Stephen King has made a world in "The Dark Tower" franchise where it seems like anything can happen. It's a fantasy-western story that crosses all times and references in a way that's dizzying and time consuming. It's the biggest appeal to the stories, which ended its third entry on a very odd cliffhanger. Roland and the gang was riding Blane the Mono towards the titular tower, but needed to come up with a riddle to escape its ride into the abyss. That's where "Wizard and Glass," the fourth book, begins. By the end, the story doesn't venture more than a few days later, but covers a grander story that's unlike most of what came before. It's a story about Roland's past, featuring a ka-tet that helped to shape the lone ranger that is at the center of this saga. In some ways, it's a detour that helps to shape character, but it also detours from the appealing central cast that has shaped the last two books' energy. It's a bit of a lag, but it's still pretty good.
