Review of 'The Waste Lands'

The Waste Lands by Stephen King
3rd book in the 'The Dark Tower' series

Roland, the last Gunslinger, and his two companions, Eddie and Susannah finally properly begin their long journey to the Dark Tower and yet something is missing…Jake, the young child that Roland still feels guilty over letting fall to his death in the first novel, also feels that something is not quite right as he continues living. He should not be alive. Why is he? The wastelands are full of dangerous surprises as they follow the path of the beam leading them to Lud and the mysterious Blaine.

This third novel in the story begins to pick up steam (no pun intended) as Roland and his entourage get nearer to the Dark Tower. The story is much more focused (and much longer) than previous books and shows King's more experience as an author. The characters are made more real with the fleshing out of their backgrounds. I am finding the land they inhabit seems to becoming more believable (compared to the doors appearing in the middle of the air in the previous story), or at least move logical, as Roland and his crew travel through it. The history history of the land being slowly revealed bearing in mind that, of course, the reader should take nothing for granted here!

The last 1/5 of the novel is quite frantically paced and leaves (no spoiler intended) on something of a cliffhanger. I will be reading on, will you?

Rating: “Really good but I have some issues”

Review Date: 2011-10-22


Genre: Fantasy

Publication Date: 1993


Other reviewed books in the 'The Dark Tower' series:

Other reviewed books by Stephen King: