Apercebi-me muito recentemente, aliás, há uns minutos, que não li a sinopse deste livro antes de iniciar a sua leitura. Isto é muito, muito raro em mim. Prefiro sempre saber no que me estou a meter. Em tudo, mas, principalmente, no que a livros diz respeito.
Primeiro estranhei a história, pois dos poucos livros que li do autor, e do que conheço, nunca imaginei que tal obra tivesse sido criada por ele. Depois comecei a interessar-me cada vez mais pelo desenrolar da história. Ao ponto de desejar ter tempo para ler e, quando lia, de não sentir tanto sono.
Só depois de terminar a leitura percebi o porquê deste livro. Gosto disto, desta sensação agradável de ter sido "enganada".

A fairy tale type of story with all the things we love about fairy tales. Two princes, a King and an evil advisor/magician named Flagg. That’s right. Flagg.

I’ve got some things going on in life right note and this story was the perfect listen. Bronson Pinchot narrates the hell out out of it, what else can I say. This is a perfect distraction from the shit show that is daily life in these unprecedented times.

I am so thankful for storytellers like this, and the narrators that give these tales life. As such, I’m giving this 5 fat stars.

Another King reread on my chronological King rereading adventure. I had been really looking forward to this one since I remembered loving it when I first read it over 20 years ago. Would the reread go as well?

I will start by saying I loved it again. It is a great fantasy book with an interesting premise that does not get bogged down in complex world building. He originally wrote it for his daughter, Naomi, so he kept it at a YA sort of level (before YA was officially a thing). And, there is a lot to tie it into the Stephen King Universe - so, fans who enjoy all the intricacies of his books being connected must read this.

I will follow up that by saying I liked it better the first time. I think it might the a nostalgia thing - remembering a really great book experience and then not quite feeling it the next time. It happens to me a lot with movies from the 80s as well. When I watched or read as a kid/teen I was blown away. But, when I go back to find the same magic it is not quite there.

But, that is only a minor issue - as I said, I still loved it!

Note on the audiobook:. I usually love Bronson Pinchot as a narrator and he does a lot of King books. But, he made a big audio narrator mistake (at least in my book). Most of the dialogue of Flagg was whispered and it drove me crazy. I had to rewind several times to figure out what he was saying. I know he was trying to create atmosphere, but this dialogue did not have to be whispered to make that happen.

“The Eyes of the Dragon” by the incomparable Stephen King has a unique “A Game of Thrones” fairytale element that I haven’t experienced before in any of his earlier novels (the closest one being his recent novel, Fairy Tale but it still has the creepy vibe that I’ve come to expect from the Master of Horror.

In a kingdom called Delain, a widowed King had two sons. One is destined for the throne and the other is destined to follow in his brother’s footsteps. But the sons aren’t the only ones who are in line for the throne. The Kingdom’s renowned but feared magician, Flagg, also wants the power that comes with ruling a Kingdom and he will use all of his tricks, no matter who suffers, to get what he believes he deserves.

Fans of King will recognize the mysterious castle magician, one Randall Flagg, from many of King’s other novels, including “The Stand” and “The Gunslinger” and he is just as evil in “Dragon”. Flagg is the epitome of “bad guy” and he sets the stage for any who come after, and I just know that if Flagg is present, the spookiness factor will increase tenfold.

To help cement the “fairytale” vibe, King’s novel is narrated by an unnamed storyteller, which seems to innocuous and yet accomplished exactly what the author set out to do. It is these small creative gestures that makes King a novelist unlike any other.

“Dragon” is actually a standard size novel, in comparison to some of King’s more hearty stories, and the gripping plot pulls you in right from the first page, making this yet another completely immersive, un-put-downable novel. Each chapter flows seamlessly into the next and when the ending comes there is the feeling of finality and satisfaction with the events, but also disappointment in the fact that the story has ended so soon.

I am a life-long King fan, and although “Dragon” is a lesser-known King tale, I was completely fascinated. King can make anything spooky and terrifying, which is why I will continue to read anything and everything he writes (if he wants to send me his grocery list, I guarantee I would read it several times). “Dragon” is a good starting point for anyone who wants to slowly dip into the King-infested waters, as it will introduce the impeccable writing style and character development, but won’t overwhelm the readers with gore and terror, like some of his better known classics.

"I think that real friendship always makes us feel such sweet gratitude, because the world almost always seems like a very hard desert, and the flowers that grow there seem to grow there against such high odds."

A beautiful YA fantasy novel focusing on the tale of King Roland of Delain and his two sons, Peter and Thomas, with the story being told by an unknown narrator. King Roland is killed by an unusual poison, with his son Peter being accused of murder and imprisoned at the top of a high tower, following the meddling of a certain Randall Flagg, the King's magician. What follows is an exciting story looking at themes including, but not limited to, friendship, loyalty, heroism and adventure.

