The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah

(4.5 stars from 5) Packed from cover to cover with action, the sixth book in the Dark Tower series is widely condemned by many in the fanbase as the low point in the overall story, but while many criticisms of the novel that are in fact true - an uneven usage of characters, an unnecessary re-hash of a battle that occurred four books prior, the lack of time spent in Roland's world, and the...more

(4.5 stars from 5) Packed from cover to cover with action, the sixth book in the Dark Tower series is widely condemned by many in the fanbase as the low point in the overall story, but while many criticisms of the novel that are in fact true - an uneven usage of characters, an unnecessary re-hash of a battle that occurred four books prior, the lack of time spent in Roland's world, and the introduction of the author himself as a character - the pacing is the best in the whole series and escapes King's habit of dragging a novel with too many words, and the sheer fantasy and over-the-top weaving is more than enough for a few, including the author of this review, to place the book near the top. As for an opinion about Stephen King introducing himself as a character in the novel (which is almost surely required of anyone penning a complete review), I'll quote a previous reviewer, Martin Coxall, who couldn't have written it any better: "The appearance of the author as a god-like figure in his own novel is a curious bit of egocentrism,and the breaking down of the barriers between fiction and reality is a well-executed, if slightly cliched trope."   hide

This series has struggled since the start with the weight of its endless Deus Ex Machinas, and after the pain of struggling through "Wolves of the Calla", I had a hard time convincing myself to read the last two volumes of Roland's largely arbitrary journey. Still, this is probably the most thematically varied and creative book in the series since the party left the city of Lud and a...more

This series has struggled since the start with the weight of its endless Deus Ex Machinas, and after the pain of struggling through "Wolves of the Calla", I had a hard time convincing myself to read the last two volumes of Roland's largely arbitrary journey. Still, this is probably the most thematically varied and creative book in the series since the party left the city of Lud and a psychopathic monorail behind. The appearance of the author as a god-like figure in his own novel is a curious bit of egocentrism, and the breaking down of the barriers between fiction and reality is a well-executed, if slightly cliched trope. The subplot around Mia and Susannah was possibly the least well executed part of the book; Mia's idiotic behaviour seemingly mostly driven by plot necessity rather than any inherent and clearly defined motivations. The lack of Father Callahan, Jake and Oy to appear in any significant way also disappoints. I don't hold out any high hopes for the final part now. If I do read it, it will be solely for completeness purposes.    hide

I think in these last two books the series goes from mediocre to downright crappy. The characters utterly lose their edge. Eddie Dean goes from a compellingly tortured junkie who could "talk the devil into setting himself on fire" to a grinning idiot who tells lame jokes. Susannah was infinitely more interesting when she was Detta/Odetta, and even Roland goes from a stone cold killer to some...more

I think in these last two books the series goes from mediocre to downright crappy. The characters utterly lose their edge. Eddie Dean goes from a compellingly tortured junkie who could "talk the devil into setting himself on fire" to a grinning idiot who tells lame jokes. Susannah was infinitely more interesting when she was Detta/Odetta, and even Roland goes from a stone cold killer to some weary dude on a quest or something. As for introducing himself? I don't see that as new or radical...it's just a limp-wristed cop-out. Deus Ex Machina = lame.   hide

This is probably my least favorite book of the series. I can't really explain why, but it just felt like something was missing. But I have to say that King introducing himself into the storyline is brilliant and continues to add more and more to the series. It's still a great read, just not my favorite.