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Six unlikely but doughty children fall into the path of a immense and dreadful otherworldly evil that has infiltrated our existence from the farthest reaches of oblivion. They are compelled to devote their lives confronting it, enduring terror upon terror in the ordeal.

An Echoing Plot with a New Twist

This is the plot, roughly, of Stephen King’s novel It (a standout in his career; no arguments). It similarly frames of Stephen King’s offspring Joe Hill’s new massive horror novel, in which a band of six call forth the age-old, deeply sinister serpent the Sorrowful Monarch from the Abyssal Void to assist them in vanquishing some baddies. As one might expect, their otherworldly invocation has unintended consequences.

Acknowledging a Literary Lineage

Joseph Hillström King started his career making great efforts to remain separate from his renowned parent, adopting the nom de plume he continues to employ and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he exhibits a uncanny likeness to his dad). However, in his newest work, he fully acknowledges it. Certain passages that consciously reflect some of his father’s iconic (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a moment that brings to mind a King plot point (a game of puzzles). In this epic story, the author rejoices in his family connection, and we delight along with him.

Meet the Protagonists

Back to those friends: most are scholars at the fictional Rackham College in Maine. First is Arthur, bookish and intelligent, solving Old English riddles in his free moments; another key figure, wealthy, sharp, and inclined to bulldoze obstacles in his path; twins Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie herself. Then we have Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but assumes a vital role of their circle as they toy, half believing, partly skeptical, in the occult.

The Critical Ceremony

Our hero becomes, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his treasured institution’s archives by a set of regional villains. This wounds his academic spirit, particularly as he’s forced to acquire the library’s most valuable and disturbing publication: the diary of occultist the historical figure (put to death “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the binding is fashioned from his hide). Our Scooby gang peruse the diary, learn they can invoke what the occultist details as a clever snake to help Arthur out with his extortion dilemma – and spend the rest of the novel facing the fallout. King Sorrow will certainly eliminate those annoying regional antagonists, but they are required to pick a different victim annually or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As our protagonist states: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is more dragons.”

Narrative Dexterity and Imaginative Scope

Moving through four decades, Hill also moves with seamless grace between genres: as the allies strive to manage the predicament they find themselves in by, in different ways, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to immolate, or hunting down ways to destroy the entity themselves, we transition from thriller to grim fantasy, covert operations to affectionate subplot to fright. One particularly memorable shift was to a heroic journey, deep in the caves beneath this UK region, a segment tinged by the Lord of the Rings author that was wonderfully frightening.

An Expansive Tapestry of Dread and Hope

The novel features trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and online ones, genuinely frightening and superbly depicted. There are magical swords and deceptions, pulse-pounding sequences of bravery and instances of dreadful evil, both earthly and extraterrestrial. This is a remarkable achievement: a frightening tale that is primarily a tribute to the imagination, and to affection and camaraderie. “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 allies gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their dragon into existence with the force of their minds.

In the author’s own words in his opening statement: “Here be dragons”. Ensure you experience it.