When I say “kicks off,” I mean you better be ready for the ride from page one.

Now that I have read the series twice over and read plenty of other reviews and thoughts, I think it’s safe to say that readers generally agree this is where the story really kicks off. I’m so happy I did so I could make it to. I will never regret pushing forward to the end. Fortunately, my local library carried it (anyone else ever have a hard time finding book one in a series at a library?) and I decided to go forward. I’d made my first two attempts on the Kindle, so I opted for a hard copy to see if it helped. After I came across a review saying to “just make it past the first book” in The Dark Tower because “the payoff was worth it,” I decided to see if the third time would be the charm. The more familiar I became with him, the more I wanted to journey to The Dark Tower. More years went by, and I became something of a “Constant Reader” myself with plenty of other works by Stephen King. But still, I couldn’t seem to get into the first book. I let a few more years go by, thinking that perhaps I might have just been too young on my first go around.Īnd tried. I tried on my first go around with The Gunslinger. I didn’t know about the tie-in connection until later. At that time, I had only read one other Stephen King book, The Eyes of the Dragon. Its foundations conceal a dark history that has been waiting to reveal itself.and to set in motion a chain of events that could destroy Iraden forever.I had read reviews, and when I was first writing my own fantasy novel back in 2007, this series was still relatively “fresh” in its ending.Īmongst those reviews, I saw many people saying what I have in my introduction: “If you enjoy fantasy books, you must read The Dark Tower.” And in seeking to help Mawat reclaim his city, Eolo discovers that the Raven's Tower holds a secret. It is into this unrest that the warrior Eolo-aide to Mawat, the true Lease-arrives.

And they have made their own alliances with other gods. The kingdom borders are tested by invaders who long for the prosperity that Vastai boasts. And under the Raven's watch, the city flourishes.īut the power of the Raven is weakening. His magic is sustained via the blood sacrifice that every Lease must offer. His will is enacted through the Raven's Lease, a human ruler chosen by the god himself. He watches over his territory from atop a tower in the powerful port of Vastai.

Clarke Awards.įor centuries, the kingdom of Iraden has been protected by the god known as the Raven. Gods meddle in the fates of men, men play with the fates of gods, and a pretender must be cast down from the throne in this breathtaking first fantasy novel from Ann Leckie, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C.

The raven tower series