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Six quirky but resilient kids fall into the path of a immense and fearsome otherworldly evil that has entered our existence from the deepest abyss of shadow. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle battling it, experiencing terror upon terror in the ordeal.

A Familiar Storyline with a Distinctive Spin

This is the plot, roughly, of the master of horror’s novel It (his best; undeniable). It parallels of the celebrated author’s heir Joe Hill’s latest massive horror novel, in which six friends summon the age-old, utterly malevolent dragon the Sorrowful Monarch from the Abyssal Void to help them defeat some villains. Needless to say, their otherworldly invocation goes awry.

Acknowledging a Authorial Heritage

Joseph Hillström King launched his profession making great efforts to avoid any connection from his renowned parent, using the pseudonym he still uses today and avoiding meeting his agent (he possesses a strong similarity to his father). But in this latest novel, he embraces it. There are lines that consciously reflect some of his father’s iconic (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a moment that recalls a signature King element (a game of puzzles). In this epic story, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his family connection, and we delight along with him.

Meet the Main Characters

Back to those friends: five of them are pupils at the made-up Rackham College in the New England state. There’s Arthur, academic and intelligent, solving Old English riddles in his spare time; another key figure, rich, clever, and known for crushing those who oppose him; Donna and Donovan; the stunning the lovely Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who isn’t their classmate, but becomes a key part of their band as they experiment, partly convinced, somewhat doubtful, in arcane arts.

The Pivotal Ritual

The protagonist finds himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, obliged to take valuable volumes from his treasured institution’s archives by a group of neighborhood thugs. This devastates his scholarly soul, notably because he’s compelled to seize the institution’s prized and disturbing work: the journal of occultist the historical figure (put to death “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the binding is made from his skin). Our Scooby gang examine the log, discover they could summon what the author references as a cunning serpent to assist Arthur with his coercion issue – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. This ancient entity will indeed rid them of those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they must select a different victim annually or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. In the character’s own words: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is additional horrors.”

Stylistic Versatility and Inventive Scope

Spanning forty years, the author shifts with natural fluency through various literary forms: as the allies endeavor to address the circumstances they find themselves in by, in different ways, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to sacrifice, or hunting down ways to kill the dragon themselves, we go from page-turner to dark fantasy, black-ops torture to affectionate subplot to horror. My favorite genre switch was to a quest story, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a section sprinkled with JRR Tolkien that was wonderfully frightening.

An Expansive Canvas of Dread and Hope

There are trolls – those living under bridges and digital trolls, properly scary and perfectly brought to life. There are magical swords and betrayals, heart-stopping scenes of bravery and ones of appalling malevolence, both mortal and extraterrestrial. It’s a tour de force: a chilling book that is chiefly a ode to the creative spirit, 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 this character as the companions sit around the table, making preparations to call forth their beast into being with the strength of their collective will.

According to Joe Hill in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Don’t miss them.