The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King This is probably King's biggest departure from his previous books other than The Gunslinger , and it has direct linkages to that book, specifically. The story follows two young princes whose father, King Roland, dies when his magician (Flagg) poisons him with a rare and deadly green sand in his wine. The logical heir is Peter who has all of the makings and commanding presence of a king. However, Flagg favors the younger brother, the jealous and easily manipulated Thomas. Flagg orchestrates the murder of the king to be blamed on Peter who is sent to prison in the Needle, a tall tower impossible to escape. Thomas is then crowned king and is guided (because he is young and afraid) by Flagg who is hell-bent on bringing destruction to the kingdom of Delain. A cast of characters all play their parts in either seeing Flagg's plan to fruition or foiling it by discovering what really happened and helping Peter to freedom. This is a fantasy story ...