Stephen King? Young adult fantasy, you cry?! What's the Master of Horror doing in this genre? Part of the reason I found this book so sweet was that he had written it for his daughter Naomi. When she was young, he asked her what she liked reading about, and she said "Dragons", and this is what came next. He even named a minor character after her too - adorable!

Initially I felt apprehensive as I'm not a huge fan of young adult, nor am I really into the fantasy genre, apart from a few exceptions (The Dark Tower series, Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones - okay, maybe I do like fantasy!!). This is also my friend Sadie's favourite King book, and she is a huge fantasy fan too, so there was also a little pressure to enjoy it, or else she might fly over here and resort to violence. But luckily within about 10 pages, I was hooked!

One of the best parts about this book was meeting Randall Flagg again. That guy really is everywhere, scheming and causing trouble. This time, he wants to see the Kingdom of Delain crumble and fall, all whilst he hides in the shadows and watches. Another highlight for me was the narrator himself, the storyteller. No-one, and I mean no-one, can fill this role like Stephen King himself. When he tells his stories to us Constant Readers, it feels like we're all sitting around a campfire, elbows on our knees, head in our hands, absorbing it all. So it was fun for him to tell this story in a more traditional storyteller prose, similar to his introductions where he speaks directly to the Constant Reader. The illustrations in my edition were incredible too, I loooove illustrations. It really helps bring the characters and locations to life.

This is a nice book to direct people towards if they don't like horror, but wish to read some Stephen King. It's also a nice starting point for young readers, a stepping stone to the more macabre and adult books. I can imagine myself reading this to a young child at bedtime (perhaps leaving out more adult parts at the beginning surrounding sex!). This book is really proof that King is able to transcend across any genre he likes. So far, I have read the following from King: horror, romance, fantasy, young adult, supernatural, sci-fi... the list goes on. And he has excelled at all of these.

So, enough fangirling for now... I give this fairytale 5 stars out of 5! It appears I'll be taking a short break from King, but sometimes it's good to branch out to other authors. This is me trying to convince myself. Anyway...until next time! Long days and pleasant nights.

Libro que tuvo todo para ser mejor, pero King quería otra cosa.

n  

"Y en ocasiones, cuando algún pensamiento es demasiado desagradable para poder soportarlo, la persona dueña de ese pensamiento lo guarda bajo llave en una pesada caja y la arroja al pozo. Luego, oirá cómo la caja choca con el agua… y considerará que ha desaparecido. Por supuesto, esto no es exacto. No del todo."

n

El libro trata del reino de Delain, su rey actual llamado Roland tiene dos hijos —Peter y Thomas—, y un consejero que a la vez es mago llamado Flagg. Eventualmente se espera que Peter herede el reino, pero Flagg tiene otros planes.

La historia inicia de manera muy concisa, narrando los acontecimientos del reino, describiendo los personajes, tanto su presente como cosas de su pasado y sentimientos más íntimos. Pero a medida que avanza, todo eso se va perdiendo, y hubo ocasiones donde el libro parecía dar un giro interesante, pero se volvía a encaminar en la senda de lo plano, lo cliché y cada vez con menos descripciones de las situaciones y los personajes. Todo empezó a resolverse de manera inesperada donde como lector no tenía más que aceptar lo que pasaba.

Algunas personas declaran que este libro es infantil porque King lo escribió para su hija Naomi, no lo veo tan así, para mí es más bien juvenil, pero no por eso se le excusa para resolverlo de la forma que lo hizo, muy escueta para mi gusto, dejando más preguntas que respuestas. Este libro está en mi top de libros de King que menos me ha gustado.

n  

"La mayor parte de las veces que los demás nos vieran sin nuestras máscaras, sin duda sólo se reirían. Sí, se reirían o harían una mueca. Tal vez ambas cosas a la vez."

n

Lo que me agradó del libro fueron los personajes de Peter y Flagg. Por un lado, Peter me pareció un chico inteligente a pesar de su edad, pero también paciente, perseverante, pero a la vez compasivo. Todo digno de un buen rey. Por otro lado, Flagg, malvado hasta la médula, pero con bastante cautela a la hora de actuar. Mi duda es sí este Flagg es el mismo que aparece en el libro Apocalipsis, yo creo que sí, pero no estoy seguro.

No es un libro que recomiende, pero siempre están abiertos a darle una oportunidad. Para mí fue una gran decepción.

Interesting and slightly odd mixture of Stephen Kings story telling and a slightly more classic/mythological tale than we're used to from the modern prince of horror.

This is described by some as Stephen King doing children's literature". Well, I wouldn't really call it that. I'm aware that Mr. King dedicated this to his daughter...but I would suggest that you read it yourself first before giving it to a child, at least a child younger than say, 12. Just my opinion. It's how I'd handle it.

The story is a fair one and you'll see echos of a lot of Mr. King's other books not to mention echos of other stories going back to early myths and epics.

