Wolves of the Calla

Dark Tower V

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 26 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Roland Deschain and his ka-tet are bearing southeast through the forests of Mid-World, the almost timeless landscape that seems to stretch from the wreckage of civility that defined Roland's youth to the crimson chaos that seems the future's only promise. Followers of Stephen King's epic series know Roland well, or as well as this enigmatic hero can be known. They also know the companions who have been drawn to his quest for the Dark Tower: Eddie Dean and his wife, Susannah; Jake Chambers, the boy who has come twice through the doorway of death into Roland's world; and Oy, the Billy Bumbler.

In this long-awaited fifth novel in the saga, their path takes them to the outskirts of Calla Bryn Sturgis, a tranquil valley community of farmers and ranchers on Mid-World's borderlands. Beyond the town, the rocky ground rises toward the hulking darkness of Thunderclap, the source of a terrible affliction that is slowly stealing the community's soul. One of the town's residents is Pere Callahan, a ruined priest who, like Susannah, Eddie and Jake, passed through one of the portals that lead both into and out of Roland's world.

As Father Callahan tells the ka-tet the astonishing story of what happened following his shamed departure from Maine in 1977, his connection to the Dark Tower becomes clear, as does the danger facing a single red rose in a vacant lot off Second Avenue in midtown Manhattan. For Calla Bryn Sturgis, danger gathers in the east like a storm cloud. The Wolves of Thunderclap and their unspeakable depredation are coming. To resist them is to risk all, but these are odds the gunslingers are used to, and they can give the Calla folken both courage and cunning. Their guns, however, will not be enough.

Set in a world of extraordinary circumstances, filled with stunning visual imagery and unforgettable characters, The Dark Tower series is unlike anything you've ever heard. Here is Stephen King's most visionary piece of storytelling, a magical mix of fantasy and horror that may well be his crowning achievement. Don't miss the other volumes of Stephen King's The Dark Tower.

©2003 Stephen King (P)2003 Simon & Schuster, Inc., All Rights Reserved, Audioworks is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Gonna be a humdinger of a fight! Fore and aft of the showdown, King stuffs the book with juice...One of the greatest cavalcades in popular fiction is back on track." (Booklist)
"The high suspense and extensive character development here...plus the enormity of King's ever-expanding universe, will surely keep his 'Constant Readers' in awe." (Publishers Weekly)

Such a great book and series.

The story of this ka tet and Mid World is so compelling, I can never get enough of King's work and this series is top notch. Maybe his best yet. 11/11, would recomend.

A true stew of a book.

This addition in the Dark Tower series, an almost mundane Western, is rescued with the infusion of all things Midworld. Following Roland and his Ka Tet, among the path of the beam is fully emerging, and will leave the listener with baited breath. This is a great listen.

this one was difficult...

this one was a difficult read for me. i had to start and stop and start again. its the way of things sometimes. but finally after pushing through, its definitely one of my favorites. thank you mr king, thank you.

Calla come camala

The way King insinuates elements of his universe throughout his works is rarely found in other fictional works where they seem disconnected (not belonging to the same universe)

I find it to be a refreshing take on Fantasy and literature in general a gust of fresh air.

Thank you king🫂

Overall Awesome but took a a minute

Ok. With the reader change it really took a few chapters to vibe with voice telling the story. I was so used to the previous reader, that I had to cleanse my mind of previous voices. The story overcame it, and was excellent, but if you are not ready it is a little off putting.

Awesome

Steven King has the imagination to make other worlds come to life for readers of all ages

Ka-tet

Wolves of the Calla is a great edition to The Dark Tower series. Stephen King’s body of work is amazing!

Fantastic

This series just keeps getting better and better. Once you start it's almost impossible to turn it off.

Frank Muller is Sorely Missed

I agree with an earlier reviewer who stated that the books in this series keep getting better. I found the first one, The Gunslinger, merely average, but am very glad that I stuck it out through books 2, 3, 4, and now 5. I feel fortunate that I came to the series late, in fact only when they emerged on audiobook, because I was able to emerse myself in the whole series to date - over the course of three month's listening. Frank Muller's narration felt a little over the top at first (in the Gunslinger) but I soon warmed to it, and then grew to love it. That must be why this volume, the first that was not voiced by Muller, felt lacking at first. The characters all spoke differently, of course, and that felt like the sequel to a great film in which a new lead actor replaces the one who made the role famous (Hannibal comes to mind), but by hour 6 or 7 - I was back onboard.

All and all - a great read.

Great story, but buy the book

This is a great story, but if you have read the books and not listened to the audiobooks upto this point, then I recommend you continue in the same fashion. I read the previous books and then thought I would listen to this one, but the voice only ruined the engraved perceptions I had of every character. The narrator's voice does not suit the characters well at all. Luckily, my friend bought the book and halfway through listening I started reading instead and then I began to like the characters again. Besides, there are pictures in the book which don't exist in the audio version. I love audiobooks, but I recommend you stick with the regular version of this book.