The Eyes of the Dragon: Stephen King

by Songül Arslan

Who is not familiar with the King of Horror? Everyone who has read at least one King--under this name or under his pseudonym Richard Bachman--knows how his stories can totally capture you, terrifying you and making goose bumps rise on your skin. While reading him, you know there is a lurking threat between the lines or somewhere in the next few pages and you are compelled to know what it is, either out of curiosity or for your own peace of mind when the lights go off (like me!)

However innocent his subjects appear, from a high school girl with no friends (Carrie) or a writer being rescued by his biggest fan (Misery), King gives unexpected twists to his characters. Breathtaking plots surface that you could not have imagined in your wildest dreams. You are left in utter despair and you take a quick look over your shoulder and a last look under the bed just in case. You can never look at a dog with affection ever again after reading Cujo, or step into a hotel without The Shining forcing itself upon you. Many of his books start with lines out of sixties songs that invoke a sense of nostalgia but also serve as a cryptic foreboding of what is to come. I always thought of these lines as a kind of hidden signature of the King.

Horror is a genre that cannot be separated from the King. He adds a brilliant sense of humor to it, but he simply cannot be separated from horror. If you hate scary moments, bloody spattering, creepy monsters or terrifying conjectures avoid Stephen King like the plague. Despite all this his The Eyes of the Dragon can be categorized under a whole different genre: fantasy. It still holds King's signature style, despite the genre crossover.

The Eyes of the Dragon is a fantasy tale full of kings, queens, princes, magicians and magic. The story suited for younger readers as well those who regularly check for monsters in the closet. All elements of the fantasy genre are present, including hints of romantic knightly fairy tales that every little girl grew up dreaming about.

King's protaginist is a young prince named Peter who is about to follow his father's footsteps. His characteristics are that of the perfect son-in-law, noble and just, easy to fall in love with. Peter has a younger brother Thomas who has little of these features and is more like a sissy. For that reason their father has a very obvious preference for Peter.

There's a court magician named Flagg who seems a wise and enlightened man, but there's a hidden dark side to him that is slowly revealed to the reader. Flagg is out to take over the rule of the kingdom. Since almost everyone in the kingdom feels sympathy for Peter, Flagg has to think of a plot to get rid the favored son without being suspected. He starts with estranging Thomas, the perfect pawn, from his brother. As he reaches his goals, the reader feels outraged by the injustice done to Peter, the favourite character of the book.

Even though I found this book very atypical of King's style, it was nonetheless as entertaining as a captivating thriller. After finishing, I noticed there were a few hints in the book that might mean nothing or could be seen as references to some of his other works. For instance, something happens to Flagg which was reminiscent to a scene in Silver Bullet.

For King's loyal horror followers The Eyes of the Dragon is in no way disappointing. For those new to King or those who have a distaste for horror, it is an adventurous tale to read and experience a King without the terror.