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Six oddball but doughty youngsters encounter the path of a vast and terrible paranormal evil that has invaded our existence from the deepest abyss of oblivion. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle confronting it, experiencing one nightmare after another in the ordeal.

A Resonant Plot with a Fresh Spin

This is the plot, in essence, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (his best; no debate). It similarly frames of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent chilling tome, in which six friends summon the primordial, deeply sinister dragon King Sorrow from the Endless Night to aid them in overcoming some baddies. Unsurprisingly, their arcane ceremony goes awry.

Embracing a Family Lineage

The author began his writing journey going to great lengths to distance himself from his famous father, adopting the nom de plume he continues to employ and avoiding meeting his agent (he exhibits a striking resemblance to his dad). However, in his newest work, he fully acknowledges it. Certain passages that consciously reflect some of the senior author’s well-known (that classic opening line); a scene that recalls a signature King element (a riddling contest). In this epic story, Hill is delighting in his heritage, and we delight along with him.

Meet the Protagonists

Back to those friends: five of them are students at the imagined this academic setting in the New England state. We have Arthur, academic and gifted, cracking ancient puzzles in his spare time; another key figure, affluent, astute, and prone to trampling obstacles in his path; the twin siblings; the attractive Allie herself. Additionally, Gwen appears, who doesn’t study with them, but becomes a key part of their band as they toy, somewhat credulous, partly skeptical, in arcane arts.

The Critical Ritual

The protagonist finds himself, as a result of external pressures, forced into stealing prized manuscripts from his beloved college library by a bunch of local criminals. This wounds his academic spirit, notably because he’s forced to acquire the library’s most valuable and disturbing title: the logbook of occultist Enoch Crane (executed “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the cover is made from his skin). The intrepid group peruse the diary, discover they could summon what the occultist details as a cunning serpent to help Arthur out with his coercion issue – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. King Sorrow will undoubtedly remove those annoying regional antagonists, but they must select a different victim annually or become his victim themselves. As Arthur later puts it: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is additional horrors.”

Genre Fluidity and Inventive Range

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with seamless grace across narrative styles: as the companions attempt to deal with the predicament they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to offer up, or hunting down ways to kill the dragon themselves, we go from page-turner to shadowy tale, covert operations to love story to horror. My favorite genre switch was to a quest story, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a part infused with JRR Tolkien that was magnificently horrifying.

A Detailed Tapestry of Dread and Hope

We encounter trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. We see enchanted blades and deceptions, pulse-pounding sequences of bravery and scenes of dreadful evil, both human and otherworldly. It’s a tour de force: a chilling book that is chiefly a ode to the human inventiveness, and to affection and camaraderie. “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 friends gather at the table, preparing to summon their beast into existence with the force of their minds.

As Hill puts it in his opening statement: “Hic sunt dracones”. Don’t miss them.