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A group of six quirky but doughty children encounter the trail of a vast and dreadful otherworldly evil that has invaded our world from the farthest reaches of darkness. They are compelled to spend their lifetimes battling it, enduring terror upon terror in the ordeal.

A Resonant Premise with a Fresh Twist

This is the plot, roughly, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (arguably his finest; no debate). It parallels of the celebrated author’s heir Joe Hill’s new horror doorstopper, in which six friends call forth the age-old, utterly malevolent beast the Sorrowful Monarch from the Long Dark to help them defeat some antagonists. As one might expect, their supernatural ritual has unintended consequences.

Celebrating a Literary Legacy

Joseph Hillström King launched his profession going to great lengths 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 striking resemblance to his father). However, in his newest work, he fully acknowledges it. Several quotes that deliberately echo some of King’s most famous (that classic opening line); a scene that recalls a King plot point (a battle of wits). In this whopper of a novel, the author rejoices in his heritage, and readers share in the joy.

Introducing the Main Characters

Focusing on the companions: the majority are students at the fictional this academic setting in this northeastern locale. First is Arthur, academic and intelligent, deciphering Old English riddles in his spare time; the character Colin, wealthy, sharp, and inclined to bulldoze anyone who stands in his way; twins Donna and Donovan; the beautiful the lovely Allie. And there’s Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but becomes a key part of their group as they toy, half believing, partly skeptical, in the occult.

The Fateful Ritual

Arthur is, for reasons we don’t need to go into, compelled to pilfer rare books from his cherished academic collection by a set of regional villains. This wounds his academic spirit, particularly as he’s made to take the collection’s foremost and chilling title: the journal of adept the historical figure (condemned “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the binding is crafted from his flesh). The intrepid group examine the log, learn they can invoke what the occultist details as a clever snake to aid our hero with his blackmail problem – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. The dragon will indeed rid them of those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they are required to pick a fresh offering every twelve months or become his victim themselves. As Arthur later puts it: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is additional horrors.”

Narrative Dexterity and Creative Breadth

Moving through four decades, Hill also moves with natural fluency between genres: as the companions attempt to deal with the situation they find themselves in by, variously, choosing undeniably wicked targets to offer up, or hunting down ways to kill the dragon themselves, we transition from page-turner to shadowy tale, black-ops torture to romance to horror. My favorite genre switch was to a quest story, deep in the caves under the English county, a part infused with JRR Tolkien that was magnificently horrifying.

A Detailed Tapestry of Horror and Courage

The novel features trolls – the classic variety and digital trolls, genuinely frightening and expertly realized. We see enchanted blades and betrayals, breath-taking moments of valor and scenes of dreadful evil, both earthly and extraterrestrial. This is a remarkable achievement: a horror novel that is chiefly a tribute to the imagination, 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 this character as the friends gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their serpent to life with the power of their thoughts.

According to Joe Hill in his epigraph: “Hic sunt dracones”. Ensure you experience it.