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.

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.

ESTE LIBRO
ME
EN-CAN-TÓ!

n  A veces, la gente tenía cosas raras.n

Lo terminé con una sonrisa. Fue como un helado de frutilla con salsa y frutillas y crema y compartido con la persona que te gusta. Sí, así se sintió.


La historia no parece nada del otro mundo, y sin embargo, cuánto me gustó. Tenemos a Roland, un rey simplón y "patizambo"; a su hijo mayor, el príncipe Peter, buen mozo, inteligente y honesto; a su hijo menor, Thomas, celoso, inmaduro y temeroso; y, finalmente, a la estrella de la noche, el mago oscuro Flagg. (SÍ, EL MISMO FLAGG QUE The Stand!!) La cuestión acá es que, como todo mago oscuro, Flagg quiere traerle desdichas a su reino, y provoca la muerte de Roland, encubriéndola para que parezca que fue Peter el culpable. Thomas, conocedor de la verdad, deja que su hermano sea encarcelado y recibe la corona en su lugar. Conflicto de hermanos, una tapadera para los verdaderos planes de Flagg.
Sí, no es original. Pero lo que hace a este libro uno muy bueno no es la historia. Es la...


Este libro no parece de King, y aun así, es tan de él como cualquier otro. King toma la voz narradora de un cuentacuentos de época que hace que me den ganas de ir hasta donde vive (probablemente en Maine, todos sus libros mencionan esa ciudad) y abrazarlo. Al principio parecía que se detenía en cosas que no interesaban o que no hacían a la historia, y uno las leía con humor, pero al final todo cierra, todo encuadra, y te das cuenta de que King realmente es el master of storytelling. La sencillez, la comodidad al narrar, y sin embargo, cuánto te hace sentir, y cuánto más te hace querer saber sobre lo que sucedió con sus personajes al terminar el libro.

n  Ahora dejad que, en un abrir y cerrar de ojos, pasen de largo muchos años, pues una de las mejores cosas que tienen los cuentos es lo rápido que puede transcurrir el tiempo sin que nada notable esté sucediendo. En la vida real nunca es de ese modo, y probablemente sea un buen síntoma. El tiempo solo pasa veloz en las historias, y ¿qué es una historia sino una especie de gran cuento en el que los siglos fugaces son sustituidos por años fugaces?n

Bastante. Aunque perdonado porque se trataba de un libro para niños y dedicado a su hija - lo cual, NO LES DA TERNURA??


La historia en sí, poca. Pero el título me parece de lo más original. No quiero decirles por qué lleva ese nombre pero es casi tan crucial como los personajes de Thomas y Peter. Arranqué pensando que lucharían contra un dragón, jamás de los jamases creí que se trataría de esa cabeza embalsamada...


El hecho de que fuese escrito para su hija hace que este libro se vuelva el doble de especial, y qué mejor manera de consagrar e inmortalizar a Naomi King sino creándole un personaje en esta historia. Hay una frase que dice que si "un escritor se enamora de ti, nunca morirás", y definitivamente Stephen King estaba enamorado de su hija. Debe seguir estándolo.
También noté que el libro estaba dedicado a su "gran amigo", Ben Straub, y dudo mucho que el personaje Ben Staad haya sido creado así de la nada...
me encanta leer las dedicatorias y los agradecimientos, soy una sentimental

n  Flagg se había despertado. Creo haberos dicho que a veces el demonio es extrañamente ciego, y eso es cierto. A veces el demonio se aquieta, y duerme.
Pero ahora el mago había despertado.n

Definitivamente. Si nunca leyeron nada de King, este libro les va a gustar mucho, aunque dudo de que sea el mejor para comenzar con algo de él, dado que difiere bastante (en todo) de los libros que suele escribir. Sin embargo, es obligatorio para todo fan de King y para todo fan de la fantasía.

When the majority of individuals think about Stephen King's credentials; it is generally about his amazing work-rate at producing memorable and top quality horror stories. With that in mind; in addition to The Dark Tower saga, this novel is one of Mr. King's lesser known creations that is definitely more Tolkien than Tommyknockers.

It is an easy story to get into and I was intrigued from the first page. My grandfather gave me this book when I was a wide-eyed, eleven-year-old lover of Goosebumps books as I possessed pretty good reading skills for that age and I loved every second of this tale back then. Memories of the book from 19 years ago are of course hazy so I am glad I picked it up again - half for the nostalgia but also to delve back into the mythical land of Delain which lurks somewhere within Mid-World.

The book is presented by an omnipresent narrator who may very well be Stephen King himself. This story was written and dedicated to his daughter Naomi after all. The storyteller keeps us updated with his opinions, lets us know the personae's thoughts and motives throughout the plot and reverts back to us as a reader to find out how we are getting on. It is a nice touch for a pleasant story.

