Aunque la leí hace tiempo no es lo mejor de King pero me resultó entretenida, me la pasé bien y aunque no he leído La torre oscura, sé de sobra que hay referencias en este libro.

Mi opinión es que creo que es una buena historia, muy bonita y disfrutable para un público no tan adulto. Parece un cuento de hadas pero contado con los matices oscuros de King sin perder la magia de la literatura fantástica. Los personajes tienen su papel, sin embargo, los sentí muy sosos a excepción de Dennis, Sasha, (aparecen muy poco) Thomas y Flagg que son los mejores para mí, a pesar de que a este último lo vi muchas veces como una caricatura. Sentí que el villano estaba muy bien hecho pero que le faltó más; sé que no fue todo su potencial y lo limitó bastante que la historia fuera dirigida para niños. Eso se nota hasta sin gafas.

Peter, el príncipe heredero se me hizo un Gary stu de manual y si bien la historia me gustó, tiene unos deus ex machina que no se pasan por alto. También entiendo que es literatura infantil, pero alguien que ha leído bastante del género se da cuenta de los pequeños detalles que no concuerdan. Al final, lo único que espero es saber más acerca del encuentro entre Thomas y Flagg porque me dejó muy picado y fuentes confiables me han dicho que esto pasa en La torre oscura.

The single worst Stephen King novel I have ever read and this man has written his fair share of turds.

This is one of Stephen King's fantasy offerings and it is quite delightful. I do not always enjoy adult fairy stories, but this one catches you up into the action and there is nowhere to go except to read and enjoy the whole book. The way the story is told is quite original. The chapters are all different lengths, sometimes just one paragraph, sometimes a normal length. Quite often the author lets the reader know what is going to happen and then goes back to fill in on how it came about that way. There's an evil wizard, a dragon, Kings, queens and princes and of course a prison cell at the top of a tower. All great stuff! I think one of the reasons I like King so much is that he is unpredictable yet always comes up with the goods.

I was told I might want to read this book to gain a slightly deeper insight into the Dark Tower series that I've started. Yes, it's entirely too easy to rope me into reading yet more books.

Make no mistake, technically this is not part of the DT series. Instead, it is an early standalone fantasy novel quite unlike other King books. In fact, it is a straight up fantasy, no twists and turns, everything pretty much on the nose and following the usual formula for such books.

We have a kingdom that isn't doing too badly. We have a king who, while not being the brightest candle on the cake, is actually quite nice (though often also awkward/clumsy). We have a queen who dies tragically while giving birth to her second son - and not by entirely natural causes. We have two little princes who end up on two very different sides of the age-old good-versus-evil equation. What we also get - and here Dark Tower (as well as a few other books) comes in - is a wizard! Randall Flagg (King fans will recognize the name), faithful adviser to the king. Or is he? *snorts* Of course not! He's a scheming little shit with a voice like Harry Potter when he speaks in Parseltongue.
The wizard is also several hundreds of years old and has come and gone in several guises, always with the intent to wreak havoc on this kingdom, sow discord and bring chaos and ruin. He thrives on mischief (though personally, I think that is too mild a word for what he does).
Thus, he manipulates the younger prince, frames the older (since he couldn't win that boy over) and after having the older prince imprisoned and the younger one crowned king, he then ruins the kingdom to his heart's content. Until the older prince is ready to fight back (yes, King is realistic enough even in this setting not to let everything happen within the span of a lunch).

So far so good. And let me be frank here: I often enjoy such stories, no matter how simple the pattern. However, a simplistic pattern plus King's very detailed description of EVERYTHING didn't go well together, I thought. I didn't skim and it wasn't torture, but I really did want them to finally get a move on and fight it out - somehow. I liked how realistic King's timeline for the events was and that he didn't tell the story in linear form but with flashbacks, from different POVs and later revelations, but the book could have been shorter without the story suffering.
What I LOVED in this book was the narrator. By which I don't mean the guy reading the audiobook (though he was good, too), but the narrator King used to tell this tale. Different and quirky and it worked for me.

By the way, there is only one dragon in this book - right at the beginning for about a page, then stuffed on the king's wall. *sobs* That was just cruel!

I really didn't know how to rate this book. Better than some fantasies I've read, not up to King's usual standard even in older books though, enjoyable on one side but also too long-winded until about the 60%-point. Still, I'm quite glad I read it.
Just how important it really is regarding the afore-mentioned insight into a certain Man in Black's thoughts and character remains to be seen.

