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Six oddball but resilient children fall into the path of a colossal and terrible supernatural darkness that has invaded our world from the outer limits of shadow. They are compelled to spend their lifetimes fighting it, enduring one nightmare after another in the ordeal.

A Familiar Storyline with a Fresh Spin

This outlines the narrative, roughly, of Stephen King’s novel It (a standout in his career; undeniable). It is also the plot of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent horror doorstopper, in which a band of six invoke the age-old, infinitely malicious beast King Sorrow from the Long Dark to help them defeat some villains. Unsurprisingly, their arcane ceremony goes awry.

Celebrating a Family Legacy

Joe Hill started his career striving diligently 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 possesses a striking resemblance to his parent). However, in his newest work, he leans into it. Certain passages that intentionally mirror some of the senior author’s well-known (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a scene that recalls a signature King element (a riddling contest). In this whopper of a novel, the author rejoices in his family connection, and the audience revels alongside.

Introducing the Protagonists

Back to those friends: five of them are pupils at the fictional the esteemed institution in this northeastern locale. We have Arthur, academic and brilliant, deciphering historical enigmas in his spare time; another key figure, rich, sharp, and inclined to bulldoze those who oppose him; twins Donna and Donovan; the attractive Allie herself. Additionally, Gwen appears, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their group as they dabble, somewhat credulous, half not, in the occult.

The Pivotal Summoning

Arthur is, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his cherished academic collection by a bunch of local criminals. This tears at his bookish heart, notably because he’s forced to acquire the institution’s prized and unsettling work: the journal of adept this enigmatic character (condemned “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the cover is crafted from his flesh). These young investigators peruse the diary, realize they are able to call forth what the occultist details as a armored demon” to assist Arthur with his coercion issue – and spend the rest of the novel facing the fallout. King Sorrow will indeed rid them of those troublesome local drug dealers, but they are required to pick a different victim every twelve months or fall prey to the beast. In the character’s own words: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is more dragons.”

Stylistic Dexterity and Creative Scope

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with effortless ease between genres: as the friends attempt to deal with the predicament they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to sacrifice, or searching for methods to kill the dragon themselves, we go from page-turner to grim fantasy, covert operations to love story to terror. A standout transition was to a quest story, within the subterranean depths beneath this UK region, a segment sprinkled with the fantasy maestro that was magnificently horrifying.

A Rich Canvas of Horror and Courage

The novel features trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. The story includes mystic weapons and deceptions, breath-taking moments of courage and scenes of dreadful evil, both earthly and extraterrestrial. It’s a tour de force: a chilling book that is above all a tribute to the imagination, and to affection and camaraderie. “We required a narrative to trust and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says this character as the allies gather at the table, getting ready to invoke their dragon into existence with the power of their thoughts.

According to Joe Hill in his epigraph: “This is dragon territory”. Don’t miss them.