Fairy Tale

Title: Fairy Tale

Published in: 2022

Date read: 10th April 2023

Score: 4/5

Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural, Thriller

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Fairy Tale" by Stephen King is a dark fantasy novel that plunges a seemingly ordinary teenager into a hidden, magical world where good and evil are locked in a desperate struggle.

The story introduces Charlie Reade, a 17-year-old high school student who, despite being a talented athlete, carries the burden of a troubled past: his mother died in a hit-and-run, leading his father to alcoholism before his eventual recovery. One day, Charlie discovers his reclusive, elderly neighbour, Mr. Howard Bowditch, injured in his yard. Feeling a deep sense of indebtedness (having prayed for his father's recovery), Charlie begins to care for Mr. Bowditch and his beloved, aging German Shepherd, Radar.

Over time, Charlie forms a strong bond with both Mr. Bowditch and Radar. Mr. Bowditch, a seemingly ordinary eccentric, reveals a profound secret before his death: he is 120 years old, and the padlocked shed in his backyard contains a portal to another world. This world is the source of his longevity, thanks to a magical sundial, and also the origin of mysterious gold pellets he used to pay his bills.

Determined to save Radar, whose health is rapidly declining, Charlie decides to embark on a perilous journey into this other world, known as Empis. Armed with Mr. Bowditch's handgun and guided by a recorded message, Charlie and Radar step through the portal.

Empis is a land of both wonder and horror. It's a dying world, afflicted by a wasting curse called "the gray" that disfigures its inhabitants. Charlie encounters various fantastical creatures and beings, including talking animals, and discovers that the land is under the tyrannical control of a powerful, malevolent entity known as Flight Killer, who is in turn manipulated by an even greater, ancient evil called Gogmagog. The true royalty of Empis, the Gallien family, has been exiled and cursed.

Charlie's quest to reach the sundial and restore Radar's youth is successful, but on his way out of the city of Lilimar, he is captured by undead "night soldiers" and thrown into an underground prison called the Deep Maleen. There, he and other inmates are forced to train for a gladiatorial-style death tournament called the Fair One.

Charlie, now seeing himself as a reluctant hero, forms alliances within the prison and eventually orchestrates a daring escape. Reunited with Radar and new allies, including the exiled royal Leah, he leads a desperate fight against Flight Killer and the forces of darkness. The climax involves a confrontation with Flight Killer and the terrifying Gogmagog at the ancient Deep Well, where Charlie must use his wits and courage to defeat the monstrous entity.

Having fulfilled his destiny in Empis and helped restore Leah to her rightful place, Charlie and Radar return to their own world, four months after he disappeared. He reunites with his father and, after proving the existence of Empis, they seal the portal, leaving the fantastical world behind but forever changed by his incredible adventure. "Fairy Tale" is a classic King coming-of-age story infused with the tropes of traditional fantasy, exploring courage, sacrifice, and the enduring power of good against overwhelming evil.

Comments:
Brilliant book, and I am certainly not qualified to criticise but I felt that the end was a little bit late to come. I can't believe that I have put that in here, but I have to be honest.

Books that we've read by Stephen King (68):
Carrie (1974), 'Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (The Shining, #1) (1977), The Stand (1978), Night Shift (1978), The Dead Zone (1979), Firestarter (1980), Cujo (1981), The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1) (1982), Different Seasons (1982), Christine (1983), Cycle of the Werewolf (1983), Pet Sematary (1983), The Talisman (The Talisman, #1) (1984), Skeleton Crew (1985), It (1986), The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2) (1987), The Eyes of the Dragon (1987), The Tommyknockers (1987), Misery (1987), The Dark Half (1989), Four Past Midnight (1990), The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3) (1991), Needful Things (1991), Dolores Claiborne (1992), Gerald's Game (1992), Nightmares and Dreamscapes (1993), Insomnia (1994), Rose Madder (1995), The Green Mile (1996), Desperation (1996), Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4) (1997), Bag of Bones (1998), The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999), Hearts in Atlantis (1999), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000), Black House (The Talisman, #2) (2001), Dreamcatcher (2001), Everything's Eventual (2002), From a Buick 8 (2002), Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, #5) (2003), Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6) (2004), The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7) (2004), The Colorado Kid (2005), Cell (2006), Lisey's Story (2006), Duma Key (2008), Just After Sunset (2008), Under the Dome (2009), 11/22/63 (2011), Full Dark, No Stars (2011), The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower, #4.5) (2012), Dr. Sleep (The Shining, #2) (2013), Joyland (2013), Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #1) (2014), Revival (2014), The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015), Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #2) (2015), End of Watch (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #3) (2016), Elevation (2018), The Outsider (2018), The Institute (2019), If It Bleeds (2020), Billy Summers (2021), Later (2021), Fairy Tale (2022), Holly (2023), You Like It Darker (2024)

This page was updated on: 19th July 2025