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A group of six oddball but resilient children encounter the path of a colossal and fearsome otherworldly evil that has invaded our realm from the outer limits of shadow. They must devote their lives fighting it, experiencing horror after horror in the ordeal.

A Familiar Storyline with a Distinctive Spin

This describes the premise, broadly speaking, of the master of horror’s novel It (his best; no debate). It is also the plot of Stephen King’s offspring Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest horror doorstopper, in which six friends call forth the age-old, utterly malevolent serpent King Sorrow from the Endless Night to assist them in vanquishing some antagonists. As one might expect, their otherworldly invocation has unintended consequences.

Acknowledging a Authorial Heritage

The author began his writing journey striving diligently to distance himself from his renowned parent, adopting the nom de plume he still uses today and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he possesses a uncanny likeness to his dad). But in this latest novel, he embraces it. Certain passages that consciously reflect some of his father’s iconic (that classic opening line); a scene that evokes a signature King element (a riddling contest). In this whopper of a novel, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his lineage, and we delight along with him.

Introducing the Protagonists

Returning to the group: most are pupils at the made-up the esteemed institution in Maine. First is Arthur, bookish and gifted, solving Old English riddles in his spare time; the character Colin, wealthy, astute, and known for crushing those who oppose him; the twin siblings; the attractive Allie. And there’s Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but becomes a key part of their band as they toy, partly convinced, partly skeptical, in supernatural practices.

The Fateful Summoning

Arthur is, due to circumstances beyond his control, forced into stealing valuable volumes from his cherished academic collection by a group of neighborhood thugs. This tears at his bookish heart, notably because he’s made to take the library’s most valuable and chilling publication: the logbook of practitioner Enoch Crane (condemned “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the binding is crafted from his flesh). Our Scooby gang peruse the diary, discover they could summon what the author references as a “arrogant beast to aid our hero with his extortion dilemma – and spend the rest of the novel reaping the consequences. The dragon will certainly eliminate those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they’ll have to choose a different victim each year or fall prey to the beast. As Arthur later puts it: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Fluidity and Creative Scope

Spanning forty years, Hill also moves with seamless grace across narrative styles: as the friends attempt to deal with the predicament they find themselves in by, in different ways, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to sacrifice, or searching for methods to destroy the entity themselves, we move between thriller to dark fantasy, clandestine torment to love story to horror. A standout transition was to a adventure narrative, far beneath the surface below Cornwall, a part tinged by the Lord of the Rings author that was wonderfully frightening.

A Detailed Tapestry of Horror and Optimism

We encounter trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and digital trolls, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. We see enchanted blades and betrayals, heart-stopping scenes of bravery and instances of dreadful evil, both mortal and otherworldly. It stands as a masterpiece: a frightening tale that is primarily a paean to the imagination, and to devotion and companionship. “We required a narrative to trust and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says the wealthy student as the friends sit around the table, making preparations to call forth their beast to life with the strength of their collective will.

In the author’s own words in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Ensure you experience it.