A tale of archetypal heroes and sweeping adventures, of dragons and princes and evil wizards, here is epic fantasy as only Stephen King could envision it.
The Eyes of the Dragon
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Book Description
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Amazon.com Review
A kingdom is in turmoil as the old king dies and his successor must do battle for the throne. Pitted against an evil wizard and a would-be rival, Prince Peter makes a daring escape and rallies the forces of Good to fight for what is rightfully his. This is a masterpiece of classic dragons-and-magic fantasy that only Stephen King could have written!
From Publishers Weekly
Advance publicity hails this "story" (not labeled a novel) by the popular writer as appealing to "readers of all ages," although its genesis was in a story King told to his children. King's legion of fans are likely to find that a restrained maturity marks the differences between this stylish, successful effort at fantasy (illustrated by 21 half-tones) and his earlier, sometimes overwrought writings. Eyes details the crusade of Peter and Thomas, two princely brothers, to destroy the 400-year-old Flagg, the evil magician who threatens to control the kingdom of Delain after the death of their father, King Roland, who remained unwed until he was past 50. Flagg has imprisoned Peter, the heir apparent, on suspicion of murdering the king (actually it was Flagg who did it) and installed the profligate second son, an easier mark, on the throne. Surprisingly, Eyes is a gentle story, despite violence, gore and his standard vulgarity, because King has ingeniously interposed himself between reader and narrative as if he were telling the tale aloud, with a soothing cadence practically audible in the evocative prose. This heartwarming chronicle of brotherly love may be enjoyed by young adults and their parents. 1,000,000 first printing; $300,000 ad/promo; BOMC selection.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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More About the Author
Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. Among his most recent are the Dark Tower novels, Cell, From a Buick 8, Everything's Eventual, Hearts in Atlantis, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, and Bag of Bones. His acclaimed nonfiction book, On Writing, was also a bestseller. He is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
99 of 107 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The Eyes of the Dragon tells a tale of of sibling rivalry set in a mystical and mythical kingdom called Delain. It's the story of old King Roland and his two sons, Peter and Thomas, and revolves around the wily schemes of the king's mysterious magician, who is plotting to destroy Delain.
Stephen King usually writes incredibly long novels, sometimes with large casts of characters, but in this story there is a sharp focus on Roland, who is described as old, short, bow-legged, good at hunting (especially with his bow and arrow), proficient at drinking but not at thinking. He marries late in life to a young girl named Sasha, a bright and gentle person who gives birth to Prince Peter and Prince Thomas. She dies young, apparently from complications giving birth to her youngest son, but as King reveals, she is really murdered by order of the evil Flagg, the hooded and pale magician.
But Flagg's agenda goes even further than the mere murder of Queen Sasha. He has been watching Roland's sons very closely, and has determined that Thomas -- who is the spitting image of his father down to his personality -- should be crowned king instead of his older brother Peter. You see, Peter is tall, handsome, bright, but most of all, he has a strong will and Flagg fears him.
How Flagg achieves his goal of placing Thomas on the throne without killing Peter is the heart of this enthralling story, and I couldn't put it down. Although Stephen King is not an author I normally read, I was drawn into the intricatelly woven plot. I liked the way the writer described each character, giving them distinct personalities and avoiding the usual fairy tale conventions of making good people perfectly good, with no human flaws. I admired Peter for his resourcefulness and courage, I both chastised Thomas for his jealousy and weakness of character yet by the end of the story I felt sorry for him. I also had the same mixed feelings about Roland. Yes, he tried to be a good king and didn't do much harm to Delain, but like his son Thomas, he wasn't very bright and was easily led by Flagg.
The character I most felt strongly about is, of course, Flagg. Having seen the miniseries based on King's huge novel The Stand, I know that this demonic villain is the same character who is the "Dark Man" who will try to take over the world after most of humanity is wiped out by a strain of killer flu. Here he is in most of the story, and we learn that he thrives on death and destruction even as he lives over many centuries.
The Eyes of the Dragon is beautifully illustrated by David Palladini with pencil and ink drawings that will make this fascinating story come alive for younger readers. (I believe that although King's narration was in itself very vivid, the art work really was a pleasant bonus.)
33 of 33 people found the following review helpful
By pol
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I have read SK for many years now and one of the first books I read was "The Eyes of the Dragon". I was quite young when I started reading Stephen King books on a regular basis and the way this book was written was ideal for a younger reader. It is not as detailed and events are not as drawn out and complicated as in some of his other books.
I liked this book back then based on the ease with which I could read it. I like it now, some 16 years later, because it is a neat fantasy tale with a nice tie in to King's ultimate fantasy/horror epic, "The Dark Tower".
