Fairy Tale

To tell the truth, I was in no hurry to read Stephen King's newest. I knew I would eventually get to it, yet a new portal fantasy novel wasn't high on my priority list. But then rave reviews from people I trust started coming in and Daniel Abraham's Age of Ash just dragged and dragged and became a real chore to read.

So I bought Fairy Tale and decided to give the first hundred pages or so a shot. And I never looked back! Finished it in just a few sittings, which shows how totally drawn into the story I turned out to be.

Here's the blurb:

Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes deep into the well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher—for their world or ours.

Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. Then, when Charlie is seventeen, he meets Howard Bowditch, a recluse with a big dog in a big house at the top of a big hill. In the backyard is a locked shed from which strange sounds emerge, as if some creature is trying to escape. When Mr. Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie the house, a massive amount of gold, a cassette tape telling a story that is impossible to believe, and a responsibility far too massive for a boy to shoulder.

Because within the shed is a portal to another world—one whose denizens are in peril and whose monstrous leaders may destroy their own world, and ours. In this parallel universe, where two moons race across the sky, and the grand towers of a sprawling palace pierce the clouds, there are exiled princesses and princes who suffer horrific punishments; there are dungeons; there are games in which men and women must fight each other to the death for the amusement of the “Fair One.” And there is a magic sundial that can turn back time.

A story as old as myth, and as startling and iconic as the rest of King’s work, Fairy Tale is about an ordinary guy forced into the hero’s role by circumstance, and it is both spectacularly suspenseful and satisfying.

Of course, the premise is nothing new. Actually, some might feel that it's been done ad nauseam over the years and thus off-putting to say the least. What's different about this one is that it reads like a love letter to speculative fiction giants that have made a strong impression on Stephen King. Authors such as H. P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, Robert E. Howard, J. R. R. Tolkien and, to a lesser extent, even Suzanne Collins and George R. R. Martin. King also pays homage to various fairy tales that populated his childhood and that of countless other kids around the world. Even better, this novel is a love story about a boy and his dog. That, more than any other aspect, is what makes Fairy Tale such a memorable read. If you ever had a pet that was special to you, this book will resonate in ways that might surprise you.

The first portion of the story, the one dealing with Charlie and how he gets to meet and later befriend Mr. Bowditch, showcases a Stephen King writing at the top of his game. I couldn't stop reading and went through that part in record time. It's just that damned good and I felt that Fairy Tale would end up with a perfect score. Because what ultimately forces Charlie to go through that portal and enter this parallel universe is not his sense of adventure. No, it's his love for an old dog who's dying and his only chance to save her lies on the other side of that portal. The rest of the story, at least up until that point, felt kind of extraneous. For me and for many readers, I believe, this is more about Charlie and Radar than anything else. Their relationship is the heart of the novel, no question. Which is great in its own way, but it's also detrimental to the rest of the tale. Indeed, as interesting as what occurs in the world known as Empis turns out to be, nothing can really come close to just how great the first part of the book was.

The characterization is probably the facet in which King shines the most in Fairy Tale. The death of his mother deeply affected Charlie and of course his dad, who fell into alcoholism afterwards. I felt that King did a great job depicting this family backdrop and in the way he allowed both Charlie and his father to grow and evolve as time elapsed. As mentioned, it's not until the fateful encounter with an injured Mr. Bowditch and his old German Shepherd Radar that Charlie's life will change forever. With the old man in the hospital receiving treatments, it's up to Charlie to feed and take care of Radar, and the rest, as they say, is history. The supporting cast in Empis is made up of a few engaging characters such as Dora, Claudia, Eye, and of course the beautiful Leah. Though good, that part of the novel reads like your typical good vs evil fantasy tale and is thus a little less compelling.

Although there are no pacing issues per se, the rhythm does drag a little in the middle. It takes a while for things to start to make sense as far as the Empis storyline is concerned. But the it's never dull, mind you. It just takes time for the author to set up Charlie and the other pieces on the board so that we can then move on to the exciting endgame and the finale. My concern, as always with Stephen King, was whether or not he could cap it all off in a fashion that does justice to the rest of the novel. And yes, I'm pleased to report that Fairy Tale features a satisfying ending that should make everyone happy!

In the end, Fairy Tale is a touching fantasy story that pays homage to many of the great ones that came before. A portal fantasy tale with a few twists and a love story between the main protagonist and his dog, it makes for a captivating reading experience.

The final verdict: 8.5/10

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

You can read an extract from Fairy Tale here.