The Eyes of the Dragon
Ratings172
Average rating3.9
This is a fairy tale from Mid-World, totally understandable without having read the Dark Tower books, but enhanced by the knowledge. It would make a great audiobook; it has the rhythm of an oral story.
“He wanted what evil men always want: to have power and use that power to make mischief.”
― Stephen King, The Eyes of the Dragon
Stephen King takes on the sword-and-sorcery variety fantasy novel. That's the best way to sum up this book. The plot is very clever. I enjoyed the way the hero and his allies solved the problem of getting him out of his prison. The solution is unexpected and made for a delightful story, with elements from earlier in the book coming into play.
I was less fond of the Randall Flagg character, (name and maybe character recycled from The Stand) who didn't seem to have a good reason for his evil plot. Yes, he wanted to create chaos in the kingdom just for the sake of seeing the destruction. It wasn't enough for me. None of the characters in this story are very complex I suppose, but I'm always expecting more from a Stephen King villain.
It's a fun, easy read that you can share with your kids.
I listened to the audiobook version of this, so I'm not sure if my opinion is based on the story or the performance, but this was excellent. An essentially simple story told well and presented with verve.
Pretty straightforward story (made me think of a bedtime story/fairy tale) but very enjoyable. Also Bronson Pinchot narrated the audiobook and did a phenomenal job!
3.5 rounded up. A fun story and a good addition of of some more history of Flagg.
King should venture further afield more often. I'm sure for fantasy fans this would count as a weak effort, but I found the story well told and effective, lacking in much King's usual weaknesses as a writer. Worth your time.
This book was lots of fun to read. I am reading the Dark Tower series and read this in between book 2 and book 3, as was recommended by a few people. I would say you don't have to read any of the Dark Tower books to enjoy The Eyes of the Dragon, as it is a great standalone fantasy tale with Kings signature characters and vibe. Also it was pretty quick, you can probably knock it out in a couple of days, but I took my time with it.