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Six oddball but resilient youngsters encounter the trail of a colossal and fearsome paranormal evil that has entered our world from the deepest abyss of shadow. They must devote their lives battling it, enduring one nightmare after another in the ordeal.

A Familiar Plot with a New Spin

This describes the premise, in essence, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (a standout in his career; no debate). It similarly frames of King’s son Joe Hill’s latest massive horror novel, in which six friends call forth the primordial, utterly malevolent serpent the Dragon King from the Long Dark to aid them in overcoming some villains. Unsurprisingly, their supernatural ritual has unintended consequences.

Embracing a Authorial Heritage

Joe Hill started his career striving diligently to remain separate from his well-known dad, adopting the nom de plume he still uses today and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he exhibits a uncanny likeness to his dad). Yet with this recent release, he leans into it. Certain passages that consciously reflect some of the senior author’s well-known (that classic opening line); a incident that recalls a signature King element (a battle of wits). In this epic story, Hill is delighting in his lineage, and readers share in the joy.

Meet the Central Figures

Focusing on the companions: most are scholars at the imagined Rackham College in the New England state. We have Arthur, studious and gifted, cracking Old English riddles in his spare time; the character Colin, rich, sharp, and known for crushing obstacles in his path; twins Donna and Donovan; the attractive the lovely Allie. Then we have Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but assumes a vital role of their group as they experiment, half believing, partly skeptical, in arcane arts.

The Pivotal Summoning

Our hero becomes, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer valuable volumes from his beloved college library by a group of neighborhood thugs. This devastates his scholarly soul, notably because he’s made to take the collection’s foremost and unsettling work: the journal of occultist the historical figure (put to death “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the binding is made from his skin). The intrepid group read the journal, realize they are able to call forth what Crane describes as a armored demon” to aid our hero with his extortion dilemma – and spend the rest of the novel reaping the consequences. This ancient entity will undoubtedly remove those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they must select a different victim each year or fall prey to the beast. As our protagonist states: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is more dragons.”

Stylistic Versatility and Creative Range

Moving through four decades, Hill also moves with effortless ease between genres: as the allies endeavor to address the circumstances they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, choosing undeniably wicked targets to sacrifice, or hunting down ways to slay the beast themselves, we go from page-turner to dark fantasy, covert operations to romance to fright. One particularly memorable shift was to a quest story, deep in the caves under the English county, a section infused with the Lord of the Rings author that was magnificently horrifying.

A Detailed Tapestry of Fear and Hope

There are trolls – those living under bridges and internet antagonists, properly scary and superbly depicted. We see enchanted blades and betrayals, heart-stopping scenes of valor and ones of appalling malevolence, both human and otherworldly. This is a remarkable achievement: a frightening tale that is chiefly a paean to the human inventiveness, and to affection and camaraderie. “We needed a story to believe and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says this character as the companions gather at the table, preparing to summon their dragon to life with the strength of their collective will.

In the author’s own words in his opening statement: “Hic sunt dracones”. Don’t miss them.