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A group of six unlikely but brave children encounter the way of a colossal and dreadful paranormal malevolence that has invaded our existence from the outer limits of darkness. They are compelled to wage a lifelong battle fighting it, experiencing horror after horror in the ordeal.

An Echoing Premise with a Distinctive Approach

This outlines the narrative, broadly speaking, of the master of horror’s seminal work It (a standout in his career; no debate). It is also the plot of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s new chilling tome, in which six friends call forth the ancient, utterly malevolent serpent the Sorrowful Monarch from the Endless Night to help them defeat some villains. Needless to say, their otherworldly invocation backfires.

Embracing a Literary Legacy

Joe Hill launched his profession going to great lengths to avoid any connection from his famous father, adopting the nom de plume he still uses today and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he bears a striking resemblance to his parent). Yet with this recent release, he fully acknowledges it. Several quotes 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 riddling contest). In this epic story, Hill is delighting in his heritage, and we delight along with him.

The Cast of the Protagonists

Back to those friends: the majority are students at the made-up Rackham College in this northeastern locale. We have Arthur, studious and gifted, deciphering Old English riddles in his free moments; the character Colin, rich, clever, and inclined to bulldoze obstacles in his path; the twin siblings; the attractive the lovely Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who isn’t their classmate, but emerges as crucial of their band as they toy, half believing, half not, in arcane arts.

The Pivotal Summoning

The protagonist finds himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, forced into stealing prized manuscripts from his cherished academic collection by a set of regional villains. This tears at his bookish heart, notably because he’s compelled to seize the collection’s foremost and chilling publication: the journal of practitioner Enoch Crane (put to death “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the cover is crafted from his flesh). These young investigators examine the log, learn they can invoke what Crane describes as a “proud worm to aid our hero 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 fresh offering each year or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As our protagonist states: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is additional horrors.”

Genre Dexterity and Creative Scope

Spanning forty years, Hill also moves with effortless ease through various literary forms: as the friends attempt to deal with the situation they find themselves in by, variously, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to immolate, or hunting down ways to slay the beast themselves, we go from suspense to dark fantasy, covert operations to affectionate subplot to terror. A standout transition was to a heroic journey, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a part tinged by the fantasy maestro that was wonderfully frightening.

An Expansive Canvas of Dread and Hope

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and superbly depicted. We see enchanted blades and betrayals, heart-stopping scenes of bravery and scenes of terrible wickedness, both human and otherworldly. It stands as a masterpiece: a horror novel that is above all a tribute to the human inventiveness, and to devotion and companionship. “We needed a story to believe and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says this character as the friends sit around the table, making preparations to call forth their dragon into existence with the strength of their collective will.

As Hill puts it in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Do not overlook this.