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A group of six quirky but brave kids confront the path of a colossal and fearsome otherworldly malevolence that has infiltrated our realm from the farthest reaches of oblivion. They must wage a lifelong battle battling it, enduring horror after horror in the ordeal.

A Familiar Storyline with a Distinctive Spin

This describes the premise, broadly speaking, of the master of horror’s seminal work It (arguably his finest; no arguments). It similarly frames of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s new chilling tome, in which six friends call forth the primordial, utterly malevolent serpent the Sorrowful Monarch from the Endless Night to aid them in overcoming some villains. As one might expect, their arcane ceremony backfires.

Celebrating a Literary Legacy

Joe Hill began his writing journey making great efforts to remain separate from his well-known dad, using the pseudonym he continues to employ and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he bears a striking resemblance to his parent). Yet with this recent release, he fully acknowledges it. Several quotes that consciously reflect some of the senior author’s well-known (that classic opening line); a moment that brings to mind a King plot point (a riddling contest). In this epic story, the author rejoices in his family connection, and the audience revels alongside.

Introducing the Main Characters

Back to those friends: five of them are pupils at the imagined the esteemed institution in this northeastern locale. We have Arthur, bookish and intelligent, deciphering ancient puzzles in his free moments; the character Colin, affluent, astute, and inclined to bulldoze those who oppose him; Donna and Donovan; the stunning the lovely Allie. Then we have Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their group as they dabble, somewhat credulous, half not, in arcane arts.

The Critical Ceremony

The protagonist finds himself, for reasons we don’t need to go into, compelled to pilfer rare books from his beloved college library by a bunch of local criminals. This tears at his bookish heart, especially when he’s forced to acquire the library’s most valuable and unsettling work: the logbook of adept Enoch Crane (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the book’s jacket is crafted from his flesh). Our Scooby gang examine the log, realize they are able to call forth what Crane describes as a cunning serpent to assist Arthur with his coercion issue – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. King Sorrow will certainly eliminate those troublesome local drug dealers, but they must select a new sacrifice annually or become his victim themselves. As Arthur later puts it: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Versatility and Imaginative Breadth

Covering a generation, Hill also moves with seamless grace through various literary forms: as the friends strive to manage the predicament they find themselves in by, in different ways, picking people who are obviously evil to sacrifice, or seeking means to slay the beast themselves, we move between thriller to dark fantasy, clandestine torment to love story to horror. My favorite genre switch was to a heroic journey, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a segment tinged by the fantasy maestro that was gloriously terrifying.

A Rich Canvas of Horror and Hope

There are trolls – the classic variety and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and superbly depicted. The story includes mystic weapons and betrayals, heart-stopping scenes of valor and ones of terrible wickedness, both mortal and supernatural. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is chiefly a paean 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 this character as the allies sit around the table, making preparations to call forth their beast into existence with the force of their minds.

According to Joe Hill in his opening statement: “Hic sunt dracones”. Do not overlook this.