Advantages: Great books, very enthralling
Disadvantages: Too much time between publications

...that the rose is the Tower – King explains to us that it is in terrible danger…reminding us of Jake’s dream of the rose being crushed by a bulldozer…carrying the mark of the Crimson King. --------- Breakers. --------- Breakers are a relatively new concept in King Dark Tower series. Little of them are known so far but it becomes clear in 'Hearts in Atlantis' and 'Black House', that the Crimson King needs these people to help him destroy the Tower. What exactly do they do? Well...they break things by using their mind. We know that Ted Brautigan (from Hearts in Atlantis) and Tyler Marshall (Black House) are breakers, Ted is the leader of these slaves and has a penchant for escaping, and Tyler is probably the greatest breaker of all. The Crimson King uses these Breakers in some way to help destroy the beams... Read review

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Advantages: Great Rides
Disadvantages: Great Queues

...Alton Towers is one of those places that thrill-seekers, teenagers and people who really should know better flock to, to get their kicks. However, they invariably end up cold, wet and standing in a 2 hour queue for a ride that lasts approximately 20 seconds. So why do we do it, and is it really worth it?! Getting There The route we go (via car) involves loads of winding roads, hills and vales and is completely impossible to describe to anyone who doesn’t intimately know the area, so here's the ‘motorway’ version. Alton Towers is situated in the middle of the countryside and can, according to the website, be assessed via junction 23a of the M1 and junction 15 of the M6 (travelling North), or junction 28 of the M1 and junction 16 of the M6 (travelling South). All of that means nothing to me as I can’t... Read review

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Advantages: A synopsis of the greatest series of books I have ever read!
Disadvantages: The longest review of all time.

...Eddie, a heroin addict, Odetta Holmes and Detta Walker a lady of shadows. The advance in characterisation is probably due to the lengthy gap between this and the first novel as this novel was published in 1987, almost ten years later. Plot ***** Roland, anguished by the choices he has had to make finds himself washed up on a beach. Attacked by "lobstrosities" , maimed and poisoned Roland walks, limps and crawls his way towards the tower. Upon finding a doorway to a strange world Roland enters the mind of Eddie, a Heroin addict and brings him into mid world. Will Eddie kill Roland or join him on his quest? They come across another doorway this time "drawing" an unaware schizophrenic black lady known as Odetta, a rich dentist's daughter or Detta Walker a vicious killer. Will these women help or hinder their quest? Why has... Read review

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Advantages: There is an interesting Dark Tower short story in there... somewhere
Disadvantages: Sooo loooooong......!

...By the time I’d heard a few opinions of this book, it was already too late: my pristine hardback copy (the black version – there was also a white binding available: can we say ‘marketing ploy’?!) was perched on my overloaded bookshelf, waiting in the never-ending queue of books to be read. On purchase it had a fair chance of skipping most of that queue – my love of the last collaboration between authors Stephen King and Peter Straub, The Talisman, saw to that. Then came the dire reviews, and it looked like Black House could be there a good while longer… Nonetheless, curiosity finally got the better of me: just how awful could this book really be? Plus I’d discovered that this tale was in some way connected to King’s Dark Tower series, which I adore. So, while waiting for my computer... Read review

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Advantages: Amazing views and stunning coast line
Disadvantages: The lift journey, expensive prices in the Waterfront Bar and lack of toilets

...9285 7520. THE ELAVATOR RIDE: As I write this review, the glass panoramic lift on the outside of the tower is still not working. Having no end of problems with this, no date has yet been given as to when it will be working. Therefore, the only choice is the inside lift, of which there is only one. Queuing times for this can be quite frustrating. Once inside, if you are clau