Type of read: Lunch/Weekend/Commuter Read

What made me pick it up: Stephen King is a regular on my TBR and it's always been a goal of mine to read The Dark Tower series in completion.

Overall rating: I very much appreciate that each book in the series has had a bit of a recap at the beginning. It's nice to get the refresher and be in the right mindset as you dive back into the world of Roland. I will also always be thankful for the very clear section and chapter marks in King's books. 'Wizard and Glass' includes multiple POVs, and it can get tricky to keep everything straight, but if you think of it less as one big book and more like all the little stories that go into an adventure, it's helpful (at least it is for me). As far as the actual book content goes I absolutely LOVE that we are finally getting a closer look at the man who brings this entire ka'tet together. The fact that we get a whole section with Young Roland is perfection.

If you ever want the perfect example of why King is a master at his craft, it's 'Wizard and Glass.' Not only do you get what you would expect - gore, grit, otherworldly scenes and characters - but the way that King writes about Roland and Susan is absolute brilliance.

The way he tells their story of love perfectly illustrates the connection, the wanting and needing, the panic of being found out; everything hits you right in the gut.

So far, getting into 'The Dark Tower' series has been a slow burn for me. It's King, so I knew that it would be worth the wait, but 'Wizard and Glass' definitely helped to bring on the excitement, give a bit more of the needed backstory, and absolutely get me wanting more.

Reader's Note: If you're familiar with King's writing, 'Wizard and Glass' is very much in his normal vein of vulgarity, including death, gore, and sexual scenes. I read this as both a paperback and audio (to get some reading done at work and while working on some embroidery projects) and I would be completely remiss if I didn't mention how absolutely fabulous of a narrator Frank Muller is. They continually bring 'The Dark Tower' series to life in a way like none other.