“Ka—the word you think of as ‘destiny,’ Eddie, although the actual meaning is much more complex and hard to define, as is almost always the case with words of the High Speech. And tet, which means a group of people with the same interests and goals. We three are a tet, for instance. Ka-tet is the place where many lives are joined by fate.”

This is the book where Roland’s ka-tet is fully formed*, with the addition of eleven years old Jake Chambers and Oy the billy-bumbler (a Mid-World species).

Ka-Tet. Art by Michael Whelan

In this eventful installment Roland, Eddie and Susannah continue their quest for the Dark Tower, along the way Roland starts going insane as his recent timeline has been doubled due to an incident in  The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three in which Jake Chambers who died in book #1 is saved through Roland interfering with a key event in his past. This causes a paradox where both Roland and Jake remember two alternate versions of the past, and the conflicting versions fight for supremacy in their minds. To save Roland’s sanity, Roland, Eddie and Susannah must help Jake to cross over from our Earth into Mid-World, an extremely dangerous task involving entry into a nasty magic circle in Mid-World, guarded by a sex-crazed demon, on Jake’s side (in our world) the portal is in a haunted house with a monstrous gatekeeper. This mission forms the first half of The Waste Lands, it makes for a hair-raising adventure with a very dark undertone, as depicted on the cover of this hardback edition:

Don’t worry, I won’t give you much info on what transpires in the equally hectic second half of the book, but it does involve a crazy train (nothing to do with Ozzy).

I am tremendously enjoying this Dark Tower series reread; this is the only advantageous aspect of having a memory like a sieve, I can enjoy these books just as much as the first time I read them. Like  The Drawing of the Three The Waste Lands is packed with incident and characterization engrossing (the first book  The Gunslinger is very good but less intense). Interestingly there is more of a sci-fi element in this installment with mad AIs, cyborgs (also mad), high technology, and computers; lest we forget, this is a world where magic and technology coexist. It is also very nice to find tributes to  Isaac Asimov,  Richard Adams and  J. R. R. Tolkien in the narrative; it is like finding that your favorite band also dig your other favorite bands. King puts a lot of effort into developing his characters, this has always been his secret weapon. However, what makes the Dark Tower series stand out among thousands of other fantasy series is the western aesthetic of Mid-World, and also Roland’s forays into our world and. This makes a nice change to the standard medieval setting of most epic fantasy series; the sci-fi and horror aspects further distinguishes it from the others.

Unlike the previous two volumes The Waste Lands ends on a cliff hanger, as the entire series is completed this should not be a cause for concern. I imagine most people who have read the previous books are bound to want to read this one. When you have come this far the rest is unavoidable.
Should you read this book? In the end, all things, even this review, serve the Dark Tower.

Notes
* Another character is added to the ka-tet in book #5,  Wolves of the Calla. but these five are the classic lineup.

• An excellent companion to this book is  Charlie the Choo-Choo: From the world of The Dark Tower, a creepy faux-children’s book.


• Guns and roses play an important part in this book, nothing to do with Axl Rose.

• The song “ Velcro Fly ” is also significant in this book, it has everything to do with ZZ Top.

• Wild West themed fantasy is not unique to the Dark Tower series, it is a subgenre called “weird west”. If you are interested there is a list of these books on this Wikipedia page. I have not read any of the books listed there (apart from Dark Tower, obviously) but I have read another excellent “weird west” series. It is called  Jon Shannow Series by the wonderful and much missed  David Gemmell. If you have read all the Dark Towers I recommend checking it out, Gemmell is a very different author from Stephen King so you don’t need to worry if it will read like an imitation.

Quotes:
“There were a lot of stories for kids with stuff like this in them, stuff that threw acid all over your emotions. Hansel and Gretel being turned out into the forest, Bambi’s mother getting scragged by a hunter, the death of Old Yeller. It was easy to hurt little kids, easy to make them cry, and this seemed to bring out a strangely sadistic streak in many storytellers.”

“Whatever his head thought about this gunslinging business, his hands had discovered they liked it just fine.”

“We are ka-tet,” Roland began, “which means a group of people bound together by fate. The philosophers of my land said a ka-tet could only be broken by death or treachery.

“In the fierce furnace of Elmer Chambers’s mind, the gross carbon of wish and opinion was often blasted into the hard diamonds which he called facts . . . or, in more informal circumstances, “factoids.””