It follows the royal family of Delain. King Roland the Good is an average monarch. He loves his alcohol, hunting and is just generally an okay guy. He reminded me of Robert Baratheon from Game of Thrones. His defining feat was killing the last known dragon - the head of which remains in his drawing room as a trophy. In his later years when his subjects are worried at a lack of an heir - he is introduced to a witty, charming, younger lady called Sasha and thanks to a couple of magic potions to aid sexual prowess two children are born. Peter and Thomas. All seems nice and happy so far. Peter grows to be a strapping, proud and honourable young gentleman who everyone agrees will make a great next king. Well, all except one person...

I forgot to mention The Eyes of the Dragon includes one of the most infamous, notorious villains in fiction - a gentleman (or demon perhaps) called Flagg happens to be the King's aide and black magician. Flagg goes by many names in Stephen King's novels - The Man In Black, The Walkin' Dude, Randall Flagg etc... If you are familiar with King's books you probably know this dude from Dark Tower and The Stand amongst others. To summarise: He is one evil muthaphuckka.

On a grim day in Delain - The King is poisoned with a vile substance called Dragon Sand which burns victims from the inside out and next in line to the throne Peter is incorrectly judged to have committed the said regicide, therefore, is placed on the top floor of The Needle for eternal imprisonment 300 feet above the ground. In lieu of this, Roland's younger, weaker, more impressionable son becomes King - and guess who is whispering in his ear about how to rule the land?

Following this, we are dealt a slightly predictable but still utterly entrancing narrative that composes a state of mind to the readers where hope, belief, friendship and desire are the real magic in a story that is polluted by Flagg's plotting, deceit and all sort of macabre magical nastiness. The story revolves around a dolls house, an endless supply of napkins, a mouse, a two headed parrot and a very clever wolf-dog called Frisky who is presented with charming childishly human qualities by the narrator. A lot of the supporting cast who I have not even mentioned are well created and add to the overall quality of the tale. My copy of the novel also included some amazing fantastical art including Frisky, the dragon, a lost looking rabbit, the wizard and such which was a very nice touch.

I guess you need to read this so you will know what was seen when someone on the secret passage looked through the eyes of the dragon and how it impacts on this awesome story.

James Tivendale.

„Той определено не би могъл да опази нито една тайна, щеше да рече Флаг, особено от човека, разработил издигането му на трона. Но хора като Флаг преливат от гордост и самоувереност и макар че умеят да виждат много, понякога са странно слепи.“


„Очите на дракона“ е много симпатично, но и мрачно фентъзи! Стивън Кинг разказва в книгата класическа история за битката между доброто и злото, тъй като я е писал за дъщеря си, когато е била малка. Кралски магьосник в приказна страна е прочутият злодей Флаг, а пък принц Питър трябва да му се противопостави... Като цяло книгата ми допадна, без да ме впечатли чак толкова силно... но все пак е първата творба на Кинг в този жанр, като впоследствие е разгърнал писателското си майсторство в страхотната фентъзи поредица „Тъмната кула“.



„Той знаел, че е допускал грешки понякога, но никога не им позволил да сломят сърцето му. Не позволил и на последната, най-голяма грешка, да го направи. Той знаел също — както знаем и ние, в нашия свят, — че пътят към ада е покрит с добри намерения, но знаел и, че за човешките същества добрите намерения понякога са всичко, което имат. Ангелите може и да се спасят от вечните мъки, но хората са по-малко щастливи създания и за тях адът е винаги близо.“

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.

I've never quite connected with fantasy, so I'd always been hesitant to read King's foray into the genre.
Whilst this actually ended up being something completely different to what I'd expected, I still found it to be overly long and a slog to finish...

I'd actually describe this as an extended fairy tale set in The Dark Tower universe.
In fact it reminded me of the sections involving a young Roland in Wizard and Glass as we explore more of Flagg as a court magician trying to seize power.

The book is dedicated to King's daughter Naomi who was 13 at the date of publication and it really has that feel of an author primarily writing for his child.
Both the narration and short chapters along with the childlike illustrations really has a young adult audience in mind.

If the same story was told as a novella then I would have enjoyed it so much more.
With too many characters and slow moving plot, there just wasn't enough to keep my intrest.

I like that King tried his hand to something different, but ultimately proved unsuccessful.
He will always be pegged as a horror writer and the backlash amongst led to him writing one of my favourites in Misery.

It's an unnecessary but inoffensive journey into the mid-world.

The Eyes of the Dragon was a fascinating read from beginning to end, and reminded me the genius of Sir Stephen King and his literary range!

