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Six unlikely but doughty kids confront the path of a colossal and fearsome paranormal evil that has infiltrated our realm from the farthest reaches of darkness. They must spend their lifetimes fighting it, experiencing terror upon terror in the struggle.

A Familiar Premise with a Distinctive Twist

This outlines the narrative, roughly, of the master of horror’s novel It (a standout in his career; no debate). It similarly frames of King’s son Joe Hill’s recent chilling tome, in which a band of six summon the age-old, deeply sinister dragon the Sorrowful Monarch from the Endless Night to assist them in vanquishing some baddies. Unsurprisingly, their arcane ceremony has unintended consequences.

Embracing a Family Legacy

Joseph Hillström King began his writing journey going to great lengths to distance himself from his famous father, using the pseudonym he maintains to this day and avoiding meeting his agent (he possesses a striking resemblance to his parent). But in this latest novel, he fully acknowledges it. There are lines that consciously reflect some of the senior author’s well-known (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a incident that evokes a King plot point (a battle of wits). In this epic story, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his heritage, and we delight along with him.

The Cast of the Protagonists

Back to those friends: most are students at the fictional this academic setting in Maine. We have Arthur, academic and brilliant, cracking Old English riddles in his leisure hours; Colin, rich, sharp, and known for crushing obstacles in his path; twins Donna and Donovan; the beautiful the lovely Allie. Then we have Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their group as they dabble, partly convinced, partly skeptical, in supernatural practices.

The Critical Summoning

Our hero becomes, for reasons we don’t need to go into, obliged to take rare books from his cherished academic collection by a bunch of local criminals. This tears at his bookish heart, especially when he’s made to take the institution’s prized and chilling publication: the diary of adept the historical figure (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the binding is crafted from his flesh). The intrepid group peruse the diary, discover they could summon what the occultist details as a “proud worm to aid our hero with his extortion dilemma – and spend the rest of the novel enduring the repercussions. King Sorrow will undoubtedly remove those troublesome local drug dealers, but they are required to pick a different victim annually or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As our protagonist states: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is additional horrors.”

Stylistic Versatility and Imaginative Range

Moving through four decades, Joe Hill transitions with effortless ease across narrative styles: as the friends strive to manage the circumstances they find themselves in by, in different ways, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to offer up, or seeking means to kill the dragon themselves, we move between page-turner to shadowy tale, clandestine torment to affectionate subplot to horror. My favorite genre switch was to a heroic journey, far beneath the surface below Cornwall, a segment tinged by JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

A Rich Tapestry of Dread and Courage

The novel features trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and internet antagonists, properly scary and perfectly brought to life. The story includes mystic weapons and betrayals, breath-taking moments of bravery and scenes of dreadful evil, both human and extraterrestrial. It stands as a masterpiece: a chilling book that is chiefly a ode to the creative spirit, and to devotion and companionship. “We required a narrative to trust and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says the wealthy student as the allies gather at the table, preparing to summon their beast into being with the force of their minds.

In the author’s own words in his epigraph: “This is dragon territory”. Don’t miss them.