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Six quirky but doughty children confront the way of a immense and fearsome otherworldly evil that has entered our realm from the outer limits of shadow. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle battling it, enduring terror upon terror in the ordeal.

A Familiar Premise with a New Twist

This describes the premise, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (his best; no arguments). It parallels of the celebrated author’s heir Joe Hill’s new chilling tome, in which a close-knit group invoke the primordial, deeply sinister dragon King Sorrow from the Abyssal Void to help them defeat some baddies. Needless to say, their supernatural ritual backfires.

Embracing a Family Heritage

Joseph Hillström King began his writing journey striving diligently to remain separate from his renowned parent, adopting the nom de plume he maintains to this day and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he bears a uncanny likeness to his dad). Yet with this recent release, he leans into it. Certain passages that intentionally mirror some of King’s most famous (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a moment that recalls a recurring theme in King’s works (a game of puzzles). In this epic story, the author rejoices in his family connection, and the audience revels alongside.

The Cast of the Main Characters

Returning to the group: the majority are students at the made-up the esteemed institution in Maine. We have Arthur, studious and gifted, solving Old English riddles in his spare time; the character Colin, wealthy, clever, and inclined to bulldoze obstacles in his path; twins Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie herself. Additionally, Gwen appears, who doesn’t study with them, but becomes a key part of their band as they experiment, half believing, partly skeptical, in arcane arts.

The Pivotal Ritual

Our hero becomes, for reasons we don’t need to go into, obliged to take prized manuscripts from his cherished academic collection by a bunch of local criminals. This devastates his scholarly soul, particularly as he’s forced to acquire the library’s most valuable and disturbing title: the diary of adept this enigmatic character (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover is made from his skin). The intrepid group read the journal, realize they are able to call forth what the occultist details as a clever snake to help Arthur out with his blackmail problem – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. This ancient entity will undoubtedly remove those annoying regional antagonists, but they are required to pick a different victim every twelve months or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. In the character’s own words: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Genre Versatility and Imaginative Breadth

Moving through four decades, Hill also moves with effortless ease through various literary forms: as the allies strive to manage the situation they find themselves in by, in different ways, choosing undeniably wicked targets to offer up, or hunting down ways to destroy the entity themselves, we move between suspense to grim fantasy, covert operations to romance to fright. My favorite genre switch was to a heroic journey, deep in the caves beneath this UK region, a section sprinkled with JRR Tolkien that was magnificently horrifying.

An Expansive Mosaic of Horror and Optimism

There are trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and internet antagonists, truly terrifying and perfectly brought to life. There are magical swords and betrayals, breath-taking moments of courage and ones of terrible wickedness, both human and extraterrestrial. This is a remarkable achievement: a chilling book that is chiefly a tribute to the human inventiveness, and to love and friendship. “We needed a story to believe and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says the wealthy student as the friends sit around the table, making preparations to call forth their serpent to life with the strength of their collective will.

In the author’s own words in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Ensure you experience it.