April 15th, 2009
My recent read was The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King. It was a reread, and an old-time fallback favorite.
Our favorite bad guy, Flagg, is back in King’s fantasy tale about a kingdom and Flagg’s attempt to destroy it. For fun, of course! When King Roland falls ill, his advisor Flagg decides the time is at hand to find a way to destroy the first born and noble son, Peter, in favor of the more gullible and easily manipulated Thomas.
Flagg devises a scheme to poison King Roland, and frame Peter for the crime. His plan works flawlessly, and Peter is sent to “The Needle”, which is a prison room atop a skyscraper tower in the center of the plaza. Thomas is crowned king, and Flagg immediately begins to assert his domain over the frightened, weak young boy. While Thomas becomes immersed in self-pity and wine, the kingdom begins to sway under the burden of fierce taxing and regular be-headings. Peter begins his plans for escape, and finds help in loyal friends who are still on his side.
While definitely a break from King’s normal realm of storytelling, this is an easy read that is captivating in it’s almost simplicity.