Horror Books

I liked all of his other books, but this one came across (to me) like he was just filling up pages.

The story of Louis and Angel - finally some background about their upbringings (mostly Louis's) - was good, but it was not in the same category as the rest of Connolly's works. Louis was developed well, but not at the same depth as Charlie Parker (we were spoiled) and Angel still remains a tertiary character. That being said, I think the author has set a very high standard and certain expectations for the "Parker series" - i.e., Charlie Parker's struggles and some supernatural element -that just wasnt present in this book. I would highly recommend, but would do so only if the reader was not expecting the same as a typical Charlie Parker book.

Also, I think the final scene (reversal of the scenes where Louis and Angel rescue Charlie) was a little drawn out and it ended on a soft note. Again, while this was a very good book, it was not the best that I've seen from the author.

The Reapers is the best book I've read in quite some time. Fast-paced, beautifully written and always interesting, this one takes all of Connolly's characters and puts them in a medly of action and suspense. And this time, instead of being from Charlie Parker's point of view, the book tells the story of his partners in crime, Angel and Louis.

Living in New York, Louis has a dark past. We finally learn why he has become the cold blooded killer that he is today. As his past is revealed, certain figures from it resurface, seeking vengeance. These men, the Reapers, were trained killers that have no remorse whatsoever. Louis used to be one of them. But now that he works solo, without any organisation to tell him what to do, some want to make him pay for what he has done in the past.

Beautifully written as always, Connolly writes this one as a full-on thriller. There is no supernatural this time around, simply high-octane suspense. The narrative presents many characters, all of them interesting, all of them crucial to the plot. I love the way that Connolly presents every character as if he was the lead of the story. Within a few pages, we know the back story of every major and secondary characters, which in turns makes us feel par of the story. It's not simply a kill in the end when someone dies. Some might feel as though these descriptions are too much, filler, but they serve their purpose. Every character becomes known to us which, in turns, makes their eventual doom more striking.

Although the book is short (especially compared to Connolly's other books) this is one of his best. It was great to learn Angel and Louis's past and to see them take the lead for once. The sections of the novel that gives us Louis's past are written in a very cinematic way. But the real pleasure was the last 50 pages or so. The finale is so intense, so well plotted that it left me feeling breathless.

I was excited when I heard that John Connolly's next book was going to focus on Louis, the hitman from the Charlie Parker series. He has always been an intriguing and unique sidekick type of character. How many books have a black hitman with an affinity for country music?

"The Reapers" is a tale of vengeance. We see Lewis as a boy growing up in the south. We see him being recruited by a man named Gabriel who is loosely associated with the U.S. government. We see how Louis is manipulated into becoming an assassin. And we see Louis creating enemies in the process.

Some of the enemies have tracked Lewis down and are ready to have their vengeance. As usual, Angel is at Lewis's side quipping and griping the whole way.

Connolly is an amazing writer. In just a few pages of "The Reapers" he is creating characters that we feel like we have met. With just a few paragraphs he has also created a sense of foreboding. "The Reapers" just doesn't quite deliver on the promise that the first 50 pages show.

This is very much a "Louis" novel. There is no supernatural undercurrent running through this book as it does in the Charlie Parker novels. This is probably why it is not as satisfying.

Without the supernatural element this becomes just another mystery full of murder and mayhem. There is nothing to distinguish "The Reapers" from dozens of other books that come out every year.

It is a fun read, but it is not on par with the other Charlie Parker books.

This book is filled with useless and unneeded descriptive paragraphs that go on and on. The plot is predictable and the ending has been used countless times before.

Alan Moore took this as an opportunity to try something completely different with the Swamp Thing character, and pretty much succeeded. While I am not as much a fan of this as some people, it is still pretty good.

The Swamp Thing series also introduces to someone perhaps a bit more interesting. John Constantine, Hellblazer.

With Swamp Thing, Alan Moore, one of the most talented authors in comic book history, rewrote the rules. I picked this up 20 years ago and am still amazed. Steve Bissette and John Totleben are probably my favorite art team in the history of comics. This is close to their start, so it's a little rough around the edges, but still way above and beyond the vast majority of most illustrators out there. Steve drew the amazing layouts, destroying storyboard conventions, and John tightened the loose sketches up into works of art. This was hugely influential when it came out, and still a highlight of work in graphic storytelling to this day. Many people copied, but few could rival, Alan Moore's dark and serious style.
This may not be well received by the standard comic book crowd, but Alan Moore never wrote for that market share. Unfortunately, except for the cover none of John Totleben's amazing painted covers are included. DC really should put out a book of those. Moore and Totleben cooperated once again on Miracleman, another book with a dark edge that deconstructs superhero myths and is worth checking out.

Many would say that the comic industry was redefined by works such as Watchmen and The Dark Knight returns, but for me (and there are countless people who would agree with me on this one) it all started with the first issue of Swamp Thing included in this collection. "The Anatomy Lesson" heralded a new narrative structure and a literary voice that still rings in the ears of most comic book fantatics to this day: Alan Moore. After clearing up some unfinished storylines before starting his revamp of the character Moore started to cut loose, and Saga of the Swamp Thing moved from an obscure horror comic book into legend. Not only is "The Anatomy Lesson" brilliant, but there are other stories in here that would rank as some of my favorites of all time. Though some people might claim that Moore was still trying out panel transitions and experimental narrative structures that did not always work, I disagree. They worked perfectly, and make reading the comic so much more enjoyable. If the narrative seems long-winded to some, well then, they can just go ahead and feast their eyes on the gorgeous art (courtesy of John Totleben and Steve Bissette). I also have to mention the very last issue in this collection as a counterpoint to the first, entitled "By Demons Driven." This story gives us a taste of things to come in future collections, and just when events just can't seem to get any darker the last panel of this issue proves us wrong. Even if you're not a comic fan, you should get this. See where it all really began. Buy it. Read it. Let the words penetrate the root systems of your mind. Smell the moss. Taste the fear...hold it in your hands. Saga of the Swamp Thing.

"No death, no doom, no anguish can arouse the surpassing dispair which flows from a loss of identity. Merging with nothingness is peaceful oblivion; but to be aware of existence and yet to know that one is no longer a definite being distinguished from other beings - that one no longer has a self - that is the nameless summit of agony and dread." - H.P. Lovecraft

The ability to communicate this concept, sudden and total loss of identity, is a high achivement. -That- is psychological horror, and Swamp Thing delivers with gusto. The elemental forces of horror, combined with the most efficent form of story-telling, all under the direction of masters of the craft. If you know how to read, read this.

The above title was once the series tagline. Anyway, Vol.1 starts off with the autopsy of Swamp Thing by the Floronic Man showing that Swamp Thing was never human. He was only the memories of Holland combined into the living swamp. He soon returns to the swamp and sets up roots in the swamp and begins to grow some sort of vegetables. Abigail soon finds Swamp Thing and is confronted by the Floronic Man and tells her the above information. However, once Floronic Man gets in touch with his inner plant, he goes on a rampage and destroys many houses and takes many lives. Swamp Thing soon comes out of his catonic state and confronts Floronic Man and tells him he's hurting 'the green'. This chapter also features a special series of camo's by the JLA. The book then takes a supernatural turn when Abigail takes a job at a childrens asylumn. One child in particular knows a very dark and disturbing secret. The last few chapters involve the demon Etrigan as well.

This was a very good series of chapters. It starts out slow, but eventually, you just can't put this book down. My favorite chapter is 'The Sleep of Reason', when we are introduced to Paul (the disturbed child, who Abigail works with)and his macabre 'visions' of the so called 'Monkey King' demon. Also, Etrigan enters the fray. Great first run by Alan Moore. I hope to get more of his Swamp Thing series soon. A very good read for any comic fan. (By the way: I'm 15).

When I went to the checkout counter to buy this book, the clerk said, "Oh, this book is great up until the last 70 or so pages." I kinda agree; the ending is a little out there, but everything that led up to it is great.

This is my second attempt in reading a Stephen King's creation. The length is intimating at first, and many had complained about the unnecessary details King included. But I have to say that all 1000+ pages are needed to tell this massive story, from character developments to plot advancement.

"It" contains genre of horror, action-thriller, romance and explores the themes of human relationship, the power of youth, and the strength of cooperation (and many, many more).

"It" is separated into two plots. The first plot is when the Losers (Bill, Beverly, Richie, Ben, Stan, Eddie, and Mike) first come together in 1958 and discover the ugly side of Derry. The Losers each confront Pennywise (the clown, otherwise known as It) and face their individual fear. Besides the horror lurking under the ground of Derry, the plot also focuses on the relationship between the Losers and the bully group (Henry, Belch, Victor). The second plot takes place approximately 30 years after the first plot, when the Losers join together again (except for one member) to defeat Pennywise once and for all.

"It" not only explores good vs. evil, but also the struggle of growing up and the conflict of being a grownup. There are many disturbing scenes in the book, from sexual themes to gory murders. The book is very dark as a whole, with occasional comic reliefs. The book does get very descriptive and sometimes boring to get through, and it is true that the climax does not begin until the last 200 pages, but "It" is a very good read and the characters are well portrayed and memorable.

I would suggest this book to any King's fan, and people who are looking to read an outstanding descriptive horror novel. But those who get easily offended by non-conventional sexual contents, you might not want to pick this up. However, "It" is an outstanding novel, and proves that Stephen King is indeed an icon of the twentieth century. Good luck entering a circus after reading this book, because you will get chills from the floating balloons!

This book is somewhere over extraordinary. King's characters are well developed and the reader almost develops a tangible bond with each of them. Although this book is tremendously long, King gives enough action at the perfect times to keep the audience attentive. However, even if he did not do so the writing alone would keep my intrigued. I highly recommend this epic book, and is by far the best Stephen King book that I have ever read (of about 20).

P.S. I will never eat fortune cookies again

I would consider myself a pretty big fan of Stephen King's work, and I can confidently say that this book basically defines the horror genre. I guess a good (although somewhat unfair) way to gauge the genius of this story is to compare it to "The Stand" (my personal favorite work of King's). Where "The Stand" is slightly different than the rest of King's work in that it's not so much horror but rather a horrifying yet believable "what if" situation, "It" truly perfects the "monster under your bed" kind of horror. While it seems slightly more juvenile than "The Stand", it paints the images in your mind that haunt you as you lay in your dark bedroom trying to go to sleep. King did a terrific job of developing some very interesting characters and traits. It is not my favorite book of all time, but I'm sure I will pull it out every few years to read it again. If you are a fan of horror, "It" is a must read.

I was under the impresion that the book "It" by Stephen King would be in like new condition when I ordered it. I ordered a hard copy and it arrived on time but was not in good condition. I contacted the seller and they said they would give me half off the price. I wanted the book I ordered, not a deal. It wasn't the book I ordered because it wasn't the same price as I was quoted. I was very disapointed and probably will not order again.

This book, and the others in the series are fabulous. With the exception of the 400 page history of the Mayfair family, which i personally found boring, the rest of this book is a spell-binding page turner that you can't resist. The protagonistis are so easy to like, the villains are so easy to hate. As this series progresses there is more and more detail which has revealed to me what an accomplished novelist Anne Rice is. Her historial scope of actions between generations (and between chapters) is masterful. if you like books about witches, ghosts, the supernatural and even a book that makes you think about life a little, this is for you. Try out the witching hour and if you like it, pick up Lasher, the second book. I dont think you'll be disappointed. Seriously, its like Harry Potter, but with adult prose and plenty of sex scenes!

I would rather give this book 3.5 stars, but Amazon doesn't have that option. It was a pretty good book, but some things bugged me. I think the book was a bit too long, I actually skipped a couple of chapters in part 3, and had no trouble figuring out what was going on. Part 3 in its entirety could have been more interesting, but luckily it is the shortest part. My favorite part of the book was reading about the history of the Mayfair Witches, and the ending was alright, made me want to find out what happended next. All in all, a good book that's a bit to long for this reader, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

TURN THE PAGE from The Point of View Review:

"The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice

With the ever evolving and growing market for the supernatural, I've decided to share one of my old favorites. I've read The Witching Hour by Anne Rice a couple of times, and quite simply I love it. It's intriguing, dramatic and seductively powerful.

When two people with a touch of a sixth sense come together then find themselves intertwined with a family of witches and generations, and centuries of supernatural interaction that has seduced and destroyed everyone in it's path, anything can happen... and when it does the Talamasca will be there to document it. This is group of scholars who study the unexplained, and more specifically, for five hundred years, they have studied and documented the happenings of the Mayfair Witches.

The Witching Hour combines historical fact, actual locations, and often diary style writing to present a complex story with great ease. Rice's story is intimately crafted, letting the reader feel that Anne is speaking to you directly - a fireside tale, of the witches among us, told on one rainy night. It's fantastic.

http://povreview.blogspot.com/

I loved this delicious book. This book is definately not for everyone. It is tedious reading, there is no question, the language is lush, detailed, lengthy yet exquisite. If you love the art of writing, you will devour it, if you are an under-the-covers-fly-by-night quick books reader it may test your patience. Early on this book becomes almost a bible of sorts in the mayfair history, generations are recalled, so-and-s begat so-and-so, once you weed through the early generational tree, a beautifully written and interesting tale unfolds. I found myself re-reading some paragraphs because they were so delicious in description, I was in that house, ever nook and cranny is opened to the reader, these people are revealed; every aspect these characters are real, strong and flawed, weak and becoming. The story is incredibly enjoyable and it is a great read once you get through generational leap. But I would encourage you to read the history and not skip over it, while it may be a bit tedious in length at times, its a rich tapestry this book and all the pieces fit together in the end.

This is my favorite book. A must read. And then go onto the Vampire series. I love Anne Rice.

I started reading this series about three weeks ago, and though I have interspersed the books with other reading, I keep coming back to these. Since I started, every other book I read has been Anita Blake. Should I be worried that I'm growing a little obsessive with these? Have I spent too much of my time reading this series, when I could be reading something else? Should I change this system of alternating other novels with Anita Blake books?

Nah.

One nice thing, actually, about reading this series so quickly, and without many other novels coming in between these, is that I've been able to pay close attention to the ways that the characters have grown and changed. My wife brought it to my attention, as the largest complaint against this series is the way Anita changes somewhere in the next few books; many of Hamilton's fans found the change unwelcome, and they have spent the last few years going off the deep end, becoming a sort of internet Inquisition, always on the lookout for both the faithful few and the heretics who disagree with their assessment of the series' fall from grace; anyone who continues to like the series after the change, as my wife does, are in for torture, excommunication, and burning at the stake. Considering how much I like this series so far, and how often I agree with my wife's assessment of books -- and how much I, as a writer and observer of human behavior, enjoy watching good writers deal with genuine characters -- I can pretty safely assume I'll like the coming change. I expect my own crucifixion will be coming soon -- maybe on this review. At any rate, knowledge of the controversy has made me more aware of the steady changes happening in Anita, and I love that those changes are there for me to observe.

The big changes in this book: she agrees to marry Richard, sort of -- which was a huge mistake; she said yes in the heat of the moment, when he's looking all hot and sexy, and that's always a bad time, though she rightly points out that he shouldn't have asked her then -- and then takes it back shortly afterward when she has second thoughts. I liked that because it was very real and very human; I also like that I feel a little conflicted over Anita's largest personality clash with Richard. That clash is over her absolute refusal to bend to his will, while simultaneously demanding that he bend to hers. I understand it: she has fought very hard for control of her life, and she still fights, against forces that are constantly arrayed against her: the police bureaucracy and general attitude (not shared by the RPIT cops, thankfully) that a woman and a civilian should be doubly separated from police matters; the overwhelming presence of Jean-Claude and his desire for her both as lover and servant, and her own traitorous desire for him; Bert and the demands of her job, both those that genuinely come with the territory and also those Bert unreasonably puts on her against her will. All of these things, along with the several other monsters who keep trying to control her and force her to do their bidding, have made her hypersensitive to giving in to anyone in anything; look at what happened when she allowed Jean-Claude even a moment of control over her. This means she has an incredibly difficult time in compromising with Richard, in allowing him into her life, since that means allowing him to have power over her -- and what's worse, accepting that control willingly, not begrudgingly as she does in every other instance that someone controls her. I understand that desire for independence, though I . . . can't remember where I've encountered it before.

Even though I understand her desire for independence, I can't help but think, Jesus, Anita, you don't have to bristle and argue about EVERYTHING. What the heck kind of relationship is that? Plus, she's just too dead set against the idea of monsters -- though I love that she has the honesty to admit that, even though she hates it about herself, she is indeed prejudiced. That neither Richard nor Jean-Claude are human enough for her, and it's unfair of her to think so, but she still does. It is unfair, of course; she's a little too inhuman for a normal man to put up with. I could probably handle marrying an animator, but not an animator who hung out with so many truly dangerous monsters. At least, it would be hard to handle, and so Anita has no room to criticize Richard, who at least doesn't want to be a monster and is honest about his feelings with her.

The other interesting moment with Anita was when she realized that she didn't go for her cross when Gretchen attacked her, but went straight for her gun, instead. She says she won't skip church any more, but I doubt that: her faith did not protect her in the last book, when, what was her name, Yasmeen, grabbed her; instead she ended up with another cross-shaped brand. What worked was the gun, so naturally that's what Anita would go for. Her real core belief is about survival, anyway; if she was a Christian first she wouldn't be so willing to do anything to survive. But she is willing, and so her Christianity is falling away, bit by bit -- and don't think her attraction to Richard and Jean-Claude, combined with her unwillingness to sacrifice her independence through marriage, can lead anywhere but sin. She'll get there, eventually. And I says, more power to her: the sexual revolution has come and gone, and it's a brave new world.

Otherwise: I liked Konrad and I'm ticked about how his part in the story ended up; I absolutely loathe Marcus, Raina, and Gabriel -- especially the masochist, there; that's just freaky. I liked the witch subplot, and wish more could have been done with it. I'm not sure how long Hamilton can go on whacking every single serious bad guy in these books; that's a real high turnover rate for villains. But since this book includes mentions of things like trolls and dragons, I suppose we have the near-infinite variety of all of the fantasy world to draw enemies from. All I know is, I'm going to keep reading these. A lot.

I can barely go two days between books, thank you Laurell Hamilton you have a brilliant mind.

The book was wonderfully inexpensive but there is a strange yellow dot on the cover. Im not sure if they all look like that or if mine is specially flawed. Just throwin that out there

this is one of my favorites from the series. Mostly because it deals with werewolves as the main characters this time. There's been a werewolf in the first three books, but they didn't transform into one until the third book. I think from this book you can see how far Laurell has grown as an author.

The only thing dumb about this book i would say is the cover!!! Just bogus and dumb. I'm a guy and I've gotten a lot of funny looks when i leave this thing lying around. (i've since learned to put a book on top of it or turn it over. The artwork is so irrelevant and dumb) My only beef but that's the company's fault. I don't think Laurell has a say over artwork.

Loved it!! I just can't get enough of this series. It has everything...violence, mystery, sex, love. I'm constantly finding myself holding my breath. These books are my latest addiction.

Stephen King the author of the Dark Tower series is of course the Gunslinger: from the first volume to the seventh. In one of the most amazing symbolic epics ever written Stephen King has documented the loneliness and creative efforts of an author in his quest (the trials and tribulations) to create and finish a new novel.

The Man in Black is none other then his yet undefined creative genius who sets out the plot at the end of the first volume via the Tarot Cards by prophecizing the drawing of the three. To chase the Man in Black across the desert (mind) is essential to the beginning of any creative effort. This is why the Man in Black dies at the end of the first volume because his roll is complete in defining the limits and boundries of the new creative work.

Modred or should it be read 'MORE DREAD' as in the author's fear of not completing his task, which is a demon child always lurking in the background of any author's mind.

Ed Dean is the addict turned gunslinger, which is Roland or should it be read 'Roll On' or 'dragon = drag on' that can not stop creating until completion come, which is addiction in exclusion to the existence of all other aspects of creation: family, friends and society at large. This is the reason that Roland twirls his fingers as if to say 'get on with it' or 'roll on'. Keep the narrative going to get the work finished.

Susannah is symbolically the psyche of King, which has a one track mind: hence the wheel chair. This is why Ed Dean and Susannah fell in love with each other: two sides of the same coin (addiction and obsession).

Jake represents symbolically the 'youthful spirit' of the new creative idea of the new volume to be written whether it be King's first creative effort CARRIE or the last book he ever writes. Remember that it was Jake that was first pulled into Roland's world.

Oy seems to represent 'literary licence', which is the perogative of every author.

The Crimson King is 'Stephen King' incarnate locked out of what goes on in the tower because the book being written, regardless of its title, is the DARK TOWER, which takes on a life of its own. The book therefore writes itself and the author is helpless to do other then to fling spite and hate (slings and arrows) at the genius, which Roland represents but to no avail. The author forever dreams of writing his book (ruling the universe) unfettered by those seemingly unnecessary appendages: Ed, Susannah, Jake and Oy but the laws of creative writing locked Stephen King out on the balcony of his own genius preventing him from inserting his input. The book has taken on a life of its own and the author is powerless to prevent its journey to completion and he can only look on as his work completes itself.

