Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
1984/ 378 pgs. (90,335 words) Fantasy

Eyes of the Dragon, a different book than what we are used to, from Mr. King. When I read this book over 30 years ago, I was deep into fantasy books like the Dragonlance Saga. This is one the first books that I saw the title, read the short intro on the back cover, took it home from the school library, read it and thought, this book sucks! It was my first foray into the world of Mr. King. Reading this book again with fresher eyes and a different expectation, I was not jaded when I first finished it.

In the book, we get reintroduced to Flagg. He is the Magician that “advises” the King of Delain, Roland. Not the same Roland from the Gunslinger. Flagg thirst for chaos and sets things in motion to see that it happens. He arranges for those that stand to block his pursuit of chaos for the Kingdom with death or imprisonment.

Flagg arranges for the death of the Queen, Sasha, while she gives birth to Thomas, the second in the line to the throne. Flagg felt that Sasha was starting to gain influence of King Roland that would interfere with Flaggs plans. Peter, the first born, was like his mother and Flagg could see that when Peter became King, he would dismiss Flagg as his advisor. Thomas, on the other hand, was like his father, King Roland, and easily swayed by the powerful influence of the Magician.

Flagg arranges for Peter to be charged and found guilty of the vicious murder of his father, King Roland, and imprisoned for life in the great tower called the Needle. His younger brother, Thomas, becomes King at the age of twelve. With King Roland and Queen Sasha dead, Prince Peter locked in the Needle, Flagg has complete control over King Thomas to create the Chaos that he desires for the Kingdom of Delain. This, dear reader, is all I will tell you about the story.

Mr. King wrote this in a narrative form as if he were a bard or great storyteller reciting the plot to you and even includes his own thoughts in the story.

Would I recommend this for reading, not really. Still not one of his great novels and for a Stephen King book, not what you would expect. It is not horrible, just not even in the top tell books that I would recommend from Mr. King.

Enjoy a good cup of coffee and a delightful book!

Lopaka