The Gunslinger is the story of the title character, Roland Deschain, who is a desperado chasing a man in black across a desert. Few details of Roland's life are revealed, but the post-apocalyptic world around him is gradually fleshed out through his adventures. He pursues his mark without pity, making friends and abandoning them as needed in order to come closer to his quarry. The novel's tone is bleak and spare, wasting little time on excessive wordplay.
The Two Towers is the second book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The story follows three main threads: Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas as they search for Merry and Pippin, who have been kidnapped by Uruk-hai, Merry and Pippin's experiences while held captive by the enemy, and Frodo and Sam as they continue the trek towards Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. This epic fantasy novel ends on a cliffhanger that leads into the final volume of the trilogy.
Barchester Towers is a satirical English novel concerned with the conflict between High Church and Evangelical Anglican Christians in Victorian England. It follows a diverse cast of characters involved in the affairs of the fictional Barchester Towers, a cathedral community in crisis. An Evangelical Bishop, Proudie, succeeds the traditionalist Grantly and the entire community is thrown into disarray as new arrivals and sudden departures tear at its fabric. Miscommunication and clashing ideologies dominate the narrative.