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Six oddball but resilient youngsters fall into the way of a colossal and fearsome supernatural malevolence that has entered our realm from the outer limits of shadow. They have no choice but to spend their lifetimes confronting it, experiencing horror after horror in the ordeal.

A Familiar Storyline with a New Approach

This describes the premise, in essence, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (his best; no arguments). It similarly frames of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s new massive horror novel, in which a band of six call forth the primordial, utterly malevolent serpent King Sorrow from the Endless Night to assist them in vanquishing some villains. Needless to say, their otherworldly invocation backfires.

Embracing a Authorial Lineage

Joseph Hillström King launched his profession making great efforts to remain separate from his well-known dad, publishing under the pen name he still uses today and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he possesses a uncanny likeness to his parent). But in this latest novel, he fully acknowledges it. There are lines that deliberately echo some of his father’s iconic (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a moment that recalls a recurring theme in King’s works (a riddling contest). In this whopper of a novel, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his family connection, and the audience revels alongside.

The Cast of the Central Figures

Focusing on the companions: the majority are students at the fictional the esteemed institution in Maine. There’s Arthur, academic and gifted, deciphering ancient puzzles in his leisure hours; another key figure, wealthy, clever, and known for crushing obstacles in his path; Donna and Donovan; the beautiful the lovely Allie. Then we have Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but becomes a key part of their band as they toy, half believing, partly skeptical, in the occult.

The Fateful Summoning

Arthur is, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer valuable volumes from his treasured institution’s archives by a set of regional villains. This devastates his scholarly soul, notably because he’s compelled to seize the library’s most valuable and chilling title: the diary of occultist this enigmatic character (condemned “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the book’s jacket is made from his skin). Our Scooby gang peruse the diary, realize they are able to call forth what the occultist details as a armoured devil” to help Arthur out with his coercion issue – and occupy the subsequent narrative reaping the consequences. King Sorrow will indeed rid them of those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they’ll have to choose a new sacrifice annually or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. In the character’s own words: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Dexterity and Imaginative Breadth

Moving through four decades, Hill also moves with natural fluency between genres: as the friends strive to manage the predicament they find themselves in by, variously, choosing undeniably wicked targets to immolate, or seeking means to destroy the entity themselves, we go from suspense to shadowy tale, clandestine torment to romance to fright. One particularly memorable shift was to a quest story, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a section infused with JRR Tolkien that was wonderfully frightening.

A Detailed Tapestry of Fear and Optimism

There are trolls – those living under bridges and internet antagonists, truly terrifying and expertly realized. We see enchanted blades and deceptions, heart-stopping scenes of courage and ones of terrible wickedness, both earthly and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a frightening tale that is primarily a ode to the creative spirit, and to devotion and companionship. “We longed for a tale to embrace and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says Colin as the companions sit around the table, getting ready to invoke their dragon into being with the force of their minds.

According to Joe Hill in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Do not overlook this.