The Dark Tower V: Wolves of Calla

By Stephen King

The Dark Tower V: Wolves of Calla

Roland and his ka-tet return to the path of the beam, but find out they have been followed by a group of townspeople. The town is Calla Bryn Sturgis and they are in the market for gunslingers. Once every generation a band of masked killers named the Wolves come out of the ominous land of Thunderclap to steal half of every twin pairing in the Callas. When the twins return they are mentally and physically deformed, and expected to assimilate back into society. The Wolves will come back again if they aren’t deterred. In return for the favor, Father Callahan of Calla Bryn Sturgis who was originally from our world, offers Black Thirteen, an all seeing sphere that can help Roland in his quest for The Dark Tower. Or destroy him with his past.

736 November 4, 2003

4.18

4.6

“No one ever does live happily ever after, but we leave the children to find that out for themselves.”

Thoughts

If the fourth (Wizard and Glass) and four and half (The Wind Through the Keyhole) books were filler books with stories of the past Wolves of Calla was a great return to the adrenaline filled action of Mid-World. On top of that you get a lot of the weird world building that expands on the journey instead of narrow in on an resolution. The town of Calla Bryn Sturgis exemplifies a population that has been ravaged by the new Mid-World and The Dark Tower’s influence on the land. The Wolves are a terrifying group of thieves that ride on horseback and wield lightsabers. It’s pretty badass. But the havoc they wreak is also very real for the townspeople of the Calla and as you learn more about what they do with the children of the Calla is even more sinister. This is a pivotal book in this series because it introduces The Dark Tower’s evil ways in the form of the Wolves and unlocks other worlds with Father Callahan and the Sombra Corporation in our world’s New York City. This all paired with the crazy magic involved with the Black Thirteen sphere and its hold on Roland make this book kick start your engines as you gear up for the fateful encounter with The Dark Tower. Every characters destiny begins to unravel with this book.