The Dark Tower Collection - Stephen King > Reviews

Advantages: The surrealist setting
Disadvantages: The third novel and the mutants (you'll have to read)

The Dark Tower series was my first foray into Stephen King's work (I later found his horror to be a little trashy) and I was by no means disappointed. The series is best described as colourful, detailed and mildly disturbing as Roland the Gunslinger journeys through MidWorld, a place with parallels to many of the eras of our own race. There are times when this setting is explored as a post-apocalyptic wasteland, remnants of unknown machines and buildings ... Read review

Advantages: An epic landscape that doesn't need lots of characters or dialogue as it paints the sotryline for itself
Disadvantages: Such a change from his normal style can either be a good or bad thing for readers

This should be in the FANTASY section!!! I refused to read this series at first, being a die-hard King fan I was extremely taken aback at his movement into what at fist glance is a completely different genre. Then, as any King reader will know, most of his works do have an alarming amount of BIG imagination and fantasy mixed up with all that horror. So, at the airport, quite recently having been dissapointed to find that the book I truly wanted ... Read review

Advantages: Wonderful characters, imaginative and involving!
Disadvantages: It finished...or did it?

...review any particular installment of the 'Dark Tower' series in isolation would, I feel, be a pointless exercise. They are all essential cogs in the greater machine of the Dark Tower series in which we follow Roland's epic quest to find his personal grail: The Dark Tower. Unlike the horror stories, which make up the majority of King's work, this is a fantasy adventure of the highest order that plays with many contemporary reference points amidst ... Read review

Advantages: Different style from King and an interesting storyline
Disadvantages: Fantasy, even post-Lord of the Rings, is still not everyone's cup of tea

...being slightly reticent about reading the Dark Tower series. It was bought for me for Christmas by my old man (as they were buy 3 for the price of 2). So I am now over half way through the third book, The Waste Lands, and am convinced of it's excellence already! That is coming from someone who hasn't ever rated one of Stephen King's books that highly. Starting with the foreward by King, the Dark Tower series was inspired by Lord of the Rings. King ... Read review

Advantages: Imaginative genius in a compelling and ingenius series
Disadvantages: He's only written 4 out of (possibly) 7.

The Dark Tower series was started by Stephen King some twenty years ago, with the first book, The Gunslinger published in 1982. The most recent addition to the series, The Wizard and the Glass, which personally I think is one of the finest SK books ever written. Together the series is more epic than even The Stand and show a fine writer at his most creative, compelling and entertaining. The story is based on a poem by Robert Browning entitled 'Childe ... Read review

Advantages: Ease of getting to read this great book
Disadvantages: CANNOT THINK OF ONE

...a car accident, however before the accident he had written the Dark Towers, back in the 70's. When he recovered from his accident, he set his goal on going back to the dark tower as there was some decrepencies. I am not a great reader, And I had'nt read a book for over 2 years, it was only when I was going on a long journey that i decided to pick up the first book of the Dark Towers, and I am glad I did. The first open pages got me so hooked, ... Read review

Advantages: Amazingly well written, Great character build up, ingenious storyline
Disadvantages: very long story! Shop around as buying each book could be costly

By far the best books I have ever read. Was a little overwhelmed by the volume of pages when you put all of the books together but please don't be put off. The storyline is very consistent, characters very beliveable, yet each book throws us deeper and deeper into the quest of the dark tower with a different approach which is powerfully gripping. Many people will be able to associate with one or more of the characters in various ways and ... Read review

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The Dark Tower series by Stephen King is an unusal fantasy series with a very dark atmosphere; not a light read! It is about a gunslinger in world disturbingly, yet vaguely hinted at as Earth of the future (well that's what I think) who searches for a tower. He doesn't know how or why and that's what makes this series so absorbing. The first book is very vague and almost put me off reading the rest of the series, but it had a magnetism to it that ... Read review

Advantages: Worth the money and is a good read.
Disadvantages: Had no social life through this book.

The dark tower. The gunslinger. The first part of the dark tower series is 'The gunslinger'. The story is set in a fantasy world about 'Roland of Gilead' the last of the gunslingers. The hero is on a quest to find the mysterious dark tower whilst also hunting 'The man in black', who you don't get introduced to until near the end. On his quest 'The gunslinger' meets other strange and wonderfull characters which make the book more readable, one ... Read review

Advantages: Brilliant
Disadvantages: None

Right from the outset this book (or books) is probably the best ever written. And he's not finished yet. I am referring to Stephen King's Dark Tower books. In this novel, right from the start things are not right. We follow one man through his travels as a guslinger, also travelling back in parts to his past. He meets fellow travellers on the way, in the most bizarre ways, all with the aim of reaching the Dark Tower. There are 3 books to date, and ... Read review

Advantages: addictive reading
Disadvantages: addictive reading - 7 volumes!!!

This is the long awaited continuation to the Dark Tower series. The book continues along the vein of the previous four, combining fantasy, science fiction and horror in a manner to which no one could compare! As happens in some of Kings works, there are numerous references to other Stephen King novels in particular Salems Lot. (Reading that first will help!) This episode is a story of a small town that the four gunslingers happen across and the ... Read review

Advantages: great reading-draws you in
Disadvantages: NONE!

ACE!! this is by far the best fantasy/horror series i have evr read, it caught me by the shoulder in the first line, andwithin a week i had read the whole collection depriving myself of sleep to finish and find out what happens and if roland of gilead and his Ka-tet ever reach the dark tower and find the mysteries within. This collection is well worth the read with complex twists and turns, highly detailed characters and an ending that is beyond ... Read review