Nerds That Geek Book Review - 'The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

I have always loved the type of story where everything is on the line. Where the stakes are high and the characters are forced to give their absolute best. As a reader, it gives you two incredible things. For one, it leaves you firmly glued to the story, where you simply have to know what happens next. Past that, it completely draws you in. You are in that world, and your heart beats in line with the characters.  

It is those kinds of stories where you put the book down once you have reached the end and take a deep breath, because you have returned to the safety of reality, yet at the same time you realize that have gone through a once in a lifetime experience. It is that kind of writing and storytelling that one finds when they pick up the sixth chapter in The Dark Tower series, Song of Susannah.

Following the events of Wolves of the Calla the demon named Mia has taken control of Susannah and takes her body through the doorway, arriving on the Earth we call home in 1999. Here she reveals that the baby within her is the son of Roland, since the same demon that Susannah seduced, also seduced Roland in another time and place. This child serves great purpose to the Crimson King, the current ruler of the Tower, and through a deal with the Man in Black, she will be allowed to raise the child. As Susannah/Mia waits for this abomination to arrive, the ka-tet goes through the doorway as well and are sent to our world, but are split up into different time frames. Father Callahan and Jake arrive in 1999 and Roland and Eddie arrive in 1977. Both groups are on a specific mission. Callahan and Jake are preparing to deal with the mess involving Susannah/Mia, while Roland and Eddie work to save the rose in New York and along the way meet a writer named Stephen King whose story about a distant Tower may be instrumental to finishing their own quest.  

So, when this book first came out, there was immediate question as to how Stephen King would make a cameo in his own work and well the whole notion seemed pretty meta until I picked up the book. It turns out King's ‘role’ in the book is actually quite integral to the story, specifically the parts as to where he debated not finishing The Dark Tower story and how he proves to be more of a vessel for the tale rather than an architect. After all, there was worry from us fans that the story would never be complete as is and well...by making himself a pawn of the Tower in no way draws the attention to him. If anything, it continues to build the powerful story that manages to weave together all of King's work.  

But, that aside, this book clearly is the setup for the grand finale, and it is packed to the gills with tense moments and for the first time ever there is a powerful sense of urgency to the story. Every page builds incredible tension as the stakes continue to get higher and you start to feel real danger for the characters and that happens to draw you in further. In fact, this one did such a great job of drawing me in that I finished it in three days and like the other books in the series, I've re-read it countless times. Either way, some may not enjoy the fact that this book is about so much setup, but it's all necessary. The whole plot piece of baby Mordred Deschain preparing to be born is fascinating to say the least and I like the fact that the book leaves us on a cliffhanger. It makes the danger all the more real and makes the final entry in the series worth the wait.

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