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Six quirky but doughty children fall into the way of a colossal and dreadful otherworldly malevolence that has entered our existence from the outer limits of shadow. They must wage a lifelong battle confronting it, facing terror upon terror in the ordeal.

A Familiar Plot with a Distinctive Spin

This outlines the narrative, roughly, of the master of horror’s seminal work It (arguably his finest; no arguments). It similarly frames of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest massive horror novel, in which six friends summon the primordial, infinitely malicious beast King Sorrow from the Endless Night to help them defeat some villains. As one might expect, their otherworldly invocation has unintended consequences.

Celebrating a Authorial Lineage

The author started his career going to great lengths to distance himself from his renowned parent, adopting the nom de plume he still uses today and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he possesses a striking resemblance to his dad). But in this latest novel, he leans into it. There are lines that intentionally mirror some of the senior author’s well-known (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a scene that evokes a recurring theme in King’s works (a game of puzzles). Throughout this massive book, the author rejoices in his lineage, and the audience revels alongside.

Meet the Protagonists

Returning to the group: five of them are scholars at the fictional this academic setting in this northeastern locale. We have Arthur, bookish and intelligent, deciphering ancient puzzles in his leisure hours; another key figure, affluent, astute, and inclined to bulldoze anyone who stands in his way; Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie. Then we have Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but becomes a key part of their circle as they experiment, partly convinced, partly skeptical, in arcane arts.

The Fateful Summoning

The protagonist finds himself, for reasons we don’t need to go into, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his cherished academic collection by a set of regional villains. This tears at his bookish heart, especially when he’s forced to acquire the library’s most valuable and chilling title: the diary of practitioner this enigmatic character (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover is crafted from his flesh). The intrepid group examine the log, learn they can invoke what the author references as a “arrogant beast to help Arthur out with his coercion issue – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. King Sorrow will indeed rid them of those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they are required to pick a fresh offering each year or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As Arthur later puts it: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Dexterity and Imaginative Breadth

Covering a generation, Joe Hill transitions with natural fluency across narrative styles: as the companions attempt to deal with the predicament they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, choosing undeniably wicked targets to sacrifice, or searching for methods to destroy the entity themselves, we go from suspense to shadowy tale, covert operations to affectionate subplot to horror. A standout transition was to a adventure narrative, far beneath the surface under the English county, a segment infused with the fantasy maestro that was gloriously terrifying.

An Expansive Canvas of Horror and Courage

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and digital trolls, genuinely frightening and superbly depicted. We see enchanted blades and betrayals, heart-stopping scenes of courage and ones of terrible wickedness, both earthly and otherworldly. This is a remarkable achievement: a frightening tale that is chiefly a tribute to the creative spirit, 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 sit around the table, getting ready to invoke their serpent into existence with the strength of their collective will.

According to Joe Hill in his opening statement: “Hic sunt dracones”. Don’t miss them.