Product Description

A kingdom is in turmoil as the old king dies, murdered by a strange and horrible poison. While the land of Delain mourns, the evil wizard Flagg hatches an unscrupulous plot which sees the King’s eldest son Peter imprisoned for his father’s murder, and the youngest son inherit the throne. Only Peter knows the truth about his own innocence and the evil that is Flagg. Only Peter can save Delain from the horror that Flagg has in store. But first, he must escape from the high tower…

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24335 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
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!

Review
'Classic King, fine characters, compellingly written in a gripping, well-honed plot' (Daily Express on WOLVES OF THE CALLA )

'Join the quest before it’s too late' (Independent on Sunday on SONG OF SUSANNAH )

About the Author
Stephen King was awarded the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and was voted Grand Master at the 2007 Edgar Allan Poe Awards. He is the author of more than forty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent stand-alone novels include DREAMCATCHER, CELL and LISEY'S STORY. Stephen King also wrote novels under the psdeudonym Richard Bachman. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

Customer Reviews

A bit different!?
Most people either love or hate King's work, strangely i'm in the middle. Christine, Salem's Lot and Bag of Bones really bored me ( although i can appreciate why people would enjoy them) yet It, 'Everything's Eventual' and The Dark Tower series took my breath away. I read this after IT and the two books are poles apart in storyline but close on high quality. Flagg, is mentioned in the Dark Tower books and is a brilliant character, the intertwining plot is well written and comes together beatifully at the end.

Some people would call this a book for young adults and is a little below the age range of normal king readers but that is a little narrow minded. The easy to follow style of writing makes it accessible for most ages. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy the Dark tower area of King's writing.

Fairy tale with a Stephen King edge....
One of the things I like about Stephen King is his versatility as a storyteller. Yes, he focuses on horror and the supernatural -- telekinetic teenagers, vampires, creatures from other dimensions and even a really "killer" flu -- and is therefore not considered to be a "serious" writer. However, considering the vast output of King books and his longevity as a bestselling author, if nearly 30 years of novels, short story collections, screenplays, original teleplays and a loyal fan base doesn't make him a serious writer, I don't know what would.

I used to buy each new King novel either in paperback or, when I could afford it, in hardcover. Gradually my tastes shifted to military fiction by Tom Clancy, Stephen Coonts and Harold Coyle, but I never stopped liking King's books.

One of my favorites is his 1987 excursion into fantasy, The Eyes of the Dragon. Essentially a story for younger readers -- aimed at kids 12 and up -- and beautifully illustrated by David Palladini, it's a classic story of sibling rivalry between the sons of King Roland of Delain. Peter, the bright and handsome first-born, is heir to the throne, while Thomas, who is not as smart and takes after his short and stout father, tries hard to cope with the knowledge that his status in life is secondary to Peter's. Worse, even though he tries hard to gain the love of his father, Thomas is clumsy and not very skilled with his hands. (In one sad scene, Thomas spends a whole day making a small wooden sailboat for his father the King, only to hear his dad remark that it looked like a dog dropping with a handkerchief attached to it.)

Thomas' only friend is the court magician, a pale and brooding fellow named Flagg. He takes a keen interest in Thomas, but not for altruistic reasons. For Flagg is an inhuman entity in the guise of a man, and he has a dark agenda of his own: to rid Delain of both Roland and Pete so he can take the reins of power for himself. Knowing that the late Queen Sasha was too smart to be manipulated by any of his spells or shrewd manipulations, Flagg set in motion both Thomas' conception and his mother's murder. Slowly, surely, the evil wizard feeds upon and helps stoke Thomas' resentment of his smarter, handsomer brother....all the better to manipulate the well-meaning but weak-willed Prince Thomas when Flagg pulls off his evil scheme.....

The Eyes of the Dragon is decidedly different from King's normally huge novels, but his tone is remarkably evocative of an oral storyteller. I like the way he sometimes goes back and forth in the story to show a seemingly trivial detail (such as Sasha's dollhouse) and then reintroduce it later as a critical plot device. The story itself is charming, and even though it is a story for older children, adults will enjoy The Eyes of the Dragon's mix of fairy tale and classic King supernatural chills.

Different, but still good
King wrote this book for his children, and as such it is very different from his usual horror, but he still manages to capture you with his main strength - his storytelling. Also, this book sees old Flagg up to his usual tricks and causing havoc, which is always good to read. The story is very well written and is as entertaining as many of his other work. This would be a good choice for King fans who are looking for something a little different, but still containing his magic touch.