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A group of six unlikely but brave children encounter the trail of a vast and fearsome otherworldly malevolence that has invaded our world from the farthest reaches of shadow. They have no choice but to spend their lifetimes fighting it, experiencing terror upon terror in the struggle.

An Echoing Storyline with a New Spin

This is the plot, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s novel It (arguably his finest; undeniable). It similarly frames of Stephen King’s offspring Joseph Hillstrom King’s new massive horror novel, in which a close-knit group call forth the age-old, infinitely malicious dragon King Sorrow from the Long Dark to help them defeat some baddies. As one might expect, their arcane ceremony has unintended consequences.

Celebrating a Literary Heritage

Joseph Hillström King started his career striving diligently to avoid any connection from his famous father, publishing under the pen name he continues to employ and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he possesses a uncanny likeness to his parent). But in this latest novel, he embraces it. Certain passages that intentionally mirror some of his father’s iconic (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a incident that recalls a King plot point (a riddling contest). In this whopper of a novel, the author rejoices in his heritage, and we delight along with him.

Meet the Main Characters

Focusing on the companions: five of them are scholars at the made-up the esteemed institution in Maine. There’s Arthur, academic and brilliant, cracking ancient puzzles in his leisure hours; Colin, rich, sharp, and inclined to bulldoze those who oppose him; the twin siblings; the beautiful the lovely Allie. Then we have Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but becomes a key part of their group as they toy, somewhat credulous, half not, in arcane arts.

The Fateful Ritual

Our hero becomes, as a result of external pressures, compelled to pilfer valuable volumes from his cherished academic collection by a group of neighborhood thugs. This devastates his scholarly soul, particularly as he’s compelled to seize the library’s most valuable and unsettling work: the logbook of adept this enigmatic character (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover is crafted from his flesh). These young investigators peruse the diary, learn they can invoke what Crane describes as a clever snake to assist Arthur with his blackmail problem – and spend the rest of the novel reaping the consequences. King Sorrow will certainly eliminate those troublesome local drug dealers, but they’ll have to choose a different victim every twelve months or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As our protagonist states: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Versatility and Creative Scope

Moving through four decades, Joe Hill transitions with effortless ease through various literary forms: as the friends attempt to deal with the situation they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to immolate, or searching for methods to slay the beast themselves, we move between thriller to shadowy tale, black-ops torture to love story to fright. One particularly memorable shift was to a quest story, within the subterranean depths beneath this UK region, a section sprinkled with JRR Tolkien that was magnificently horrifying.

An Expansive Tapestry of Dread and Optimism

The novel features trolls – the classic variety and digital trolls, truly terrifying and expertly realized. The story includes mystic weapons and treacheries, pulse-pounding sequences of bravery and scenes of appalling malevolence, both mortal and supernatural. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is primarily a tribute to the imagination, and to devotion and companionship. “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 allies sit around the table, making preparations to call forth their beast into being with the power of their thoughts.

In the author’s own words in his epigraph: “This is dragon territory”. Do not overlook this.