I'll not be adding this to my "permanent collection" and I don't have plans to read it again, but still it's a pretty good yarn.

So, what's positive and what's negative? Well there is still the slightly tainted feel I've noted in most of Mr. Kings other stories.  Thomas the younger brother who becomes the wizard Flag's (yes the wizard is named Flag...though of course as most of us know he is revealed to be something else far worse than a wizard) cat's-paw we are told repeatedly is not a "bad boy". And at the end of the story (a la Lord of the Rings and Gollum) Thomas is the one who strikes down Flag. However there is a scene where we are "treated to" a description of Thomas stoning an old dog to death because "his father favored the older brother Peter and slighted Thomas. We get a bit this. There are at least two scenes with relatively long detailed descriptions of nose pickers, one of whom likes to eat his discoveries... get the picture?

Also there are a few times where the story gets repetitive. We cover a period of time, then we go back and get the story of what went on in detail. Then there are times we drop back and cover the same period of time from another character's point of view. I did get a bit bored, enough to skip some of the book at one point.

Still, the story is laid out in a straight forward manner that will I believe draw most in. Even with the repetition it doesn't slow way down often. The story is told in a more traditional style drawing on older stories even fairy tales. It weaves a tale that while I doubt most will find it surprising it will keep you interested and give some enjoyment.

I'll go four on this, if just and recommend it.

As noted there are echoes of many of Mr. Kings other stories and most notably I think you'll find a sort of "proto" version of the Dark Tower cycle's Kingdom of Gilead here, just not so dark. In that place we see the Man in Black's plots coming to fruition, where here he is thwarted.

This seems to be one of those books that people either love or hate—how strange to find myself right in the middle! I’ve never been one of King’s Constant Readers and have only read a few of his books over the last number of years. This one is written very much in the form of a fairy tale and is dedicated to his daughter, who may have heard the first versions of it as bedtime material? I was disappointed that the dragon of the title was only a mounted head on the wall—live dragons are much more entertaining.

King recycles some material here—anyone who has read The Stand will recognize the villain, Flagg. There is also some overlap with the Dark Tower series.

I found The Stand to be a very black & white tale, with very little nuance. The Eyes of the Dragon takes that to a whole new level, despite the fact that King tries very hard to convince us that Thomas isn’t as bad as he seems. However, that is the nature of fairy tales, so it fits in this case.

I chose to read TEotD because it was on the NPR’s list of Science Fiction & Fantasy finalists back in 2011 (they were asking people of vote on the top titles in the field). Other children’s books were omitted from the list (e.g. Harry Potter) so I’m not sure how this one squeaked through to be included.

It is the 232nd book that I have read from this NPR list.

Book two into my Dark Tower pre-read (thanks @ LTJ for the recommendation). After The Stand, I didn't think I could like Randall Flagg any less, but Mr. King succeeded in making him even more creepy.

I would 10/10 recommend this. This can be a standalone if you're not a series reader. It's an epic fantasy set in medieval (ish) times, which is totally not my bag usually, but this just worked for me. It has a nostalgic feel, told in a fairy tale style with the author directly speaking to the reader. The Gothic atmosphere was top tier

"Of all the weapons ever used to commit regicide - the murder of a King - none has been as frequently used as poison. And no one has greater knowledge of poisons than a magician."

I thoroughly enjoyed losing myself in this fantasy. This was my first Stephen King novel, I don't really like horror so I wanted something different from him and I wasn't disappointed!

King Roland has been killed, presumed murder. His eldest son Peter is accused of the crime and sentenced to imprisonment in the needle - the tallest tower in the Kingdom. Meanwhile his younger brother Thomas now sits the throne, despite not being fit for the role, as the old King's magician and advisor Flagg whispers in Thomas' ear and stirs up trouble.

There are those who are still loyal to Thomas, who suspect Flagg; after all he seems to have lived for an unrealistically long time, surely there is some evil at play here?

I noticed a lot of parallels between this and Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy, it is set in a similar world which may be why I liked it so much.

A simple enough story of good vs evil, where each character has flaws of some sort. Where people have to decide how far they will go to prevent the spread of evil and to protect their royal family.

The Eyes of the Dragon... more like "How the most generic medieval fantasy story can turn into a charming tale you won't ever forget".
Recommended for all ages :)

This is my 1st time exploring the fantasy world of Stephen King and I am hooked! The eyes of the dragon has it all… Good versus evil, betrayal, jealousy, magic, death, and adventure.

The characters are unforgettable from king Roland to his son's Peter and Thomas and of course the intertwining of the ever evil Randall Flagg Who makes an appearance in many King novels.

This is the jackpot of the dark tower series for me so far. The novel ends with the hint of adventures to come and more of Randall Flagg trickeries.

I am reading kings books in order of publicaution and I love seeing the connection between his worlds starting with Carrie and now with the eyes of the dragon I'm excited for what's to come.