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The Eyes of the Dragon

Collected in Omnibus (Eyes of the Dragon / Firestarter)

The Eyes of the Dragon

Epic FantasyFantasy
Pages
416
Published
1987
Language
English

Synopsis

In the kingdom of Delain, the wizard Flagg secretly murders Queen Sasha and later poisons King Roland, framing the king's elder son and rightful heir, Prince Peter, for the crime. Peter is locked away in the tower called the Needle while his insecure younger brother, Thomas, is crowned king and falls further under Flagg's influence. Over five years, Peter secretly weaves an escape rope from threads pulled out of napkins, and with the help of his friend Ben Staad and the disgraced judge Anders Peyna, works to expose Flagg's treachery and reclaim his throne.

Prose complexity
5/10

Collected in

Book cover of Omnibus (Eyes of the Dragon / Firestarter)
Omnibus (Eyes of the Dragon / Firestarter)

Vibe

DarkTenseEmotionalAdventurous
BetrayalCourt IntrigueComing of AgeSurvivalQuest

Genres

Epic Fantasy Fantasy High Fantasy

About the author

S
Stephen King

Stephen King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author whose work has defined popular horror fiction for more than half a century. Born in Portland, Maine, he grew up in poverty after his father abandoned the family, and credits his mother's resilience and a voracious reading habit as the foundations of his imagination. He began selling short stories to men's magazines while working as a high school English teacher, and published his first novel, Carrie, in 1974—his wife Tabitha retrieved...

Characters

Peter (The Eyes of the Dragon)Protagonist

The elder prince of Delain, wrongfully imprisoned for his father's murder; spends years plotting his escape to reclaim the throne.

Dennis (The Eyes of the Dragon)Supporting

The royal butler's son, closest companion first to Peter and later to Thomas.

All characters in The Eyes of the Dragon

Frequently asked questions

  • Was The Eyes of the Dragon written for King's daughter?

    Yes. King wrote The Eyes of the Dragon primarily for his daughter Naomi, who did not like horror. He wanted to write a story she could enjoy—a traditional fantasy adventure rather than horror. The book was first published in a limited edition of 1,250 copies in 1984 by Philtrum Press before a trade edition from Viking in 1987.

  • Does Randall Flagg appear in The Eyes of the Dragon?

    Yes. Flagg—King's recurring embodiment of evil—serves as the court magician in the kingdom of Delain and is the novel's primary antagonist. His appearance in a medieval fantasy setting connects this standalone novel to both The Stand and the Dark Tower series, where Flagg appears under the name Walter Padick.

  • Is this King's only traditional high fantasy novel?

    Yes. The Eyes of the Dragon is King's only novel written in the mode of classic quest fantasy—a medieval kingdom, a wrongful imprisonment, a heroic escape. It deliberately reads like a fairy tale, with a narrator who addresses the reader directly in a storytelling mode King rarely uses elsewhere.

  • What is the meaning of the title?

    'The Eyes of the Dragon' refers to a miniature diorama—a replica of the kingdom of Delain with a dragon at its center—that plays a key role in Prince Peter's escape plan from the castle's highest tower. The dragon's glass eyes are among the story's most important objects.

  • How does this book connect to the Dark Tower series?

    The antagonist, Flagg, is a recurring supernatural entity who appears in the Dark Tower series and other works, serving as a primary link between these disparate worlds within the author's multiverse.

  • What inspired the author to write this story?

    The author wrote this novel specifically for his daughter, Naomi, who enjoyed fantasy but had no interest in the horror fiction that defined his earlier career.

  • Did the reception of this book influence the author's future work?

    The mixed reaction from fans who were disappointed by the departure from his usual horror style served as a creative catalyst for his later novel, Misery, which explores the complex relationship between an author and their audience.

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