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A group of six quirky but brave kids fall into the trail of a immense and terrible paranormal malevolence that has entered our world from the outer limits of oblivion. They are compelled to wage a lifelong battle confronting it, facing horror after horror in the struggle.

A Familiar Storyline 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 arguments). It similarly frames of Stephen King’s offspring Joseph Hillstrom King’s new chilling tome, in which a band of six call forth the primordial, infinitely malicious serpent the Dragon King from the Endless Night to aid them in overcoming some villains. As one might expect, their otherworldly invocation backfires.

Embracing a Literary Heritage

Joseph Hillström King began his writing journey striving diligently to avoid any connection from his well-known dad, using the pseudonym he maintains to this day and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he exhibits a uncanny likeness to his father). But in this latest novel, he fully acknowledges it. There are lines that consciously reflect some of his father’s iconic (that classic opening line); a incident that brings to mind a recurring theme in King’s works (a game of puzzles). In this epic story, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his heritage, and we delight along with him.

Meet the Protagonists

Focusing on the companions: most are pupils at the fictional this academic setting in this northeastern locale. There’s Arthur, academic and gifted, solving ancient puzzles in his leisure hours; the character Colin, wealthy, sharp, and prone to trampling those who oppose him; the twin siblings; the beautiful the lovely Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who remains outside their academic circle, but assumes a vital role of their group as they dabble, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in the occult.

The Fateful Ceremony

Our hero becomes, for reasons we don’t need to go into, obliged to take rare books from his cherished academic collection by a group of neighborhood thugs. This tears at his bookish heart, notably because he’s compelled to seize the institution’s prized and unsettling title: the journal of occultist Enoch Crane (condemned “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the binding is fashioned from his hide). Our Scooby gang read the journal, learn they can invoke what Crane describes as a cunning serpent to aid our hero with his coercion issue – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. This ancient entity will undoubtedly remove those troublesome local drug dealers, but they must select a different victim every twelve months or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As Arthur later puts it: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is more dragons.”

Stylistic Versatility and Imaginative Scope

Moving through four decades, Hill also moves with natural fluency between genres: as the allies attempt to deal with the predicament they find themselves in by, variously, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to immolate, or seeking means to slay the beast themselves, we go from page-turner to shadowy tale, clandestine torment to romance to fright. My favorite genre switch was to a adventure narrative, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a part infused with the Lord of the Rings author that was magnificently horrifying.

A Rich Tapestry of Horror and Hope

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and internet antagonists, truly terrifying and perfectly brought to life. The story includes mystic weapons and betrayals, heart-stopping scenes of courage and scenes of appalling malevolence, both mortal and otherworldly. This is a remarkable achievement: a chilling book that is chiefly a ode to the human inventiveness, 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 friends gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their dragon into existence with the strength of their collective will.

In the author’s own words in his epigraph: “Here be dragons”. Don’t miss them.