Book Review: Wolves of the Calla

WOLVES OF THE CALLA | Stephen King
(The Dark Tower #5)
2017 | Scribner
Rating: 4/5 stars

Warning: Potential spoilers ahead

In the fifth installment of The Dark Tower, Roland Deschain and his ka-tet have found themselves in a town called Calla Bryn Sturgis, a peaceful valley community of farmers and ranchers located on Mid-World’s borderlands. Just beyond the town is the Thunderclap. This land of darkness is home to a group known as the Wolves, who plot to bring pain and sadness on Calla Bryn Sturgis. Resistance could mean death, but that’s what a gunslinger is meant to risk. Our ka-tet must find a way to stop the Wolves and embrace this new land.

King has found a way to bring The Dark Tower back into my good graces after the disaster I had while reading WIZARD AND GLASS. Immediately when picking up WOLVES OF THE CALLA I felt something different and refreshing. I was pleased to be back with the ka-tet and join them in a small town that is nothing short of quirky.

After reading countless titles by King I have come to realize that he truly has a knack for writing about small towns, be it Derry, Castle Rock, or Calla Bryn Sturgis. King brings the town to life by giving the reader the chance to learn about and bond with various residents. The addition of having a larger role for town folk allows the reader to immerse themselves in the town. I could feel Calla Bryn Sturgis in this book and understand the community’s fears. 

WOLVES OF THE CALLA utilized multiple storylines in order to weave a larger adventure for our beloved ka-tet. Without giving anything away, I’ll say that I loved being to travel to other places, being reunited with a character from another King work, and the ability to see a path into the next book. The way that King left this story made me excited for the next installment and eager to see what would happen next for the ka-tet because of the setup within WOLVES. 

My favorite part of WOLVES OF THE CALLA was the ability to see each member of the ka-tet have a moment to shine. I felt so much character growth happened within this story and not a moment of it felt forced. I have grown to enjoy these characters over the course of the previous books, but there was something about seeing each of them embrace their strengths and weaknesses within WOLVES that made me truly love them.

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.