The Talisman by Peter Straub, Stephen King (1984, Hardcover)

The only books by King that have moved & impacted me more than The Talisman (and later Black House) are the Dark Tower Books. The Talisman is very lightly connected to the DT Series (Black House is even more so) with the concept of multiple worlds/universes and the the way they effect each other. Second only to the Gunslinger himself, Jack, the Talisman's lead male, is one of King's most interesting characters (at least I think so). Jack's story is one that has been often told by many others. The Talisman is a classic boy takes on a journey to become a man and save the world type story, but here King and Straub do an excellent job. The Talisman is a wonderful, heart warming story of a boy's journey on what seems to be an impossible quest for a child his age, all set in a often dreary yet still glamorous fantasy world. As he jumps back and forth between two worlds, Jack meets some of the most interesting characters I have ever read about, from Wolf (the Werewolf) to The Reverend Sunlight Gardener. He faces many ups and downs on his path and it is hard not to grin from ear to ear when he succeeds in something, or feel tired and lost as Jack does on several occasions. A piece of advice, if you decided to read the Talisman, make sure you have Black House close at hand, you'll want to start reading it the second you finish the Talisman!