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A group of six oddball but doughty children fall into the way of a colossal and dreadful supernatural darkness that has entered our realm from the deepest abyss of darkness. They must wage a lifelong battle confronting it, facing terror upon terror in the process.

A Familiar Premise with a Fresh Twist

This describes the premise, roughly, of the master of horror’s seminal work It (his best; no arguments). It similarly frames of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s new massive horror novel, in which a band of six summon the age-old, deeply sinister dragon the Sorrowful Monarch from the Long Dark to help them defeat some antagonists. Needless to say, their otherworldly invocation backfires.

Celebrating a Literary Heritage

Joe Hill launched his profession making great efforts to distance himself from his famous father, publishing under the pen name he maintains to this day and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he exhibits a striking resemblance to his father). But in this latest novel, he fully acknowledges it. There are lines that consciously reflect some of his father’s iconic (that classic opening line); a scene that brings to mind a recurring theme in King’s works (a riddling contest). Throughout this massive book, Hill is delighting in his family connection, and the audience revels alongside.

Meet the Main Characters

Back to those friends: the majority are students at the made-up the esteemed institution in Maine. We have Arthur, studious and brilliant, cracking ancient puzzles in his spare time; another key figure, wealthy, astute, and prone to trampling those who oppose him; twins Donna and Donovan; the stunning the lovely Allie. And there’s Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their band as they dabble, somewhat credulous, half not, in arcane arts.

The Fateful Summoning

Arthur is, due to circumstances beyond his control, forced into stealing valuable volumes from his beloved college library by a set of regional villains. This tears at his bookish heart, especially when he’s forced to acquire the collection’s foremost and unsettling work: the logbook of practitioner this enigmatic character (condemned “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the book’s jacket is made from his skin). The intrepid group peruse the diary, realize they are able to call forth what the author references as a cunning serpent to assist Arthur with his coercion issue – and devote the remaining story facing the fallout. This ancient entity will certainly eliminate those troublesome local drug dealers, but they must select a new sacrifice every twelve months or fall prey to the beast. As our protagonist states: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is more dragons.”

Narrative Dexterity and Imaginative Breadth

Spanning forty years, the author shifts with natural fluency across narrative styles: as the allies attempt to deal with the predicament they find themselves in by, in different ways, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to immolate, or hunting down ways to slay the beast themselves, we move between thriller to dark fantasy, clandestine torment to romance to fright. A standout transition was to a adventure narrative, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a segment infused with the Lord of the Rings author that was magnificently horrifying.

A Rich Mosaic of Fear and Hope

The novel features trolls – the classic variety and digital trolls, properly scary and expertly realized. The story includes mystic weapons and treacheries, heart-stopping scenes of valor and scenes of appalling malevolence, both mortal and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a chilling book that is primarily a tribute to the creative spirit, 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 companions sit around the table, getting ready to invoke their serpent to life with the strength of their collective will.

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