You have to have patience and enjoy observing things develop and evolve slowly, like in real life. This book is an excellent addition to the series, and I look forward to the next. No one was as surprised as I, but the novel is actually very good. Since King has written so many other novels, you would expect excellent writing. King doesn't disappoint with a seemingly simple plot that is full of twists and turns.
Most fantasy novels have numerous characters and personal encounters through out the plot.
This story follows a few simple characters through dramatic and continuous changes, and you can actually feel some of the emotions portrayed. This is the kind of book you keep forever, reading it over and over again. King has done an excellent job in this novel and I am waiting for him to write another. While I have never heard of any other works by O'leary, I am extremely impressed with the overall style and feel of the story. Though some of these ideas have been presented better, it's the mesh that O'Leary creates with these topics that makes the story original.