books:

	Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, Book 5) Stephen King Pocket, 2006 - 960 pages average customer review:based on 381 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Here is the fifth installment, "one of the strongest entries yet in what will surely be a master storyteller's magnum opus" (Locus).

Roland Deschain and his ka-tet are bearing southeast through the forests of Mid-World on their quest for the Dark Tower. Their path takes them to the outskirts of Calla Bryn Sturgis. But beyond the tranquil farm town, the ground rises to the hulking darkness of Thunderclap, the source of a terrible affliction that is stealing the town's soul. The wolves of Thunderclap and their unspeakable depredation are coming. To resist them is to risk all, but these are odds the gunslingers are used to. Their guns, however, will not be enough....

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The Wolves of Calla...an excellent addition to the Dark Tower series

This is my favorite book of the Dark Tower series.

I've never been a huge fan of horror (Stephen King's or anyone's else) but the fantasy aspect of this particular series has really caught my attention. And in truth this is much more fantasy than your typical Stephen King horror.

In their ongoing quest to reach the Black Tower, Roland and his Ka-tet (Eddie, Jake, Susannah and Oy) come to a farm village called Calla Bryn Sturgis where some disturbing occurrences have been happening of late. Strange wolves started raiding the area about the same time children began to disappear, only to reappear, but drastically changed. Does it have something to do with the arrival of the 'wolves'? What is going on with the children? Is Andy the Robot all that he appears? And what is going on with Susannah? Reasonable questions that are all answered by books end.

I found that this 5th installment had a high level of suspense. I could not wait to get to the end of this book as I knew it would be climaxing with a terrific battle; a battle that I felt (IMHO) was one of the best actions of the entire series.

Other reviewers mentioned that there were some areas of this novel that dragged a bit, e.g. the return trip to New York. However, I felt that not only did this side 'trip' add information regarding the entire series, but also allowed me more time to anticipate and appreciate the final sections of this thrilling 5th installment.

Conclusion:
Stephen King at his best; high fantasy that is intriguing, page turning and extremely well done.

Ray Nicholson

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Keeps getting better!

Stephen King is a genious. This series is fantastic. This series will blow your mind and keep your imagination running! If you like the idea of an alternate reality this series is really for you!


Defending A City In Gunslinger Tradition

This book picks right up where the previous installment ("Wizard and Glass") left off, with Roland and his ka-tet still following the Path of the Beam towards the Dark Tower. However, the group is quickly given a proposition by the townspeople of Calla Bryn Sturgis (a town on the brink of entering the mysterious Thunderclap world where the Dark Tower itself lays), who have seen their babies taken by "Wolves" each generation and finally want to put a stop to it. Being a man of honor, Roland of Gilead accepts the offer and he and his crew are sidetracked for a bit longer in their quest for the Tower.

Now, despite the notion that the goings-on in Calla Bryn Sturgis could be considered "filler", it is very interesting, exciting "filler" that makes for an entertaining read. The main plotline consists of Roland, Eddie, Susannah, and Jake scoping out the city in order to plan the best defense (much akin to Roland, Cuthbert, and Alain in Roland's tale from "Wizard and Glass"), and finally taking on the "Wolves" in the end (though not before uncovering a sinister plot they never expected).

Besides that main story, however, is the character development that takes place. Roland begins showing the first signs (arthritis) of his long trek for the Tower, Susannah's multiply-personalities return in a way you will not expect, Eddie's love for Susannah is only strengthened, and Jake fights an internal battle between having a normal childhood and being with Roland. So, while the characters are not actually continuing their quest for the Tower in this book, it still is entertaining to see the characters being further developed.

Also, the book takes a bizarre twist when Father Callahan (of "Salem's Lot" fame!) shows up, throwing the reader into a bit of confusion once again regarding how "our" world aligns with "Roland's world" and prompting a return trip to New York(s) via another magical door.

Overall, this is another thrilling installment in Stephen King's Dark Tower series. It contains an inspired main plot, crucial character development, and throws at the reader a few more mysteries that will likely be solved in the remaining two editions of the series.

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Not my favorite of the series

This isn't my favorite entry into the series; but then, all the rest of the books refer back to this one *a lot*, so it's essential to know what the characters have experienced between books 4 and 6. The only other one I'm not particularly fond of is book 6, with yet more trips into NYC and Maine and tangles with the mobsters. At least Father Callahan is given a mighty fine send-off! I guess King figured he owed Callahan a better ending than skulking out of Salem's Lot and disappearing.

Anyhow, this book riffs off of a Kurasawa movie (Seven Samuri), which was riffed off of one of Sergio Leone's Man with No Name westerns, and then by Hollywood in The Magnificent Seven. It's a nice nod to that particular Western story. It's obviously a good one, and it's good to see King's take on it.

I think didn't quite know what he was getting into with his characters or with the world he set them in. It's a difficult tightrope to walk, and I'd say overall, he did a remarkable job of roping all the disparate threads and tropes (from SF, F, H and Westerns) into one big long story.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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