Review: Song of Susannah by Stephen King

Title:Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6)

Author:  Stephen King
Format: Kindle
Genre: Fantasy
Source: personal copy
Published:   May 23rd 2006 by Pocket
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

 From Goodreads.com

The next-to-last novel in Stephen King's seven-volume magnum opus, Song of Susannah is at once a book of revelation, a fascinating key to the unfolding mystery of the Dark Tower, and a fast-paced story of double-barreled suspense.
To give birth to her "chap," demon-mother Mia has usurped the body of Susannah Dean and used the power of Black Thirteen to transport to New York City in the summer of 1999. The city is strange to Susannah...and terrifying to the "daughter of none," who shares her body and mind.
Saving the Tower depends not only on rescuing Susannah but also on securing the vacant lot Calvin Tower owns before he loses it to the Sombra Corporation. Enlisting the aid of Manni senders, the remaining katet climbs to the Doorway Cave...and discovers that magic has its own mind. It falls to the boy, the billy-bumbler, and the fallen priest to find Susannah-Mia, who, in a struggle to cope — with each other and with an alien environment — "go todash" to Castle Discordia on the border of End-World. In that forsaken place, Mia reveals her origins, her purpose, and her fierce desire to mother whatever creature the two of them have carried to term.
Eddie and Roland, meanwhile, tumble into western Maine in the summer of 1977, a world that should be idyllic but isn't. For one thing, it is real, and the bullets are flying. For another, it is inhabited by the author of a novel called 'Salem's Lot, a writer who turns out to be as shocked by them as they are by him.
These are the simple vectors of a story rich incomplexity and conflict. Its dual climaxes, one at the entrance to a deadly dining establishment and the other appended to the pages of a writer's journal, will leave readers gasping for the saga's final volume (which, Dear Reader, follows soon, say thank ya).

 I found that I loved this book for many of the same reasons other reviewers said they didn't like this book.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Susannah and her "personalities". I had resisted liking her character throughout the series, but I found in this book I finally felt the connection I had been looking for. Her story was great, it's difficult for me to really vocalize what I loved about her without giving away too many spoilers. But I think King threw some great twists in her story.

I was disappointed that we didn't get to spend much time with Jake, Oy and Pere Callahan. However that disappointment was eased with the adventures of Eddie and Roland. I cannot say enough how much I enjoy 'watching' Roland stumble through "our world"! I think his character is so perfectly written.

Many reviews I read were disappointed with King for one of the more narcissistic things I've seen in writing. While I agree that he was more than a bit self-indulgent, I loved it. It worked well and it was a bit of a twist that I hadn't expected.

In the end, I loved this book and immediately picked up the next (The Dark Tower).