This story is for my great friend BEN STRAUB, and for my daughter, NAOMI KING.

First Line

Once, in a kingdom called Delain, there was a King with two sons.

About the Book

A fantasy set in the mythical kingdom of Delain. Aging King Roland is murdered by his court magician, who sees to it that the king's eldest son and heir, Peter, is blamed for the crime. Peter is imprisoned and his younger brother Thomas ascends to the throne. Thomas is easily manipulated by the evilmagician, and the kingdom's last hope is Peter--if he can escape from prison and set things right again.

Media Reviews

Washington Post Book World
It's just not possible to stop turning the pages.

Publisher's Weekly
Advance publicity hails this "story" (not labeled a novel) by the popular writer as appealing to "readers of all ages," although its genesis was in a story King told to his children. King's legion of fans are likely to find that a restrained maturity marks the differences between this stylish, successful effort at fantasy (illustrated by 21 half-tones) and his earlier, sometimes overwrought writings. Eyes details the crusade of Peter and Thomas, two princely brothers, to destroy the 400-year-old Flagg, the evil magician who threatens to control the kingdom of Delain after the death of their father, King Roland, who remained unwed until he was past 50. Flagg has imprisoned Peter, the heir apparent, on suspicion of murdering the king (actually it was Flagg who did it) and installed the profligate second son, an easier mark, on the throne. Surprisingly, Eyes is a gentle story, despite violence, gore and his standard vulgarity, because King has ingeniously interposed himself between reader and narrative as if he were telling the tale aloud, with a soothing cadence practically audible in the evocative prose. This heartwarming chronicle of brotherly love may be enjoyed by young adults and their parents.

School Library Journal
YA -- A fantasy set in the mythical kingdom of Delain. Aging King Roland is murdered by his court magician, who sees to it that the king's eldest son and heir, Peter, is blamed for the crime. Peter is imprisoned and his younger brother Thomas ascends to the throne. Thomas is easily manipulated by the evil magician, and the kingdom's last hope is Peterif he can escape from prison and set things right again. The Eyes of the Dragon starts out slowly, but, as in most of King's books, the pace speeds up steadily, building to an exciting and satisfying climax. While some King fans who want their favorite horror writer back might grumble, fantasy or adventure fans of more open mind will find The Eyes of the Dragon a thoroughly entertaining book.

The New York Times Book Review - Barbara Tritel
This new work is more elegant than any other novel Mr. King has written so far. He has used the full authority of his talent as a yarn spinner to create the atmosphere of a made-up bedtime story. . . . The cadence of the book lends it to reading aloud, and the narrative has the intimate goofiness of an extemporaneous story told to a child. Thus, a magician trying to concoct a spell for invisibility 'succeeded only in making his nose nearly nine feet long and driving himself insane. And there had been fingernails growing out of his nose.' Located in a remote fairy-tale past, the story is free of the pop jargon and vulgarities that Mr. King has used in his other novels to create a plausible setting for his horrors. . . . To the author's credit, it is written so simply and so honestly that the prose is only rarely sloppy or jarring. Lovers of detail will enjoy the painstaking pencil drawings by David Palladini.