jay1051971's Full Review: Stephen King - Eyes of the Dragon: A Story
When I was a kid, I was a voracious reader. Most of the stuff I read was in the “fantasy” genre, although occassionally I would branch out into other areas of literature. I read Tokein, Eddings, Weiss & Hickman, Donaldson, Brooks, and so on. Each of these writers entralled me with their elaborate universes, organic characters, and captivating storylines. I had also read my fair share of Stephen King. I read books like Firestarter and Carrie while in Middle School. Later in high school, my english classes would often assign other stories by King as classwork.
So on my 16th birthday, when a friend gave me a copy of Stephen King’s Eyes of the Dragon, I was a bit surprised. I loved fantasy literature, and a I liked Stephen King, so here was an interesting combination – a fantasy novel by Stephen King. At the time, I couldn’t imagine how that would mix. So, the book went on my shelf, where it would remain for the next 18 years. Often, when I was cleaning house and getting rid of books I no longer wanted, I would consider adding it to the “donate top charity” pile. However, it was a gift, so I felt I had to keep it. Recently, the occasion arose to read the story. I pulled it off the shelf, and decided to sit down and digest it. The book now has that “old book” smell, with yellowed pages that give off that “sitting in an attic” scent. Yeah…it’s been waiting a long time.
The story is set in some far off mythical kingdom. King Roland is a rather medicore king who would rather spend his time hunting, eating, and drinking than pursuing any nobler pursuits. He’s not particularly wise, but he is well-regarded by his people as a man of the people. He marries and has two sons, Peter and Thomas. Peter is everything Roland is not. Even at a young age, he demonstrates very noble characteristics. Thomas, on the other hand, is more like the king – kind of average, not too bright, but not too offensive, either.
The villian in the story is a man named Flagg – a recurring character in Kings novels. Flagg has designs to rule the kingdom and bring about its destruction. Although he is the kings advisor, he works in secret to plot various schemes, including the murder of King Roland, and framing Peter in the crime. He manages to manipulate the royal family, installing Thomas on the throne. Thomas is merely a puppet to Flagg, who controls him through his fears. As the rest of the story unfolds, good works to foil the plans of evil, hopefully before disaster strikes.
Overall, I was only mildly impressed with this book. I got the distinct impression that King was writing this book for young teens, as the story is filled with a distinct fairy tale like descriptions. As a fantasy novel, this is barely worth attention, as it doesn’t have all the signature traits of that genre – save for a dragon killed in a hunting trip, there are no mythical beasts; “magic” really doesn’t exist except for some limited activities of Flagg’s; there are no great battles between theforces of good and evil; and so on. Any seasoned reader of fantasy will barely recognize this for what it’s intended to be.
But that’s not to say it’s a completely bad book. Stephen King is a talented writer, and no matter what he does, there will always be something to find entertaining. Once you put aside any preconceived ideas about what the book should be, it actually isn’t that bad of a story. Sure, the characters are a little two-dimensional, but if you try, you can get into the story, and get caught up in the action. My recommendation would be to read this when you are looking for a light, moderate read to pass some time. Three stars.
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