As Roland: Stephen King, is snatched once again into that final room at the top of the DARK TOWER as if he is in an eternal time-loop he dreads the future of yet reliving the creative juices that flows through a writer as he journeys to the end of yet another book. Stephen King has written more then forty books and each time he had to relive this time-loop: the birth and completion of yet another book. He can not stop or retire from writing, for his mind will not allow it, for it is after all who he is: the last gunslinger.

In reading this entire series, I could write a 10 page essay. I will spare you all that. This book is a greating ending to the series. It will explain just about everything and even tug on your heart-strings. So be prepared for the final roller coaster that is The Dark Tower Series.

I started reading the series 3 months ago, and have since not been able to put down any of the books. I read some of the reviews before every book (but not enough to spoil anything for me), and was starting to get nervous with some of the critisism I encountered. By the time I got to book 7, I was terrified it might suck. Fortunately, I was blown away with nothing but positive vibes for the ending.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!
Part of me wishes I had never read Coda (then my ending would have been the Tower door slamming shut behind Roland-which in my opinion would have been sweet enough). But, one has to finsh what they start, and so I read on (after 4000 plus pages, I wasn't going to stop so close to the end). It's kind of what I expected. That is, a bit of a downer with a possible positive (the horn). But WTF, that's a King novel. The ending had to be dark. Remember folks, its a Dark Tower, not a White Tower.

* Spoilers*

I had a negative first impression after reading DT7. I happened across this site and was surprised at the high number of five star reviews the book received. I saw a lot of "Brilliant Ending" and "Masterpiece" descriptions so I figured that all these people can't be wrong. Maybe I just missed some of the finer points of the book. Maybe my initial impression was off base. So I read the book again. Turns out it wasn't any better the second time. The same glaring flaws I noticed from my first reading were still there after the second. From the hastily written demise of Flagg to the numerous instances of deus ex machina, this book screams "rush job."

I honestly don't see how any true fan of SK can feel anything but cheated after reading the confrontation or lack thereof between Roland and Flagg. I mean this guy is featured in a number of SK's books. The mere mention of his name had been known to cause death and insanity. The Dark Tower series even spends six books painting Flagg as Roland's arch nemesis. Based upon all this build up, one would expect an epic battle for the ages between Flagg and Roland right? Well think again. Flagg is easily killed by a newly born spider boy who is a-hungry. This is like Darth Vader getting killed by an Ewok before his epic battle with Luke. Then there is the Crimson King, the most powerful being in the world, one would expect that his death would be difficult right? Nope, he gets erased. How about Susan? She endures all these hardships, from physical pain to mental anguish, to reach the Dark Tower. Even the death of her lover cannot not deter her from reaching her goal. Then when she can actually see the Dark Tower she decides, " You know what its not worth it anymore, I am going home." Uh okay. I wont even go into the parts where SK writes himself into the story.

Maybe I expected too much after reading the first four books. SK piqued my interest with hints here and there of a world that had moved on. A world that was linked to ours but one that was different and dying. A world where paper and glass were considered luxuries. I remember the first time I read about the Rose in the vacant lot and the little suns it contained and thinking that King would have some way of tying all this together and it would be magnificent. To build suspense King even tells us that not everyone, including Roland, will make it all the way to the Dark Tower. After, reading DT4, I was also hoping to learn why or how the world moved on and the fate of his childhood friends. Back then, the possibilities were limitless.

Well, I guess the joke was on me, the constant reader. Turns out the whole series was about Roland forgeting to pick up a horn. I guess I mistakenly thought the series would be about the Rose, the Beams, the Tower and the different levels of existence. I guess SK changed it up in the middle.

To be fair, taken by itself DT7 is not a bad book. But when taken in the context of the series, the new ideas just don't mesh very well. Major charcters get killed by minor characters, the ka-tet jumps back and forth between different worlds and time periods, its all rushed. If you read the first four books you will notice that SK used to take his time to develop his characters and ideas. After the accident, SK relented to those who wanted him to hurry up and finish the book. It took him forteen some years to write the first four books and two years to write the last three. Its not too hard to notice the drop off in quality.

I am giving this book one star because it pretty much ruins all of King's books that came before it. Books like Insomnia and Rose Madder are pretty much worthless. Now that we know Flagg is a scrub, the Stand loses its most of its luster. This stinker just killed King's entire body of work. I can only hope he redeems himself and decides to rewrite the last three DT books, at least last two, like he did with The Stand.

DT7, for all the reasons already given in the other one-star reviews, is the low-water mark of King's career.

I thought he'd hit bottom with Dreamcatcher, the first King book I'd ever read with not a single character I gave a flying damn for, but DT7 is worse. It's even worse than DT6, which was worse than DT5.

I've long felt that IT, for all the book's many flaws, was the high water mark. So perhaps it's no accident that any real tie in with IT is pretty much absent from the Dark Tower series, despite the turtle talk.

Even though I cut the man some slack-- if I'd been shredded and pulped in a terrible accident and subjected to a year of incredibly painful rehab, I would certainly have been badly shaken and so preoccupied with my own mortality that I would have been in a rush to get the series over with too, and the pressure from his Constant Readers to finish it was obviously enormous. I've never been invested in this series the way many of King's fans are, so I didn't lose any sleep over the steady decline in quality that started to show its face after DT3.

There's no way to know how it would have turned out if the accident had never happened, but personally I think he simply over reached himself with the series. Character-driven fiction will only take you so far. It was enough to carry him through IT for over a thousand pages. But not enough to carry through seven volumes, even if every volume was not a doorstop.