Do you know when you're reading a a new book and not only do you know near to nothing about the book, yet you get sucker punched as to how GOOD the book is? Well,consider me punched! Stephen King does it again, and again, and again... this time with a story that flows more like a fable- told all in the third POV. And it is damn genius!!!

  

The Eyes of the Dragon simply told, is a medieval fabled story about a kingdom with a king, a queen, some princes and of course the nefarious evil magician. Although I listened to the story in audiobooks (which was perfect voice-over acting), it felt like Stephen King was opening this big volumous and dusty book and telling me a story about enchantment, revenge and the power of friendship! Simply told friends, this fabled story is so entertaining and so craftly developed, that it plays like a movie! In the end, I couldn't stop reading, and SK didn't disappoint!

Oh.. did I mentioned there was a dragon?


5 Stars

I read this about ten years ago and just read the book again about two years ago. Well, I'm delighted to say that it still has all its magic.

As an aspiring writer, I was breaking down the story, trying to figure out what made it special. It's not so much the setting as there are many fairy tale legends which are similar to this one . .. nor is it the actual idea as many good princes have been unjustly imprisoned and then tried to redeem themselves later.

This tale's strength is in its narrative prose as well as its nuances. The magical dollhouse, the napkins, the tidbits of legends, the extra push for detailing characters all explain why King is such a great storyteller.

If you like King, read this. If you like fantasy, read this. If you like fairy tales, read this . .. although, be warned: this is not for children.

OVERALL GRADE: A minus

This story was amazing! It was one of Stephen Kings shorter books but I LOVED every second! Even though some parts were sad and others making me furious! It’s an incredible work and I definitely recommend!

“The Eyes of the Dragon” by Stephen King is the second book in my epic 17-book journey to The Dark Tower. After finally conquering the horror masterpiece of “The Stand” I set my sights on this one. Here is how I’m tackling the entire Dark Tower saga in order in case you’d like to do the same…

The Stand
The Eyes of the Dragon
Insomnia
Hearts in Atlantis
‘Salem’s Lot
The Talisman
Black House
Everything's Eventual (The Little Sisters of Eluria)
The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger
The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three
The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands
Charlie the Choo-Choo
The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole
The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla
The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower

Before I start my review, I found some trigger warnings while reading this book. They were…

- Bearbaiting
- Throwing rocks at animals (dog)
- Death of animals (dog and mouse)
- Suicide
- Parental abuse (physical)
- Self-harm

I should also note that when “The Eyes of the Dragon” was originally published in 1987, it got hit with major criticism. King is one of the greatest authors of all time but earlier in his career, he was confined to being known as only a horror author. So at the time, readers, critics, and pundits across the globe hated this book because it wasn’t pure horror.

It’s true, this isn’t super scary but at the time, King wrote this for his children. He wanted a “bedtime story” for his kids with something they could fall asleep to and not freak out about things that go bump in the night.

I would classify “The Eyes of the Dragon” as a children’s fantasy book with a few creepy moments and one hell of a story. The graphics in between chapters are great and added a nice touch of nostalgia for me. I grew up loving and collecting horror paperbacks that did this before each chapter and seeing it done here brought back a lot of fond memories.

King delivered big time and more with how he wrote this story since he writes it as if he’s there reading this medieval story to you. The whole “breaking the fourth wall” style was great as I never read a story like this where it felt like he was talking right to me.

This book has an amazing group of memorable and heroic characters that leave their mark on you. I loved Peter the most with Frisky the dog as a close second and even though I despise him, I loved getting a deeper look at the backstory of Flagg. Wow, I know many Constant Readers consider him one of the greatest antagonists King has ever written and I’m starting to see why. Flagg is evil and the buildup is real and I can only imagine what awaits me as I make my way to The Dark Tower.

“The Eyes of the Dragon” has short chapters that make it even easier to read. It’s a genuine pageturner that I could not put down due to such an astounding story. It’s all about the little things with King as the medieval font used, the little bits of horror when it hits, and incredible character development all shined. Reading about Peter and everything he went through leading to that climactic and wild ending was a surreal reading experience. That ending was so much fun and rewarding. Don’t worry, I would never ruin anything for you but that rocked. It was beyond satisfying and wrapped everything up nicely.

I give “The Eyes of the Dragon” by Stephen King a 5/5 for a magnificent story and his take on an epic medieval fantasy further explaining Flagg’s backstory. This was an entertaining read and even though it wasn’t true horror, it didn’t take anything away from another incredible book that showed King's versatility and strengths as a powerful storyteller. I enjoyed the few horror events here and overall, it’s a book I’ll never forget. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m about to grab a bundle-gin and prepare for the next step in my journey to The Dark Tower as I plan to start “Insomnia” next.

La típica historia de cuentos de hadas con giritos inesperados de terror.

He disfrutado mucho.