3,5 stars

A very enjoyable listening experience with excellent narration.

Probably this is the only book by Stephen King I was willing to read and it's not him, it's me. I consciously avoid his usual genres, so it was a nice surprise to find something so different.

3.5

“Once, in a kingdom called Delain, there was a King with two sons. Delain was a very old kingdom and it had had hundreds of Kings, perhaps even thousands; when time goes on long enough, not even historians can remember everything.”

King used a unique narrative style for this fairy tale, where he flexes his writing muscle and offers something much different than his usual fare. Fans of the Dark Tower series will see some name similarities and tributes here like King Roland (much different personality than our beloved gunslinger) and Flagg, who is as evil as always. Set in historical fantasy-land times, it's a story about two young brothers rising to become Kings while the kingdom is really being ruled by a demented magician.

I loved how King tied in two childhood habits into the story later as major game changers. I enjoyed the characterization - Peter and his allies were formidable forces for good, Roland and Thomas among many who struggle between right and wrong, and then finally Flagg - pure evil badassness with his laboratory and potions. It follows fairy-tale tropes with kingdoms, towers, betrayals, and the day old struggle of brotherly love/envy and living up to a father's ideals.

It's not gory, but there are disturbing scenes, such as the use of a certain dragon-influenced poison. King again indulges in weird body humor - scenes with the King farting and picking his nose. King does this often so I guess it's a humor he enjoys, although I could have done without some of the scenes. Gross!

Overall it's a well written book and easy to follow, but the pacing lags after the first 1/4th. While the story is a good one, there's just not enough action and variances to justify it's length. Not ridiculously long at 380 pages, but my interest started waning.

Although I read a good deal in the speculative genres in which King characteristically writes, he's never been a "go-to" author for me. (Originally, that was probably part of a broader pattern; I don't generally seek out the work of most other best-selling authors either, because I innately distrust the hype, and prefer to pick my own reading rather than letting other people in effect pick it for me.) But back in my days as a public librarian, I decided that since his work was so popular with the patrons, I should try to cultivate at least a bit of first-hand knowledge of it, just for purposes of readers advisory services. This novel was one a couple of his that I read at that time, recommended to me by a library colleague as works that I might be more apt to like than others more typical of his output. My wife Barb and I actually read it together, and both liked it moderately well. (As is sometimes the case, that puts my rating solidly in the middle of the spectrum in my friend circle, other ratings there ranging from five stars all the way down to one.)

This is a capably written, entertaining conventional fantasy, utilizing a low-tech, medieval-like world mostly resembling real-world Europe, in a realm governed by hereditary kingship, and drawing a strong conflict between good and evil. Evil here is incarnated in the malevolent person of the king's wizard, Flagg (a.k.a Randy Flagg the Dark Man, a villain who appears also in several other King works such as The Stand, and who promotes the cause of darkness across various dimensions of the author's fictional multiverse). The plot involves murder, framing the innocent, and intrigue surrounding the royal succession. It's not an especially outstanding or ground-breaking work of its type, IMO, but it's well done for what it is. If it has any particular strong or distinctive point, I'd say that would be its recognition that sometimes people can be manipulated or misled for bad purposes without themselves being bad people as such (something we all tend at times to forget, sometimes at the expense of fairness). Related to this, the characterizations are commendably realistic, and (except for Flagg) believably nuanced.

King apparently wrote this originally for his kids, when they were still in grade school. As a result, it doesn't have any particular bad language that I can recall, and not much in the way of sexual content, certainly none of it explicit. (There is an element of implied teenage sex at one point.) Being set in a fantasy world, it lacks the political references that King sometimes inserts into other works (to ensure that everyone has their ideological labels on perfectly straight, apparently), as well as the slurs against evangelicals that he frequently works in when he's using a real-world setting. It's also a much more normally-sized novel, compared to the ultra-thick behemoths that are more typical of his work. Nonetheless, I don't know that I'd characterize it particularly as a children's book; kids and YAs could certainly read it, but the tone, reading level and general vision are such that wouldn't necessarily fall short for adult tastes, either. (As a trigger warning, one of my friend's reviews mentions a scene of animal cruelty. though I don't actually remember that one myself --it's been nearly 30 years since I read the book.) If you're into traditional fantasy, this isn't a must-read, but I don't believe it would disappoint, either.

I finally read my first Stephen King novel. I really liked it. I’m not a huge horror fan so I felt this fantasy was a good choice. I couldn’t put the book down. This book was from the 1980s so I doubt there will be a sequel but the ending opened up the possibility. I will definitely read more Stephen King. Perhaps my next King book will be Fairy Tale.

3.5

Something a little different from Mr King— a straightforward fairy tale set in a kingdom of another time and place.

Charming and a great bed time take for older elementary kids, I enjoyed the tale. Old King. Two princes. Evil magician.

Unfortunately, about a 100 pages too long and not nearly as creative a storyline as I’ve come to expect from the master of storytelling.

I’m considering it a solid primer for his Fairy Tale novel, which I hope is darker and more complicated than this tale.

Final note- I was very intrigued that the evil magician’s name was Flagg. I love King’s connectivity!

The King is dead and his favoured, eldest son is imprisoned for his murder. Will the wrongfully accused boy manage to free himself and will his subjects believe his innocence if he does?

I found this a very accessible fantasy story. King does not dwell on particulars of the fictional kingdom but, instead, focuses on the mystery inside of it. Even this he approaches from an unusual angle, as the reader is privy to the real perpetrator very early on and spends much of the book waiting for justice to be delivered.

