Helpful Score: 5
The lighter side of King, July 24, 2000
Reviewer: "arualeiram" (Madison WI)
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.
Reviewer: "arualeiram" (Madison WI)
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.
Helpful Score: 3
A well told tale of a murdererd king and a young prince imprisoned for life due to the designs of an ancient evil magician bent on the destruction of everything. But that's just the beginning.
Helpful Score: 2
Once upon a time there was terror and dragons and princes-evil wizards and dark dungeons...an enchanted castle and a terrible secret. With this entralling masterpiece of magicall evil and daring adventure, Stephan King takes you in his icy grip and leads you into the most shivery and irresistable kingdom of wickedness...THE EYES OF THE DRAGON.
Months later I'm still shivering. Different read from King.
Months later I'm still shivering. Different read from King.
Helpful Score: 2
I almost quit reading this book, as it started out like a lot of other fantasy books. I am glad I kept at it. Great read
Helpful Score: 2
A fairy tale in true Stephen King fashion. A wonderful tale of betrayal and adventure. Highly Recommended!
Helpful Score: 2
A King Fantasy/Enchantment written for his daughter. Whether fantasy or horror it's still KING, another classic not to miss....
Helpful Score: 2
stephen kings The eyes of the Dragon i a pure wonderful fairytale. A So-So- King , an Evil MaJician. Mice, Dragons and napkins all blend together for a wonderful tale. Its was I wished would never end.
Helpful Score: 2
This is the only King fiction book I've read. I really enjoyed it. I've been told it is VERY different then the rest of his books, which is one reason I've stuck with this one--I read it mostly by random, but his genre I usually avoid.
It's a story I still remember, despite having read it years and years ago. Interesting characters with depth and twists and turns and fates of nobles that seem real.
It's a story I still remember, despite having read it years and years ago. Interesting characters with depth and twists and turns and fates of nobles that seem real.
Helpful Score: 2
A great read, I don't usually read dragon/prince/evil wizard type books but this one had me from the first page.
Helpful Score: 2
Hard to believe this was written by Stephen King. Not a horror story at all. High fantasy at it's finest with attention to character development and detail. Highly recommend.
Helpful Score: 2
This is not your typical Steven King Novel. It wasn't as gory and or scary as the rest. This was more of a mid-evil type of story. It was very good reading if you like that kind of thing. I'm a King fan so the book interested me from the very beginning.
Helpful Score: 1
this is a fantasy he wrote, diff from usual.
Helpful Score: 1
One of my favorite books. A tale of heroes, dragons, princes and evil wizards.
Helpful Score: 1
The low rating's because I just didn't like King's writing style. The plot kinda sucked, too - fairly predictable, really, and the killer thing was that it wasn't as engaging as I hoped it would be. It started out fairly great, but sort of spiraled down over time. I did like the characters to a degree, but not very much. So, in a nutshell, somewhat forgettable characters, okay plot, but not something you'd actually want to *buy*. Which is why it's on this site along with the rest of my stuff.
Helpful Score: 1
In my opinion, this is the best book I have read by King and my only "keeper" Stephen King. The story of two royal brothers. One good , one evil, with an evil advisor/wizard to the King. No one knows the wizards age. He has always just "been". 5 stars
Helpful Score: 1
I think this was his best book he ever wrote
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed this novel more than I usually do stephen King novels. He does fantasy fantasticly. Great mystery that keeps a reading.
Helpful Score: 1
My favorite King book, The story is full of darkness & magic. I loved it from start to finish!!!
Helpful Score: 1
A great book. Much better than I expected!
Helpful Score: 1
Do you like Dungeons and Dragons? You will like this book for sure!
Helpful Score: 1
This book is about 2 young princes and how they grow up and how an evil wizard tries to destroy the kingdom.
It was kind of a fun book. I liked it, but I would not reread it.
It was kind of a fun book. I liked it, but I would not reread it.
Helpful Score: 1
A great read.
