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A group of six oddball but doughty youngsters fall into the trail of a vast and dreadful supernatural evil that has infiltrated our world from the farthest reaches of oblivion. They must spend their lifetimes fighting it, enduring one nightmare after another in the ordeal.

An Echoing Premise with a New Approach

This is the plot, in essence, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (his best; no arguments). It is also the plot of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest chilling tome, in which a band of six invoke the age-old, infinitely malicious dragon the Sorrowful Monarch from the Long Dark to aid them in overcoming some baddies. As one might expect, their otherworldly invocation backfires.

Celebrating a Family Lineage

Joseph Hillström King started his career making great efforts to remain separate from his well-known dad, publishing under the pen name he still uses today and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he exhibits a strong similarity to his parent). But in this latest novel, he fully acknowledges it. There are lines that deliberately echo some of his father’s iconic (that classic opening line); a scene that recalls a signature King element (a battle of wits). Throughout this massive book, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his heritage, and we delight along with him.

Meet the Central Figures

Focusing on the companions: most are pupils at the imagined this academic setting in Maine. We have Arthur, bookish and gifted, deciphering historical enigmas in his spare time; Colin, affluent, astute, and known for crushing obstacles in his path; the twin siblings; the beautiful Allie. Then we have Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but becomes a key part of their group as they dabble, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in supernatural practices.

The Fateful Ritual

Our hero becomes, for reasons we don’t need to go into, forced into stealing valuable volumes from his beloved college library by a set of regional villains. This devastates his scholarly soul, especially when he’s forced to acquire the institution’s prized and unsettling title: the diary of practitioner this enigmatic character (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the book’s jacket is made from his skin). These young investigators peruse the diary, learn they can invoke what the author references as a armoured devil” to help Arthur out with his coercion issue – and devote the remaining story enduring the repercussions. King Sorrow will indeed rid them of those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they are required to pick a fresh offering each year or become his victim themselves. As Arthur later puts it: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Versatility and Inventive Range

Covering a generation, the author shifts with natural fluency between genres: as the allies attempt to deal with the predicament they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to immolate, or seeking means to slay the beast themselves, we transition from thriller to shadowy tale, clandestine torment to romance to horror. A standout transition was to a quest story, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a part infused with the fantasy maestro that was wonderfully frightening.

A Rich Tapestry of Dread and Courage

The novel features trolls – those living under bridges and online ones, truly terrifying and expertly realized. We see enchanted blades and treacheries, pulse-pounding sequences of bravery and instances of appalling malevolence, both mortal and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a horror novel that is primarily a paean to the creative spirit, 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 the wealthy student as the friends sit around the table, getting ready to invoke their serpent to life with the force of their minds.

According to Joe Hill in his opening statement: “Here be dragons”. Do not overlook this.