Stephen King

Once upon a time--
there was terror
and dragons and princes...evil wizards and dark dungeons...an enchanged 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 irresistible kingdom of wickednes...
The Eyes of the Dragon

--back cover

The Eyes of the Dragon

Die Augen des Drachen

Justin Staack

very entertaining and you can't stop once you start

“It is just not possible to stop turning the pages” (The Washington Post) of this bestselling classic tale—an epic fantasy as only Stephen King could envision it. “Once, in a kingdom called Delain, there was a king with two sons….” Thus begins one of the most unique tales that master storyteller Stephen King has ever written—a sprawling fantasy of dark magic and the struggle for absolute power that utterly transforms the destinies of two brothers born into royalty. Through this enthralling masterpiece of mythical adventure, intrigue, and terror, you will thrill to this unforgettable narrative filled with relentless, wicked enchantment, and the most terrible of secrets….

A Novel

Prashanth Srivatsa

A simple fantasy tale with a host of good characters and one incredibly bad one. But it's King's storytelling ability that's done the real work here, keeping you awake at nights, and even though you probably know how it'll end, you still want to get to it King's way.

Courtney Gendreau

Listened to the audio version of the book and loved it my review is here
http://rainydayreadingreviews.blogspo...

caroline

Gulshan Hasanzada

Stephen King müsahibəsində deyirdi:
''Qızım 13 yaşına çatana qədər 13 roman yazıb bitirdim, amma heç birini qızım oxumamışdı. Məni çox sevir, buna baxmayaraq yaratdım əcaib obrazlara, vampirlərə, utopik varlıqlara maraq duymurdu. Bir gecə iş otağımda kilidlənib özümü "Dəsmallar" adlı yeni romanı yazmağa həsr etdim. Romanın qaralaması bitən kimi qızıma oxuması və fikir bildirməsi üçün verdim, o da həmişəki həvəssiz reaksiya ilə oxumağa başladı. Belə düşündüyüm zaman bir gün yanıma gəldi və məni qucaqlayaraq dedi: "Kitabın bircə qüsuru var, o da sonlanması."

Stephen King qorxu romanlarının necə deyərlər, elə king-idir. Amma bu əsəri ilə başa düşdüm ki, müəllif hətta qorxulu nağıl belə yazmaq iqtidarındadır. Çox keyfiyyətli şəkildə hadisələr gedişata alınıb, nağılvari nəql üslubu ilə əsər xeyli axıcı oldu, hətta nahar fasiləsində yeməyi tez bitirib, kitaba zamanımın qalmasını istəyirdim. Kaş kitabın ardı da gələrdi, Thomasla Dennisin başına gələn hadisələrdən söz açardı, bu iki qəhrəmanın inanılmaz macəralar yaşaya biləcəyinə müəllifin qələm gücünə arxayın olaraq inanıram.

Celeste Richardson

The Eyes of the Dragon is billed as both King’s only high fantasy and his only novel that could be classified as a children’s book. I wasn’t sure how successful he’d be with either of those things, but now I really wish he would write more of both. This book so radically exceeded my expectations that, even though I’ve come to passionately love King’s work, I couldn’t help but be surprised. I loved everything about this, and it’s the first King novel I’ve ever read that I could comfortably recommend to literally anyone of any age.
“He knew as well as we in our own world do that the road to hell is paved with good intentions--but he also knew that, for human beings, good intentions are sometimes all there are. Angels may be safe from damnation, but human beings are less fortunate things, and for them hell is always close.”
I love the change in voice King uses here. The presence of an omniscient narrator who makes his own personality known frequently throughout the telling of the story is so reminiscent of classic fairy tales, and it was a sweet, and very successful, decision. King’s storyteller in this book is pitch perfect and wonderfully balanced, and I wish I could read a dozen more stories told in this voice.
“I tell tales, not tea leaves.”
Character development has alway been one of King’s strengths in my opinion, and that strength was well showcased here. Peter could have easily been too perfect to be believable if King had not deftly fleshed him out well enough to come across as wholly three dimensional. Thomas could have been so easy to hate, but King managed to make him sympathetic. The supporting cast could have been cardboard cutouts just fulfilling their designated jobs, but King made sure that readers would see them as actual people. And then there’s Flagg. If you have any experience with King, you’ve probably heard the name. I won’t get too into his character and role in the book except to say that he’s absolutely terrifying.
“One of the great things about tales is how fast time may pass when not much of note is happening. Real life is never that way, and it is probably a good thing.”
The Eyes of the Dragon is a great example of classic high fantasy. This is a genre that produces such a multitude of works that many entries end up feeling derivative and predictable. However, I felt that in this book King actually did some things in the genre that I had actually never seen before. It was really refreshing. And considering the fact that this was written in 1987, I think the fact that it still feels so fresh speaks so highly of both the book and the author.
“Did they all live happily ever after?

They did not. No one ever does, in spite of what the stories may say. They had their good days, as you do, and they had their bad days, and you know about those. They had their victories, as you do, and they had their defeats, and you know about those, too. There were times when they felt ashamed of themselves, knowing that they had not done their best, and there were times when they knew they had stood where their God had meant them to stand. All I'm trying to say is that they lived as well as they could, each and every one of them; some lived longer than others, but all lived well, and bravely, and I love them all, and am not ashamed of my love.”
This is a book that I would happily read to a classroom full of students. I would gift it to fantasy fans and people who don’t usually like King’s writing. I would read The Eyes of the Dragon again in a heartbeat, and would as just quickly recommend it to almost every type of reader. I loved it.