Helpful Score: 1
This is one of my favorite books of all time. My brother gave it to me when I was 10 years old and I've read it over 20 times since. It is not your typical Steven King Horror story. I would call it a fairy tale. This is the type of story that just flows effortlessly from start to finish and keeps you turning pages much later than you intended. There's good v/s evil, romance, action and more. It falls more into fantasy than anything else but is just a great story. Safe for older kids to read as there really isn't obscenity, foul language, or anything too scary or gruesome. Storytelling at its' best.
Imagine if you will, Stephen King telling a story to his children at bed tiome. "The Eyes of the Dragon" is a story that mostly departs from King's typical tales of terror and disgust,and tells a story that you could enjoy while reading to your own children over many nights.
Helpful Score: 1
Probably my favorite King book so far--TOTALLY different from all of his others, this is almost like a fairy tale story of good and evil, wizards and princes...a good read that will entertain you over and over.
This is a fantasy book written by King so that his daughter could read something he had written. Great intro for kids. It is also connected (minutely) to the Dark Tower series.
Helpful Score: 1
Dungeons, dragons, demonic forces...human good against indisious evil
Helpful Score: 1
Fantasy/historical that relates theme-wise (and Flagg-wise) to The Stand and several other of King's most popular books (and my favorites). Highly recommended, especially if you need a Stephen King fix but also a quick read.
Helpful Score: 1
I read in an interview with Mr. King that he wrote this book for his kids because his other books were too 'horrific' for them. Very different from his other books, this is high fantasy.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a great book by SK. More fanatasy than horror and a really great read.
Helpful Score: 1
Magic, dungeons, dragons, wizards and princes...all from Stephen King!!
Helpful Score: 1
A fairy tale told by Stephen King! You will love this book, especially if you like both horror and fantasy. Classic King storytelling style, just a different kind of story. It still has the same draw-you-in quality that Mr. King is famous for, though. I can't imagine that there is anyone who would not enjoy this book.
Helpful Score: 1
One of THE best books written by Stephen King in my opinion. I hate fantasy, so I didn't even really want to read this. But I did, and was rewarded with an excellent tale of two brothers,their kingdom, their struggles and fears, and a nasty evil wizard. The poisonous spider scene in this book is masterful.
My absolute favorite King novel *ever*. It may not be his most 'terrifying', but in my opinion he has never told a better story. This book is my literary comfort food; I've read it over 20 times and I still read it at least once a year.
A good solid fantasy read by contemporary master Stephen King. Written in King's usual reader friendly style, the book seems to breeze by. Another plus: for those that love fantasy, but hate to commit to a lengthy series, this is a single volume with no companion books. Fantasy lovers can't go wrong with this one.
You gotta have it if you're a Stephen King fan! This one is great for the younger set, but all adults that I know who have read it loved it too!
I do not love Stephen King, as much of his work that I have attempted to read is simply too graphic for me nor I do not like that he makes children & animals the conduit for many of his stories. That being said I loved this fantasy tale of darkness & light, of good & evil. I have not read this book before yet the story seemed a familiar one to me.
This tale is about an evil magician who has lived for thousands of years & is bent on destroying the kingdom of Delain once again as he has many times in its history. Each time Delain has a worthy King or Queen, Flagg for that is the magician's name, would return and bring the kingdom to it's knees.
This story concerns the reader with Roland the good, the current King & his two sons: Peter, the very bright & engaging Prince who would be King and his younger brother Thomas who is not quite so bright, fears everything, is very needy & not nearly as sure of himself as is Peter.
Things are going too well within the kingdom of Delain to serve Flagg. They have a sound economy. The people are happy with their King & the Prince who will be King & with their lives in general. But Flagg needs a King he can easily manipulate in order to bring the kingdom to its knees. So he kills King Roland, sees that Prince Peter is blamed for the crime & sent to the tower. Now he has a very malleable King Thomas to work with.
This book is a page-turner & this reader could not put it down. I highly recommend it to those of you who are looking for an entertaining read & who enjoy a bit (or a lot) of surrealism or magic realism.
This tale is about an evil magician who has lived for thousands of years & is bent on destroying the kingdom of Delain once again as he has many times in its history. Each time Delain has a worthy King or Queen, Flagg for that is the magician's name, would return and bring the kingdom to it's knees.
