times. It took a while to readjust to reading them but once I managed it, the language was indeed beautiful and a pleasure to read. It just took a bit more effort than normal.

The subject matter of the short stories seems to focus on several themes: dreams and the paranormal. The ends of the stories are left ambiguous and the reader has to make up their own mind as to what has happened. The narratives are generally first person accounts of events that have happened to the narrator; who ha a desire to pass on their account of what has happened. It made a refreshing change from the norm and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

I have some of the stories left to read but there themes will be similar to those I've already read and I know I will enjoy them. I hope you'll give these stories as go, once you get your head around the archaisms, its well worth it.

Wolf Dawn - Susan Cartwright

It's always tough knowing what to read after you've had your mind blown by a previous book. You know nothing is going to be as good and the sense of loss can be hard to over come. What I read after The Dark Tower series had a tough act to follow but I will do my best to be honest.

This book was a half-way decent read. The writing was reasonably well crafted which made the flaws in the novel that little bit easier to swallow. Cartwright used some interesting metaphors throughout the novel, some of which I may remember for my own writing. The world building was a reasonably well done and there were only a few minor errors that could be overlooked.

Fitting the characters into this world is where the trouble begins. Cartwright has written a system of mental communication into her world called 'icom', which is installed into those people who can afford it. Which seems to be everyone except those living on the fringes of society, so when the hero is thrust into a boar pit and escapes slavery by those fringe dwellers, they manage to call the police via icom, which they can't afford, it seemed a bit jarring.

The pacing of the novel is a little off as well and there is no real conclusion at the end either. During the first half, our hero escapes doom on his home world and is pursued by a sadistic space captain. This is an interesting arc with a random police officer thrown in for good measure. I was looking forward to learning more about this after the hero is marooned away from home however the author abandons this arc until the last few pages in which we learn nothing new. She also spends half of an entire chapter discussing the pros and cons of sex in a temple lecture. It slowed the pace right down and was frankly rather dull.

The other concept I found difficult to grasp was on referred to as Dark Sankomin. This is explained as a darkness that affects all living beings, if a mind dwells on past events it becomes bogged down and the beings go mad and die. It seemed to me that everything has negative emotions at some stages in existence and although this affects people in different ways (I don't want to make light of mental illness here) it isn't severe for everyone. I found it hard to see the Dark Sankomin as a threat and it made a large part of the book hard to comprehend. Maybe I'm too positive to see this darkness as something destructive.

Most of the characters are believable, except the female lead, who was as flat and predictable as mud and you do care what happens to them. My only other issue is the genre of the book itself, it's listed as: 'Adventure Sci-fi/Heroic Fantasy Romance.' It is all of these things granted, but it is none of them well. The romance isn't well written enough to satisfy romance fans, the fantasy isn't good enough for fantasy fans. It just tried to fill too many boots at once and found that none of them fit very well.

So to finish off, I did enjoy this book - even though Roland wasn't in it - but I doubt I will be picking up the sequel any time soon.

Wolves of the Calla - Stephen King

Now, where to start with this one?

Not so good as the other four but still better than some of the dross I have read this year. The problem here, I think, is the pacing. The last four books have raced ahead at break neck speed and this is what I have come to expect from King's fantasy series. This book is a definate change of pace, this book was rather less brisk. It was not welcome. I found that parts of the novel dragged out. It seemed like a big sidestep from the Ka-tet's actual mission.

I understand that Roland and his gunslingers need to go to the aid of anyone who asks for it, as this is essencially what they are - like knight errants from Malory - but I don't yet see how this side tracking helps ith thier overall quest. I hope I learn this in the next book as six hundred plus pages is a lot to invest for a sidestep.

Maybe I am being unfair on this book. You do learn a lot more about our four heroes, specifically one of them - who I won't name as I don't want to spoil any of the plot for you. There are some very heartwarming parts of the story too, I laughed out loud at the part where Roland dances and I will admit the tune I fit the words into stuck in my head for a good many days as well, which is a real credit to King's writing skills.

Although to me this book seems like a side step in the series, I won't even go into how I feel about King's role in the book (it infuriates me), it is still well worth a read. I'm not giving up on our Heroes just yet and nor should you!

Wizard and Glass - Stephen King

Again, another outstanding read from Mr King.

In this novel we learn about the early experiences of our delicious 'hero'. Essentially, this is a book of back story that usually would turn me off totally to a series. I like my back story drip fed and intertwined in the main body of story but after having hints and whispers throughout the last three books, I couldn't wait to hear what Roland had to say about it.

So this book fixes up the unfinished parts of the last book with the usual heart pounding white knuckle pace. Once this danger has paced and our companions are sat safe(ish) and comfortable, Roland begins to talk. I really felt as though I was sat with the rest of the companions as his tale was told as too. The book is as engaging as the others have been which is to King's credit.

Roland and his companions are sent to the Mid World town of Hambry and what takes place there is a tragic tale of friendship, love and loss. The telling of the tale had me laughing to myself, once again to odd looks from those around me, and at one point, tears. It has been a long time since a book has made me cry. The words left me with the desire to hug Roland and tell him it will all be OK in the end, of course, it probably won't. The sense of foreboding for the future is never left alone for long and the events that happened in the past echo through the the events that happen at the end of this novel.

I look forward to the next novel, however, this book ended in a comfortable place so I don't feel the burning need to grab the book of the shelf right now. I am considering having a break from King's series but I suspect this won't be the case!

The Drawing of the Three - Stephen King

 I have to admit, when I read the blurb of this book, I was a bit apprehensive. I was unsure how King was going to get Roland, our 'hero' (I'll come back to this conundrum in a moment), from his world into 1980's New York. What he did, was not what I expected and expertly done. The world construction is once again superb, the details are often omitted. However, what is left behind is a whisper of information, the reader's mind fills in the rest, making this a book you can really engage with.

The story itself is interesting and very exciting in many places, the pacing is wonderful and I felt my heart pounding in more than one place while reading. I even found myself laughing out loud at times as well, which earned me some well deserved strange looks in the staffroom at work. The undercurrents of tension build to the climax of the story so subtly that its not noticible until it bursts in the final chapter.

For me, a good book is in the characters. The story can be mundane so long as I have good characters I can interact with.The hero, and I use this term loosely, is exactly that. The story continues to build on the knowledge we learnt in the last book. Roland gets screwed in this novel, physically at least. The gunslinger, the one who did a number on a town in the last book without really blinking an eye, who did some rather unpleasant things to those he claimed to love, gets some comeuppance. I don't want to give much away because I want you to go and enjoy these wonderful books for yourself but believe me when I say Roland will leave you wondering, most of all, why?



But Roland isn't the only character in the book, he is joined by a junkie, a schizophrenic and a murderer, all of which make this a most compelling story. Despite their many faults flaws, you do what them to conquer their demons and survive.

You learn very little about the tower, only that Roland wants to get to it, and that everything is at stake. The book has left me wanting to know what's so good about it, this man would sacrifice everything, everyone he loves, everyone who aides him, everything, to get to it. This is what I don't understand yet and I don't think I will be any closer if I read the next one, but that's what I'm going to do!