Methinks, The Talisman takes serious inspiration from Lord of The Rings -- but gets moulded into the unique style of Stephen King. Quite a read for all desirous of fantasy with a dab of horror. The plot is quite intriguing and the basic concept of Territories and Twinners -- fairly interesting.
The characters are well fleshed out. Wolf is a character that endears himself and the shades of grey in Jack the protagonist are beautifully highlighted.
A trifle long drawn, the book is certainly worth a read and worth all the money spent on the same. A worthwhile addition to all bookshelfs.