This is one of King's lesser known works but it is definitely one of his best. A group of travellers are thrown together when they are captured by a rather terrifying deputy of a deserted town called Desperation. There are some familiar King elements like a child with unusual abilities and an ancient evil. However, despite being familiar to a King fan, they aren't tired and he uses them very well to create a scary adventure as the travellers try to escape.

This story centres on the town of Desperation, a mining town that has fallen on hardtimes, made worse by the ancient force that has escaped from the nearby China Mine intent on taking over the town and escaping into the world permanently. In the process a number of not so likely suspects are thrown together in the struggle for survival both for themselves and mankind as a whole as good and evil do battle using every tool available to them. King as created a superb tense filled masterpiece that keeps you glued to your seat and turning the pages with anticipation. He manages to combine religion, both ancient and modern, with environmental concerns and everyday characters in such a way that none of the subjects seem out of place and all gels together beautifully. The characters themselves seem very real, so much so that you hate and love them in equal measure as the story continues and you see their best and worst sides. Definitely one of King's more enjoyable (if you like being scared out of your wits by an ancient evil intent on victory) novels.