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Six quirky but doughty kids fall into the trail of a vast and terrible supernatural evil that has infiltrated our world from the outer limits of shadow. They must devote their lives battling it, experiencing horror after horror in the process.

A Resonant Storyline with a New Twist

This describes the premise, roughly, of Stephen King’s novel It (his best; undeniable). It similarly frames of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s new massive horror novel, in which a close-knit group summon the age-old, utterly malevolent dragon King Sorrow from the Long Dark to help them defeat some villains. Needless to say, their arcane ceremony goes awry.

Celebrating a Authorial Heritage

Joe Hill started his career going to great lengths to remain separate from his well-known dad, using the pseudonym he maintains to this day and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he bears a striking resemblance to his father). But in this latest novel, he fully acknowledges it. Several quotes that intentionally mirror some of his father’s iconic (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a incident that evokes a King plot point (a riddling contest). Throughout this massive book, the author rejoices in his family connection, and we delight along with him.

Meet the Main Characters

Returning to the group: most are pupils at the made-up this academic setting in the New England state. There’s Arthur, academic and brilliant, cracking Old English riddles in his leisure hours; Colin, wealthy, astute, and prone to trampling those who oppose him; the twin siblings; the stunning Allie. Then we have Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but assumes a vital role of their circle as they dabble, half believing, somewhat doubtful, in arcane arts.

The Fateful Ritual

Arthur is, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his cherished academic collection by a set of regional villains. This devastates his scholarly soul, notably because he’s compelled to seize the institution’s prized and chilling work: the logbook of occultist this enigmatic character (put to death “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the book’s jacket is fashioned from his hide). Our Scooby gang examine the log, realize they are able to call forth what Crane describes as a clever snake to assist Arthur with his extortion dilemma – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. King Sorrow will indeed rid them of those annoying regional antagonists, but they’ll have to choose a different victim annually or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As our protagonist states: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is more dragons.”

Genre Versatility and Inventive Breadth

Moving through four decades, Joe Hill transitions with effortless ease across narrative styles: as the allies strive to manage the situation they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to offer up, or hunting down ways to kill the dragon themselves, we go from page-turner to shadowy tale, black-ops torture to love story to fright. One particularly memorable shift was to a heroic journey, within the subterranean depths beneath this UK region, a section tinged by JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

An Expansive Canvas of Dread and Hope

The novel features trolls – those living under bridges and online ones, genuinely frightening and expertly realized. The story includes mystic weapons and treacheries, pulse-pounding sequences of courage and scenes of appalling malevolence, both human and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a frightening tale that is above all a paean to the human inventiveness, 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 the wealthy student as the friends assemble around a surface, making preparations to call forth their dragon to life with the force of their minds.

According to Joe Hill in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Don’t miss them.