“Ka was like a wheel, its one purpose to turn, and in the end it always came back to the place where it had started.”

A wildly imaginative and exceptional fantasy series that crosses between so many genres with ease. Despite each book having very different appeals to an extent, they all feel quite cohesive. The further I go along into the series, as I suspected, the more I appreciate the Gunslinger and really everything that has been introduced. By the end of the novel, it makes it extremely apparent this is Stephen King's magnum opus (The Dark Tower as a whole). The Waste Land is everything you want in a sequel and, well, in a series, just the quality of the books being progressively better (even though 1-2 were fantastic). While the atmosphere of Book 1 isn’t matched, you do have the brilliance of the atmosphere spread out similar to Book 2, but even more so, especially during the dream sequences and the final two parts of the novel.

Stephen King’s dialogue is so engrossing, it’s just hard to describe, and his general writing is so immersive. It is so approachable yet vivid with imagination. I wish I could tell more, but in a sequel, and non-spoilery, I don’t believe there is a point, so I will be writing some spoiler thoughts, which include my general highlights and thoughts.

Spoiler Thoughts:

I do not aim with my hand; she who aims with her hand has forgotten the face of her father. I aim with my eye. I do not shoot with my hand; she who shoots with her hand has forgotten the face of her father. I shoot with my mind. I do not kill with my gun; she who kills with her gun has forgotten the face of her father. I kill with my heart.

It’s a surprisingly fitting philosophy and is repeated consistently throughout the book.

So, the beginning of the book, wow. I love how odd the beginning of each book has been so far, book 2 with killer lobsters, and here we got a cyborg bear who is 1000s of years old. It’s just a killer way to begin the book and signifies something that will be tackled as the book progresses: the consciousness in machines? This is obviously a reference to Blaine and his partner, who committed suicide. In the final chapter this is most evident with Roland’s lecture. The combination of the fantasy and science fiction is bloody ecstatic, and King really executes it well here.

Wonderful passage for the bear, speaking of passing of eras and civilisations gone.

In terms of Roland and Jake, the idea of both having memories of two different planes of realities simultaneously is utterly fascinating. You see their hardship and pain. Honestly, I can’t imagine the strain both parties face: your own death or the guilt of letting a loved one die. At the same time, still living, that discomfort and the rightful paranoia. Ronald crying after holding the key and having that sense of relief is very much deserved and brilliant.

The number of visions and conversations about the Tower with Eddie and Susannah was awesome. Seeing King’s imagination go wild with his lore dumps and being entranced learning new facts and rumours about the Tower. The conversations in general are quite excellent; the final one is the cherry on top with Blaine and that mysterious antagonist at the end of the book. The lore of the Beam, explores one of the ultimate themes of many ancient works: how much is Fate or Free Will? A prevalent theme of Tolkien's legendarium, the ancient texts like the Iliad and storytelling as a whole, and King’s insertion into the forever debate is fascinating.

As I was reading the book, I realised that throughout the whole series, whenever Roland is dreaming, we rarely see any details. However, those details concerning the tower are revealed in Eddie and Susannah's dreams. It’s a deliberate isolation and parallel, despite having companions, Roland still feels somewhat isolated, a deliberate distance. Which Eddie does call out Roland about that distance, how they can take the burden (so can the reader), so the next book, Roland will most likely unload his troubles.

I really liked the addition of Eddie being Jake’s guide in the dreams. It’s a smart way for the both of them to bond and see themselves as equals in the dream (and Jake’s reality). This decision also allows us to view Henry in a less biased perspective, realising how much Henry bullied his brother. Eddie consistently doubted himself and had poor self-esteem as a result. He’s afraid to excel at anything because it could hurt his brother’s feelings; they loved each other, but it’s evident that Henry was toxic for Eddie. His mother definitely played a part after the death of Eddie’s sister, but ultimately it was Henry, like there’s a reason why Eddie turned to drugs. It’s just one aspect of that multifaceted relationship that Eddie doesn’t want to face.

Family struggles and connections are running themes of the book. The same could be applied to Jake, but not nearly as toxic, but intense pressure that his father almost makes him out as a trophy rather than a person. Yet the love for each other is obvious, and seeing Jake feeling torn in leaving because he knows it’s the right thing to do. Speaking of Jake, I know people complain he is whiny, but for an 11-year-old kid, what do you expect? I found it quite sad reading through that section.

