In the midst of Gilead's coming of age party for Roland and his ka-tet, the treacherous Walter O'Dim and the Good Man John Farson have enlisted Steven Deschain's wife, Gabrielle, in a deadly scheme to assassinate Gilead's ruler. Once Deschain has been removed, the path to Maerlyn's Grapefruit will open wide for the Crimson King and his minions to reclaim the nightmare-seeing sphere and plunge all of Mid World into chaos.