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A group of six oddball but resilient children confront the path of a immense and terrible otherworldly malevolence that has entered our realm from the outer limits of oblivion. They have no choice but to devote their lives battling it, experiencing one nightmare after another in the struggle.

A Resonant Plot with a Fresh Approach

This describes the premise, in essence, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (a standout in his career; no arguments). It similarly frames of the celebrated author’s heir Joe Hill’s latest massive horror novel, in which a close-knit group invoke the age-old, infinitely malicious serpent the Dragon King from the Abyssal Void to aid them in overcoming some baddies. As one might expect, their arcane ceremony has unintended consequences.

Embracing a Literary Legacy

Joe Hill began his writing journey making great efforts to avoid any connection from his famous father, adopting the nom de plume he still uses today and avoiding meeting his agent (he exhibits a uncanny likeness to his parent). But in this latest novel, he leans into it. There are lines that intentionally mirror some of his father’s iconic (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a scene that brings to mind a King plot point (a game of puzzles). In this whopper of a novel, Hill is delighting in his lineage, and the audience revels alongside.

Meet the Protagonists

Returning to the group: most are students at the fictional Rackham College in Maine. First is Arthur, academic and intelligent, solving historical enigmas in his leisure hours; another key figure, affluent, sharp, and inclined to bulldoze anyone who stands in his way; twins Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie. Then we have Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but emerges as crucial of their circle as they toy, half believing, half not, in the occult.

The Critical Summoning

The protagonist finds himself, for reasons we don’t need to go into, forced into stealing prized manuscripts from his cherished academic collection by a group of neighborhood thugs. This wounds his academic spirit, especially when he’s forced to acquire the library’s most valuable and chilling work: the journal of practitioner the historical figure (put to death “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 Crane describes as a “proud worm to help Arthur out with his extortion dilemma – and spend the rest of the novel reaping the consequences. King Sorrow will certainly eliminate those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they must select a different victim each year or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As Arthur later puts it: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Dexterity and Imaginative Range

Moving through four decades, the author shifts with seamless grace between genres: as the allies attempt to deal with the circumstances they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to sacrifice, or hunting down ways to kill the dragon themselves, we transition from suspense to shadowy tale, clandestine torment to love story to fright. A standout transition was to a heroic journey, far beneath the surface beneath this UK region, a section sprinkled with the Lord of the Rings author that was gloriously terrifying.

An Expansive Mosaic of Horror and Courage

The novel features trolls – those living under bridges and online ones, genuinely frightening and expertly realized. There are magical swords and betrayals, pulse-pounding sequences of courage and instances of dreadful evil, both human and extraterrestrial. It stands as a masterpiece: a chilling book that is chiefly 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 allies gather at the table, getting ready to invoke their dragon to life with the strength of their collective will.

As Hill puts it in his opening statement: “Hic sunt dracones”. Don’t miss them.