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A group of six oddball but resilient kids encounter the trail of a immense and fearsome paranormal darkness that has invaded our world from the deepest abyss of oblivion. They are compelled to wage a lifelong battle battling it, enduring terror upon terror in the process.

A Familiar Storyline with a Distinctive Twist

This is the plot, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (a standout in his career; no arguments). It is also the plot of Stephen King’s offspring Joe Hill’s recent massive horror novel, in which a close-knit group summon the primordial, deeply sinister beast the Dragon King from the Long Dark to help them defeat some villains. Unsurprisingly, their otherworldly invocation goes awry.

Acknowledging a Family Heritage

Joseph Hillström King started his career going to great lengths to distance himself from his renowned parent, publishing under the pen name he continues to employ and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he bears a uncanny likeness to his parent). However, in his newest work, he fully acknowledges it. There are lines that deliberately echo some of his father’s iconic (that classic opening line); a moment that recalls a signature King element (a game of puzzles). Throughout this massive book, the author rejoices in his heritage, and readers share in the joy.

Introducing the Protagonists

Focusing on the companions: five of them are pupils at the imagined the esteemed institution in this northeastern locale. First is Arthur, academic and brilliant, cracking Old English riddles in his free moments; the character Colin, wealthy, astute, and inclined to bulldoze those who oppose him; the twin siblings; the stunning Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who doesn’t study with them, but becomes a key part of their circle as they dabble, somewhat credulous, half not, in arcane arts.

The Pivotal Ritual

Our hero becomes, as a result of external pressures, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his treasured institution’s archives by a group of neighborhood thugs. This devastates his scholarly soul, notably because he’s compelled to seize the institution’s prized and chilling work: the diary of practitioner the historical figure (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover is made from his skin). These young investigators examine the log, discover they could summon what Crane describes as a armoured devil” to aid our hero with his coercion issue – and spend the rest of the novel facing the fallout. The dragon will undoubtedly remove those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they are required to pick a different victim each year or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As our protagonist states: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is additional horrors.”

Narrative Fluidity and Imaginative Scope

Moving through four decades, Hill also moves with effortless ease across narrative styles: as the allies endeavor to address the situation they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to offer up, or seeking means to slay the beast themselves, we move between suspense to shadowy tale, covert operations to love story to horror. One particularly memorable shift was to a quest story, far beneath the surface under the English county, a section sprinkled with the fantasy maestro that was wonderfully frightening.

A Rich Tapestry of Dread and Courage

We encounter trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and online ones, properly scary and perfectly brought to life. We see enchanted blades and betrayals, breath-taking moments of valor and ones of appalling malevolence, both earthly and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a chilling book that is above all a paean to the creative spirit, and to devotion and companionship. “We longed for a tale to embrace and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says this character as the friends sit around the table, making preparations to call forth their serpent to life with the strength of their collective will.

According to Joe Hill in his introductory quote: “Here be dragons”. Don’t miss them.