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Six quirky but resilient kids encounter the trail of a immense and fearsome otherworldly malevolence that has entered our realm from the farthest reaches of oblivion. They must spend their lifetimes fighting it, experiencing horror after horror in the struggle.

An Echoing Premise with a Fresh Twist

This is the plot, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s novel It (arguably his finest; no debate). It parallels of the celebrated author’s heir Joe Hill’s recent chilling tome, in which a close-knit group summon the primordial, utterly malevolent dragon the Dragon King from the Long Dark to aid them in overcoming some baddies. As one might expect, their supernatural ritual backfires.

Embracing a Authorial Lineage

Joseph Hillström King started his career going to great lengths to avoid any connection from his famous father, publishing under the pen name he still uses today and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he exhibits a uncanny likeness to his dad). Yet with this recent release, he leans into it. There are lines that intentionally mirror some of his father’s iconic (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a scene that evokes a recurring theme in King’s works (a game of puzzles). In this whopper of a novel, Hill is delighting in his family connection, and the audience revels alongside.

Meet the Protagonists

Focusing on the companions: the majority are scholars at the made-up Rackham College in this northeastern locale. There’s Arthur, studious and gifted, cracking ancient puzzles in his free moments; another key figure, affluent, astute, and known for crushing anyone who stands in his way; twins Donna and Donovan; the beautiful the lovely Allie. Then we have Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but becomes a key part of their band as they toy, half believing, somewhat doubtful, in arcane arts.

The Pivotal Ritual

Our hero becomes, for reasons we don’t need to go into, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his beloved college library by a group of neighborhood thugs. This tears at his bookish heart, particularly as he’s forced to acquire the institution’s prized and chilling title: the journal of occultist the historical figure (condemned “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the book’s jacket is fashioned from his hide). The intrepid group read the journal, realize they are able to call forth what the author references as a armored demon” to aid our hero with his coercion issue – and devote the remaining story facing the fallout. The dragon will certainly eliminate those troublesome local drug dealers, but they’ll have to choose a fresh offering annually or become his victim themselves. As our protagonist states: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is more dragons.”

Genre Dexterity and Creative Range

Covering a generation, Hill also moves with effortless ease through various literary forms: as the friends endeavor to address the circumstances they find themselves in by, variously, choosing undeniably wicked targets to sacrifice, or searching for methods to kill the dragon themselves, we go from page-turner to dark fantasy, clandestine torment to affectionate subplot to horror. My favorite genre switch was to a adventure narrative, within the subterranean depths beneath this UK region, a part tinged by the Lord of the Rings author that was gloriously terrifying.

A Detailed Canvas of Dread and Hope

The novel features trolls – the classic variety and internet antagonists, properly scary and perfectly brought to life. The story includes mystic weapons and treacheries, pulse-pounding sequences of bravery and instances of dreadful evil, both earthly and supernatural. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is above all a paean to the imagination, 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 Colin as the friends sit around the table, making preparations to call forth their serpent into being with the power of their thoughts.

In the author’s own words in his opening statement: “Here be dragons”. Do not overlook this.