“Mister, we deal in lead.” Published in 2003, Wolves of the Calla is the fifth entry in Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, and the first entry in a trilogy that makes up its closing salvo.
Picking up not long after Wizard & Glass, Roland & company continue along the Path of the Beam, on their way to Thunderclap and beyond. Near the border, the Ka-tet find themselves in Calla Bryn Sturgis, a farming community similar to the Barony of Mejis. The Calla beseech the Gunslingers for aid, as once a generation Wolves descend upon them, kidnapping children for their masters in Thunderclap. A new ally also awaits them: Callahan, the priest from Salam’ Lot. While he has recovered somewhat from Barlow’s influence, he now possesses one piece of Maerlyn’s Rainbow, and he fears the dark power it possesses. Roland agrees to help the Calla and the priest, but the Tet is dealing with their own internal issues, as Susannah is pregnant with a demon baby—brought forth by her actions in The Waste Lands—and her fragile mind has brought forth another personality, Mia, who could birth at any time. To further complicate matters, The Rose is in danger, and the Tet must find a way to purchase the corner plot, lest it face the plow and the Tower falls.
Roland was inspired by Sergio Leone’s Dollar Trilogy, and King’s love of the genre continues, as Wolves is heavily influence by The Magnificent Seven. The basic plot is the same, with the action shifted to Mid-world and the Ka-tet replacing McQueen and company. King’s pop culture references continue with the title Wolves, as their design resembles Marvel’s Dr. Doom—a fact Eddie and Jake muse over—and their wield weapons similar to lightsabers. Meta to the audience, within the story’s world it is our first hint about what our heroes could expect in Thunderclap; if the Wolves’ masters can make fiction reality, what else can they pull out?
Being the first entry that King wrote following his near-fatal van accident, the prose style shifts slightly. While it pales in comparison to its immediate predecessor and Gunslinger Revised, it is still a page-turner, and I enjoyed it more during this second read through than I did when I read through the series for the first time in 2010. Amazing how years can advance one's perspective on art.
Like it’s predecessor’s, Wolves expands on Mid-world’s lore. Not only do we see how gunslingers behave when aiding people cold--but Roland is given an official title: dinh. It marks him both as the Tet’s leader and the last of Eld’s original line. Roland also muses on The Battle of Jericho hill, allowing the audience a deeper glimpse into the White’s final battle and the deaths of his old mates, Alain and Cuthbert. Without giving specifics away, their ends are fitting, especially given how Roland is when we first meet him. This entry also introduces Todash, a state of being where one is essentially in between levels of the tower. While they can’t directly interact with another level, individuals there sense their presence and they can view actions as they progress. Another nuance is added to the Tower Beams, as it is revealed that the Crimson King is attempting to destroy them with the aid of Breakers, humans with extraordinary psychic abilities. Not much is revealed about the Breakers, but their existence is connected to the raids.
Callahan’s introduction while odd felt natural. His ultimate fate in Salem’s Lot was fitting for his character arc, but compared to the others it felt open-ended. His new backstory continues off from that ending, explained to the audience in pieces over the course of several chapters. Not wanting to spoil everything, I’ll keep this brief: following his confrontation with Barlow, Callahan ended up in New York City. He made friends but discovered the blood transfer had left him with the ability to spot Vampires, a glow around the head being the giveaway. He began to kill them, an action that eventually attracted the attention of the Low-men, rat-like servants of the Crimson King first introduced in Hearts in Atlantis. While he evades them for a while, eventually Callahan is cornered and attempts suicide. Like Jake before him, death transports him into Roland’s world. While he no longer considers himself a priest, Callahan carries himself as one far better than he did in the Lot, although he does curse on occasion. His experiences have begun to restore his faith, but I wouldn’t put my money on him being a match for Barlow yet.
Another bend of Maerlyn’s Rainbow appears, one far more dangerous than the Grapefruit Roland and company encountered. Dark as a shadow, Black 13 is the last Bend numerically, and the most feared by those who believe the Eld Legends. Like Pink, it can send one’s mind Todash, although the sensation is much stronger. It can also open up tears in reality, allowing one to cross between levels of the Tower, into any when and where. While useful, it is costly, as one must contend with 13’s devious behavior and dark temperament. Eddie learns this firsthand, and it’s why Callahan wishes to be rid of the Bend. In a flashback, Randall Flagg handles the Bend in an offhand manner, as if its power were of no concern. While odd from most perspectives to a servant of the Crimson King—he who “rules” the Dark Tower—it is but a trinket.
Mia—Mother in the High Speech—is an interesting addition to the series. The previous two novels hinted that Susannah Dean was pregnant following her tussle with the Speaking Demon, so it becoming a major plot issue wasn’t a surprise. Susannah’s mental state is another matter. While some might label it a flaw, it works, especially once Detta Walker's cameos are factored in. The Drawing healed her, but the original damage remains, and the Demon seed took advantage. Mia isn’t written deeply, but she didn’t have to be. She is maternal instinct given form; her motivation and objective is clear. It’s her existence and its implications that provide drama.
Jake faces his own conundrum. Although he has been through much—two deaths and his sanity fracturing—causing him to grow mentally, he is still a child. As such, he approaches things with a mixed mindset. We see this contrast play out through his friendship with Benny Slightman the Younger. While he might be older than Jake, he is still innocent, as Mid-world has yet to jade his mindset. Jake’s problem arises when he begins to suspect someone in the Calla is a traitor. While this is important information—especially considering he possesses the Touch—Jake doesn’t wish to get anyone in trouble, in case the information is incorrect. He also doesn’t wish to go against Roland’s wishes, as it’ll thrust him into his manhood test.
In addition to the Wolves and his Tet problems, Roland has a physical ailment to deal with, although admittedly it comes out of nowhere. The Gunslinger is battling arthritis, what he refers to as The Dry Twist. It’s bad in his right hip, but he dreads the day when it reaches his left hand. While an out of left field development, it works and heightens the Gunslinger’s dilemma. Things were grave when the Lobstrocities crippled his dominate hand—although Eddie and Susannah have balanced things out—but if Roland’s off-hand stiffens, he’ll be unable to shoot; a demilitarized Gunslinger. The expression is old, but Roland is working on borrowed time, heightening the drama and Roland’s need to reach the Tower.
The Epilogue contains the novel’s largest, most divisive reveal: the introduction of Stephen King as a character. That’s right, King placed himself in his Magnum Opus. While it might seem self-indulgent, it makes sense in a weird way. There are different planes of existence, one for each level of the tower. Who’s to say King cannot exist in one—preferably the bottom level. Plus, a previous entry hinted at King’s existence, as Eddie compared something he saw to a scene from Kubrick’s adaptation of the Shinning. We still have two novels to traverse through so this element will be expanded upon.
King dedicated the novel to Frank Muller, the actor who recorded the audiobooks for the first four novels. King listened to all four during the pre-writing stage, to reacquaint himself with the world and get in the right mindset. Muller was set to record Wolves’ audiobook too but suffered a tragic motorcycle accident before work began. King organized a fund for Muller’s medical expenses, donating profits from the audiobook’s sale. He sadly passed away in 2008.
While not perfect, Wolves of the Calla is a decent addition to the Dark Tower series. It advances the plot, expands the mythos and sprinkles in the right amount of drama as the endgame nears. Commala come-ka; The Rose calls, and the Crimson King advances, with the Eld to meet him.
