In a world that has moved on, young Roland Deschain will one day be known as the Gunslinger-but for now, he is merely a boy on the cusp of manhood. For years, his fate has been manipulated by the sorcerer known as Marten Broadcloak, who serves the Crimson King-an immortal shape-shifter living only to destroy the legendary Dark Tower: the axis of creation upon which all worlds revolve. And for the Crimson King’s plans to succeed, Roland must be destroyed.

Roland and his friends, Alain and Cuthbert, uncover a plot by the evil John Farson (also a servant of the Crimson King) to destroy the Affiliation, the network that unites the world’s baronies and maintains an uneasy peace. But Roland has another mission on his mind-winning the heart of the beautiful Susan Delgado, who he met in Hambry, and who holds a secret of unspeakable horror...

For Roland, these are only the first steps on the road to the Dark Tower, where he will learn the true nature of his quest, and, perhaps, the secrets of existence itself.