It is set in a medieval world filled with kings, queens, princes and best of all, evil magicians. In this novel the evil magician Flagg is seen in his first appearance since he was introduced and made popular in SK's apocalyptic horror "The Stand". The novel works around the idea of Flagg scheming behind the scenes to destroy the medieval kingdom of Delain, along with it's two young princes; one destined to become king.
By itself this tale is great for a younger reader, coupling an easy read with magic and dragons. It is NOT the same type of book as say, "IT", "Salem's Lot", or "The Shining". The plot is not as detailed and events are much simpler. This is why the book scores a 4, as to me true excellence from King involves much of the elements that are evident in the above mentioned books and not really seen in "The Eyes of the Dragon".
Where this book goes on to score big points for older readers is its tie in to "The Dark Tower". At the time this novel was written very little of "The Dark Tower" had been published. Through the series we have found the mysterious Flagg to have resurfaced with a number of different faces and names. In addition two of the main characters from "The Eyes of the Dragon", Dennis and Thomas, are mentioned in "The Dark Tower" and may again surface later in the series which is getting ready to wind down to its finish. It was great to hear about these characters that I liked so much as a child in a completely different novel years later.
Overall to me this is a good book by itself, which becomes a great book with incorporation into King's masterpiece "The Dark Tower". If you don't like fantasy you should spend your money elsewhere, if you like fantasy this is a cool read, and if you are any kind of a Dark Tower fan then you cannot pass this book up.
37 of 39 people found the following review helpful
By "arualeiram"
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Eyes of the Dragon is a definite departure from King's usual horror-esque genre. It is a work of pure fantasy that won't disappoint King fans because it sticks to King's tradition of examining the morality of good versus evil with his uncanny knack for adding plot twists. It is also a great story for those who want something lighter (and prefer not to stay up all night with images of pure gore).
The story is set in the kingdom of Delain, which falls under the influence of the evil magician Flagg (who appears in several other King novels) every few hundred years. The beginning of the story nicely sets up how Flagg influences King Roland the Good and continues with the ongoing history of Delain. The story is exciting, full of adventure and woe and suspense.
One of the best points of this book is the fairy-tale feel. As a reader, I appreciated the commentary made by the narrator. Although his identity is not revealed, his comments add new light to the story as it unfolds. The perspective always includes something to keep in mind as the story progresses so that the reader has a more enjoyable experience as well as examines every angle of the story. You can almost feel the narrator talking to you as you read! In this sense, the story really comes to life.
Read this book and you too will be able to see through the Eyes of the Dragon.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Eyes of the Dragon
This book was surprisingly good. I FELT a part of the story in the very beginning & got more entranced the more I read. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Martha McCormick
4.0 out of 5 stars
Loved it
I had never read a Stephen king book before this. I loved the way it was written and the imagery was delightful.
Really didn't want the story to end.
Really didn't want the story to end.
Published 14 days ago by Aldrea Alien
3.0 out of 5 stars
A very Stephen King Arthurian tale
*Contains clues and elements of the story. You have been told*
If you've ever read other Stephen King stories I think you'll be right at home here, even with the story being... Read more
If you've ever read other Stephen King stories I think you'll be right at home here, even with the story being... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Kyle Holtslander
5.0 out of 5 stars
King's story of kings and dragons and of good vs evil.
One of the easiest to read story of heroes and dragons and evil wizards that I have seen in a while, written as only Stephen King can.Awesome.
Published 1 month ago by Audrey McDaniel
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Eyes of the Dragon
This is my favorite book written by Stephen King. It gives our first glimpse into a world that predates Roland and "The Dark Tower" series, although it is not attached to that... Read more
Published 1 month ago by BrianB
3.0 out of 5 stars
A decent tale.
Flagg. We know that name from previous tales and he is as evil as ever. A little different than most SK novels, but still enjoyable. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Lawrence
5.0 out of 5 stars
King is so good!
Stephen King is a good writer. His stories are always interesting, usually with an element of horror that I have come to expect. But this book is a fairy tale. I loved it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Amazonaphile
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stephen King has Some Fun
While reading this book I got a sense that Stephen King was taking a step back from some of his more dense books and just telling a story. I really enjoyed the read.
Published 1 month ago by Andrew Hook
5.0 out of 5 stars
As good as I remembered!
I first read this book about 20 years ago when I was in my Stephen King phase. With no idea of what the book held, I read on. And am I ever glad I did! Read more
Published 1 month ago by C. Holland
2.0 out of 5 stars
False Advertising
The cover said Eyes of the Dragon, the author was Stephen King and the back included a blurb about "terror"; I looked forward to a hard edged, dark fantasy for adults. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Labute
