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A group of six unlikely but brave kids encounter the trail of a colossal and fearsome paranormal darkness that has entered our world from the outer limits of shadow. They must spend their lifetimes fighting it, experiencing one nightmare after another in the process.

A Familiar Storyline with a New Spin

This is the plot, in essence, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (arguably his finest; no arguments). It similarly frames of Stephen King’s offspring Joe Hill’s latest horror doorstopper, in which a close-knit group summon the ancient, deeply sinister serpent King Sorrow from the Endless Night to assist them in vanquishing some villains. Unsurprisingly, their supernatural ritual has unintended consequences.

Celebrating a Literary Legacy

The author launched his profession making great efforts to distance himself from his famous father, adopting the nom de plume he continues to employ and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he exhibits a striking resemblance to his father). But in this latest novel, he embraces it. There are lines that deliberately echo some of King’s most famous (that classic opening line); a moment that brings to mind a King plot point (a riddling contest). In this whopper of a novel, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his heritage, and the audience revels alongside.

The Cast of the Protagonists

Back to those friends: five of them are students at the fictional the esteemed institution in Maine. First is Arthur, studious and intelligent, deciphering Old English riddles in his spare time; Colin, rich, clever, and prone to trampling those who oppose him; Donna and Donovan; the attractive Allie. And there’s Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but assumes a vital role of their group as they dabble, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in arcane arts.

The Pivotal Ritual

Our hero becomes, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer rare books from his beloved college library by a group of neighborhood thugs. This tears at his bookish heart, notably because he’s made to take the library’s most valuable and unsettling work: the journal of occultist this enigmatic character (put to death “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover is crafted from his flesh). These young investigators read the journal, discover they could summon what the author references as a “proud worm to help Arthur out with his blackmail problem – and occupy the subsequent narrative reaping the consequences. This ancient entity will indeed rid them of those problematic neighborhood criminals, 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 invoke terrible forces, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Versatility and Creative Scope

Covering a generation, Hill also moves with natural fluency between genres: as the allies strive to manage the situation they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, picking people who are obviously evil to offer up, or hunting down ways to kill the dragon themselves, we go from thriller to shadowy tale, black-ops torture to romance to fright. A standout transition was to a heroic journey, within the subterranean depths beneath this UK region, a segment sprinkled with the Lord of the Rings author that was wonderfully frightening.

A Detailed Mosaic of Horror and Courage

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and online ones, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. There are magical swords and deceptions, pulse-pounding sequences of bravery and scenes of terrible wickedness, both human and otherworldly. This is a remarkable achievement: a frightening tale that is above all a ode to the human inventiveness, and to affection and camaraderie. “We longed for a tale to embrace and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says this character as the allies assemble around a surface, preparing to summon their beast to life with the strength of their collective will.

In the author’s own words in his opening statement: “This is dragon territory”. Don’t miss them.