If there is a criticism I feel is slightly warranted, it doesn’t exactly feel like a months-old trip; the passage of time feels much quicker than that. That said, it’s quite minor as the growth of the characters is undeniable. That said, you have this fantastic conversation about how long Roland has travelled despite the short distance because the world has moved on, and the earth is moving at a rapid pace.

There are just so many small to big moments to appreciate. Firstly, Jake’s essay and how it was utterly brilliant. I really loved the teacher’s response and Jake’s afterwards. In most fiction, what would be used to depict lunacy, King subverts it in a brilliant way. Blaine is dangerous, and that is the truth.

Other notable moments would be:

• The build up when Jake is aware that he is meeting his death, and nothing transpires. The sense of paranoia and discomfort is wonderfully written.

• Eddie’s skill at carving was quite sweet

• Roland’s relationship with the whole Ka-Tet is amazing especially Eddie being the highlight. The comfort to give one another. I do like as the novel progresses (well series) Roland burden is slowly dismantling, his stoic demeaner fading and relying on the party and showing more and more emotions. Roland’s relationship with Oy and Jake is in particular sweet and his change really does pay off by the end of the novel, what could seem sudden, you realise has been set up from the start with his personality.

I think ultimately, despite how much Roland changes throughout the series, there is one constant that remains: his dedication to reaching the Tower. Like in Book One, Part 3, the final scene with Roland and Jake was perfect. It’s sweet yet bitter because we know when it comes to choosing Jake or the Tower, it will always be the latter.

“I’ll never leave you again,” Roland said, and now his own tears came. “I swear to you on the names of all my fathers: I’ll never leave you again.”
Yet his heart, that silent, watchful, lifelong prisoner of ka, received the words of this promise not just with wonder but with doubt.

Switching from Roland, I wonder about the implications of Susannah's pregnancy. I assume it’s Eddie, but it would be partly that demonic thing, or can that affect Eddie’s child? It’s probably why that sex demon subplot even exists because of the implications. Though in general the question of how to raise a child in Mid-World is definitely one to think about. After their duties, if they do not die after going to the Dark Tower, what would be next, as they are from two different periods in history? A lot to contemplate. I do think she is viewed more negatively than she deserves; I don’t think she is bad and contributes to the team well. Is she my least favourite Ka-tet by miles, as that is a very high bar competing with Roland, Eddie, Jake, and Oy.

Speaking of Oy, man, he is just brilliant. He really completes the pack, and his relationship with the crew is adorable. His intelligence, reading emotion cues, etc. loved him near the end, helping Roland track Jake. This sort relates to the worldbuilding, the existence of Oy’s kind, and the overall mythology of the Dark Tower and the Gunslingers (Roland’s people), which is fantastic. The 12 Guardians, etc. There is an overall otherworldliness yet reality to the series. A good example is the townsfolk and how they view Roland; they see him as the last of a way of life that’s gone and of which they themselves are relics. Even the resistance of the world is highly suspect of how certain elements work in the world.

The Town episode in general was quite brilliant. Wonderful cast of characters and people who had lives of extreme endurance. There is a sense of hope when they are saying goodbye to the Ka-Tet. I really appreciate Eddie and Roland having that conversation with Jake about why they had to leave, because if they didn’t go straight away, it would be too hard otherwise. Then you get the city straight afterwards, which is unique, having a sort of Mad Max vibe but usable technology everywhere and the residents thinking it’s a sign of the divine. Which all comes to a close with the riddles and taking a ride on Blaine, where the entire city is nuked. I am curious about that wizard at the end, though. Is that Flagg? Well, whoever it is, the brilliant atmosphere and writing was just peak.

Concerning the final chapter and Blaine himself, what can be said? Blaine is such a fascinating character, and Roland's conversation with him at the end showcases his growth. I loved the deeper meaning of Riddles, and you could interpret why King has such a love for it. While yes, the book concludes in a cliffhanger, it’s undeniably a fitting place to end the novel where its themes go full circle. Like, would it have been cool seeing the Riddles at the end of the book, so Blaine doesn’t kill them? Sure, but that excitement of that end and Roland’s speech is the climax. It encapsulates it so wonderfully.



In Conclusion, The Waste Land is everything you want from a sequel and more. I’m quite excited for the next book Wizard and Glass because it’s the reason why I wanted to read the series years ago. I’m utterly fascinated by the prospect of it and I’m excited to eventually get to it.

“See the turtle of enormous girth, on his shell he holds the earth. If you want to run and play, come along the beam today.”

