Hi everyone, happy Monday! Today I’m going to be reviewing Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. I spent the majority of this year, collecting and reading these books; they have consumed my life, and I’m a little sad that it’s all over. I am happy to share it all with you! 🙂

The Gunslinger by: Stephen King: Roland is one of the last of his kind and is known as the gunslinger. As the gunslinger he is set on protecting whatever good is left in the world in which he lives. He’s on pursuit of the man in black, trying to restore everything, but the man in black has other plans, with all his secrets and the reveal of the Dark Tower. This novel was captivating from the very first moment, right until the end; it actually got really good by the end that when the novel just ended, the reader just craved more. On top of a really good story, the writing was also really well done; the choice of words was enthralling, and entrancing. The characters were also crafted well, and the relationships between everyone was so well done, especially Roland and Jake. It is obvious that there is a lot more to come in this series as this just scratched the surface as to where things are going to go, and it all looks really good.

The Drawing of the Three by: Stephen King: Roland is still on the hunt for the Dark Tower. Finding himself on a beach he comes across an array of mixed characters behind doorways found in the sand. Roland needs to do everything to survive as more secrets and mysteries unfold before him. This novel, like the first, was full of action, and non-stop mystery. The reader has no idea where any of the plots are going and that led to a thrilling read. The new characters made an excellent addition to the story, as Roland needed some new companions, and King did a great job of creating all their relationships. The plot was really well developed and super layered. From start right up until the very last page there is something happening that leaves the reader craving more. This novel still only mentions the Dark Tower, but it feels like it’s getting closer.

The Waste Lands by: Stephen King: Roland’s journey for the Dark Tower continues and he’s now started to recruit his friends Eddie and Susannah to become gunslingers, only there’s a problem with that and it’s the missing link: Jake Chambers. This novel gets one step closer towards knowing anything about the Dark Tower; the reader now knows what its purpose is and why Roland is so determined to get to it. The plot to this novel was good; it did waver a little in the middle, but as we neared the ending it really ramped up. The story got creepier and the reader found themselves more invested in what was going on. Damn, that ending ended in a cliff hanger. Just when the reader was getting tired of the story, bam, there’s another reason to come back for the next book. The characters are developing well, and they’re become characters that the reader can really like and enjoy. The relationships are really blossoming and it’s really enjoyable to read. Even though this was a longer novel, it was still good, fast-paced and well worth it to get to the end.

Wizard and Glass by: Stephen King: Roland and his friends have completed their first quest in finding the Dark Tower, but of course there are new challenges to be faced as new characters are introduced throwing them off course, sending them into an alternate reality. As things progress, Roland finds himself diving into his past and reminiscing on his younger years. This novel had some really good storytelling. The story kept the reader going throughout the whole novel, and this was a long novel, one of the longest in the series, but it was still good as King really knows how to keep the reader engaged. The character development was good; it was good to see more into Roland’s life and to know more about him because before this the reader didn’t really know who he was. The whole Wizard of Oz plot near the end was very strange, but it somehow fit in with this novel, and the parallels were interesting and clever; it added some appealing storytelling to this already absorbing series.

The Wind Through the Keyhole by: Stephen King: A novella, if you will, right in the middle of the Dark Tower series where our main character Roland tells his friends two stories about murderous shape-shifters who are sure to induce nightmares. This short story was a nice bonus to read more about Roland and the Dark Tower. The storytelling, as always is just so compelling and so well done. It was fun and engaging to read about creepy men, the shape-shifter, and the skin-man. Some of the writing was downright scary, and it made for some great stories, with a handful of good characters. This definitely builds more on Roland, but it also builds on his friends who are listening to this tale as they grow with each experience and as each novel passes we see that unfold. This was a great centrepiece to the story, as there is still lots more to go.

Wolves of the Calla by: Stephen King: Roland and his friends are back on the road to finding the Dark Tower when they find themselves in a small town, a town that is run by the Thunderclap. The wolves of Thunderclap are ready to attack, and the guns from the gunslingers just may not be enough to end it all. These books just keep getting better and better. The plot was just so infectious; King has this way of making the endings to these novels so good that the reader can’t help but want to continue reading. This book crosses the line between a lot of King’s other works of fiction and by the end the novel crosses the line between what is real and what isn’t, and that in and of itself can be a creepy and scary thought. The characters are just so hard not to like and want to read more about. The whole different time period references were an excellent addition to the story, as he makes references such as Harry Potter and C3PO from Star Wars, he even uses his own work, Salem’s Lot, making this a pleasurable read.

Song of Susannah by: Stephen King: Susannah is stuck in New York City, 1999, possessed by a woman named Mia who is going to have some sort of baby, if it can be called that, more like some kind of unthinkable monster. Then in another realm, Roland and Eddie are in Maine, 1977, and they meet their creator. This novel goes through so many loops, the reader doesn’t know which way is up. These stories are seriously becoming a mind buster leaving readers speechless. As we reach the conclusion to yet another Dark Tower novel the reader is left in wonder where this is all possibly going. The plot was really good, and super enticing and extremely engrossing. The fact that King makes himself a character in this novel is either brilliant writing or sloppy writing, but whichever it is, it seems to have worked. It almost felt like inception reading it, and the ending feels real until the twist. This was an epic read before the final novel in the series.

The Dark Tower by: Stephen King: The end is near as Roland has traveled through multiple realms and worlds with his friends to finally, finally get to the Dark Tower. Each of their destinies are tied to the tower, and the closer they get the more they discover about themselves. The final novel was just as epic as the previous novels; everything leads up to this last moment at the Dark Tower. The writing was excellent; King is descriptive and full of life and the reader can really notice it in his characters. Each character breathes life and they get their own ending, and as sad as it is to see this series end, it ended well and with finality. Again King makes an appearance as a character, but this time around the reader got used to it and it was a welcoming embrace for the final novel, instead of a jarring displacement in the last. The plot was satisfying and full of adventure. As much as this novel was giant in page count, and probably didn’t need to be it was still a pleasure to read every last moment in this series as the reader knew it was the last. This series was insane and totally captivating that every King fan should get their hands on.