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Six oddball but resilient children encounter the way of a colossal and terrible otherworldly evil that has invaded our world from the farthest reaches of darkness. They are compelled to spend their lifetimes battling it, facing one nightmare after another in the ordeal.

A Resonant Plot with a Fresh Spin

This describes the premise, roughly, of the master of horror’s novel It (arguably his finest; no debate). It is also the plot of King’s son Joe Hill’s recent horror doorstopper, in which six friends call forth the age-old, deeply sinister beast King Sorrow from the Endless Night to assist them in vanquishing some villains. Needless to say, their arcane ceremony goes awry.

Embracing a Authorial Legacy

Joseph Hillström King launched his profession striving diligently to distance himself 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 uncanny likeness to his father). However, in his newest work, he fully acknowledges it. Certain passages that intentionally mirror some of King’s most famous (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a incident that recalls a signature King element (a battle of wits). Throughout this massive book, the author rejoices in his heritage, and readers share in the joy.

Meet the Protagonists

Back to those friends: five of them are scholars at the fictional this academic setting in this northeastern locale. We have Arthur, bookish and brilliant, deciphering ancient puzzles in his spare time; the character Colin, wealthy, astute, and known for crushing those who oppose him; the twin siblings; the attractive Allie. And there’s Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their circle as they toy, somewhat credulous, half not, in the occult.

The Pivotal Summoning

Our hero becomes, as a result of external pressures, obliged to take rare books 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 disturbing work: the logbook of occultist this enigmatic character (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the book’s jacket is crafted from his flesh). The intrepid group read the journal, discover they could summon what the occultist details as a “proud worm to aid our hero with his blackmail problem – and occupy the subsequent narrative reaping the consequences. This ancient entity will undoubtedly remove those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they are required to pick a new sacrifice annually or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As our protagonist states: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is more dragons.”

Stylistic Dexterity and Imaginative Range

Spanning forty years, the author shifts with natural fluency across narrative styles: as the allies endeavor to address the predicament they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to offer up, or hunting down ways to kill the dragon themselves, we go from thriller to shadowy tale, black-ops torture to love story to fright. One particularly memorable shift was to a heroic journey, within the subterranean depths under the English county, a segment tinged by the Lord of the Rings author that was gloriously terrifying.

A Rich Tapestry of Horror and Hope

There are trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and online ones, genuinely frightening and expertly realized. There are magical swords and betrayals, breath-taking moments of valor and instances of appalling malevolence, both mortal and extraterrestrial. It stands as a masterpiece: a frightening tale that is primarily a paean to the imagination, and to love and friendship. “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 allies sit around the table, preparing to summon their serpent to life with the power of their thoughts.

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