9/10

4.5*

I almost, almost, gave 5 stars to this one. I consider this volume to be the best out of the three that I’ve read so far. If the book had stopped midway it would have got the maximum recognition from me, no doubt. I love and hate King’s way of writing too much. He managed to keep me at the edge of my seat for 100 pages, hungry for more, promising my undying love and then, after the climax (the forth drawing), he slightly bores me for the next 100. Maybe the plot got too intense and he thought we needed a cool down but still, my serotonin levels dropped too much.

The best part of the novel for me was the drawing of the 4th member of the Ka-tet after an adrenaline pumping sequence of evince in both worlds. I was enthralled by the changing of perspective from one world to another. The tension of those moments was King at his best. Even breathing was a nuisance as I feverishly turned page after page in order to see what happens next.

The Waste Lands is the first in the series to finish with a cliffhanger but I won’t be rushing to start the next one as I do not want to overdose on King and lose interest.

This series are amazing!! I really cannot wait to read the book 4. Each characters are getting stronger and Oy, oh my.. each time he said,"Ake... Ake..." I can feel that he is adorable. This is a must read series, do it before the movie is out.

Every time I finish another book in the Dark Tower series, I mentally kick myself for dnf'ing the first book 'The Gunslinger', in college and not giving it a solid chance. How can you tell what a book is about in the first paragraph. I read a man walks through a desert and immediately said "EW western book". Boy was I wrong. The third book 'The Waste Lands' gets another 5 stars from me.

This is an ongoing series and so I will only say a few things about this book, so as to not spoil anything.

Our main characters are heading to the dark tower. They have finally found the path that reaches there. Roland and his companions have suffered greatly, both emotionally and physically over the course of these three books and all I want is for them to reach the tower and learn or gain whatever they seek, but I'm sure this isn't going to happen.

What I liked most about this book was the newest character to be introduced to us readers. Oy! He is a billy bumbler: a mixture of a badger, raccoon and sort of dog. My favorite part is that they are able to speak a bit. Not like a parrot that imitates or mimics, but they can actually talk. Kind of like a toddler. Ooh my gosh. I'm in love with the fearsome Oy! I'm going to be so incredibly sad if he dies.

I also got a kick out of 'Charlie the Choo Choo!' In 'The Waste Land', 'Charlie the Choo Choo' is found in a used bookstore in New York. I personally read this picture book to my children a few months back. I randomly stumbled upon it, while perusing the shelves in the bookmobile. When I found out that Stephen King actually wrote the story under the pseudonym Beryl Evans, I was giddy with delight. Then I came across this book while reading The Waste Lands and was even more giddy. It was like Buddy screaming "I know him" while talking about Santa. I did the same thing hearing Charlie's name in this book.

I have become incredibly attached to all the characters, Roland and Jake especially, and I can not wait for more. I'm currently already reading 'The Wizard and Glass'.

As I read more and more of this series, I find myself getting sucked into that world even more. I truly enjoyed this book, which is the 3rd in the series. I am excited to read the rest and see what happens. I highly recommend that, not just this book, but the whole series be read. Especially if you enjoy fantasy, fiction, horror and sci-fi.

n  n
The beam all things serve it!
A multi-layered story of thrill and adventure.
A band of pilgrims, knights set upon a journey, a journey in ultimately that they will come to realise fear and terror, love and courage. Journey to a ultimate goal a destination the Tower and this strikes a similarity to our own goals and journeys today to happiness and sadness, paradise and hell, success and failure, light or darkness. As we follow this band upon their paths we warm to their fears and courage, humour and love. This is the magic of King's writing he uses normal people and pits them in mayhem, evil and demons and immerses us in the thick of it so well and you feel their struggle and success with fear and evil and prosper.
Reminiscent of Tolkien's Ring epic story and tales from H.P Lovecraft.

"Susannah, who had read her Tolkien, thought: This is what Frodo and Sam saw when they reached the heart of Mordor. These are the Cracks of Doom."

n
The merry band of pilgrims came to The Drawers and entered the waste lands.
I must bid farewell but the search for The Tower will now enter another chapter (book 4) as they are faced with the End-World, and a Dark malicious magician waiteth named the Wizard or the Ageless Stranger.

Robert Browning wrote a poem called "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came," and begins it describing this terrible and enigmatic figure 'The Wizard':
My first thought was, he lied in every word,
That hoary cripple, with malicious eye
Askance to watch the working of his lie
On mine, and mouth scarce able to afford
Suppression of the glee, that pursed and scored
It's edge, at one more victim gained thereby."