“He called it The Net of Eratosthenes. Take me over to dat box on the wall, Roland—I’m goan answer dat honkey computer’s riddle. I’m goan th’ow you a net and catch you a train-ride.”

Oy the Billy-Bumbler by kenket

Las tierras baldías

Tercer libro de la serie de La Torre oscura en el que Roland sigue formando su "equipo" .

El pistolero aprovecha para ir instruyendo en el arte de los antiguos pistoleros a Susannah y Eddie, que fueron invocados en el libro anterior y al mismo tiempo informando a sus amigos de su pasado y la misión que tiene de llegar a la torre oscura.


Nuevas aventuras en la búsqueda de el camino de la torre, encuentros con seres medio animal medio robots, continuos peligros y sobresaltos con personajes y "cosas" cada cual más peculiar sacados de la imaginación de King.

Quizás sea en este episodio cuando empieza de verdad el camino hacia la Torre oscura. Después de completar el equipo con el que faltaba, en la segunda mitad del libro la acción sube de nivel poniendo a cada personaje en aprietos.

No queda otra que seguir hacía la Torre.

I'm not usually one for "fantasy," though there have been a number exceptions. I like to know "the rules" of whatever world I'm in (I guess there's a bit of Annie Wilkes in me), and it can take me a while to "calibrate" appropriately. The characters aren't that far ahead of me in some ways. Even Roland, n  the Gunslingern of all gunslingers, isn't always "in the know" as to what lies in the realm of possibility. Eventually, I got there (in large part thanks to the presence of Jake, who is so easy to care about), and was back "in the beam" with the crew (plus one endearing n  billy-bumblern).

Thanks to Brandon's review of n  n    The Long Walkn  n, I was obsessed with possible parallels to other King worlds while in the City of Lud (primarily n  n    The Standn  n) almost to the point of distraction. Is it mere coincidence that Gash rhymes with Trash? What about the Tick-Tock man? Was Mother Abigail supposed to be in there somewhere? (I'm pretty sure the answer to that last one is no, but you get my point).

Blaine is a pain and that is the truth Book 3 finds us with Roland and his ka-tet in the dead city of Lud. They find themselves having to board Blaine the crazed mono train to get them close to Mid-World. As they glide through the toxic, void called The Wastelands, our group discovers Blaine has had a psychotic break. Can they make it through the Wastelands unharmed? Will Blaine commit suicide and take our ka-tet with him? I love this series. I can't wait for the next book. Keep them coming, Mr. King.

I honestly think this might just be my favourite book out of this series. I say might because who knows, one of the next books might really grab me on my reread. But I somehow doubt it because this magnificent book reintroduces one of my favourite characters from the series, introduces another favourite character AND introduces my favourite "villain" from this series. I won't name any names because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. also thoroughly enjoyed the world building that happened in this book, I feel like this is where King truly starts to hit his stride for this series. His writing is so beautifully detailed that I can see the landscape and the buildings emerging in my mind as I read and it is truly stunning. Despite this book being longer than both previous ones, it almost felt like it was shorter because it was just filled with so much action and development, it was hard to stop turning the pages once I picked it up. I was honestly on the edge of my seat so many times, I lost count and it's left me itching to revisit what happens next!

As usual I have nothing but positive things to say about this book. Well, actually there is one negative and that's the ending. It was of course an incomplete work ending at a climax, however, since it's not 1991 anymore and I do not have to wait years for a new book to come out, I will not fault King for this. In fact, I will look at it as a positive, for I cannot wait to begin book 4.

Mid-world is continuing to grow, and the questions to its existence continue to be answered. It's funny, while reading this you cannot believe how brilliant King's mind is to have the kind of foresight he did in creating this fantasy only to find out he's the first to admit the story wrote itself.

I'm excited to continue the adventure of Roland and his Ka-tet, and see how they survive Blaine the Mono's challenge.

Cuando comencé esta saga prometía mucho, y lo está cumpliendo.

El primer libro es un prólogo del mundo de la Torre Oscura y de Roland El Pistolero. El segundo tomo es una presentación de los personajes que le acompañan. Y en esta tercera entrega es donde se ponen serias las cosas. Empezamos a viajar a través de Mundo Medio conociendo algo más de lo que sucede en ese mundo tan extraño y comenzamos a comprender las distintas líneas temporales de los personajes.

