Once Upon a Time, There Was Terror… against him is the evil Flagg and his pawn, young Prince Thomas. Yet with every plan there are holes—like Thomas’s terrible secret. And the determined Prince Peter, who is planning a daring escape from his imprisonment…
Stephen King has taken the classic fairy tale and transformed it into a masterpiece of fiction for the ages.
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I know it’s quite odd to say that my favorite Stephen King book isn’t one of the master of horror’s horror books. I know you may be scratching your head and wondering wth, but if you love King’s writing style and you love fantasy novels, you have to give this a try. It’s on my keeper shelf and should be on yours as well. If you need anything else to sell you on this gem, let me just say—dragons!
My very first Stephen King novel! I know… how could I have had this many years around the sun and not read a single King novel? My son loaned me this book when he found out my little secret. I have steered away from King novels under the assumption that a) they’d be too horrific and/or b) they’d eventually be on television or in a movie theatre so there was little need to read it.
The Eyes of the Dragon are neither. It wasn’t made into a mini-series and it isn’t horrific to the extreme.
It’s a story of two princes with completely opposite character traits and a so/so King. This story has typical themes of brotherly competition. When it comes to competing for succession to the throne, there is much at risk. It’s the Magician who adds evil and changes the course of the princes’ lives. Although there is a touch of supernatural and horror elements in this novel, it is fairly tame being that it is a young adult read. Still, even in this younger genre, the writing is fantastic and the book kept me engrossed from page 1 to the very last. I highly recommend.
One of his best books, in my opinion because it is also somewhat fantasy.
My favorite Stephen King book. Read and reread it many times.
Shades of the Dark Tower series. Is this the same Flagg we meet later in “The Stand”? Personification of evil, so yeah, it could be.
A stupid King, an evil wizard, two princes and a long con plot.
The Eyes of the Dragon isn’t your usual Stephen King novel. For one thing, it’s squarely in the young adult genre (aside from an early reference to “The King’s Iron,” a.k.a. the royal penis). The book is also relatively short, clocking in at a modest (for King) 384 pages.
Both traits impressed me; changing your writing style is no easy thing. But King does so deftly, using short, punchy chapters and lean vocabulary to relate his fantasy of a kingdom thrown into turmoil by a devious magician who frames the crown prince for the king’s murder. Throughout, King’s narrator frequently slips into first person, often to speak directly to the reader. (One such digression is an apology for having to report that the old king, when left alone, liked to pick his nose and eat the results.) The overall effect is that of a bedtime story—which isn’t surprising once you learn that The Eyes of the Dragon originally grew out of a tale King used to tell his children.
Elements of the horror King is best known for still filter in: the old king dies rather horribly, and the magician eventually morphs into a bloodthirsty demon. The pacing is familiar too, with a plot that zigs and zags like a series of switchbacks up a mountainside. And fans of King’s other works will recognize a more direct link: Randall Flagg, the magician, is a recurring character in King’s literary universe. (Flagg first appeared in The Stand, and features heavily in The Dark Tower series.) I’m not sure I really need multiple iterations of the consistently heinous Flagg, but it’s an interesting way of connecting otherwise disparate books and keeping the reader’s mind on your whole catalog.
Judged on its own merits, however, The Eyes of the Dragon is a perfectly good story—and about the only one of King’s I’ll let my daughter read until she’s (quite a bit) older.
(For more reviews like this one, see http://www.nickwisseman.com)
I am not a fan of fantasy-heavy stories, but decided to give this a shot, as I was all about Stephen King after reading Desperation. It was a totally different experience, and I was very shocked by how engaged I became. The dragon sand was a really cool concept, and who knew dragons had a 9-chambered heart? I highly recommend to fans of King, as well as the likes of Tolkien.
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A kids book. Perfect for YA
I love this book. But I have a severe Stephen King bias, i love most of his books.
A different kind of story from Stephen King, some like it, some don’t.
While this is certainly not anywhere near my favorites of SK’s, I still appreciate the fact that this story was created as one for him to tell his kids before bed. The story weaves perfectly that way, a continued tale that could be stopped and continued on different nights.
The best part of it however, is the distinct allusions to the Dark Tower saga. Alternate versions of Roland and Flagg are prominent, as well as numerous settings and sayings. Very interesting. One of the stronger ties to his ever-larger Dark Tower-verse.
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One of my favorite SK stories
This was one of the first books I remember reading with my dad as a child. He sat me in his lap and we would take turns reading pages or if I was too tired or rambunctious he would sit me down and recite the highlights through memory.
In the same way people fell in love with Star Wars because they took a standard good versus evil plot and made it something fantastic, Eyes of the Dragon accomplishes this not with the protagonist achieving magical greatness or ability, but by BEING good. I apologize for rambling but this story is near and dear to my heart, something I try to complete at least once a year to keep the characters alive in my mind.
Very un-King…great tale
Definitely for a younger audience
Absolutely favorite of Stephen King’s work. The characters, the story, the intricacies–all of it was there to create a beautiful work of art.
Early Stephen King very different from his other books
All I can say after reading this is that I am glad that Stephen King mainly wrote psychological horror and thrillers instead of fantasy.
Nice little Stephen King fairy tale! Loved it!
Just finished listening to the audio version of Stephen King’s The Eyes of The Dragon. I really enjoyed the story, and the narration was excellent. The narrator puts on a vocal performance that, at times, leaves you feeling like maybe you’re watching a play, as he blurs the line between narration and dramatization. The story is not the typical King horror that you might expect, but is more of an adult fairy tale / fantasy, I would say. I think it almost literally begins with: Once upon a time, there was a kingdom. Check it out if you want something a little different.
This book reminds me of the stephen king books i used to read