The Dark Tower IV
By Stephen King
Reviewed by Robert Thompson 4/17/1998

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Wizard and Glass is by far the most coherent of The Dark Tower Series. While the previous three books in this series were fairly compelling, they were not very easy to follow. I felt that they were among King's lesser works.

This book is much better- the story flows well, Is not murky and confusing like the other three. Most of the story takes place in Roland the Gunslinger's early days, a youth on his first mission for The Affiliation. It explains how Roland became Roland.

Although the beginning and end of the book are set in the time of the other Dark Tower episodes, with Jake, Eddie and Susannah, most of the story takes place in the "Barony of Mejis" where a fourteen year old Roland a newly graduated Gunslinger is on a mission with his friends Alain and Cuthbert. Roland falls in love with Susan, a local girl who becomes their ally against the "Big Coffin Hunters" who are the advance team for John Farson's invading army.

It is a bit difficult to classify this book: It isn't horror, King's usual genre; not quite fantasy or science-fiction. It is more like a Western - love story in a post-apocalyptic setting.

I really enjoyed Wizard and Glass- It is by far the best of The Dark Tower series, and unlike the earlier books has me waiting for the next one. (King says there are three more coming, eventually). One kind of neat trick that real King fans may pick up on is the occasional crossing of Roland's parties into scenes from his other stories. Although there are a few scenes in the book not for the squeamish, it is one of King's mildest stories, not scary, and it is a fairly easy read.