This story concerns the reader with Roland the good, the current King & his two sons: Peter, the very bright & engaging Prince who would be King and his younger brother Thomas who is not quite so bright, fears everything, is very needy & not nearly as sure of himself as is Peter.
Things are going too well within the kingdom of Delain to serve Flagg. They have a sound economy. The people are happy with their King & the Prince who will be King & with their lives in general. But Flagg needs a King he can easily manipulate in order to bring the kingdom to its knees. So he kills King Roland, sees that Prince Peter is blamed for the crime & sent to the tower. Now he has a very malleable King Thomas to work with.
This book is a page-turner & this reader could not put it down. I highly recommend it to those of you who are looking for an entertaining read & who enjoy a bit (or a lot) of surrealism or magic realism.
Cover picture is of dragon on this book
suspenseful tale of dragons,princes evil wizards and heroes
suspenseful tale of dragons,princes evil wizards and heroes
I have read this book 3 times, it is such a fantastic story
Copyright Stephen King 1987 Printed and published in Great Britain in 1988 This edition is also illustrated. sm
Terrific book!
Great fantasy story. Saved a copy to read to my daughter when she's old enough. Story covers dragons, princes, evil wizards, dark dungeons, enchanted castle, a terrible secret, magical evil, daring adventure ... former BOMC selection.
King Roland is left to raise two sons after his Queen dies. One prince will soon be king, and sooner than anyone would think. An evil wizard who lives off of chaos plans to end the King's life and blame one young Prince. In a kingdom that is drowning in darkness and turmoil with no end, people will rise to fight but they may not win.
Out of Stephen King's books, this is a tame one. Very minor horror but there is a character that does show up in his other books and if you are a fan you know him right away. This was a second reading for me. I read it many years ago and did not remember much of it. I enjoyed it. It was clever and original in some places.
I had hoped for more fantasy and magic in a book with a wizard. Most of the story was pretty dark and I felt similar to what a minor depressive state feels like when I read it. I did not remember feeling like that when I read it the first time.
I love the fact that this story was written for King's daughter and that he was willing to branch out into a non-horror. I don't know if he has written anything like this since because I have only read a hand full of his books. I feel it is worth the read if only for the character who reoccurs in his other books.
Out of Stephen King's books, this is a tame one. Very minor horror but there is a character that does show up in his other books and if you are a fan you know him right away. This was a second reading for me. I read it many years ago and did not remember much of it. I enjoyed it. It was clever and original in some places.
I had hoped for more fantasy and magic in a book with a wizard. Most of the story was pretty dark and I felt similar to what a minor depressive state feels like when I read it. I did not remember feeling like that when I read it the first time.
I love the fact that this story was written for King's daughter and that he was willing to branch out into a non-horror. I don't know if he has written anything like this since because I have only read a hand full of his books. I feel it is worth the read if only for the character who reoccurs in his other books.
This book is a "fairy tale for all ages"(not sure why it's called that, when it does contain some adult situations)and for those that enjoy reading the stories of old with kings in faraway lands, mysterious magical men who whisper in the king's ear, castles, dragons etc., this is the book for you.
Peter is a teen who will soon be a man, and more importantly, wil soon be king. His younger brother, Thomaslives in his shadow,and knows he'll never b e as smart, handsome, or as well-liked by everyone(including their own father) as Peter is.
Peter is
Everything changes when Flagg, an ancient, mysterious magician, decides Peter is too wise to ever be king, and if he does become king, Flagg will be out of power. He devises an ingenious plan to kill the king, frame Peter, and put Thomas(an easily influenced young boy)in as king. Peter is found guilty and sentenced to life in a tall tower. Peter comes up with an excellent plan of escape that takes him nearly six years to execute.
I don't know why I like this book so much, but everytime I read it, I find another reason to enoy it.
Peter is a teen who will soon be a man, and more importantly, wil soon be king. His younger brother, Thomaslives in his shadow,and knows he'll never b e as smart, handsome, or as well-liked by everyone(including their own father) as Peter is.
