The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King, featuring the 7 volumes:

I. The Gunslinger
II. The Drawing of the Three
III. The Waste Lands
IV. Wizard and Glass
V. Wolves of the Calla
VI. Song of Susannah
VII. The Dark Tower

As reading durations go, finishing King's series was a long time coming. I make it about 2 years since I picked up Gunslinger to the day I finished The Dark Tower, being a couple of days ago.

I won't go too much into the plot; excellent synopsis and information about the series are available here and here.

Widely recognised by the majority as King's epic series, what's less known about it is that King started this magnum opus at the age of 19 and finished it 22 years later -- almost the length of the entire writing career!

Personally, I think the entire series is a reflection of how his writing style and capabilities as a skilled writer has evolved. When I first started on (I), the storyline was simple enough, focusing on Roland Deschain and the pursuit of his enemy. Roland's ultimate quest is to see the Dark Tower (what he actually wants to do when he gets there, he doesn't know).

Along the way, "ka", the concept of destiny is introduced, and "ka-tet" - the band of gunslingers that Roland plucks from different points in history and is in a way the apotheosis of all the gunslingers that have died before them in Roland's quest for the Dark Tower - is formed. The "ka-tet" in its current manifestation comprises: Jake, Susannah, Eddie and Oy.

The concept of parallel worlds, and the one true world is also introduced further in the series. King's skill in pulling together the threads of this various worlds, and interweaving real-life instances of history into the account adds verisimilitude to a fantasy world that is gritty and takes no survivors (leastwise the faint-hearted). The many parallel worlds become battlegrounds for these gunslingers to take on the enemies that the Crimson King has sent, in his bid to stop Roland from reaching the Dark Tower and putting a stop to his destruction of the world.

By the time I got to (VII), I couldn't wait to get to the ending to see if Roland eventually fulfils his quest, that was how hooked I was on this series.

Complex, absorbing and totally satisfying, those are the few words I have to describe the book.

Geek rating: 4 out of 5.