"All of Mid-World had become one vast haunted mansion in these strange latter days; all of Mid-World had become The Drawers; all of Mid-World had become a waste land, haunting and haunted"

“This closeness and sharing of minds is called khef, a word that means many other things in the original tongue of the Old World—water, birth, and life-force are only three of them. Be aware of it. For now, that’s all I want.”
“Each member of a ka-tet is like a piece in a puzzle. Taken by itself, each piece is a mystery, but when they are put together, they make a picture . . . or part of a picture. It may take a great many ka-tets to finish one picture. You mustn’t be surprised if you discover your lives have been touching in ways you haven’t seen until now. For one thing, each of you three is capable of knowing each other’s thoughts—”

“SEE YOU LATER, ALLIGATOR, AFTER A WHILE, CROCODILE, DON’T FORGET TO WRITE.”

n  n
n  n
n  n
n  n
n  n
n  n

http://more2read.com/?review=the-waste-lands-the-dark-tower-3-by-stephen-king

Again my second journey and first listen. Gosh these books really do get better when you read them again.
The first time around Blaine the Mono bored me to no end but with narration his personality really came alive!

The best book in the series so far. I know it's too much to hope that they keep getting better, or even that the next four books be as good. (I've been instructed to ignore The Wind Through the Keyhole, and so I shall do.) If the rest of the series averages 3/4 as good as The Waste Lands, then it's going to be one hell of a ride.

I know that I'm reading this series from a privileged position. This is my first time traveling with Roland. Yes, I did wait for the series to be complete. And, um, kind of forgot about it. Which means that, unlike those who read these books as they were published, I can now read Wizard and Glass any damn time I want. When I read (well, listen to) the note at the end of the book when King promises that the next one will be done soon, I can laugh. Instead of, you know, wanting to chuck a brick through his window. I can still be guiltily thankful for that van, though.

Anyways. What makes The Waste Lands even better than The Gunslinger and The Drawing of the Three had been? Partly that all the characters I've grown to care about are all here. I missed Jake, and I love having Oy in the party. There are spectacular scenes and set pieces, and a real sense of danger on more than one occasion. I get genuinely worried, even scared, for these characters. And then there's Blaine. He may be a pain, but he's also wonderful in his own awful, scenery devouring way.

Fair warning, this book ends in a cliffhanger. This might have been absolutely maddening when it was first published, or any time in the six years between books three and four. It's still somewhat frustrating, because it's a great book and I really need to know what happens next. Hell, Stephen King even seems apologetic in his author's note. Not apologetic enough to get book four published any faster, of course.

Much like the overall major point of the first book in this series, the more we learn about this world Stephen King has created, the more questions that come about to us Constant Readers.

The trio set out to bring Jake to his rightful place and make their Ka-Tet a Quartet (I'll see myself out). Along the way, they run into all manner of beast, demon, and humankind.

This book is more action-oriented, perhaps the most like a movie in their current style of all the books so far. We are treated to quite a few set-piece battles, the final one is one of those feel-good cheering moments as man, and beast companions tear through their tormentors.

"I do not aim with my hand. He who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father. I aim with my eye.

I do not shoot with my hand. He who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father. I shoot with my mind.

I do not kill with my gun. He who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father. I kill with my heart."

Like any good horror, though, what we thought was dead was merely in need of a nudge back onto the mortal coil. A new dark, sinister figure introducing himself was enough to make me throw my head back and go, "Are you kidding me!?" in the best way possible. Then with only a few pages left, I suddenly was struck by the knowledge that we were not going hear from the newly undead and sinister figure again this volume. There would be no neat, tidy bows in this story.

“All is silent in the halls of the dead. All is forgotten in the stone halls of the dead. Behold the stairways which stand in darkness; behold the rooms of ruin. These are the halls of the dead where the spiders spin, and the great circuits fall quiet, one by one.”

Unlike the other volumes, this one ends on a helluva cliffhanger. I mercifully was able to pick up the next volume and start reading immediately. I cannot imagine the wait those original Constant Readers had to undergo, though, to get the continuation of the story!

Until next time my faithful Ka-Tet, may none of you forget the face of your fathers.

Take the guesswork out of your next vacation!!

FORSPECIAL Travels and Tours presents:

n  Lud, the Jewel of the Sendn

Your Guided Mid-World adventure starts here!!

Charming Local Accommodations

-tSee the amazing, bumbling Shardik, Mid-World’s largest, comedic bear, searching for picnic baskets
-tGlimpse (and maybe chat with) an elusive billy-bumbler
-tPick some devil grass. We won’t tell.
-tChat with the oldest people in Mid-World. Find out what their secret is to long life. (Hint: It’s not yogurt.)