He may not be through just yet. Dumas Key is not a great King book, but its a helluva lot better than a travesty like this.

This was painful. I just wanted to get through it. Boring, silly, egotistic and just....bad. If I hear the word "chap" one more time, I'm going to freak out. I'm listening to it now..oh god, please let it end. Kill me

I wanted to read the entire series before reviewing this and confirming that it is the worst volume in the series, and it is...perhaps this was deliberate on king's behalf to make the last one seem even better, who knows?

This book is essentially an 'add on' to Wolves of the Calla and the whole story could have genuinely been cut down to 50 pages and put at the end of the last volume...

As the title suggests, volume VI revolves around the character Susannah. How you, the 'Constant Reader', views her will have an impact on the enjoyment you get here. I personally don't rate her as my favourite and perhaps this was the reason I wanted to rush through it and get to the final book...

Anyway, the book is almost 500 pages of, what I feel, needless detail on the struggle between Susannah and Mia in regards 'the chap'. We found out about Susannah's/Mia's pregnancy in Wolves of the Calla and yet King goes on and on and on and on and on, boring us at times and (SPOILER ALERT) she doesn't even give birth to the damn thing until the beginning of volume 7.

I just feel it could have been condensed and the series made into 6 books
with any of the relevant content cut down to 50 pages and added onto book 5...I know King can sometimes go into too much detail but I feel this was well overdone perhaps to make sure the series had 7 volumes, was this King's plan? It seems very likely this is the case because this isn't an enjoyable experience.

There are a few good parts to the story, Roland and Eddie meet up with an old friend named Jack Andolini but I won't spoil that bit ;)

Basically, the parts not involving all the palaver of 'the chap' are good, and if you like you could skip most of these parts and not miss a thing...

Of course, if you've got this far, you'll have to read this as I doubt anyone could give up on the Tower at this point..

Book 7 does get better say Thank Ya!!!!!

Song of Susannah is the sixth and penultimate novel in Stephen King's Dark Tower series. This is the shortest book we've had in this series for quite a while. And, as the characters are split up into three groups, we get less than 200 pages for each. Since King likes to move things along at a rather glacial pace, not a whole lot happens here.

Picking up where Wolves of the Calla left off, the characters disperse back to different times and places in twentieth-century America. Here they all mostly wander around for a while until they get to convenient stopping points that will (one hopes) give the last book an exciting beginning. The "cliffhanger" here is anything but. Like the entire Susannah-is-pregnant story arc, it's hardly compelling (and it's grown rather tiresome).

In Wolves of the Calla, King inserted himself into the Dark Tower world. Now he shows up as a character. While the reader's initial impression of this is likely something along the lines of "Wow, how stupid," like most things in this novel, it doesn't matter one way or the other to the story, really, although King tries to tie together his writing career, life, the universe and everything with it. The book ends with a cryptobiographical diary from King the character which is, again, not particularly compelling.

This makes two poor entries in a row into the Dark Tower series. Song of Susannah is practically nothing but setup for the last book. On its own, it wouldn't be worth bothering with.

King's sixth book in the "Dark Tower" series picks up immediately where "Wolves of the Calla" left off, reinserting the reader into the world of the gunslinger and his travelling companions. They resume their quest for the Dark Tower with a great opening scene, and soon cutting to the absconded Susannah and her new passenger ...

Things progress smoothly and very competently in this penultimate volume, a shorter story than many of its predeccessors and more focused for it. The writing is condensed but not neglectful of the characters or the scenarios, and has all the fluidity and poetry of the previous volumes, although sadly not to the extent of the wonderful "The Gunslinger".

The novel benefits from the sense of movement and progress, that was sadly lacking in the last two novels, "Wizard and Glass" which was almost entirely flashback, and "Wolves of the Calla" which took place entirely in one town. Now things are rolling and the excitement and urgency return to the story.

I'm not a fan of the metafictional aspects of the series, which begun in earnest last novel with the mention of "Stephen King, the authord from Maine", a plotline which is expounded upon and reaches a kind of conclusion here as well. Mixing real-life with fiction is often a bad idea, and although Stephen King appears here as a character, the novel itself doesn't appear to suffer greatly despite the cringing feeling you might get at the hubris of the author.

Still, there are some truly heart-stopping moments, such as the escalation of Susannah's troubles in the final chapter, and the moment of Jake and Pere Callahan's emergence into the New York of 1999. Despite another cliff-hanger ending, which generally drive me nuts with anger and disappointment, it's still a strong book and worthy of the collection. If you felt a little deflated after books four and five, you'll be happy to see a return to form with book six.

I bought the first 4 books and being forewarned borrowed the remaining from the library. And I say thank you if it please, because King ruint the story as the wolves ruint the twins. Read no more for there are spoilers below, but take my word and borrow the last of the series. Or if you have sufficient control over curiosity, just say it ended with Wizard and Glass. No more; say thanks; Roland and his friends continue searching endlessly for the tower.


The Wolves of the Calla gave some reason for concern but had enough action involving the wolves and Black 13 and Susanah's pregnancy to make it interesting. Where it began to fall apart was with the hulldrum story of Father Callahan being forced into our ka-tet? Or is he part of the Ka tet. Though he later dies in the Pig, his death does not unmake the Ka-tet. Still it's obvious King wrote or wanted us to have a strong feeling for Callahan.

