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Six unlikely but brave youngsters fall into the trail of a colossal and fearsome paranormal evil that has infiltrated our world from the farthest reaches of shadow. They must spend their lifetimes fighting it, experiencing terror upon terror in the ordeal.

An Echoing Premise with a New Spin

This is the plot, roughly, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (a standout in his career; no debate). It is also the plot of Stephen King’s offspring Joe Hill’s recent massive horror novel, in which a close-knit group invoke the age-old, deeply sinister beast the Sorrowful Monarch from the Long Dark to aid them in overcoming some villains. Unsurprisingly, their supernatural ritual has unintended consequences.

Acknowledging a Literary Heritage

The author launched his profession striving diligently to remain separate from his well-known dad, adopting the nom de plume he maintains to this day and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he exhibits a striking resemblance to his dad). But in this latest novel, he leans into it. Several quotes that consciously reflect some of King’s most famous (that classic opening line); a scene that recalls a King plot point (a game of puzzles). In this epic story, the author rejoices in his family connection, and we delight along with him.

The Cast of the Protagonists

Returning to the group: the majority are pupils at the imagined the esteemed institution in the New England state. We have Arthur, studious and brilliant, solving Old English riddles in his leisure hours; the character Colin, affluent, astute, and inclined to bulldoze those who oppose him; Donna and Donovan; the attractive Allie herself. Additionally, Gwen appears, who remains outside their academic circle, but becomes a key part of their group as they toy, half believing, somewhat doubtful, in the occult.

The Pivotal Ceremony

Our hero becomes, for reasons we don’t need to go into, obliged to take prized manuscripts from his cherished academic collection by a group of neighborhood thugs. This wounds his academic spirit, especially when he’s made to take the institution’s prized and chilling title: the logbook of adept the historical figure (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover is made from his skin). These young investigators peruse the diary, learn they can invoke what the author references as a clever snake to assist Arthur with his blackmail problem – and spend the rest of the novel reaping the consequences. The dragon will certainly eliminate those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they must select a new sacrifice every twelve months or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As our protagonist states: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Genre Dexterity and Imaginative Breadth

Covering a generation, Hill also moves with seamless grace through various literary forms: as the friends attempt to deal with the predicament they find themselves in by, variously, choosing undeniably wicked targets to offer up, or seeking means to slay the beast themselves, we transition from thriller to grim fantasy, covert operations to love story to fright. A standout transition was to a quest story, within the subterranean depths under the English county, a segment tinged by the Lord of the Rings author that was wonderfully frightening.

A Rich Canvas of Fear and Hope

We encounter trolls – those living under bridges and online ones, truly terrifying and superbly depicted. The story includes mystic weapons and treacheries, breath-taking moments of bravery and instances of dreadful evil, both earthly and extraterrestrial. It’s a tour de force: a chilling book that is chiefly a paean to the imagination, and to love and friendship. “We longed for a tale to embrace and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says Colin as the companions assemble around a surface, preparing to summon their dragon to life with the power of their thoughts.

As Hill puts it in his introductory quote: “Here be dragons”. Don’t miss them.