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A group of six quirky but brave children confront the path of a colossal and terrible otherworldly malevolence that has infiltrated our existence from the deepest abyss of darkness. They must wage a lifelong battle confronting it, facing one nightmare after another in the process.

A Familiar Premise with a Fresh Spin

This is the plot, in essence, of the master of horror’s novel It (arguably his finest; no debate). It parallels of Stephen King’s offspring Joseph Hillstrom King’s new massive horror novel, in which six friends summon the ancient, deeply sinister dragon King Sorrow from the Abyssal Void to help them defeat some villains. Needless to say, their otherworldly invocation goes awry.

Celebrating a Literary Legacy

Joseph Hillström King began his writing journey making great efforts to avoid any connection from his famous father, using the pseudonym he still uses today and avoiding meeting his agent (he exhibits a striking resemblance to his parent). Yet with this recent release, he fully acknowledges it. Certain passages that intentionally mirror some of the senior author’s well-known (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a moment that brings to mind a recurring theme in King’s works (a battle of wits). In this epic story, the author rejoices in his lineage, and readers share in the joy.

The Cast of the Protagonists

Back to those friends: most are students at the fictional Rackham College in Maine. We have Arthur, bookish and intelligent, solving historical enigmas in his free moments; another key figure, wealthy, clever, and inclined to bulldoze anyone who stands in his way; twins Donna and Donovan; the attractive Allie herself. Additionally, Gwen appears, who doesn’t study with them, but emerges as crucial of their group as they dabble, half believing, half not, in arcane arts.

The Pivotal Ceremony

Arthur is, as a result of external pressures, forced into stealing prized manuscripts from his treasured institution’s archives by a bunch of local criminals. This tears at his bookish heart, notably because he’s compelled to seize the institution’s prized and unsettling work: the diary of occultist the historical figure (executed “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the book’s jacket is fashioned from his hide). The intrepid group peruse the diary, realize they are able to call forth what Crane describes as a “arrogant beast to aid our hero with his extortion dilemma – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. This ancient entity will indeed rid them of those annoying regional antagonists, but they must select a different victim every twelve months or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As Arthur later puts it: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Versatility and Imaginative Range

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with effortless ease through various literary forms: as the friends strive to manage the predicament they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to sacrifice, or hunting down ways to slay the beast themselves, we transition from suspense to dark fantasy, black-ops torture to romance to terror. My favorite genre switch was to a quest story, far beneath the surface under the English county, a part tinged by the fantasy maestro that was wonderfully frightening.

A Detailed Canvas of Fear and Courage

There are trolls – those living under bridges and internet antagonists, properly scary and superbly depicted. The story includes mystic weapons and treacheries, pulse-pounding sequences of courage and scenes of dreadful evil, both earthly and extraterrestrial. It stands as a masterpiece: a frightening tale that is primarily a ode to the human inventiveness, and to affection and camaraderie. “We required a narrative to trust and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says Colin as the allies gather at the table, getting ready to invoke their dragon into existence with the force of their minds.

According to Joe Hill in his introductory quote: “Here be dragons”. Don’t miss them.