Book Brief

Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6)

Stephen King

Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6)

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2004

Book Brief

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Stephen King

Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6)

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2004
Book Details
Pages

544

Format

Novel • Fiction

Genre
Fantasy

•

Horror & Suspense

•

Science Fiction
Setting

Mid-World, End-World, Maine and New York, United States, 1977–1999.

First Publication Year

2004

Publisher

Pocket Books

Edition

Mass Market Paperback • 2006

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

16-17 years

Lexile Level

840L

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Super Short Summary

Demon-mother Mia seizes the pregnant Susannah’s body and transports them to New York City in 1999, where she intends to give birth. Jake, Oy, and Pere Callahan pursue them in hopes of rescuing Susannah. Meanwhile, Roland and Eddie arrive in Maine in 1977, tasked with protecting a New York vacant lot that connects their divided missions.

Suspenseful

Exciting

Fantastical

Challenging

Contemplative

Reviews & Readership

4.0

191,745 ratings

73%

Loved it

21%

Mixed feelings

6%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Reviewers praise the novel’s brisk momentum, palpable tension, vivid characterizations, horror, and audacious metafictional experimentation. Some consider its complexity and reality-blurring ideas a welcome new layer of depth, while others find the same approach confusing or disruptive. Criticism also targets overlong prose, a disjointed structure caused by splitting up the central group, limited character development, and troubling portrayals of women and Japanese people. Several reviewers ultimately regard it as a setup-heavy bridge to the series finale rather than a fully satisfying installment.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6)?

Best for readers already invested in The Dark Tower, since this sixth installment continues complex storylines rather than providing an accessible entry point. It particularly suits those who enjoy fast-paced, ambitious fantasy that blurs fiction and reality, challenges perception, and keeps its audience guessing. Readers who prefer conventional storytelling or complete resolution may be less satisfied: the novel chiefly sets up the series climax and leads directly toward the final volume.

4.0

191,745 ratings

73%

Loved it

21%

Mixed feelings

6%

Not a fan

Character List

Eddie’s wife and a central group member, struggling internally after Mia takes control of her body and carries an unborn child.

A former demon who possesses Susannah’s body, driven by an intense desire to protect and give birth to her unborn child.

The last gunslinger and leader of the group, pursuing the Dark Tower while directing efforts to rescue Susannah and protect the rose.

Susannah’s devoted husband, a capable gunslinger and former heroin addict who accompanies Roland on a mission to Maine in 1977.

A twelve-year-old member of Roland’s group who travels with Oy and Father Callahan to New York in pursuit of Susannah.

A Catholic priest accompanying Jake and Oy to 1999 New York, where they follow Susannah and confront the danger surrounding her.

Jake’s pet billy-bumbler and loyal companion, transported alongside Jake and Father Callahan as they follow Susannah to New York.

A fictionalized version of the author whose writing is connected to the Dark Tower story and whom Roland and Eddie seek in Maine.

Book Details
Pages

544

Format

Novel • Fiction

Genre
Fantasy

•

Horror & Suspense

•

Science Fiction
Setting

Mid-World, End-World, Maine and New York, United States, 1977–1999.

First Publication Year

2004

Publisher

Pocket Books

Edition

Mass Market Paperback • 2006

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

16-17 years

Lexile Level

840L

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