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Six unlikely but resilient children encounter the trail of a immense and fearsome supernatural malevolence that has invaded our existence from the farthest reaches of shadow. They are compelled to wage a lifelong battle fighting it, experiencing terror upon terror in the ordeal.

A Familiar Premise with a New Twist

This describes the premise, in essence, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (arguably his finest; no arguments). It similarly frames of King’s son Joe Hill’s latest massive horror novel, in which six friends call forth the age-old, utterly malevolent dragon King Sorrow from the Long Dark to help them defeat some villains. Unsurprisingly, their arcane ceremony backfires.

Acknowledging a Authorial Heritage

Joe Hill started his career going to great lengths to remain separate from his well-known dad, publishing under the pen name he still uses today and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he exhibits a strong similarity to his dad). Yet with this recent release, he embraces it. There are lines that deliberately echo some of King’s most famous (that classic opening line); a incident that recalls a signature King element (a game of puzzles). In this whopper of a novel, Hill is delighting in his heritage, and readers share in the joy.

Meet the Protagonists

Returning to the group: the majority are pupils at the imagined the esteemed institution in this northeastern locale. We have Arthur, bookish and gifted, deciphering historical enigmas in his spare time; Colin, wealthy, sharp, and known for crushing obstacles in his path; the twin siblings; the attractive the lovely Allie. Then we have Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but becomes a key part of their band as they toy, half believing, somewhat doubtful, in the occult.

The Critical Summoning

Our hero becomes, due to circumstances beyond his control, obliged to take prized manuscripts from his cherished academic collection by a set of regional villains. This devastates his scholarly soul, especially when he’s compelled to seize the collection’s foremost and disturbing title: the logbook of practitioner Enoch Crane (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the binding is made from his skin). These young investigators examine the log, learn they can invoke what the author references as a clever snake to aid our hero with his blackmail problem – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. King Sorrow will indeed rid them of those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they must select a fresh offering annually or become his victim themselves. As our protagonist states: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is more dragons.”

Narrative Versatility and Inventive Scope

Moving through four decades, the author shifts with effortless ease across narrative styles: as the companions endeavor to address the situation they find themselves in by, in different ways, picking people who are obviously evil to sacrifice, or seeking means to destroy the entity themselves, we go from page-turner to dark fantasy, clandestine torment to love story to terror. A standout transition was to a quest story, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a section infused with JRR Tolkien that was magnificently horrifying.

An Expansive Tapestry of Dread and Hope

We encounter trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and internet antagonists, truly terrifying and expertly realized. The story includes mystic weapons and treacheries, breath-taking moments of courage and ones of dreadful evil, both mortal and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a chilling book 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 allies assemble around a surface, making preparations to call forth their serpent into existence with the power of their thoughts.

As Hill puts it in his epigraph: “Here be dragons”. Ensure you experience it.