I should say it's obvious what King wrote or wanted because he put himself in as a character. Here is where he ruint the story completely. Whenever you read a portion of fiction, you take on a suspension of disbelief. Yes people can time travel, yes they can battle wizards and win, of course Roland's the fastest draw... But when you start to see the seams of the plot waved in front of your nose, you're shocked out of that world. Perhaps it's what he intended but I cannot imagine why. Whenever the character King shows up and says something or is the topic of Roland's Ka-tet discussion, I'm shocked out of their world and thinking about what the Author wants to tell us?

1) Stephen King has to write his series so that the Dark Tower does not fall and the universe collapse.
2) Some of the self-deprication also seems ego driven; Eddie comments that King has a lot of bad habits that needs to be managed. Oh won't the world help King lose 10lbs and stop drinking.
3) Stephen King's too lazy to finish the series; chuckle chuckle

All in all, he started w/ a great story and great immersion. I saw another reviewer mention that 90% of it's good and it's just the 10% that gets harped on. That is true; I imagine if King had limitted Father Calahan to a minor character ("I'm an alcoholic; I used to be a priest; now I kill vampires") and deleted the King is God/Rose plotlilne completely (was never part of the first 4 books) we could have had a great series ending at 6 books. As it is that 10% of the time kept jumping at me; like Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace! I kept trying to enjoy the movie and every 5-10minutes there was Jar Jar.

Finally one other criticism I'll make, while not at the level of his above screwups, the dialog and conversation between Mia and Susannah was overdrawn. A lot of set up and important revelations that ended up revealing nothing and taking a lot of pages. A good editor could have fixed this.

This book is Robin McKinley's emotional masterpiece. What other reviewers seem to fail to acknowledge is that in reading this book, if you have ever been able to identify the times in your life you pulled the covers over you head after the alarm went off and those feelings associated with being human and being stubborn, then you can identify with Sunshine. We all prefer to read books that read how things should go. Every character is in a neat little easy pocket and every sub plot is explored and explained thoroughly.

But this isn't a detective novel, it's one woman's thoughts as she deals with a mid 20s crisis and the end of her world as she knows it. She has fears, that aren't rational, that never come true. She has urges, and hopes that in perfect situations, would work out and never bring about a moment of awkwardness, but because this book reads like someone living in a real time, things do get awkward and upsetting and don't make sense.

This book is so human that when I first read it and let myself be absorbed by Sunshine's plight, I put the book down 3/4s of the way through and realised I had FELT sick I had FELT like I was experiencing what Sunshine was experiencing, without knowing exactly that's what had been happening.

I don't think Robin McKinley wrote this intending a classic sequel, to be honest, I don't think she writes any novel with that in mind. If she did, we'd have series from her, not a dozen stand alones. I think she wrote it so that she could put to paper an alternative world where things are more mystical and yet just as simple and human as the world we are in now. I think she wrote it intending to bring a different kind of heroine to life, who didn't know what she wanted all the time, and didn't have some straight arrow path to follow.

If you loved Hero and the Crown and you want more saucy stubborn heroine with more talent in her pinky than the others around her, then you will love Sunshine doubly more. Period.

the book is not really about the event of Sunshine being taken by the vampire but more of the aftermath. it is dragged out a lot. we read about her emotions and life style more than anything else. shes sounds totally traumatized and is unable to connect with anyone she used to love. the scenes that involve her family or boyfriend or even friends are very short and written as if the author doesn't want us thinking about them
the language was nasty too. i actually got this book from my high school library. Imagine that.. and they are questioning The Chocolate War? they should take a look at this book.
if it had been a bit shorter and the unimportant stuff left out i would have liked it. Sunshine's depression and emotional thoughts get a bit boring.

As a choco-holic I had no problem relating to this book; it was awesome! I think those who rated this book poorly simply can't appreciate the writing style. Its understandable because even as heavy a reader as I am Mrs. Mckinley had me re-reading a few pages. But, at least for me, that is part of the appeal: actually having to concentrate on what is on the page. Once you get past the nuances of the style though the plot is terrific: its a classic man vs nature and man vs himself (or herself) under some very odd circumstances. Overall I found Sunshine very enjoyable and throughly developed.

I heard a review of Sunshine on NPR, saying it was a good airplane book. I had a flight and nothing to read, so I picked it up.

The book starts out well. McKinley draws the reader into what seems like a normal world that's just a little off, and it gradually gets stranger and stranger. When the first REALLY BAD THING happens, you are hooked.

Unfortunately, that's when the book loses steam. McKinley has this annoying habit of breaking up conversations between the characters with explanatory background paragraphs. This can be a useful device when used sparingly, but for McKinley it is the rule. Whenever two characters get together you can expect a short conversation to be spread out over a half dozen pages. Snore. Continuity and pace are destroyed. Yes, I appreciate that this is a detailed alternate world, and McKinley has fleshed it all out in her mind. But sometimes an author should let the back story remain back story and just give the reader enough information to glean the rest by the flow of the front story.

And speaking of characters, the BIG BAD VILLAIN is entirely flat. He's out there lurking through the whole book, and we know he's BAD. REALLY BAD. PURE EVIL. And really uninteresting. We know he hates the good vampire. We never find out why, and the heroine seems uninterested as well. The good vampire is also flat. Once McKinley has drilled into our heads for the 100th time that good vampires are impossibly unusual, his character doesn't change. Nor do we learn why he's decided to be good. For McKinley, it's enough to establish who is wearing the white and black hats, then let them duke it out (with lots of stinky, gooey blood).

