The last, and probably the thickest (with the possible exception of Wizard and Glass) volume in the Dark Tower series is in itself a contradiction: absurd and moving, deeply satisfying and unsatisfying in its long-awaited conclusion to Roland’s question, disappointing and ultimately redeeming. Of course, King kills off a bunch of major characters, which was foreshadowed all along, but don’t forget the line from Volume I: “Go on, then; there are other worlds than these.” So don’t get too upset.

Several aspects of the story border on the ridiculous: Roland’s were-spider son, who dies an ignominous and rather disgusting death after eating a sick horse; the Lovecraftian creature that chases Roland and company through the tunnels under Castle Discordia; the fairy-tale troll that awaits them in a little cabin and the note from King himself that saves them. You may find King inserting himself into his own novel as a mighty important linchpin in the universe to be a shocking bit of hubris, but his characterization of himself is frankly so unflattering as to take away all accusations of ego. At some point, though, you’re ready for the Dungeons and Dragons escapades to stop and the serious story to resume.

But the ending makes up for it. Our favorite characters get the promise of a life they deserve, and Roland – well, I won’t give it away, but I imagine I’m one of the few readers who didn’t howl in frustration and throw the book against the wall when we find out what happens to Roland. It seems that King was toying with us all along, and it will take a bit of musing to unravel the tangled web of story upon story, world interconnected with world, that King has created in this epic. That’s just the way I like it. I won’t say Volume VII is my favorite in the series – the first three are far better, and King’s gaffes concerning Susannah’s occasional standing or walking when she has no legs are almost unforgivable – but I will say that he wrote an ending I never saw coming, and that’s why I liked it so much.

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