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Six unlikely but resilient children fall into the path of a vast and terrible supernatural evil that has entered our world from the outer limits of oblivion. They are compelled to spend their lifetimes fighting it, experiencing terror upon terror in the struggle.

An Echoing Storyline with a Distinctive Spin

This is the plot, in essence, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (arguably his finest; no debate). It is also the plot of Stephen King’s offspring Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest massive horror novel, in which a band of six invoke the ancient, deeply sinister beast the Sorrowful Monarch from the Long Dark to help them defeat some baddies. Needless to say, their arcane ceremony backfires.

Embracing a Literary Lineage

Joseph Hillström King started his career striving diligently to remain separate from his renowned parent, publishing under the pen name he continues to employ and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he exhibits a uncanny likeness to his dad). But in this latest novel, he fully acknowledges it. Certain passages that deliberately echo some of his father’s iconic (that classic opening line); a moment that evokes a recurring theme in King’s works (a riddling contest). In this epic story, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his heritage, and the audience revels alongside.

Meet the Central Figures

Returning to the group: five of them are students at the fictional Rackham College in Maine. There’s Arthur, studious and intelligent, deciphering historical enigmas in his leisure hours; the character Colin, rich, astute, and inclined to bulldoze anyone who stands in his way; twins Donna and Donovan; the stunning the lovely Allie. And there’s Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but assumes a vital role of their group as they dabble, somewhat credulous, half not, in arcane arts.

The Fateful Ritual

The protagonist finds himself, as a result of external pressures, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his beloved college library by a set of regional villains. This tears at his bookish heart, particularly as he’s forced to acquire the library’s most valuable and disturbing publication: the diary of adept the historical figure (condemned “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the binding is fashioned from his hide). These young investigators read the journal, discover they could summon what the author references as a armoured devil” to aid our hero with his extortion dilemma – and occupy the subsequent narrative facing the fallout. The dragon will undoubtedly remove those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they must select a fresh offering each year or fall prey to the beast. As Arthur later puts it: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is additional horrors.”

Stylistic Fluidity and Imaginative Breadth

Moving through four decades, the author shifts with seamless grace between genres: as the companions strive to manage the circumstances they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to offer up, or searching for methods to slay the beast themselves, we go from suspense to dark fantasy, covert operations to affectionate subplot to fright. One particularly memorable shift was to a adventure narrative, deep in the caves under the English county, a section tinged by the Lord of the Rings author that was gloriously terrifying.

An Expansive Canvas of Dread and Hope

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and digital trolls, genuinely frightening and superbly depicted. We see enchanted blades and betrayals, breath-taking moments of valor and scenes of dreadful evil, both earthly and supernatural. It’s a tour de force: a chilling book that is above all a paean to the creative spirit, 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 the wealthy student as the companions gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their dragon into existence with the force of their minds.

As Hill puts it in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Ensure you experience it.