I began to read this series about eight years ago, I think. The fourth book, Wizard and Glass, was newly released in paperback, at any rate, so I assume that was sometime in 1998. I flew through the first four books in the course of a month or so.

Then I stopped reading them. Oh, I meant to get back to them, really I did. I just didn't. This year, however, I read the last three books, beginning in May. I finished the last book about 15 minutes ago.

I can't say that I expected the strange turn that the last two books took, since blatant self-insertion seems to be a trick more of fan fiction than actual published work, but it sort of worked. It is very strange, but it has a certain rightness about it, given especially that King makes it a point to cameo in nearly every adaptation of his works too.

Beyond that, I'm not terribly shocked by the ending. A bit disappointed about what happened to Jake and Oy, but not surprised. A wheel, such a symbol throughout the whole series, is nought but a circle, so it makes sense...

I guess I'm glad I picked the series back up, but endings of a series like this are always something of a let down. A lot of the time I don't finish a series for that very reason - I can't bear to see how it all turned out at the end. I'm working on that, though.

Now that I've finished reading this series, my goal for the summer is 1/3 complete: the goal being to finish three series - the Dark Tower,  Crown of Stars and The Young Wizards. I have one more book in the Crown of Stars, and 1.75 more books in the Young Wizards. Although to be honest, I haven't read enough spoilers to know for certain yet if YW is actually a completed series now. I believe it is, though. I think I can manage to finish those three remaining books by mid-September, but we shall see.

I'm only up to 30 books read for the year to date, which is a bit disappointing. I finished the 50 book challenge with only 2 books over last year and had better hopes for this year, but I'm only up one book from this time last year. Ah well.

I need to study some first person POV books this summer too, to see how other authors handle the beginnings and endings of chapters. Transitions are never easy, and I'm worried about some of mine.