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Six quirky but brave kids fall into the way of a immense and fearsome otherworldly evil that has infiltrated our world from the outer limits of shadow. They must spend their lifetimes confronting it, experiencing one nightmare after another in the ordeal.

A Familiar Plot with a New Spin

This is the plot, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s novel It (a standout in his career; undeniable). It is also the plot of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s new massive horror novel, in which six friends invoke the ancient, deeply sinister beast the Dragon King from the Long Dark to aid them in overcoming some villains. Unsurprisingly, their otherworldly invocation goes awry.

Embracing a Family Heritage

The author started his career making great efforts to distance himself from his renowned parent, using the pseudonym he still uses today and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he exhibits a uncanny likeness to his father). But in this latest novel, he leans into it. Certain passages that intentionally mirror some of his father’s iconic (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a moment that evokes a King plot point (a battle of wits). Throughout this massive book, Hill is delighting in his lineage, and we delight along with him.

The Cast of the Protagonists

Focusing on the companions: most are students at the fictional Rackham College in the New England state. There’s Arthur, academic and brilliant, cracking historical enigmas in his free moments; Colin, wealthy, astute, and inclined to bulldoze anyone who stands in his way; twins Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who isn’t their classmate, but emerges as crucial of their band as they experiment, half believing, partly skeptical, in the occult.

The Pivotal Ceremony

The protagonist finds himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, forced into stealing rare books from his treasured institution’s archives by a bunch of local criminals. This tears at his bookish heart, especially when he’s compelled to seize the collection’s foremost and chilling title: the journal of occultist Enoch Crane (put to death “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the binding is made from his skin). Our Scooby gang peruse the diary, realize they are able to call forth what Crane describes as a armored demon” to assist Arthur with his coercion issue – and devote the remaining story enduring the repercussions. King Sorrow will certainly eliminate those troublesome local drug dealers, but they are required to pick a new sacrifice every twelve months or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As our protagonist states: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Versatility and Inventive Breadth

Moving through four decades, the author shifts with natural fluency through various literary forms: as the friends endeavor to address the circumstances they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, choosing undeniably wicked targets to sacrifice, or hunting down ways to kill the dragon themselves, we move between page-turner to grim fantasy, covert operations to love story to terror. One particularly memorable shift was to a quest story, far beneath the surface beneath this UK region, a section tinged by the fantasy maestro that was gloriously terrifying.

A Detailed Tapestry of Fear and Courage

The novel features trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and digital trolls, truly terrifying and superbly depicted. We see enchanted blades and deceptions, pulse-pounding sequences of courage and scenes of appalling malevolence, both human and extraterrestrial. It’s a tour de force: a chilling book that is primarily a paean to the imagination, 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 this character as the companions assemble around a surface, preparing to summon their serpent into being with the force of their minds.

According to Joe Hill in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Ensure you experience it.