The wind through the keyhole

*Starred Review* King's return to Mid-World, the alternate-reality setting of the seven-book Dark Tower saga, should gratify those who read the whole megillah, those who didn't, and those who never started it. It slots in between DT IV and V, Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla, and like the former, it's mostly an extended flashback to saga-hero Roland's early days as a gunslinger. Roland and his three companions must ride out a starkblast, a huge north wind that kills birds on the wing and topples whole forests with its polar breath. Roland whiles the wait away by recalling the time he had to eliminate a murderous shape-shifter ravaging a far-flung mining community. Relating that exploit entails telling an older story about a boy in a remote lumbertown whose dad is killed by a dragon, or so says his tree-cutting partner, who later convinces the boy's mother to marry him and resumes drinking. If Roland's youthful adventure is a better western-style exploit than Wizard and Glass and it is 11-year-old Tim Ross' quest for justice, which peaks during another starkblast, is the peer of such fantasy-adventure classics as Ruskin's The King of the Golden River, Macdonald's The Princess and the Goblin, and dare one say it? The Hobbit. This is King at his most beguiling and most literarily distinguished. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Master's return to a series fans have loved will bring readers into the library in droves.--Olson, Ray Copyright 2010 Booklist

King returns to the Mid-World of his Dark Tower series in this gory but hopeful set of nested tales. As gunslinger Roland Deschain and his companions quest toward the Dark Tower, Roland tells a story of his early days as a gunslinger, hunting down a murderous shape-shifter on a rampage. Within that tale is a fairy tale Roland tells to a young boy about Tim, a very brave boy tricked into a dangerous quest by an evil man. Tim's adventure is pitch-perfect, capturing both the feel of Mid-World and the perilous nature of a fairy story. Its placement within the quest works beautifully, and it propels the story of the shape-shifter and the child who holds the key to its identity. Even those who aren't familiar with the series will find the conclusion both satisfying and moving. This gripping novel is sure to put King back on the bestseller lists. Agent: Chuck Verrill, Darhansoff & Verrill. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

King returns to the "Dark Tower" fantasy saga with this enchanting and entrancing stand-alone gem that doesn't require knowledge of the previous entries. For series devotees, this book casts a bit of insight into Roland Deschain's past. For novices, the story is a fascinating and timeless tale about a boy's courage to avenge his father's murder and his mother's abuse, both at the hands of his stepfather. VERDICT This universal story is filled with magic, courageous acts, love, and terror. King does a credible job of narrating his own words. Recommended to King's fans, especially "Dark Tower" lovers. [The Scribner hc was described as "a fairy tale so dark as to put the Brothers Grimm to shame.... with enough action, suspense, and even poignancy to fill a much larger work of fiction," LJ Xpress Reviews, 4/13/12.-Ed.]-Gloria Maxwell, Metropolitan Community Coll.-Penn Valley Lib., Kansas City, MO (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The bestselling novelist scales down his literary ambition with a return to the Dark Tower series. Though King has expanded his thematic terrain and elevated his critical reputation in recent years (11/22/63, 2011 etc.), he remains a master of fantastic stories spun from a very fertile imagination that seek to do nothing more (or less) than entertain. Some readers might be surprised at this return to the narrative that King had apparently concluded with the massive The Dark Tower (2004), the seventh book in the series. Yet rather than extend and revive the plot in this installment, he mines a seam from earlier in the series, suggesting that "this book should be shelved between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla...which makes it, I suppose Dark Tower 4.5." He also makes a point of reassuring readers new to the series that they can start here, that the novel can be understood as a stand-alone title (with just a little contextual background, which he summarizes in a couple of paragraphs). Short by King's standards, the novel draws inspiration from tales of knighthood and Old West gunslingers, as its story-within-a-story (within a story) details the rite-of-passage heroism of Roland Deschain, who saves a terrified boy in Mid-World from a shape-shifting marauder. "These tales nest inside each other," explains Roland at the outset, as he prepares to recount a story through which its characters drew courage and inspiration from a story. If it weren't for the profanity which liberally seasons the narrative, it could pass as a young adult fantasy, a foul-mouthed Harry Potter (with nods toward The Wizard of Oz and C.S. Lewis). It even ends with a redemptive moral, though King mainly concerns himself here with spinning a yard. Will more likely serve as a footnote for the many fans of the series than a point of entry to expand its readership.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

*Starred Review* King's return to Mid-World, the alternate-reality setting of the seven-book Dark Tower saga, should gratify those who read the whole megillah, those who didn't, and those who never started it. It slots in between DT IV and V, Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla, and like the former, it's mostly an extended flashback to saga-hero Roland's early days as a gunslinger. Roland and his three companions must ride out a starkblast, a huge north wind that kills birds on the wing and topples whole forests with its polar breath. Roland whiles the wait away by recalling the time he had to eliminate a murderous shape-shifter ravaging a far-flung mining community. Relating that exploit entails telling an older story about a boy in a remote lumbertown whose dad is killed by a dragon, or so says his tree-cutting partner, who later convinces the boy's mother to marry him—and resumes drinking. If Roland's youthful adventure is a better western-style exploit than Wizard and Glass—and it is—11-year-old Tim Ross' quest for justice, which peaks during another starkblast, is the peer of such fantasy-adventure classics as Ruskin's The King of the Golden River, Macdonald's The Princess and the Goblin, and—dare one say it?—The Hobbit. This is King at his most beguiling and most literarily distinguished. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Master's return to a series fans have loved will bring readers into the library in droves. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.

King's new "Dark Tower" novel, which takes place between volumes four and five of the series that ended in 2004, is a story within a story within a story. Roland, Susannah, Eddie, and Jake, accompanied by Oy the billy-bumbler, are overtaken in their journey to Calla Bryn Sturgis by the Starkblast, a storm of catastrophic proportion. As they wait out the storm in a deserted village, Roland entertains the others with the tale of one his first quests as a young gunslinger, to capture or kill a shape-shifting "skin-man" terrorizing the inhabitants of the remote town of Debaria. The story leads seamlessly into the retelling of a tale told to Roland by his mother, a fairy tale so dark as to put the Brothers Grimm to shame. Both stories are filled with enough action, suspense, and even poignancy to fill a much larger work of fiction. Verdict In his foreword, which gives a brief series background that will allow even the uninitiated thoroughly to enjoy this book, King says that he was "delighted to discover my old friends had a little more to say," and for that we all say thankya. Fans will be lining up for this one. [See Prepub Alert, 10/23/11.]-John Harvey, Irving P.L. TX (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

King returns to the Mid-World of his Dark Tower series in this gory but hopeful set of nested tales. As gunslinger Roland Deschain and his companions quest toward the Dark Tower, Roland tells a story of his early days as a gunslinger, hunting down a murderous shape-shifter on a rampage. Within that tale is a fairy tale Roland tells to a young boy about Tim, a very brave boy tricked into a dangerous quest by an evil man. Tim's adventure is pitch-perfect, capturing both the feel of Mid-World and the perilous nature of a fairy story. Its placement within the quest works beautifully, and it propels the story of the shape-shifter and the child who holds the key to its identity. Even those who aren't familiar with the series will find the conclusion both satisfying and moving. This gripping novel is sure to put King back on the bestseller lists. Agent: Chuck Verrill, Darhansoff & Verrill. (May)