Lo que más valoro de Stephen King no es tanto la increíble capacidad de crear historias, sino la capacidad de crear personajes. Tanto el Pistolero como el resto de acompañantes y enemigos tienen voz propia, cada uno habla de una manera y todos tienen una historia que contar.

Decir que la saga comienza en el tercer libro tal vez sea echar para atrás al que no haya comenzado, pero si te animas seguro que merece la pena.

Y ese final es de los que te obligan a leer el siguiente libro en cuanto lo cierras.

Τρίτο βιβλίο της σειράς και εδώ ο King χτίζει. Και χτίζει. Και χτίζει. Και χτίζει. Είναι ένα βιβλίο που σε ετοιμάζει για τα επόμενα. Δεν έχει ιδιαίτερη δράση (εκτός από το τέλος) και σε μερικά σημεία καταντάει και κουραστικό αλλά αυτό δεν μειώνει την αξία του. Μέχρι στιγμής θεωρώ πως είναι το πιο αδύνατο από τα τρία γιατί θα μπορούσε να αποτελείται από λιγότερες σελίδες χωρίς να χάσεις κάτι ιδιαίτερο. Βέβαια από την άλλη, μέσα σε όλο αυτόν τον όγκο του βιβλίου, ο King σε μεταφέρει απόλυτα στα μέρη που διαδραματίζεται η ιστορία και σε βοηθάει να καταλάβεις τον απόκοσμο κόσμο του Ρόλαντ και της παρέας του.

Όσο προχωράει η ιστορία, θέλω όλο και περισσότερο να μάθω τι γίνεται με τον Μαύρο Πύργο οπότε σειρά τώρα έχει «Ο μάγος και η γυάλινη σφαίρα». Για να δούμε…

“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.”

The third book in the Dark Tower series finds Roland and his ka-tet following the Path of the Beam towards the tower. Along the way they’ll pick up two new members...

I was contemplating writing this review as an Ode to Oy, but words can’t even express how much I love that little billy-bumbler; he is the CUTEST. A particular highlight for me is when he calls Gasher “asshole” - SASSY OY!

I also have a revelation that may shake you all to your cores... having previously ranted and raved about how Blaine did my head in, I actually LIKED Blaine the Mono this time around. Now, the riddles I can still do without... but I found Blaine to be highly entertaining. Memory is a funny thing, isn’t it?! He was completely different in my head!

The house on Dutch Hill - how STRESSFUL is that part, the bleakness of Lud, the people in River Crossing, that huge freakin’ bear, MEETING OY..... this book has so much fucking awesomeness packed into it that I don’t know where to begin and I can’t fit it all in here in detail, so I’ll just say it was INCREDIBLE.

This reread is completely challenging all my prior thoughts and feelings on certain books in the series. Now, I would rank The Waste Lands as the best in the series so far - whereas before, it was down near the bottom for me (but still excellent, I do love all the books!) This one has gained an entire star following my reread!

I honestly hate reviewing these books because it’s just word vomit. I JUST LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH. 5 glittering shiny stars!!

This book contains the biggest lie a writer ever told me. It‘s in the Author‘s Note at the end:

The fourth volume in the tale of the Dark Tower should appear - always assuming the continuation of Constant Writer’s life and Constant Reader’s interest - in the not-too-distant-future.

It took six years for the next book to come out.

Six. Goddamn. Years.

Six years may not seem too bad to fans of authors who only release a book every decade or so, but there’s a couple of factors that made this false statement particularly bitter. The Waste Lands ends on a nail biting cliffhanger. I literally yelled aloud in frustration the first time I read this back in 1991 and realized that I’d have to wait for the next book to learn the fate of Roland and his friends.

Still, after some reflection it didn’t seem that bad. The next volume would appear ‘in the not-too-distant-future’, right? Besides this was Stephen King, the writer who churned out 1000 page books like McDonald’s makes Big Macs. No big deal. I’d be reading it by ‘92. 1993 at the latest.

Five goddamn years later, and I’d gone from Stephen King and Dark Tower fan to the kind of crazed fury usually reserved for jilted lovers. It didn’t help that King was cranking out big fat books including some utter shit like Insomnia and Rose Madder. Yet no fourth Dark Tower book, and every now and then I’d reread the first three volumes and dream of the day when I’d finally learn what happened next.