3.5 stars (I'll decide later if rounding down or up is more appropriate)

**The Stephen King Goodreads Discussion Group is doing a re-read of his works from the beginning to the end. It’s been a long time since I have really immersed myself in Uncle Stevie’s world, but a rate of a book a month, I am all in. My goal is to read and review each one with as much honesty and reflection that I can give. **

Background – “The Eyes of the Dragon” was first published as a limited-edition hardcover book by Philtrum Press in 1984, with illustrations by Kenneth R. Linkhauser. It was then later published to the general public by Viking in 1987, with illustrations by David Palladini.

When this book was published, it was seen by many readers as a sharp deviation from King’s usual focus on writing horror-based fiction. In interviews, King commented that he wrote this fantasy novel specifically for his children, using a medieval based setting and a European style of fairy tale writing. He also originally titled the book “The Napkins”, but it was changed before publication.

My Kindle lists the length of the book as 471 pages and my over-sized paperback is 372 pages.

Plotline – This is not your typical Stephen King novel (if that statement can really be made). It is a tale that uniquely mixes medieval and fantasy together to explore the themes of dark magic and power. In more simple terms, it is a story that King wrote t share with his kids, and it morphed into a novel that got published.

It is the tale of King Roland; his wife, Queen Sasha; their oldest son, Prince Peter; and their younger son, Prince Thomas. King Roland rules over the kingdom of Delain, along with the help of his long-time magician and advisor, Flagg. Many of Uncle Stevie’s readers will recognize the evil and dark-hearted villainous Flagg from the other works of his, including “The Dark Tower” series and “The Stand”. It seems that this character has many, many lives…

When the book begins, Flagg is working behind the scenes to ruin the King’s family and lead the kingdom of Delain into chaos and ruin. He has been doing these evil things using different disguises and names for over 400 years and this time he focuses on taking out Queen Sasha while she gives birth to her second son, Prince Thomas, leaving King Roland a widower with two young sons to raise.

As the boys grow, Flagg focuses his attention on eliminating King Roland and placing the blame on Peter. Flagg sees Thomas as easier to manipulate and senses that Peter doesn’t trust him. Then Flagg’s plan of action is formed. At age 16, Peter would brig a glass of wine to his father, King Roland, each night before going to bed. Knowing that, Flagg beings another glass of wine to the King one night following Peter’s visit, except his wine is has “Dragon Sand in it, a most deadly poison available.

Days later, King Roland dies a hideous death and the evidence is discovered by Peter’s servant hidden in the wall of the Prince’s bedroom where Flagg planted it. Peter willingly accepts being tried knowing he is innocent. However, because he cried at the discovery of his father’s death, along with the circumstantial evidence, everyone in the kingdom believes in his guilt. Peter is declared guilty and sentenced to a life of imprisonment in the top room of the Needle, an enormous tower at the center of Delain. Peter’s younger brother, Thomas, is made king and Flagg is back to influencing a weak king and making the citizens in the Kingdom suffer under the strict rule of taxation and tyranny.

Will Peter escape from the tower and be exonerated of his false charges? Will Flagg’s evil plotting and framing of Peter be uncovered? Will the Kingdom be stuck with Thomas as a weak king and forced to revolt? Will the two brothers be reunited and find peace? That is for you to read and find out for yourself, fearless reader…

Thoughts and Reflections – There were some good things to like about this book. King’s narrative is focused and stays on point without many distractions. His pace constantly moves the fairy tale forward at a steady pace, dark tone, and a clever use of an otherwise standard plot. Although he weaves life lessons and wisdom-oriented teachings into the thread of the story, he keeps things simple and agreeable. I liked the flow of the narrator, which reminded me in some ways of the storytelling style of “The Hobbit” and “Alice in Wonderland”.

Today, the Young adult genre is full of bestselling writers and books. However, back in 1987 when King published this book, that category did not publish books like this. I wonder if he were to publish it now under the YA label, would it sell well and add to his reputation as a versatile writer? I have a funny feeling that it would sell pretty dang well. And then everyone would want a sequel… And then turn it into a series…

There were also things that I struggled with. I realize that many readers didn’t like this book because it was a deviation from King’s usual horror focus. I don’t have a problem with that because some of my favorite King writings don’t involve horror. Good writing is good writing, regardless of the genre. My problems were for other reasons, some of which just may be me.

I struggled with the characters some, finding that I lacked an emotional connection to most of them. It felt King really pushed us to feel empathy for Thomas, but I couldn’t really connect with him on a personal level. Not because I didn’t try, but I found him lacking in depth as a character. For me, most of the others were also one dimensional in description and behavior. I did not find myself cheering for them as I did other characters in other King novels and short-stories.