You can find  this review and more at Novel Notions.

Faith

Regina

My mum's co-worker borrowed me three books. One of them was this one. I got into it the other day and didn't find myself enjoying it, even if I've been trying to enjoy it. This book scared me, and I get scared easily (and I mostly read during night) so it was kinda hard task for me to finish this book. But after a while I did and I have to say, it was amazing :)

Sasha Mann

It is always nice and refreshing to see a book out of King's most known genre of horror. I feel he writes a pretty decent fantasy and this is one I always enjoy giving a read to. Little fun fact, this is the book my name comes from.
As is often the case in manners of royalty, the advisor on the side is the one pulling all the strings
We watch in horror as a murder is planned and carried out and the innocent son is to be imprisoned as the guilty party, leaving the magician to whisper his evil into a more receptive ear.
The imprisoned Peter had devised a very unique means of escape, something that will take a bit of time to even be possible.
Years pass a Peter's plan is put into action, and despite not having anyone to talk with, be is able to obtain outside help in some form or another. 
Mounting tension in the last several chapters as Flagg approaches Peter's prison,intent on killing him himself. We swap back and forth between Peter and his during escape and Flagg drawing ever closer.

Stephen Kin

Los ojos del dragón

Karla 

Me encantó como King maneja esta fantasía. Siempre sentí que me contaban un cuento, por mas oscuro que este fuese. 

Los personajes son entrañables. Flagg es abominable. Peter todo un héroe y Frisky la amé

Toni Turner

It’s so interesting when a book has characters in it that aren’t as fleshed out as I’m used to but I still love them? Ben and Naomi especially. Denis & Peter were obviously explained a bit more but basically I love all of them. And I’m really curious is any of King’s books go into Denis and Thomas’s adventures or not.

Jessica Nottingham

Let's go back. Back to when this bookworm was a 13 year old girl, and Stephen King was still new to her. I remember laying my hands on a beat up copy of Needful Things, and that was it for me. Suddenly I was devouring everything King that I could get my hands on. I loved it all, the delicious horror, the gruesome details, all of it. That is, until I read The Eyes of the Dragon. Stephen King writing Fantasy? Bah. Where was the terror? Now, at the age of 29, I re-read this book and fell utterly in love with it from the first few chapters. It's interesting how time changes your perspective of things, and also how what you're reading at the time dictates what you want to read next. I'm a much more eclectic reader than I was back then. This book was just waiting for me to be able to appreciate it.
 
Sorry for the lengthy intro paragraph, let's talk The Eyes of the Dragon. This book is as close to a "children's book" as I think King will ever get. It has its moments of naughty language, and cruelty, but overall it's honestly pretty tame. It's also beautifully written Fantasy. The reader is introduced to the kingdom of Delain. To it's ruler, King Roland, and his two young sons. The story is told as if a storyteller were sitting right next to you. I loved this. It gives him the ability to tell you different points of view, to break that fourth wall and talk straight at you, and even to throw in his own opinion. I don't think I appreciated it this before, but I absolutely do now.
 
What I couldn't get enough of though, were the characters. They feel like real people, just waiting for you to come and meet them. The good guys are perfectly good, the bad guys are deliciously bad, but then there are also those in between. The people who can be swayed one way or the other. We all know these people. We are these people. When you're at your weakest is when you're the most malleable, and Stephen King shows that in this story. On the flip side, he also shows how much strength and ferocity can be hidden inside us at the same time.
 
Honestly, if you'd let me, I could go on forever about this book. I read it the first time, and listened to the audio book this time around. If you have the time, definitely try the audio book! Although it took me a few chapters to get used to the narrator, I soon found myself unable to stop listening to him. He's a perfect storyteller, and you'll love his impression of the evil magician, I guarantee it. Don't go into this expecting King. Instead, go into expecting something amazing, and it just might deliver that for you.

Christian West

Monet Farhat

Roman

Csenge 

Caroline Boone

Ashutosh

pamela enojas

A. D. Knapp

Paula Plaza Ponte 

From the Flap:

A tale of archetypal heroes and sweeping adventures, of dragons and princes and evil wizards--as only Stephen King can tell it!

The passage through the castle is dim, sensed by few and walked by only one. Flagg knows the way well. In four hundred years, he has walked it many times, in many guises, but now the passage serves its true purpose. Through the spyhole it conceals, the court magician observes King Roland--old, weak, yet still a king. Roland's time is nearly over, though, and young Prince Peter, tall and handsome, the measure of a king in all ways, stands to inherit the realm.

Yet a tiny mouse is enough to bring him down, a mouse that chances upon a grain of Dragon Sand behind Peter's shelves and dies crying tears of fire and belching gray smoke. A mouse that dies as King Roland does. Flagg saw it all and smiled, for now Prince Thomas, a young boy easily swayed to Flagg's own purposes, would rule the kingdom. But Thomas has a secret that has turned his days into nightmares and his nights into prayed-for oblivion. The last bastion of hope lies at the top of the Needle, the royal prison where Peter plans a daring escape . . .

Writing with the wit and power that have enthralled millions, Stephen King has taken the classic fairy-tale form and transformed it into a masterpiece of fiction that will captivate readers of all ages.

The Eyes of the Dragon

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