Peter is
Everything changes when Flagg, an ancient, mysterious magician, decides Peter is too wise to ever be king, and if he does become king, Flagg will be out of power. He devises an ingenious plan to kill the king, frame Peter, and put Thomas(an easily influenced young boy)in as king. Peter is found guilty and sentenced to life in a tall tower. Peter comes up with an excellent plan of escape that takes him nearly six years to execute.
I don't know why I like this book so much, but everytime I read it, I find another reason to enoy it.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a nice change by Mr. King.
Delightful fairytale, perfectly suitable for a younger crowd with the LACK of gruesome violence and mind twisting fear. Any avid Stephen King reader will pick up on some hints from other books such as the villains name (Flagg). There are traces of King in it, but it's not a normal King read. I loved the narration, as well as the story. It also goes towards a suspension of disbelief, but then brings you back to reality. Unlike any Fairy tale, or King book I have ever read.
I loved this book!! I think this is my new favorite book. This beats the Gunslinger series hands down. I wish he made a sequel to it. Poor Thomas and his fear of Flagg. If only his brother Peter can teach him to use his inner courage before it is too late...
I remember reading this a long time ago and enjoying it.
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!
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!
Another Stephen King beauty!
* * * Change of pace, but effective one, for the Master Of Horror. Fantasy novel with hidden chamers, kings, princes, and an appearance by a famous King antagonist
I read this book years ago and have always wanted to read it again I'm glad it is back in my library. Now I can share a great Stephen King book with my children that will not give them nightmares.
Very good book, also introduces a few characters mentioned in the Dark Tower Series.
As always pure Stephen King!
If the cover of this book didn't say it was written by Stephen King I wouldn't have thought he wrote this. The only way I know he wrote this book is because it is so well written. This is one of the most enjoyable books I've read in a long time. It was great storytelling with characters I want to root for. The story didn't drag on and on like some of his other books. I really have nothing negative to say about this book. I also liked the occasional pictures throughout the book.
With the title of the book, I thought it was going to be a fantasy book with lots of dragon slaying, but it wasn't like that at all. It was just a very simple good vs evil story, but so well written it will stand out in my mind for a long time. I wonder why King hasn't written more like this??
With the title of the book, I thought it was going to be a fantasy book with lots of dragon slaying, but it wasn't like that at all. It was just a very simple good vs evil story, but so well written it will stand out in my mind for a long time. I wonder why King hasn't written more like this??
I completely loved this book and I reccomend it to anyone.
Lose ties to the gunslinger series. More romanticism leanings then typical stephen king novels.
I wonder how honest I should be when I want someone to take this book. I was rather disappointed by this book, not my favorite King novel. But interesting, nevertheless.
Once upon a time there was terror and dragons and princes ... evil wizards and dark dungeons ... an enchanted castle and a terrible secret. With this enthralling masterpiece of magical evil and daring adventure, Stephen King takes you in his icy grip and leads you into the most shivery and irresistable kingdom of wickedness ...
Good book. Tie in to the Gunslinger series (like most :)).
I guess I just don't get the whole attraction to Steven King. This was almost a fairy tale, told to a child. I was expecting something grander.
Excellent, gripping thriller, I couldn't put it down!
A tale of archetypal heroes and sweeping adventures, of dragons and princes and evil wizards.
A kingdom is in turmoil as the old King Roland dies and its worthy successor, Prince Peter, must do battle to claim what is rightfully his. Plotting against him is the evil Flagg and his pawn, young Prince Thomas. Yet with every plan there are holes-like Thomas's terrible secret. And the determined Prince Peter, who is planning a daring escape from his imprisonment...
A kingdom is in turmoil as the old King Roland dies and its worthy successor, Prince Peter, must do battle to claim what is rightfully his. Plotting against him is the evil Flagg and his pawn, young Prince Thomas. Yet with every plan there are holes-like Thomas's terrible secret. And the determined Prince Peter, who is planning a daring escape from his imprisonment...
Not your typical Stephen King. A charming fairy
tale with a little bit of suspense. Nice read,
but not something you would read twice.
tale with a little bit of suspense. Nice read,
but not something you would read twice.
Gently read once.
My husband said we can get rid of a lot of our King paperbacks because we have hardcovers now. I guess we are all grown up. Joalice
Jacket slightly worn, but otherwise book in good condition.