Small Group Sizes

Authentic Local Experiences

-tIt’s Cosplay, every day.
-tLud is a storybook wonderland as the locals re-enact Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery daily.
-tTest your skill in the wacky, fun obstacle course
-tGroove to the constant ZZ-Top beat
-tSee the beautiful, one-of-a-kind underground city of neon lights
-tKids of all ages can play riddles with Blaine the Train. If Blaine wins, you get an electrifyingly special prize.

Last chance to book for this family fun vacation!!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Fantasy

The Waste Lands is the third book in The Dark Tower series. In this part, Jake joins Ronald and his company making this adventure even crazier than in the previous book. The story is broader and plot-focused rather than character-specific like in the previous book. I can see Stephen King changing his style from one book to another. If you compare the three books, they are very much different. However, King’s signature is very much there on all three.

The author keeps expanding his different worlds. Ronald and his companion now have to face many more challenges and monsters. Some of the ideas and concepts that he introduced into this book make me question if King is an alien or not! How on earth does he come up with all these strange ideas? The whole thing about Charlie the Choo-Choo was brilliantly done.

The new characters in this installment like Gasher, Oy, the Tick-Tock Man, and Blaine made a rich story even richer. They added more diversity and more potential for storytelling. The main goal of this whole adventure remains to reach the dark tower. This is a series where the bad guys are as interesting as the good guys. When you have such strong characters on both sides and an awesome world-building then the ride will be truly wild. If you want something really crazy, then this is the series for you.

“You haven't finished the key, but not because you are afraid to finish. You're afraid of finding you can't finish. You're afraid to go down to where the stones stand, but not because you're afraid of what may come once you enter the circle. You're afraid of what may not come. You're not afraid of the great world, Eddie, but of the small one inside yourself.”



Note: The Waste Lands is a part of my reading of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. This is Book No.6 of 24 books I am going to read for this series.

2.5 books. That's how long it took me to become a fan of the Dark Tower. I read 40 pages of this 3rd installment a year ago. There it sat, a plain donut among a box full of sprinkles, and jellies, and chocolate frosted oh-so-niceties, a shit stain on the underpants of my mental library collection.

And there I was, dreading going back to it, not really digging it but knowing deep down in my small, black, oil-pumping heart (funny, those adjectives work for many of my various parts) that I should like this series. What was it missing? What was I missing?

Oy veh, it's right on the tip of my tongue. I'll ask my coy joy boy toy Roy if he knows.... and there you have every Adam Sandler movie summed up. O'Doyle rules.

Anyway, my boss is always telling me to focus... only she's from another country and it sounds like Fuckus... which mind you, is also very distracting.

I think I need a palaver to remind myself where I was.

POINT 1 - I hate palavers. Let's recap the story, but for the reader's or the author's sake. So I begin this review in the middle where the palaver occurred. It sucked and was boring.

POINT 2 - Jake came back! Yay I was so excited I knitted a sweater out of all my body hair. Except Jake's scenes started off sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo boring. As boring as reading that many oooooo's

So other than some snot worms, the first 167.4 pages kinda stunk.

Then Jake enters a rundown house and King surprises with one of the most exciting scenes I've read by him in a long while. At two-star book moves up to three just like that.

He keeps the interest going with demon rape/sex (is it rape if... well, I'll let you decide - I ain't getting involved). Still, I would think that would have left at least one, if not two, or even all four travelers traumatized in the worst way, but they're all like - explicit spoiler alert -  "demon fucked me with his icy cold wiener schnitzel... What eva!

The afore-mentioned palaver almost killed the story for me, but then an unlikely hero arises: a four-legged friend that even melted my small, black, oil-pumping heart. King manages so much with so little to work with. Through this beast, and its relationship with Jake, King shows us loyalty, friendship, fear, love, bravery, determination, selflessness and everything in between. Masterful writing - the best showing why he's earned that title.

Add in a cool villain (Tick Tock) and a familiar nemesis, and we got the makings of a story, people! Just took us a while to get there... but hey, I just read 430 pages, and in his quest to go from A-Z, Roland of Gilead has probably only made it to C.

Now I have to say this because I always take points off for this elsewhere - this book lacks an ending. Not literally of course. I wasn't like damn, here's another page and another and another... (I still don't know what that damn kid yelled into the thunderstorm -Muahmwaamma? Atreyu should have killed him)

Fuckus

This time, the anticlimactic ending didn't bother me much. It seemed almost right. Kind of like The Thing but not nearly as ominous.

Or this review.