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Six quirky but brave youngsters fall into the way of a colossal and fearsome paranormal darkness that has entered our realm from the outer limits of darkness. They are compelled to devote their lives battling it, enduring terror upon terror in the struggle.

An Echoing Plot with a Distinctive Approach

This describes the premise, in essence, of Stephen King’s iconic book It (arguably his finest; undeniable). It is also the plot of the celebrated author’s heir Joe Hill’s latest horror doorstopper, in which a band of six call forth the ancient, utterly malevolent serpent King Sorrow from the Endless Night to assist them in vanquishing some baddies. Unsurprisingly, their otherworldly invocation has unintended consequences.

Celebrating a Authorial Legacy

Joseph Hillström King launched his profession striving diligently to avoid any connection from his well-known dad, adopting the nom de plume he maintains to this day and avoiding meeting his agent (he exhibits a strong similarity to his parent). Yet with this recent release, he fully acknowledges it. Several quotes that intentionally mirror some of his father’s iconic (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a incident that brings to mind a King plot point (a game of puzzles). In this whopper of a novel, Hill is delighting in his lineage, and readers share in the joy.

The Cast of the Main Characters

Back to those friends: most are pupils at the made-up this academic setting in the New England state. First is Arthur, academic and brilliant, solving Old English riddles in his free moments; the character Colin, wealthy, astute, and inclined to bulldoze anyone who stands in his way; Donna and Donovan; the attractive the lovely Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who isn’t their classmate, but becomes a key part of their band as they toy, partly convinced, half not, in arcane arts.

The Fateful Summoning

Arthur is, for reasons we don’t need to go into, compelled to pilfer rare books from his treasured institution’s archives by a bunch of local criminals. This wounds his academic spirit, notably because he’s compelled to seize the library’s most valuable and chilling publication: the journal of occultist this enigmatic character (condemned “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the book’s jacket is made from his skin). The intrepid group read the journal, learn they can invoke what the author references as a “arrogant beast to assist Arthur with his blackmail problem – and occupy the subsequent narrative facing the fallout. This ancient entity will indeed rid them of those annoying regional antagonists, but they must select a fresh offering every twelve months or fall prey to the beast. As Arthur later puts it: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is additional horrors.”

Narrative Fluidity and Inventive Range

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with effortless ease through various literary forms: as the companions attempt to deal with the situation they find themselves in by, variously, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to immolate, or searching for methods to slay the beast themselves, we transition from thriller to dark fantasy, black-ops torture to affectionate subplot to terror. My favorite genre switch was to a adventure narrative, far beneath the surface below Cornwall, a section sprinkled with the Lord of the Rings author that was magnificently horrifying.

A Detailed Tapestry of Fear and Optimism

We encounter trolls – those living under bridges and online ones, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. There are magical swords and deceptions, breath-taking moments of courage and scenes of appalling malevolence, both earthly and supernatural. It’s a tour de force: a horror novel that is chiefly a ode to the imagination, and to love and friendship. “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 friends gather at the table, getting ready to invoke their dragon into existence with the force of their minds.

In the author’s own words in his opening statement: “Hic sunt dracones”. Do not overlook this.