general

I never thought I'd say I loved a book more than I love The Drawing of The Three. Even as I read the second installment of the still-forming Dark Tower story, I knew I was in love and that no other story (or piece of a story, as the case may be) would ever come close. However, I'm glad to say that I have proven myself wrong. Song of Susannah excels in doing what all the DT books have done so far: giving us great action, making us jump out of our seats, creating a rich backstory, and of course, it will make you turn the pages faster than you thought was possible. Without getting into spoiler material, DT6 clears up a lot of what happened in Wolves. Susannah's bond with Mia is explained, as are some of the Crimson King's desires. Some readers were scared that the story was getting too schticky when Roland and Crew discovered that Callahan and the events in 'Salems Lot were apparently works of fiction from a writer named Stephen King. Rest assured, this issue is dealt with in a decidely appropriate manner. Also, there's always the question of the rose. I won't say much, but the rose is handled. In true Dark Tower fashion, the book ends with multiple cliffhangers, but I think they're definitely better than the excrutiating ending of The Waste Lands. I'm sure it sounds like I've ne'er seen the book, much less read it, but I'm being vague as to not give too much away. Trust me, when you read this you'll love all of the "Holy Crap!" moments. It seems as if each chapter (stanza) is packed with them. All in all, I'd rate it as my favorite thus far, and I am officially a slave to King until the final installment hits the shelves. Hopefully the next few months pass without incident, say thankya.

Ever since discovering the Dark Tower series in my school library, I've been dying to find out how this amazing story concludes. Finally, it seems that our wait is nearly over. Song of Susannah may not be as good as The Drawing of the Three or Wizard and Glass (I was dying to learn more of Roland's past), I think it did it's job of moving the story along til its final ending. While I do think that King incorporating himself as a character in his own work was an incredibly gutsy move, to me it shows you that the Dark Tower has no limits to who it affects. For those who don't like the idea that Roland and his ka-tet have been turned into characters inside their own story, I think you've mis-interpreted the material. King says in his journal at the end that sometimes it feels as if he's not really creating this story, only conveying it onto written paper. Another example of this is when Roland and Eddie palaver with King, he admits to making Roland let Jake drop in the first edition of the series. Later he denies it, saying he lied. It's a small piece of text, but I think it speaks volumes of how King could be written into his own story and not make it cheesy. Anyways, obviously I'd recommend this book to anyone who has thus far kept up with this series. The ending is once again a cliff hanger, much like the Waste Lands. Except this time we only have to wait months instead of years to get our hands on the next edition. I, for one, am eagerly awaiting its arrival.

The pulling together of so many threads, like a cat's cradle held between the hands just before the final twist that makes a new shape, that's what this latest entry in the Dark Tower series is. Many worlds are attached to those threads, and each thread of the story, for those of us who have read all of the related books, is becoming clearer. Reading the Dark Tower series on its own is well enough. Reading at least 'Salems Lot, The Stand, Insomnia, and Hearts in Atlantis really clarifies the nuances.

This book, as the title suggests, focuses almost totally on Susannah. The other characters become not secondary, but almost tertiary, considering that Susannah is not alone and shares her mind and body not only with Detta and Odetta, but also with Mia, mother of one. Mia's motivations and purpose are explored, as well as those of a certain writer from Maine.

If I had a problem with this one, it's that there wasn't enough of it. I've become accustomed to wallowing in Roland's world, and the brevity of the story was just enough to whet my appetite for more. Stephen King's master work is almost complete, and, while I look forward to the conclusion of the story, I hate to see it end. I'm afraid I'll lose my favorite character in the last book come Reap, but that's the beauty of it. Even if it is so, there are other worlds than these.