They’re back—almost.

Sure, Stephen King manages to insert his Dark Tower oriented multiverse into most of the novels he writes, but this one’s different. In the introduction, King suggests shelving it between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla. This is Dark Tower 4.5.

The structure of this book is interesting. It’s a story within a story within a story with connections (beyond the obvious) between the narrative levels. The framing narrative is a violent storm that traps Roland and his crew for a while. During the storm, Roland told a story about his younger days. In those younger days, Roland told a story which forms the heart of the book.

The central story is the best. It’s a coming of age tale about a boy who bests a familiar enemy. The middle story is feels too contrived and predictable. The outside narrative is just there to make this an official Dark Tower volume.

I enjoyed the story. Anyone who has read the 7 Dark Tower volumes will want to pick this one up. It just feels like a bit of a let-down that Roland’s current ka-tet wasn’t called into action.

King, Stephen. The Wind Through the Keyhole: A Dark Tower Novel. Simon and Schuster, 2012.