Page Count:  931

Author:  Stephen King

Publisher:  Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster, Inc.

ISBN:  1-4165-1693-X

Category:  Fiction

Genre:  Drama/Sci-Fi

Dove's (Personal) Review:  I'm sticking to the same format for this book.... instead of a review, I'm posting a "Summary of Events". Which means, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK YET BUT PLAN TO AT SOME POINT IN YOUR LIFE, DON'T READ ANY FURTHER BECAUSE THIS WILL SPOIL EVERYTHING FOR YOU....
     This book is over 900 pages, but I'm gonna try to keep this "summary" as brief as possible. A lot of good stuff happens in this one, and I don't want to give too much of it away, but the basic story-line goes something like this...

- "Wolves of the Calla" begins in the town of Calla Bryn Sturgis. In the prologue we learn that the residents of Calla Bryn Sturgis are terrorized every 23 or 24 years by creatures resembling wolves. These are not normal, four-legged wolves though. These are more like wolf-men that walk on two feet, and ride horses. The wolves come to town every quarter-century (from Thunderclap) and take all the twin children away. When the children are returned, they're referred to as "roonts," which means they are now "mentally challenged" giants good for not much more than plowing fields.
- In the prologue we also meet Father Callahan (from SK's 'Salem's Lot). He's an interesting character in this book, but I think his role is going to be more important in the next book, Song of Susannah. In this one, we learn how he came to Calla Bryn Sturgis, and how he built his Church here, trying to convince people to believe in the "Man Jesus." It's "interesting," but it doesn't add much to this particular story. Although, at the very end, his role becomes a bit more pronounced, but I'll get to that...
- Roland, Susannah, Eddie, Jake, and Oy and following the beam, just minding their own business, when all of a sudden they're approached by Father Callahan. Callahan knows they're gunslingers, and hopes the ka-tet will help them with their wolf problem.
- The ka-tet needs help also. They've run into a small problem. They need money to purchase the empty lot where the single rose grows in order to protect it... but, they have no way to get back to the New York of Jake's "when." Roland explains their situation to the priest, hoping to trade services. They'll help with the wolves, if the people of Calla Bryn Sturgis will help them get back to New York.
- Callahan knows just the folks that can help. The Manni (a very wise group in town, known as "great travelers") have knowledge about Black Thirteen, the one remaining crystal ball in Maerlyn's Rainbow. Black Thirteen is very powerful, very evil.... and it just so happens Father Callahan has the ball hidden in the floor-boards of his church. He has the ball, the Manni know how to use it. Roland and Callahan agree to help each other out of their current predicaments.
- A Town Meeting is held in order to introduce the folken to the gunslingers... and to explain how the gunslingers aim to help them with protecting their children from the wolves.
- Susannah's pregnancy becomes "public knowledge" within the ka-tet, but they all agree that it's better to hide this fact from the folken. They don't want the townfolk to know that one of the gunslingers is pregnant with a demon. That probably wouldn't be a good thing.
- Jake finds a friend named Benny. They hit it off immediately, and have lots of fun camping, riding horses, exploring, and jumping out of barn lofts into piles of hay.
- Roland, Eddie, and Susannah pick certain individuals out of the folken to help them fight against the wolves... and some training begins. Susannah learns how to throw "plates," and the folken learn a little more about guns... while Roland and Eddie are instructed on how to use bahs.
- While all this is going on the ka-tet also make a small discovery. The number nineteen seems to be turning up all over the place. They don't know why, but they believe it to be significant somehow.
- The Manni tells the ka-tet how to use Black Thirteen as a door. They have to take it up into the hills, into a cave they've named "The Doorway Cave." In this cave, there is a door (similar to the ones that Roland found on the beach in "The Drawing of the Three"). When the box containing Black Thirteen is in the cave, and opened up, the power of the ball opens the door. All they have to do is concentrate on where they want to go, and the door will open to their mind's destination.
- The first to go through the door is Eddie. He decides to visit Calvin Tower (the owner of the bookstore next door to the vacant lot where the rose grows). Calvin is the current owner of the lot, and Eddie needs to convince Calvin to sell the lot to them so they can protect the rose. In the process, Calvin gives Eddie a bookcase full of very valuable books. He wants Eddie to take the bookcase to Calla Bryn Sturgis to keep the books safe. Eddie agrees, and the deal is made. Calvin sells the lot to the ka-tet, and the ka-tet have the books in Calla. Calvin then flees to a little town in Maine with his friend (Deepneau) so they won't be killed for selling the vacant lot.
- The "war plans" are completed for when the wolves come. Along the way, the ka-tet find out that there's two spies among them, who have been passing on info to the wolves all along. The spies are rooted out, and one of them is disposed of right away. The other will have to wait until the time is right.
- The wolves come. By the time they get to Calla, all the children are hidden safely away, and the battle begins. The second spy "comes clean" admitting his guilt to Roland. Roland deals with him the only way he knows how... with patience first, and promised vengeance later if the spy doesn't behave himself from now on. The wolves don't stand a chance. They're ambushed as soon as they come into town, every last one of them being killed. The children of Calla Bryn Sturgis are safe now! No more roonts will be made!
- The only two townfolks lost in the battle are Benny (Jake's friend), and Margaret, one of the plate-throwing wives.
- There's a brief victory celebration on the battle-field, but it's interrupted when the ka-tet realizes Susannah is missing. Immediately they suspect she's gone off to deliver the chap (the baby) in secret. Eddie is beside himself in grief. They have to find her!!!
- They climb up to the Doorway Cave, and right away they realize that Susannah has taken Black Thirteen through the door with her. They have no way to get the door open now. There's no way for them to find her. They have no idea where she's gone to have the demon-child. Eddie is practically hysterical. THEY HAVE TO FIND HER!
-While in the cave, Roland pulls a book off the shelves given to them by Calvin.... he gives it to Father Callahan. Callahan is SHOCKED when he reads the back of the book. It's his story. It's a book written by some guy named Stephen King, entitled 'Salems Lot. Callahan can't believe what he's holding. He can't digest the fact that a book - an actual novel - was written about him and his time in Jerusalem's Lot with the vampires. He just can't understand how this is possible.
- Eddie begs Roland to help him find Susannah. "We must! Please! We've got to get to her before she has the baby. The demon-child will kill her. I need to find my wife!"
- Still squatting in the darkness of the cave, Roland says, "Yes. We go. Yes!"
- The book ends here, but the story continues in book six, Song of Susannah.

     "Wolves of the Calla" kicked ass! This is one of most fast-paced "thrillers" I've ever read. Yeah, I know, "thriller" isn't the right genre, but - whatever - it was a thrilling book to read! When I came to the part about the "spies" - and finally realized who they were - I was reeling in my seat as I read! What a shocker!!!
     And, I gotta tell ya, I got a HUGE kick out of the whole Father Callahan/Salem's Lot thing at the end. Immediately, Calvin and Deepneau fleeing to Maine came to mind. I wonder if Father Callahan will be battling more vampires (or perhaps Randall Flagg) in Salem's Lot once again in book six?!?!? I was curious about this, so I pulled "Song of Susannah" off my bookshelf and read the back of it. This is what it says...

"Susannah Dean is possessed, her body a living vessel for the demon-mother Mia. Something is growing inside Susannah's belly, something terrible, and soon she will give birth to Mia's "chap." But three unlikely allies are following them from New York City to the border of End World, hoping to prevent the unthinkable. Meanwhile, Eddie and Roland have tumbled into the state of Maine -- where the author of a novel called 'Salem's Lot is about to meet his destiny..."