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A group of six unlikely but brave children fall into the way of a immense and terrible otherworldly malevolence that has entered our world from the deepest abyss of darkness. They must spend their lifetimes confronting it, facing horror after horror in the struggle.

A Familiar Storyline with a Distinctive Spin

This is the plot, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (a standout in his career; no arguments). It similarly frames of King’s son Joe Hill’s recent massive horror novel, in which a band of six call forth the ancient, infinitely malicious beast King Sorrow from the Endless Night to help them defeat some baddies. As one might expect, their supernatural ritual goes awry.

Embracing a Literary Legacy

Joe Hill began his writing journey striving diligently to remain separate from his famous father, publishing under the pen name he still uses today and avoiding meeting his agent (he exhibits a strong similarity to his dad). But in this latest novel, he embraces it. Several quotes that deliberately echo some of the senior author’s well-known (that classic opening line); a scene that brings to mind a signature King element (a riddling contest). In this whopper of a novel, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his heritage, and we delight along with him.

Introducing the Central Figures

Returning to the group: five of them are scholars at the fictional Rackham College in the New England state. First is Arthur, bookish and gifted, cracking ancient puzzles in his free moments; another key figure, affluent, sharp, and prone to trampling anyone who stands in his way; the twin siblings; the stunning the lovely Allie. Then we have Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but emerges as crucial of their group as they experiment, half believing, half not, in arcane arts.

The Pivotal Ritual

Arthur is, due to circumstances beyond his control, forced into stealing valuable volumes from his beloved college library by a group of neighborhood thugs. This tears at his bookish heart, particularly as he’s made to take the library’s most valuable and unsettling work: the logbook of practitioner this enigmatic character (condemned “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover is fashioned from his hide). Our Scooby gang examine the log, realize they are able to call forth what the author references as a armoured devil” to aid our hero with his extortion dilemma – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. This ancient entity will indeed rid them of those troublesome local drug dealers, but they’ll have to choose a fresh offering every twelve months or become his victim themselves. In the character’s own words: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is more dragons.”

Genre Fluidity and Inventive Range

Covering a generation, Hill also moves with effortless ease through various literary forms: as the friends attempt to deal with the circumstances they find themselves in by, in different ways, choosing undeniably wicked targets to immolate, or seeking means to destroy the entity themselves, we transition from thriller to shadowy tale, clandestine torment to affectionate subplot to terror. A standout transition was to a adventure narrative, deep in the caves beneath this UK region, a section infused with the Lord of the Rings author that was magnificently horrifying.

An Expansive Mosaic of Dread and Courage

We encounter trolls – those living under bridges and digital trolls, genuinely frightening and expertly realized. We see enchanted blades and treacheries, heart-stopping scenes of courage and scenes of appalling malevolence, both earthly and extraterrestrial. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is chiefly a tribute to the creative spirit, and to love and friendship. “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 companions sit around the table, making preparations to call forth their serpent into existence with the force of their minds.

As Hill puts it in his epigraph: “Hic sunt dracones”. Do not overlook this.