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Six oddball but resilient children encounter the way of a immense and fearsome paranormal malevolence that has infiltrated our existence from the deepest abyss of oblivion. They must devote their lives fighting it, facing terror upon terror in the struggle.

A Resonant Storyline with a New Approach

This describes the premise, broadly speaking, of the master of horror’s seminal work It (a standout in his career; undeniable). It is also the plot of Stephen King’s offspring Joe Hill’s recent massive horror novel, in which a close-knit group call forth the primordial, infinitely malicious dragon the Dragon King from the Long Dark to help them defeat some baddies. As one might expect, their otherworldly invocation goes awry.

Embracing a Authorial Heritage

Joseph Hillström King launched his profession striving diligently to avoid any connection from his renowned parent, publishing under the pen name he maintains to this day and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he exhibits a strong similarity to his dad). Yet with this recent release, he fully acknowledges it. There are lines that intentionally mirror some of his father’s iconic (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a scene that brings to mind a King plot point (a game of puzzles). In this whopper of a novel, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his family connection, and the audience revels alongside.

The Cast of the Protagonists

Back to those friends: five of them are pupils at the imagined Rackham College in Maine. There’s Arthur, academic and brilliant, deciphering ancient puzzles in his spare time; the character Colin, rich, astute, and known for crushing obstacles in his path; the twin siblings; the stunning Allie herself. Additionally, Gwen appears, who doesn’t study with them, but emerges as crucial of their circle as they toy, half believing, half not, in arcane arts.

The Fateful Ceremony

The protagonist finds himself, as a result of external pressures, forced into stealing valuable volumes from his treasured institution’s archives by a bunch of local criminals. This wounds his academic spirit, particularly as he’s made to take the collection’s foremost and disturbing title: the journal of occultist the historical figure (put to death “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the cover is fashioned from his hide). The intrepid group read the journal, realize they are able to call forth what Crane describes as a clever snake to aid our hero with his blackmail problem – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. This ancient entity will indeed rid them of those troublesome local drug dealers, but they are required to pick a new sacrifice every twelve months or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As Arthur later puts it: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Versatility and Creative Breadth

Moving through four decades, Joe Hill transitions with seamless grace through various literary forms: as the friends strive to manage the situation they find themselves in by, in different ways, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to immolate, or searching for methods to slay the beast themselves, we move between thriller to dark fantasy, black-ops torture to romance to horror. My favorite genre switch was to a adventure narrative, within the subterranean depths beneath this UK region, a section sprinkled with JRR Tolkien that was wonderfully frightening.

An Expansive Mosaic of Horror and Hope

There are trolls – the classic variety and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and superbly depicted. There are magical swords and betrayals, pulse-pounding sequences of courage and instances of dreadful evil, both earthly and otherworldly. It’s a tour de force: a horror novel that is above all a paean 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 Colin as the companions gather at the table, preparing to summon their beast to life with the strength of their collective will.

In the author’s own words in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Ensure you experience it.