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!
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