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Posted By: Magus Jan 15, 2005 - 08:19 am

I read finished this one two or so weeks ago. I wrote my SSR critique on this and just never got around to posting it like I did the others, Jurassic Park and Something Wicked This way Comes. So, here it is:

This is the sixth book in Stephen King’s masterful Dark Tower series. The series as a whole has virtually created its own genre, Post apocalyptic sci-fi western epic fantasy, and this book, even more then the five previous volumes, does this new field justice.

Susanna-Mio is gone. She has fled to another world, another when and where. And, to make matters worse, she has taken Black Thirteen, the means to travel to those other worlds.

But all hope is not lost, despite one of the Beams holding the Dark Tower up having fallen after Susannah’s departure. There is still a way to complete the quest Roland’s ka-tet started out to complete.

Henchick of the Manni has supplied a way to break through the barrier, which separates worlds, and open the Unfound Door. Along with other members of the Manni they complete a ritualistic use of magic that opens the door briefly. Roland and Eddie are to follow Susannah to whatever world she has gone to and stop her from birthing her demon child. Father “Pere” Callahan and Jake are to follow the path to The Dark Tower, to the world closest to it. Sadly, Oy is to stay behind.

But something goes wrong. Somehow Jake and Father Callahan follow Susannah instead, with Oy as a stowaway, and Roland and Eddie make it to the Truest of all worlds.

While all of this, wonderful insight is given to Mia and her “chap”. She is a demon, a succubus, who cannot conceive a child. But she gave up her immortality to bear the child and to raise him. But even then, she is blinded by her love for the chap, who is actually Roland’s child. His sperm was taken in The Gunslinger by a bisexual succubus/incubus and then injected into Susannah, Detta Walker, while they were stalling to bring Jake into Mid World.

Mia has been tricked into bearing the son, but somewhere knows, with a little help from Susannah, that she will have no part in raising it. In fact, it is all the more likely that the chap will be eaten, fed to the Breakers to destroy the final standing beam and let fall The Dark Tower.

Roland and Eddie find themselves in the middle of an ambush as soon as they leave the Calla. After fighting off Balazaar’s men and mercenaries they are assisted to where Calvin Tower and Dapneau are waiting.

With them they secure their ownership of the vacant lot, and The Rose. They then make their way over to see Stephen King, and inquire of what he knows of the Tower.

It is revealed that Stephen is something of a “Twin” of the rose. Somehow, him writing a story that will live forever, their story, will help to stabilize The Tower as the beams have done for so long.

Jake and Father Callahan make their way to The Dixie Pig, where they know Susannah is, giving birth to her monstrous son, Mordred. And at last, The Song of Susannah is sung in the cries of her son and herself.

This novel was a wonderful addition to The Dark Tower series. It resolves many unanswered questions that are left unanswered in the previous volumes. It explains who and what exactly Mia is. It describes some of the history of the Castle in which she feasts. It describes of what her son is exactly.

It is arranged in separate “stanzas”, with the Coda at the end acting as an epilogue, containing fictional journal entries of the Stephen King in the truest of all worlds. The musical and poetic labeling added to the effect of the story and the overall feel of it. Certain literary allusions were enjoyable, especially when revealed to be a reality of sorts (such references including “The Masque of the Red Death”).

Overall, it was a highly enjoyable fast paced read that lends well to the series. But now the rose calls and the Dark Tower is to be read.