I'm not going to sugarcoat things: we shit on this book kind of a lot this episode. Look, we're not saying it's a bad book. We're not even saying that we aren't enjoying it, in our way. What we're saying is that King set a certain standard a couple books ago, and we're seeing a drop in overall focus and a strange preoccupation with language/worldbuilding that feels really out of place this late in the game. Miles and I are each able to cite more than one moment in this trio of chapters where a new word is trotted out with no explanation or setup, and treated as if it has always existed and been used by our characters, which is not only untrue but frankly baffling. That combined with his own lampshading of deus ex machina and then his casually mentioning that the Crimson King is prisoner somewhere all combine to make me feel like I'm being fucked with in some way. And don't even get me started on Susannah not telling our people that she heard Stephen King got killed, because I am about to go off about that. Anyway, as I say at the end of the episode, I am really curious to hear how you all felt at this point in the story. Were you frustrated? Let me know!Artwork:https://www.deviantart.com/art/Mordred-434778455

The Dark Tower: Part 1- Chapter 7, Part II- Chapter 1 & 2

Natasha and Miles cover The Dark Tower! Natasha has never read the series and Miles has read the first 5. Buckle up as we begin our journey, a few chapters at a time!

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First, check out our sponsor for this episode, the TRAPP Society's upcoming special project set in the world of the Dark Tower. It takes place between books six and seven, and aims to correct some of King's more egregious indulgences. The characters include a survivor of Jericho Hill, the High Wizard of Brooklyn, a shapeshifting badass from Dungeons and Dragons, and so much more. The show isn't available just yet, but head to the Shattered Worlds RPG podcast feed to hear the first hour of your newest podcast obsession. shatteredworlds.libsyn.comI can't believe how long we've been doing this series, but damn this feels like it's been going on all my adult life. And now it's over, and I'm left with so many questions and so many moments that I want to know more about or still don't completely understand, as I'm sure many of you also felt when the series ended. Miles and I spend this last episode answering questions submitted on Facebook, Twitter, and email from all of you, asking us everything from how we'd rank the books in order of favorite to least, who we would have killed off and why, which characters we want to know more about or see in the story more, and all kinds of other things. We had a really good time chatting about the series as a whole, and we discuss the fact that Miles came into the recordings unsullied with knowledge of how it all ends. Thank you all so much for listening, for leaving reviews, for submitting questions, and we wish you all long days and pleasant nights. Toodaloo, mothafuckas. Artwork Credit: https://www.deviantart.com/25kartinok/art/Susanna-704021520

The Dark Tower Finale Wrap-Up

Listeners, this is it! It's time for the very last chapter of coverage of The Dark Tower series, which will be followed up by one more episode of discussion before we wrap on this podcast feed altogether. It's truly the end of an era. The ending to this book was rather surprising, because I expected the Skin Man to be someone we had already met and instead it's someone that doesn't really mean anything to us. Of course, when he transforms in front of them we get to see King's writing shine, because man does he write horror well. So I think I will forgive him. The thing that I'm feeling the most ambivalent about it the whole thing with Roland's mother. I would be interested to hear what you folks think about my and Miles's theories, and whom you agree with. I didn't think about it the way Miles did at all, but for all I know, he may be right. Thank you all so much for sticking with us as we made our way down this twisting road, and we will see you next week with the final episode.

Wind Through The Keyhole- Skin Man (Part 2) & Epilogue

Hi there you beauties! Miles and I are here with the second-to-last episode of Wind Through The Keyhole, and I'm delighted to inform you that, despite some quibbles about the fact that the Red King has a cameo in this story, I really liked it. Tim Ross carries on past the small community of swamp people, sure that he will be returning this way and that he can repay the kindness they've shown him. They know differently because they're aware the Starkblast is coming, so it's actually kind of heart wrenching to watch him say goodbye. And on top of that, we find out later that the dragon also died, which just seems unfair. The Starkblast is a bastard.Once Tim reaches his destination he has to screw up his courage again to face down an enormous tiger, which it turns out later is totally harmless, and they snuggle down to wait out the storm under the protection of a magical bedsheet, which later carries Tim home again with his bottle of potion to cure his mother. The story does have a rather brutal ending, because Big Kells has come wandering back and cut the Widow Smack's throat while she was sleeping by the fire, but Tim's restored mother sinks her late husband's axe into Kells' head, and we all lived happily ever after. It's overall a pretty satisfying story, but like I said, the mentions of the Red King being trapped on a balcony of the Tower, and of Aslan being in charge of one of the Beams, were really distracting. Whaddayagonnado. They didn't ruin it, just made me stop and say, "Wait, what?" Thanks so much for listening! See you next week!

Wind Through The Keyhole, Part 3- Wind Through The Keyhole, Part 2

I love titling these fucking episodes. What an unholy disaster. So this episode was intended to cover the entire 'Wind Through The Keyhole' section, but it turns out that's way too much reading for one day, and also this episode is over an hour so it seems like Miles and I were not suffering for things to talk about even with just half the story. So I figure y'all can just forgive us. I'm always on board with weird fairytales and folk-tales, so this was right in my wheelhouse. Villages that need to worry about dragons? Yes please. Villages that THINK they need to worry about dragons because someone is a con artist, but then it turns out there is actually a dragon out there? EVEN YESSER PLEASE. I really hope you enjoy this episode, and we will see you soon with the second half of the story!

Wind Through The Keyhole- Part 3, Wind Through The Keyhole- Part 1

Hey there, constant readers! Miles and I continue our journey through the final novel of the series, and I find that nothing is what I expected. I mean, who knew we'd basically be fighting werewolves this time?The whole deal in this section was very out of left field, but I actually really enjoyed it. I'm very on-board with seeing some of the set-up in Roland's life for the man that we came to know in the main series, and I'm really excited that there's a mystery afoot. That's not to say that there aren't some bizarre and distracting King-isms in this section because trust me, there are. But I'm more willing to tolerate them because we've got (to an extent) a clean slate in this part of the story. So who is the Skin Man? My money is on Everlynn. That's all I'm sayin. Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you soon with the section titled Wind Through The Keyhole!

The Dark Tower: Part 1- Chapter 7, Part II- Chapter 1 & 2

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