The book raises many questions that it never answers. That's fine, I don't mind a little mystery, even after the end. But by then the pace has become so tedious that I'm no longer even curious. What happened to Dad? Grandma? Why does the super bad SOF agent just spring up out of nowhere in the last 100 pages, with no explanation of her motivation? But McKinley doesn't concern herself with this. As long as the reader knows which side the characters are on, we can slog on.

Characters come and go for no apparent reason. Some are featured early, and then are just ignored. Others pop up later, and then are forgotten. Since this is told as a first person narrative, it makes the heroine appear self absorbed, and thus less likable. The conclusion is that the author doesn't care about the secondary characters, so they remain cardboard cutouts.

Part of the reason the story fails is that nobody we care about ever gets hurt. I should rephrase that, because McKinley never develops a character enough for us to actually care about. But the bodies that pile up at an ever faster pace are anonymous. So there's no sense that any named character is ever in any real danger. No danger means no suspense. No suspense means rather dull vampire novel.

The shame here is that McKinley has created a rich setting for a great story. But a great story needs great characters, and there are none here. Two approaches would have vastly improved this novel. Either trim off 100 pages of unneeded detail and give the novel some much needed pace, or add 100 pages of character development and give the novel some much needed depth. As it stands, it is frustratingly in the middle.

I was really looking forward to this book. I don't read vampire books that often, but with all of the praise and recommendations for this book, I decided to check it out.

I thought that the story line, the basic plot, was actually kind of interesting. I'm into books that are fanciful, yet still believable. I didn't believe this book. It didn't draw me in. It didn't help that the main character went by Sunshine. I mean SUNSHINE? Come on.

And all of her insufferable MONOLOGUING. In the middle of going through a terrifying abduction by vampires, she goes on and on about her brothers and the stupid bakery. All about her past ALL the time. I'm just kind of like, OKAY, that's great.. What's happening NOW? I found myself skipping entire paragraphs and pages just to get to what was happening in the present.

Also, I don't know if it's just me, but her writing style was hard for me to follow. I suppose it's a way of expressing the character's train of erratic thought, but it made me weary and just downright frustrated with the whole novel. It's also a little difficult to read a book with whole page paragraphs.

In my opinion, don't waste your time on this one.

After the impressive Tale of the Body Thief I wasn't sure what Anne would come up with next.
I literally tore through Memnoch in about three or four days.
What a story it is.
The imagery of the next world is nothing short of amazing.
The entire story between God and Memnoch is brilliant.
It really is a reflection of my own beliefs, is God really the good guy and the devil the bad guy.
What are their motives for doing what they're doing, and like Lestat, will we ever really be given the answers.
I find it strange that Rice has gone back to the church for answers, they never had the RIGHT answers for me.
Oh well, it's her life and her career and she is free to do as she pleases.
Besides, this really was the last great Vampire book she did.
The books after this? It seems she was losing interest in the whole story.
Then she started crossing the Vampire books with the Witches and the whole thing just got too..........messy.
As for Memnoch, easily the most brilliant of the Vampire books.
Interesting story, interesting characters.
A page turner from first to last page.
Highly recommended!!!

En realidad pienso que este libro vale mucho la pena, y la verdad el precio es increible en mexico este libro cuesta al rededor de $500 pesos asi que esta super barato.

This was so different from her other books, but in a delighfully dark and good way. You really get sucked into the storytelling and you envision Lestat and his journey. It is full of religious passages and undertones, yet, it doesn't derail you from the fact that you are reading a wonderful vampire novel. Its all quite interesting, even for someone who is not religious. It is most definetely a controversial book, no doubt, but I found it stunning and amazing. It gripped me from beginning to end. Every character is filled with flaw and its heartbreaking at times and always mesmerizing. I have read it 3 times already and I could read it another 3 without ever getting tired from it, there is always new secrets to discover. A must read.

Memnoch The Devil. Book #5 in the ever-growing series of The Vampire Chronicles. It is here however, that Rice introduces perhaps the most compelling character since Lestat...the devil himself!

For fans of the series, this is a tale of anguish unlike any other. This time, Lestat is caught having to make a choice; a choice of deciding where he stands in the battle between God and the devil. You see, they are not enemies, merely advesaries trying to prove to eachother that the other is right! Confused? Don't worry, once you begin reading, you'll get it.

Rice maintains the prose in which has made her a household name in the world of writing. Descriptions of the always visually impressive vampire world are once again at the forefront. However, Rice again ups her own anty as she brings the entire essence of the existence of an underworld into this one. Not just any underworld either, the devil's underworld! If you are familiar at all with the novel "Dante's Inferno" than you will feel right at home.

A very compelling novel (as always) that keeps the chronicles alive and will have you waiting for the next installment eagerly. The one question at the end you'll find is....when it comes to God and the Devil, what side will you be on? Lestat made the choice, now it's your turn!

The Angel Hunter
When Lestat is confronted by the devil and is told that he has an explanation for his actions and that God is the one with problem, I thought Anne Rice had backed herself into a corner that was impossible to write your way out of. But she did it! This book is dark and gruesome and well worth the read just for the dialogue between Lestat and Memnoch and how the author spins biblical lore in a new direction. The only drawback is the ending that is a bit deflating. I expected more of a revelation for Lestat and it never came. But, that's just me.