I’m a big fan of Stephen King and so I managed to get this book checked out of the library fairly quickly.
The story here has many of the things I like in fantasy/fiction – a secret entrance to a hidden world, someone discovering their independence and abilities, and great characters that are both kind and believable.
That being said, I thought I liked all these things better in a previous King book, 11/22/63. This book’s theme was quite different, and although I liked the story I thought it was a little off the mark for me. The first part really hooked me, but strangely the second part (taking place in a magical world) was less interesting.
Some things felt rushed, others obligatory. There were scenes reminiscent of Shawshank Redemption (prisoner camaraderie, jailbreaks) and it just felt like it had already been done.
Stephen King writes good characters well, and so watching this particular character interact with a strange world or curses and monsters was pretty entertaining.
So definitely worth the read, but maybe not quite up my alley. Next I’m reading Artificial Condition by Martha Wells.
