Following The Gunslinger, continues the Dark Tower series and the quest of Roland of Gilead as he attempts to reach the fabled Dark Tower. After being seriously injured by a giant lobster-like creature, Roland must attempt to make his way across the desolate landscape of the Mid-World. As he continues his trek, sick and injured, he encounters three doors. Like a psychotic Alice in Wonderland, Roland must pass through each of the doors in order to complete the quest that lies before him in Drawing of the Three.
In what would be a drug-induced meeting of the Fellowship at Rivendell, Roland brings three characters from the doors before him. Only two are companions. The other quickly becomes an adversary of Roland.
The first door leads Roland into the “real world” of 1987 and reveals a drug trafficker by the name of Eddie. Feeling that he has reached a dead end within his own life, Eddie follows Roland into the confusing world of the Dark Tower.
Venturing into the second door and into the year 1964, Roland encounters Odetta Holmes. After a nasty run-in with a subway, Odetta was left legless. Compound this with a violent head injury causing Odetta to suffer from dissociative identity disorder and Odetta makes for a volatile companion to Roland and Eddie.
The third door leads to the year 1977 and brings about a new adversary for Roland and his companions, Jack Mort. Jack Mort is, among many things, a murderer. Not only does he have a taste for murder, but has also caused many accidents including Odetta’s nasty subway accident.
With the three newcomers now a part of the altered landscape that seems vastly different than the one they knew before, an explosive climax is soon on the horizon as a confrontation ensues between Roland and Jack, which will lead into the Wastelands and the third book in the series, aptly titled, The Wastelands.
Readers hoping to dive right in and start with will most likely find themselves lost and confused. Without a doubt, readers will have to start with The Gunslinger, the first book in the Dark Tower series. While The Gunslinger introduced the location of the Dark Tower series, The Drawing of the Three introduces us to characters who will remain pivotal throughout the series and, as such, is a critical installment in the series.
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