It’s time for the lady of shadows (if you remember The Drawing of the Three) to take centre stage. Her story begins immediately after the showdown in the Calla and takes us back New York-side.

The theme of twins and duality that have been explored throughout the Dark Tower series are foregrounded in The Song of Susannah. The woman who was brought into mid-world as two, is two again as Mia—daughter of none, mother of one—wrestles for control. The tension of this book is maintained throughout by the painful fact of her chap’s impending birth.

It’s unusual to read such a small book in the middle of this series. At about 400 pages, it’s half the length of the volumes that precede and follow it. However, the whole series reads more like one lengthy novel split over seven volumes than stand-alone books. It would have made just as much sense to split the final volume of The Dark Tower into two separate books.

The Song of Susannah is a fitting way to set up the final volume. Bring on The Dark Tower!

Here’s what I thought of Song of Susannahback on August 20, 2005 when I first read it:

This looks like a half volume compared to the rest, but there were really good scenes and revelations in it. Roland and Eddie’s shoutout, Jake’s freak-out on the cabbie, the whole Dogan idea … One to go.

King, Stephen. The Dark Tower VI: The Song of Susannah. Narrated by George Guidall. Audiobook ed., unabridged, Simon and Schuster Audio, 2004.