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Six unlikely but resilient children confront the path of a immense and dreadful otherworldly malevolence that has invaded our realm from the farthest reaches of oblivion. They are compelled to spend their lifetimes fighting it, enduring terror upon terror in the struggle.

A Familiar Premise with a Fresh Twist

This is the plot, in essence, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (arguably his finest; no arguments). It is also the plot of King’s son Joe Hill’s recent chilling tome, in which a band of six call forth the primordial, infinitely malicious serpent the Dragon King from the Abyssal Void to aid them in overcoming some baddies. Unsurprisingly, their arcane ceremony goes awry.

Acknowledging a Authorial Heritage

The author started his career striving diligently to distance himself from his famous father, using the pseudonym he continues to employ and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he exhibits a striking resemblance to his father). Yet with this recent release, he leans into it. There are lines that consciously reflect some of his father’s iconic (that classic opening line); a scene that recalls a King plot point (a battle of wits). Throughout this massive book, the author rejoices in his heritage, and readers share in the joy.

Meet the Main Characters

Returning to the group: most are pupils at the fictional Rackham College in the New England state. There’s Arthur, academic and gifted, cracking Old English riddles in his leisure hours; another key figure, wealthy, sharp, and inclined to bulldoze those who oppose him; the twin siblings; the beautiful the lovely Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who isn’t their classmate, but emerges as crucial of their group as they dabble, partly convinced, somewhat doubtful, in arcane arts.

The Fateful Ritual

Arthur is, due to circumstances beyond his control, obliged to take rare books from his treasured institution’s archives by a set of regional villains. This wounds his academic spirit, especially when he’s forced to acquire the institution’s prized and disturbing publication: the journal of practitioner this enigmatic character (put to death “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the book’s jacket is made from his skin). Our Scooby gang read the journal, realize they are able to call forth what the occultist details as a cunning serpent to aid our hero with his coercion issue – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. King Sorrow will certainly eliminate those annoying regional antagonists, but they’ll have to choose a fresh offering each year or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. In the character’s own words: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is additional horrors.”

Stylistic Dexterity and Imaginative Breadth

Covering a generation, Hill also moves with seamless grace across narrative styles: as the friends strive to manage the situation they find themselves in by, in different ways, picking people who are obviously evil to immolate, or seeking means to kill the dragon themselves, we transition from page-turner to grim fantasy, black-ops torture to love story to terror. One particularly memorable shift was to a heroic journey, far beneath the surface below Cornwall, a section sprinkled with the Lord of the Rings author that was wonderfully frightening.

A Detailed Canvas of Dread and Hope

We encounter trolls – those living under bridges and digital trolls, genuinely frightening and superbly depicted. We see enchanted blades and treacheries, breath-taking moments of courage and scenes of terrible wickedness, both human and supernatural. It’s a tour de force: a horror novel that is primarily a ode to the human inventiveness, 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 assemble around a surface, preparing to summon their serpent into existence with the force of their minds.

As Hill puts it in his opening statement: “This is dragon territory”. Do not overlook this.