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A group of six unlikely but resilient youngsters fall into the way of a immense and terrible paranormal malevolence that has invaded our world from the deepest abyss of shadow. They are compelled to spend their lifetimes fighting it, facing terror upon terror in the struggle.

A Familiar Plot with a New Approach

This is the plot, roughly, of Stephen King’s novel It (a standout in his career; undeniable). It parallels of the celebrated author’s heir Joe Hill’s latest horror doorstopper, in which six friends call forth the primordial, infinitely malicious beast King Sorrow from the Endless Night to help them defeat some baddies. Unsurprisingly, their otherworldly invocation goes awry.

Embracing a Literary Legacy

Joseph Hillström King started his career striving diligently to avoid any connection from his famous father, 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 parent). But in this latest novel, he fully acknowledges it. Certain passages that deliberately echo some of King’s most famous (that classic opening line); a scene that evokes a King plot point (a battle of wits). In this epic story, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his lineage, and readers share in the joy.

The Cast of the Central Figures

Back to those friends: the majority are scholars at the imagined the esteemed institution in the New England state. First is Arthur, bookish and intelligent, cracking Old English riddles in his spare time; the character Colin, rich, astute, and prone to trampling anyone who stands in his way; twins Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie. And there’s Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but emerges as crucial of their circle as they dabble, partly convinced, partly skeptical, in the occult.

The Fateful Summoning

Our hero becomes, due to circumstances beyond his control, obliged to take rare books from his cherished academic collection by a set of regional villains. This wounds his academic spirit, notably because he’s compelled to seize the institution’s prized and chilling publication: the logbook of adept the historical figure (put to death “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover is made from his skin). Our Scooby gang peruse the diary, learn they can invoke what Crane describes as a “arrogant beast to aid our hero with his blackmail problem – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. The dragon will indeed rid them of those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they’ll have to choose a different victim annually or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. In the character’s own words: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Versatility and Creative Scope

Spanning forty years, Hill also moves with natural fluency across narrative styles: as the companions strive to manage the situation they find themselves in by, variously, choosing undeniably wicked targets to immolate, or seeking means to kill the dragon themselves, we transition from page-turner to dark fantasy, black-ops torture to love story to terror. My favorite genre switch was to a quest story, within the subterranean depths below Cornwall, a part tinged by JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

A Rich Tapestry of Fear and Hope

There are trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and digital trolls, truly terrifying and perfectly brought to life. The story includes mystic weapons and treacheries, pulse-pounding sequences of courage and ones of appalling malevolence, both human and otherworldly. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is primarily a ode to the imagination, and to love and friendship. “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 allies sit around the table, making preparations to call forth their beast into being with the force of their minds.

According to Joe Hill in his opening statement: “Hic sunt dracones”. Ensure you experience it.