The odd thing is that it still kind of pisses me off even now that the series is finished. I get that same sense of frustration when I read this remembering the six goddamn years between books while seeing all kinds of other King novels come out. It’s too bad because this was my favorite of the first three books until frustration turned it into an irritating loose end.

And I’ll confess something that makes me a small, petty person. Deep down in my shriveled black soul, I’m resentful and jealous of anyone who reads the series now or who started reading it when the last three books were coming out like clockwork at the end. They didn’t suffer like the ones who read this and waited six years. Then read the fourth one and waited SIX MORE GODDAMN YEARS FOR THE FIFTH ONE. YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT! BETWEEN 1991 AND 2003 STEPHEN FUCKING KING, ONE-OF-THE-MOST-PROFILIC-WRITERS-I’VE-EVER-READ, MANAGED TO WRITE JUST ONE GODDAMN DARK TOWER BOOK AND IF THAT MINIVAN HADN’T VERY NEARLY KILLED HIS PROCRASTINATING ASS, I’D PROBABLY STILL BE WAITING!!

*ahem* Excuse me. I’ve still got a few unresolved issues with old Steve about this series.

And what about the story in this book? Roland is training Eddie and Susannah to be gunslingers, but he’s going crazy from a paradox he created in the last book by time hopping to our world and changing an event that altered his own timeline. They also find a creepy old decayed city filled with a murderous mob and have to deal with a monorail that is criminally insane.

It’s terrific, but I think the waiting drove me a little mad. And now King has been making noises about possibly doing another book that would fill some of the SIX GODDAMN YEAR GAP between #4 and #5. You’ll pardon me if I don’t hold my breath.

5

What a tease! This is one hell of a cliffhanger ending. *lol*

Susannah, Eddie and Roland continue their journey, but along the way it becomes clear that there is another member of their Ka-tet that still needs to join them and that it will be slightly more difficult to unite them with him. I'm talking about the boy Jake.
Actually, who that member was, was not really a surprise and therefore it's not really a spoiler. I really liked that King continued to spin the thread of the paradox introduced in the previous book when Roland entered the body of Jake's murderer and killed him before he could kill Jake.
It's HOW that member finds his way to the group, HOW they help him leave his NYC (slight time difference to Eddie's) and get him through a door to Midworld that is so interesting.
Just like what we keep seeing along the way until they get Jake through the door. In this case, it was really very fun to see the guardians such as Shardik (the bear) or the world turtle. It's an old myth that has been used by many authors before but I liked King's take on it that they are pieces of technology thousands of years old and breaking down now that the world(s) has(have) moved on. Just like I loved getting a glimpse at that mega-city. Tragically interesting to see the decendants of a technological empire not really understanding their inheritance. So much misremembered or forgotten, the broken ruins lying around or slumbering underground. Sometimes even strewn across the landscape, broken and discarded. It's like a graveyard.
And then there was the train. Bwahahahahahaha! That was delightfully evil - and yes, I'll read the imaginary kid's book now as it will probably be immense fun!
Oh, and I loved Jake's dog-like friend! So cute!

So we actually did cross a large area, moving purposefully in the right direction and meeting interesting (heartbreaking) people as well as creatures, structures and technology along the way. The worldbuilding here is insane! So rich, so deep ... more layers than an onion!

I also didn't really have a problem with a certain scene I've been referring to in one of my status updates. I mean, this is about everything coming to a stop, a multiverse's fate hanging in the balance, everything being infested with desolation and death, your worst fears coming true. So it was only a matter of time until rape became a topic. However, as weird as King might have handled it, it was also an interesting (if slightly sinister) reversal. Detta for the win! *lol*
I'm seriously in love with the fact that King made one of his heroes not only a female and not only a black female but a black female who is a double amputee!

We spend more time with the single characters, see them learn and grow (and I'm not only referring to their shooting skills), witness them becoming this tight-knit family, being about the only light in the ever-spreading darkness.

Yep, I'm thoroughly hooked (as can be seen by the fact that I've read 4.5 books relating to this series in one month already - and I might keep going after only a short break of a few days). Especially since a certain someone has made a re-appearance (under a ridiculously obvious false name) and is drawing on strings once more - as was bound to happen.