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A group of six quirky but resilient kids fall into the way of a immense and fearsome supernatural malevolence that has infiltrated our world from the deepest abyss of oblivion. They must devote their lives fighting it, facing horror after horror in the ordeal.

A Resonant Storyline with a Fresh Spin

This is the plot, roughly, of Stephen King’s novel It (his best; no debate). It is also the plot of Stephen King’s offspring Joe Hill’s latest horror doorstopper, in which a band of six invoke the age-old, deeply sinister beast King Sorrow from the Abyssal Void to assist them in vanquishing some antagonists. As one might expect, their arcane ceremony backfires.

Acknowledging a Literary Lineage

Joseph Hillström King started his career going to great lengths to avoid any connection from his renowned parent, using the pseudonym he still uses today and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he possesses a strong similarity to his dad). But in this latest novel, he fully acknowledges it. There are lines that intentionally mirror some of his father’s iconic (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a moment that recalls a signature King element (a battle of wits). Throughout this massive book, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his heritage, and we delight along with him.

Meet the Protagonists

Back to those friends: the majority are scholars at the made-up the esteemed institution in Maine. We have Arthur, bookish and intelligent, solving Old English riddles in his free moments; the character Colin, affluent, astute, and inclined to bulldoze those who oppose him; twins Donna and Donovan; the stunning the lovely Allie. Then we have Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but emerges as crucial of their band as they experiment, somewhat credulous, partly skeptical, in the occult.

The Critical Ritual

Arthur is, due to circumstances beyond his control, obliged to take rare books from his cherished academic collection by a set of regional villains. This wounds his academic spirit, especially when he’s compelled to seize the institution’s prized and chilling title: the logbook of occultist this enigmatic character (put to death “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the binding is made from his skin). Our Scooby gang read the journal, discover they could summon what Crane describes as a clever snake to aid our hero with his blackmail problem – and spend the rest of the novel facing the fallout. The dragon will undoubtedly remove those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they are required to pick a fresh offering every twelve months or fall prey to the beast. In the character’s own words: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Fluidity and Inventive Breadth

Moving through four decades, Joe Hill transitions with seamless grace through various literary forms: as the allies attempt to deal with the situation they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, choosing undeniably wicked targets to immolate, or seeking means to destroy the entity themselves, we go from page-turner to grim fantasy, covert operations to romance to terror. A standout transition was to a quest story, deep in the caves under the English county, a segment infused with the fantasy maestro that was wonderfully frightening.

A Detailed Mosaic of Dread and Hope

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and online ones, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. We see enchanted blades and deceptions, breath-taking moments of bravery and scenes of dreadful evil, both human and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a chilling book that is above all a paean to the creative spirit, and to devotion and companionship. “We required a narrative to trust and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says this character as the companions gather at the table, getting ready to invoke their dragon to life with the force of their minds.

As Hill puts it in his epigraph: “This is dragon territory”. Don’t miss them.