The other thing that I struggled with is more personal. Maybe some of it is the context in which this story was derived – as tale being told by a parent to younger children. The themes of having strong family bonds, true and endearing friendships, and responsibilities of power can create great discussions among the family members from reading this book. But that is part of my reaction. This is more of a delightful tale that can be shared with the family rather than a remarkable adventure containing more adult oriented conflict. It is a fun, light-hearted fantasy read. Nothing more; nothing less.

Other Notes – This book has connections to King’s “Dark Tower” series. The story takes place in the kingdom of Delain, which is located within In-World” of the “Dark Tower” universe, as explained in King’s novella ,"The Little Sisters of Eluria", which was first published in the anthology “Legends” in 1998 and then included in his short-story collection “Everything's Eventual” in 2002.

“The Eyes of the Dragon” was initially optioned for development as an animated film, but those rights lapsed in 2000. In 2012, the Syfy network considered developing it into a television movie or mini-series, but again, nothing came to fruition. More recently, in 2019, Hulu announced that it was adapting the book into a television series on its streaming service.

Overall – When I first read this book back in 1987, I struggled with reading it because I found it to be a bit slow in developing and I didn’t connect as well with the characters. The truth is I think I wanted it to be more than what it really was meant to be.

In re-reading it now thirty years plus later, I have a different perspective. I am no longer a young father, but a grandfather who is developing his wisdom-like qualities and understanding of life. Although this is still one my lesser favorite King novels on a personal level, I see “The Eyes of the Dragon” for what it really is, and that is a fun and enjoyable medieval/fantasy tale created by a father to entertain his inquisitive and highly creative kids. When looked at through that proper lens, Uncle Stevie did a good job. Not everything written has to be spectacular and earth-shaking. Sometimes smaller scale and simple things are enough.

Another book I really need to re-read so I can fully appreciate the Dark Tower connection!

I loved this story because it was different, and my first dabble into King's fantasy. I honestly don't remember much of the actual story now but I do remember enjoying it immensely, and how it kept me captivated from start to finish.

Personally, I think it's one of King's more underrated novels.

Well I liked this story a lot, but I didn’t love it as much as some of the other SK stories I’ve read. I think it was perhaps a little too straightforward for me - I never really hit a spot where I was surprised by a plot twist or anything. As usual, I didn’t research this ahead of time because I wanted to go in cold. For that reason I didn’t even know it was fantasy. If I had known that I might not have read it hot on heels of reading the first Mistborn by Sanderson and Mort by Pratchett. I was so impressed by both of these fantasy books perhaps it swayed my opinion a bit.

I did like the characters and it was interesting to see Flagg in a prequel of sorts to The Dark Tower. I was a little disappointed in him that he had been unsuccessfully trying to topple the kingdom for hundreds of years... and failing... I thought he was more clever than that - haha. Maybe Mordred was right to give him such a bad performance review?? Nice shout out to Rhiannon (Rhea) of the Coos as well.

The storytelling was good - as I’ve come to expect with SK books. I did feel that it seemed to lack much of his trademark nuggets of humor. Nevertheless I did enjoy it and would recommend it to someone interested in the ‘lighter side’ of Stephen King.

i need to preface this by saying that this was the first stephen king book i ever read. he is my father's favorite author, and i grew up staring at the dozens of hardback books all in a row on the shelves of his office, all with king's name on them. i really wanted to read one, see what it was dad read, and the reason he handed me this one was the same reason king wrote it: so his kids could read something he had written. in other words, it's kid-friendly, and actually written as a children's book (don't be fooled, though. there is plenty of poisonings, death, betrayal, etc, and the villain is flagg, of the stand fame). that said, it could be that my love for this book the second time around as an adult is deeply rooted in that first reading as a kid, meaning it could be that if you read it for the first time as an adult you might not feel the way that i do about it. think reading the hobbit vs. reading lord of the rings, and that's about the comparison to it and normal king fare.

the story itself could almost be considered stock fantasy, but the characters are brought to life with the amazing skill that you come to expect from stephen king. you have the kingdom of delain, ruled by king roland. roland has two sons, peter and thomas. the elder peter is the golden child, with thomas always living in his shadow. roland himself is a weak king, a virtual puppet of his adviser, flagg. with peter poised to take the throne after roland dies, flagg must see to it that somehow thomas, the weaker son who more resembles his father, is the one actually crowned king. this doesn't sound to original, does it? but i doubt you can find a story in which you feel such compassion for the spineless king roland, awe and respect for the venerable prince peter, and sympathy blended with shame for thomas. it's a quick read, engaging, and skillfully told. if you want a fantasy story that will bring you back to your childhood, this is it.

