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A group of six unlikely but resilient youngsters fall into the trail of a immense and dreadful otherworldly evil that has infiltrated our realm from the outer limits of shadow. They must spend their lifetimes battling it, enduring terror upon terror in the ordeal.

An Echoing Plot with a New Twist

This describes the premise, broadly speaking, of the master of horror’s novel It (arguably his finest; no debate). It similarly frames of Stephen King’s offspring Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest chilling tome, in which a band of six call forth the ancient, utterly malevolent beast the Sorrowful Monarch from the Endless Night to assist them in vanquishing some antagonists. Unsurprisingly, their otherworldly invocation has unintended consequences.

Acknowledging a Literary Legacy

Joe Hill launched his profession making great efforts to remain separate from his well-known dad, adopting the nom de plume he still uses today and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he possesses a strong similarity to his father). However, in his newest work, he embraces it. There are lines that consciously reflect some of his father’s iconic (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a scene that brings to mind a signature King element (a riddling contest). In this whopper of a novel, the author rejoices in his family connection, and we delight along with him.

Introducing the Main Characters

Back to those friends: five of them are students at the fictional Rackham College in Maine. First is Arthur, bookish and brilliant, deciphering ancient puzzles in his spare time; Colin, wealthy, sharp, and known for crushing obstacles in his path; twins Donna and Donovan; the attractive Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who remains outside their academic circle, but becomes a key part of their group as they dabble, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in supernatural practices.

The Critical Summoning

The protagonist finds himself, for reasons we don’t need to go into, obliged to take valuable volumes from his beloved college library by a group of neighborhood thugs. This devastates his scholarly soul, especially when he’s compelled to seize the institution’s prized and chilling publication: the journal of adept this enigmatic character (put to death “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the binding is crafted from his flesh). Our Scooby gang examine the log, learn they can invoke what the author references as a cunning serpent to help Arthur out with his blackmail problem – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. King Sorrow will indeed rid them of those troublesome local drug dealers, but they’ll have to choose a new sacrifice each year or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As Arthur later puts it: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Fluidity and Imaginative Breadth

Spanning forty years, the author shifts with natural fluency between genres: as the friends endeavor to address the situation they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, picking people who are obviously evil to sacrifice, or seeking means to kill the dragon themselves, we move between thriller to dark fantasy, black-ops torture to love story to horror. A standout transition was to a heroic journey, deep in the caves under the English county, a segment sprinkled with the fantasy maestro that was wonderfully frightening.

An Expansive Canvas of Fear and Hope

There are trolls – the classic variety and digital trolls, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. We see enchanted blades and betrayals, breath-taking moments of valor and ones of terrible wickedness, both earthly and otherworldly. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is chiefly a paean to the creative spirit, and to love and friendship. “We longed for a tale to embrace and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says the wealthy student as the companions gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their dragon to life with the force of their minds.

According to Joe Hill in his introductory quote: “Here be dragons”. Don’t miss them.