The companions are nearing Endworld and have reached a rural peasant village named Calla Bryn Sturgis. Callas is haunted; every generation or so, immortal beings in wolf masks raid the village to abduct some of its children. The children are later returned, but “roont” as they call it – they have been stricken with horrific diseases and are growing so fast that you can hear the bones stretch, only to die early and painfully.
Roland and his friends promise to put a stop these so-called wolves, which are expected to return within a month. The villagers are hesitant, because should they fail, the wolves will punish them, burn their houses to the ground and take all their children. Slowly but certainly Roland persuades the villagers to join him, but among them is a traitor. Finding out the traitor turns out to be a no less demanding task than stopping the wolves.
Parts of the story are a bit slow, even if it the novel as a whole is exciting. Somehow it seems to drift too far outside of the main storyline and feels by and large unnecessary to complete the journey to the dark tower. There’s an overall impression the story has escalated beyond a point where King no longer drives the plot forward.
This might sound disastrous but it really isn’t. The story in itself is interesting even if it takes a detour around the central plot – it stands on its own with a vivid and compelling story.
Tags: Stephen King, The Dark Tower