The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole

Published: 2012

The Wind Through the Keyhole (2012) returns to the world of the Dark Tower series eight years after its completion, functioning as an interstitial novel that takes place between the fourth volume (Wizard and Glass) and fifth volume (Wolves of the Calla). As Roland Deschain and his ka-tet shelter from a devastating ice storm called a starkblast, Roland tells two nested stories to pass the time. The first recounts a mission from his youth as a newly-appointed gunslinger, when he and his companion Jamie DeCurry were sent to investigate a shape-shifting 'skin-man' terrorizing a mining town. During this adventure, Roland comforts a traumatized boy by telling him an old Mid-World fairy tale called 'The Wind Through the Keyhole'—a story within a story within a story. This fairy tale follows a young boy named Tim Ross who embarks on a magical quest to avenge his father's murder and save his mother from his abusive stepfather, encountering both Maerlyn (Merlin) and a younger version of the Crimson King along the way. King described the novel as a 'gift' to Constant Readers who had followed the Dark Tower series, offering additional Mid-World lore without disrupting the completed main narrative. Critics and fans responded positively, praising the book's nested storytelling structure and fairy tale elements while appreciating its standalone accessibility. Though shorter than most Dark Tower volumes, the novel enriches the series' mythology while functioning as an engaging entry point for new readers. For Dark Tower enthusiasts, the book provides additional context for Roland's character development and the broader history of Mid-World, particularly through its fairy tale framework that illuminates the world's folklore. The novel showcases King's versatility by incorporating elements of western, horror, and traditional fairy tale, creating a distinctive hybrid that expands the Dark Tower universe without altering its established conclusion.

Themes

• Coming of age
• Storytelling
• Revenge
• Duty
• Magic

Adaptations

Collector Notes

Subtitled 'Dark Tower 4.5,' this interstitial novel fits chronologically between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla. Published eight years after the series conclusion, it features a distinctive nested storytelling structure.