I thoroughly enjoyed both the story and how it was conveyed. It provided me with some straight-forward escapism, which did not require too much thought and instead allowed me to become immediately immersed in the story and remain gently carried along by its meandering trajectory.

Stephen King loves doing what he does. I think, both in life and in writing, that for him includes breaking rules.

This novel — this modern fairy-tale — has a lot of tell and little show. Winded paragraphs composed of short sentences and barely any dialogue.

It read magnificently to me. I could hear the narrator speaking into my ear. I wish this were my first King story. And while I understand why this book tanked, I wish he wrote more things in this vein.

His characters are wonderfully realized as ever. [Flagg is the wicked villain here, which should make King fans go "uh oh."]

*** 3.40 ***

A buddy read with my fairy tales loving friends at BB&B!!!

I have never jumped on the Steven King fan band wagon, but it was never because of his writing. It usually relates to the thematics and my inability to cope with thrillers and imaginative mind, which brings all his monsters to life and I just can't deal...

However, this book is not his usual fair. It is a fairytale!!! And I am a humongous fan of anything resembling a classic fairytale or Fantasy... So, this is how several BB&B members found ourselves reading this book.

Mr. King wrote this in order to have something he created appropriate enough to read to his children when they were very young. And he did just that - he created a fairytale good for children as young as 6 and as old as time:-) I truly enjoyed the story. I also think, that if I had read it as a youth I would have rated it with all the stars. However, I am reading it in a ripe old age and although magically written, it was a bit too straight forward and linear for my expectations of the modern Fantasy genre. This in no way diminished it's value or enjoyment factor. It just made it a bit young and predictable for what we all have gotten accustomed to. Despite everything, it read really fast and I engulfed it in one sitting.

As I said, I enjoyed reading this with friends and recommend it to all those young at heart - a simple story of good verses evil!!! I hope you all have a great time reading!!!

This is still one of my favourite King books -- a whimsical fairy tale set in a magical landscape; a Dark Tower for younger readers if you will. I couldn't quite give it five stars this time around, since it's not as epic or grand as something like The Talisman, but my sheer enjoyment of the story has not diminished with the years. King weaves a truly engaging spell with this one, which prominently features the uber-villainous Flagg (who has shown up in many King novels, sometimes under other names, but always just as evil). This time he is the King's magician.

I just love the adventure here, and Peter's brave attempt to escape the Needle kept me breathless. While Shawshank will likely always be remembered as THE King prison escape story, there will always be a special place in my heart for the dramatic climax discovered in the pages of The Eyes of the Dragon.

Highly recommended for fans of YA Fantasy.

When I was a little girl my mother and father would tuck me in at night and read me a bedtime story. At Christmas and Easter- I would have the pleasure of listening to bedtime stories made-up by my father, just for me- Delee. The Adventures of the Pink Kitty...about a very special kitten making his way to a very special child.....and his adventures along the way trying to find a home with the perfect little girl. ME!!! It wasn't a logical story...it probably wasn't the best story out there- but to me it was magical.

THE EYES OF THE DRAGON is another kind of bedtime story. A bedtime story KING style!! Noooo pink kitties here.



In a fairy tale past- there is a relatively happy Kingdom of Delain- with the dragon slaying King Roland, his young wife Queen Sasha, and their sweet, perfect, little boy Peter...but there also is evil in Delain-a magician by the name of Flagg. Who is also unfortunately...Roland's adviser.



Flagg's goal is to make this Kingdom...less happy- and he comes up with a plan. A plan that doesn't involve Queen Sasha...or a sweet, perfect, heir to the throne. So he schemes...

...and he schemes. Sasha dies in childbirth- and Thomas is born. A not so perfect child- who Flagg takes under his wing...

...and when the time is right- all the pieces fall into place.



...but there are a few snags in his wicked plan- Flagg is not aware of- that may or may not come back to haunt him later.



This is one of my Favorite King books. It speaks to my inner child..and from time to time SHE still enjoys fairy tales and bedtime stories.

I'm a huge Stephen King fan but nothing is worse than bad Stephen King. As so often happens to ol' Stevie, he took an idea that had enough material for a short story (A prince is wrongly imprisoned for his father's murder and has to escape) and drags it out to cover an entire book. Honestly, the entire book would be the first twenty-five pages of any other fantasy novel.

I read the book because many of the names were the same or echoes of characters in The Dark Tower series. All was for naught, as any of the connections were throw away at best.

For completists only.

"Book, you have the right to a speedy trial" review

n  THE DEFENSEn
- He may have switched from horror to fantasy with this one, but Stephen King's trademark gripping prose is still in full force!
- A scene-stealing villain who creates chaos and is just so much fun to watch, Flagg would fit right in at Gotham City!
- Despite the fantasy setting, the emotions of the characters always feel real.
- King takes some narrative risks that really pay off. (The segments told through the POV of a dog are particularly effective.)

n  THE PROSECUTIONn
- Very little action for a fantasy novel... (putting "Dragon" in the title when the dragon is only in the book for about two pages...that's downright cruel, Mr. King!)
- The book's fairy-tale narrative voice may not be for everyone. (King often speaks directly to the reader, like Aesop speaking to a crowd, which some might find off-putting.)
- Story drags a bit in the final act.

n  THE VERDICTn
A fractured fairy tale as only Stephen King can deliver, this book is perfect for someone who wants to see an author step out of their comfort zone and try something new!