Roland continues his journey towards the Dark Tower, a journey that is interrupted by three magical doors. Each door acts as a portal to New York City and allows Roland to take control of three different people's lives. The titular "drawing" naturally breaks the book into three acts of decreasing length.
The first act is a well-told (if slightly familiar) story of a man fighting drug addiction. What makes it particularly strong is the interplay between Roland and his new charge as well as the possibilities and complications made available by the portal. The second act is considerably weaker, arguably the weakest section of the Dark Tower series to this point, but is redeemed in how the third act brings everything together.
The Gunslinger was solid through-and-through but The Drawing of the Three is weighed down by that second act. At the same time, the story it tells is more satisfying than the first book. Previously Stephen King treated us to characters who seemed immortal, unchanging, locked in eternal combat. This time all characters, Roland included, emerge changed.
Three Stars
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