"great continuation of Stephen King's epic fantasy"

The "confrontation' with the Man in Black finally occurred (see THE GUNSLINGER), but left Roland unfulfilled. Roland is on a beach assaulted by a sea monstrosity ripping off two fingers and a toe. After killing this creature, he begins the second part of his journey to the Dark Tower.

Roland enters a door on the beach labeled "The Prisoner" and realizes he sees an eerie world through the eyes of Eddie Dean, American heroin addict flying to the USA with cocaine in 1987. Eddie's employer Balazar brings him to The Leaning Tower where a gunfight breaks out before the duo returns to Roland's realm. They reach beach door two and meet schizophrenic wheel chair bound Odetta Holmes and her darker half Detta Walker in 1964. Now Detta is a killing machine trying to get out who could easily end Roland's quest before he attains the third and final beach door of drug pusher of death Jack Mort if he is not careful. Roland has drawn the trio that is apparently his companions for this trek.

Book Two of the Dark Tower is a great continuation of Stephen King's epic fantasy. The story line continues Roland's quest bit does not feel like a middle book filler tale. With the reprint of the entire series, fans will have quite a treat as these 1980s novels hold up quite nicely as some of Mr. King's best works, at least this one and the first tale that this reviewer recently re-read. This is Mr. King at his darkest and strongest yet seems to leave the audience with a flicker of hope.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted June 25, 2003