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Six quirky but doughty kids fall into the trail of a colossal and fearsome supernatural malevolence that has entered our realm from the farthest reaches of shadow. They have no choice but to spend their lifetimes fighting it, enduring one nightmare after another in the process.

An Echoing Plot with a New Approach

This outlines the narrative, roughly, of the master of horror’s novel It (his best; no debate). It is also the plot of Stephen King’s offspring Joe Hill’s new chilling tome, in which six friends summon the primordial, utterly malevolent beast the Dragon King from the Abyssal Void to assist them in vanquishing some antagonists. As one might expect, their supernatural ritual goes awry.

Acknowledging a Family Legacy

Joseph Hillström King began his writing journey going to great lengths to distance himself from his famous father, adopting the nom de plume he maintains to this day and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he exhibits a strong similarity to his father). Yet with this recent release, he embraces it. Several quotes that consciously reflect some of his father’s iconic (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a moment that brings to mind a King plot point (a game of puzzles). In this whopper of a novel, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his heritage, and readers share in the joy.

Introducing the Central Figures

Back to those friends: five of them are students at the fictional Rackham College in this northeastern locale. First is Arthur, academic and brilliant, solving Old English riddles in his free moments; Colin, rich, astute, and prone to trampling anyone who stands in his way; twins Donna and Donovan; the attractive the lovely Allie. And there’s Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but emerges as crucial of their group as they toy, partly convinced, half not, in arcane arts.

The Pivotal Summoning

Arthur is, for reasons we don’t need to go into, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his treasured institution’s archives by a group of neighborhood thugs. This tears at his bookish heart, especially when he’s forced to acquire the library’s most valuable and unsettling work: the diary of adept this enigmatic character (put to death “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the binding is crafted from his flesh). Our Scooby gang peruse the diary, learn they can invoke what Crane describes as a “proud worm to aid our hero with his coercion issue – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. King Sorrow will indeed rid them of those annoying regional antagonists, but they’ll have to choose a fresh offering annually or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As Arthur later puts it: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is more dragons.”

Genre Fluidity and Inventive Range

Covering a generation, the author shifts with effortless ease between genres: as the companions strive to manage the predicament they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to offer up, or seeking means to destroy the entity themselves, we transition from thriller to dark fantasy, black-ops torture to affectionate subplot to fright. A standout transition was to a heroic journey, far beneath the surface beneath this UK region, a section sprinkled with the fantasy maestro that was wonderfully frightening.

A Rich Canvas of Horror and Courage

The novel features trolls – the classic variety and internet antagonists, properly scary and perfectly brought to life. We see enchanted blades and betrayals, heart-stopping scenes of bravery and instances of terrible wickedness, both human and extraterrestrial. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is chiefly a ode to the human inventiveness, and to devotion and companionship. “We needed a story to believe and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says the wealthy student as the friends gather at the table, getting ready to invoke their dragon into existence with the strength of their collective will.

In the author’s own words in his introductory quote: “This is dragon territory”. Don’t miss them.