I so thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! Such a fun and exciting book to read during a time when the whole Western world seems to be descending into chaos … I was able to forget about inflation, war, climate change, and pretend I was a little kid again adrift in a book with princes and royal treachery and an adorable huskie named Frisky …

This book had sort of a macabre “Princess Bride” vibe going … none of the romance, but that sense of my grandfather reading this modern fairy tale to me while I snuggled under my favorite quilt in bed … this book centers on Peter and Thomas, the two princes born to King Roland in the kingdom of Delain … Flagg, the demonic magician who is King Roland’s closest advisor, plots an assassination of the king, framing Peter, the heir to the throne, as King Roland’s killer … the rest of the story follows Peter and his friends as they try to free Peter and dethrone Thomas, now king of Delain, who is controlled by Flagg …

Typically, I don’t like “action-packed” entertainment - I like slow building plots with deep character development … but I was hypnotized by the quickly unfolding twists and turns of this novel … the story is told through brief - sometimes very brief - chapters, each one jabbing home sweet little tidbits of the story … Stephen King’s wit and dark sense of humor shine brilliantly throughout this book, and Flagg was the perfect villain to boo and hiss at …

I have a feeling I will be rereading this book again in the near future, for the sheer thrill of the roller coaster ride through the kingdom of Delain …

Loved it. I remember seeing this book with the green cover as a kid when my mom was reading it in the 1980's. The dragon on it always fascinated me. Many years later here I am reading it for free as I just discovered the Libby app. Great first book to read on this app. I couldn't wait to read it each time, and I told my husband the story as I read it. 5 stars!

It was pretty good. I enjoyed the little graphics.

Mel

La clásica historia de reyes y dragones de la mano de King.

↳ "Creo que una verdadera amistad siempre nos hace sentir este dulce sentimiento, ya que el mundo casi siempre parece un árido desierto y las flores que en él crecen parecen hacerlo en contra de todas esas circunstancias desfavorables."

 Al grano: no me convenció. En cuanto supe de la existencia de este libro se dispararon mis expectativas, o sea, ¿King haciendo cuentos de hadas? Sonaba algo que definitivamente tenía que leer, y lo hice. Quizá me jugaron en contra. Quizá, siendo mi autor favorito y habiendo leído más de 15 novelas esperaba algo más. ¿Quién sabe? Esta fue mi experiencia:

Estaba al tanto de que es una historia para su hija y, por lo tanto, de su infantilidad; de hecho, esta no se me hizo molesta en ningún momento, es una novela firme y (bastante) extensa para el rol del cuento antes de dormir. Tenemos un rey, un mago, príncipes, entre otros elementos de fantasía clásicos, que se iban presentando y, viniendo del autor, no sabía qué esperar de sus roles, pero, lamento decir, que no me sorprendieron en absoluto. La historia es muy básica, lejos de ser una de las mejores. A pesar de su narración de lectura veloz, se me hizo bastante pesada, creo que perdía ligereza con descripciones excesivas y explicaciones de sobra. Otro punto que no me gusto fue que había sucesos que sucedían por casualidad o porque sí en vez de tener razones complejas o ingeniosas (quizá es por su carácter más infantil, pero no lo justifica ya que no deja de ser una novela y pretenciosa).

 El narrador en primera persona aportó mucho, desde el humor como desde el suspenso (algo destacado en esta novela en particular). En relación al tema de los personajes admito que ninguno me agradó o disgusto lo suficiente, una nada, fueron bastante lineales y superficiales, piezas de una novela y ya; a pesar de esto, debo hacer una excepción con el gran antagonista, Flagg. Siniestro, poderoso, simplemente digno del papel, además me hizo recordar a Voldemort. Sé que aparece en otros libros (ninguno que haya leído yo) y sé que la novela en general tiene conexiones con la Torre Oscura (de la que solo leí el primero), por lo que luego investigaré más de esto para saber cuando llegue el momento (si alguien quiere comentarme, mejor). 

Hacia el final, a eso de las últimas 60 páginas, fue cuando empecé a conectar con ella (no es precisamente un cumplido el conectar casi cuando está acabando pero es algo ¿no?). Toda esta última parte fue un acierto, el desenlace, la acción y algo de oscuridad. Su versión realista del "y todos vivieron felices para siempre" me gustó, y su final también. 

 En pocas palabras, una novela que tiene algunos aciertos y algunos desajustes. No es de mis preferidas del autor, sino que se queda en una franja regular. Aún así, amo que salga de su zona de confort o su cotidianidad para explorar y experimentar con otros géneros.