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A group of six unlikely but doughty children encounter the path of a immense and dreadful supernatural darkness that has entered our existence from the outer limits of darkness. They must devote their lives confronting it, facing terror upon terror in the ordeal.

A Familiar Plot with a Fresh Approach

This is the plot, roughly, of Stephen King’s iconic book It (arguably his finest; no debate). It is also the plot of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent massive horror novel, in which a band of six summon the ancient, infinitely malicious dragon the Sorrowful Monarch from the Abyssal Void to aid them in overcoming some villains. Needless to say, their arcane ceremony has unintended consequences.

Celebrating a Authorial Heritage

Joe Hill started his career striving diligently to avoid any connection from his famous father, adopting the nom de plume he still uses today and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he possesses a strong similarity to his dad). However, in his newest work, he embraces it. There are lines that deliberately echo some of King’s most famous (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a incident that brings to mind a signature King element (a game of puzzles). In this whopper of a novel, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his family connection, and the audience revels alongside.

Introducing the Central Figures

Returning to the group: the majority are scholars at the made-up Rackham College in the New England state. First is Arthur, academic and brilliant, cracking historical enigmas in his leisure hours; Colin, rich, clever, and inclined to bulldoze obstacles in his path; the twin siblings; the stunning the lovely Allie. Then we have Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but emerges as crucial of their band as they dabble, half believing, somewhat doubtful, in arcane arts.

The Critical Summoning

Arthur is, for reasons we don’t need to go into, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his cherished academic collection by a group of neighborhood thugs. This devastates his scholarly soul, particularly as he’s forced to acquire the institution’s prized and unsettling title: the diary of occultist this enigmatic character (condemned “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the binding is crafted from his flesh). Our Scooby gang read the journal, realize they are able to call forth what the author references as a armored demon” to help Arthur out with his coercion issue – and devote the remaining story enduring the repercussions. The dragon will undoubtedly remove those troublesome local drug dealers, but they’ll have to choose a new sacrifice each year or become his victim themselves. As Arthur later puts it: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Versatility and Creative Range

Spanning forty years, Hill also moves with seamless grace between genres: as the companions strive to manage the circumstances they find themselves in by, in different ways, choosing undeniably wicked targets to offer up, or seeking means to destroy the entity themselves, we go from thriller to grim fantasy, clandestine torment to love story to terror. My favorite genre switch was to a quest story, deep in the caves under the English county, a segment tinged by JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

A Detailed Mosaic of Horror and Courage

The novel features trolls – those living under bridges and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and superbly depicted. There are magical swords and deceptions, breath-taking moments of valor and ones of terrible wickedness, both earthly and otherworldly. It’s a tour de force: a horror novel that is primarily a tribute to the imagination, and to affection and camaraderie. “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 allies assemble around a surface, getting ready to invoke their serpent to life with the force of their minds.

According to Joe Hill in his opening statement: “This is dragon territory”. Don’t miss them.