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Six unlikely but brave kids fall into the trail of a vast and terrible supernatural darkness that has entered our world from the farthest reaches of darkness. They must wage a lifelong battle fighting it, enduring one nightmare after another in the ordeal.

An Echoing Premise with a New Approach

This describes the premise, in essence, of Stephen King’s novel It (arguably his finest; undeniable). It parallels of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s new massive horror novel, in which a band of six summon the age-old, deeply sinister dragon the Dragon King from the Endless Night to assist them in vanquishing some villains. Needless to say, their supernatural ritual backfires.

Acknowledging a Literary Legacy

The author launched his profession making great efforts to remain separate from his well-known dad, adopting the nom de plume he continues to employ and avoiding meeting his agent (he possesses a uncanny likeness to his dad). However, in his newest work, he leans into it. Several quotes that deliberately echo some of the senior author’s well-known (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a incident that evokes a signature King element (a battle of wits). In this whopper of a novel, the author rejoices in his lineage, and readers share in the joy.

The Cast of the Protagonists

Focusing on the companions: most are pupils at the imagined Rackham College in Maine. We have Arthur, bookish and brilliant, solving ancient puzzles in his free moments; Colin, wealthy, astute, and prone to trampling those who oppose him; Donna and Donovan; the stunning the lovely Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who doesn’t study with them, but becomes a key part of their group as they toy, half believing, partly skeptical, in the occult.

The Pivotal Ceremony

Our hero becomes, as a result of external pressures, forced into stealing valuable volumes from his treasured institution’s archives by a group of neighborhood thugs. This wounds his academic spirit, notably because he’s made to take the institution’s prized and chilling publication: the diary of occultist this enigmatic character (executed “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the binding is made from his skin). These young investigators peruse the diary, learn they can invoke what Crane describes as a “arrogant beast to help Arthur out with his coercion issue – and occupy the subsequent narrative facing the fallout. The dragon will undoubtedly remove those troublesome local drug dealers, but they must select a different victim each year or become his victim themselves. As our protagonist states: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Genre Versatility and Creative Scope

Moving through four decades, Joe Hill transitions with seamless grace between genres: as the allies endeavor to address the predicament they find themselves in by, variously, choosing undeniably wicked targets to sacrifice, or seeking means to slay the beast themselves, we move between thriller to dark fantasy, clandestine torment to romance to terror. My favorite genre switch was to a quest story, within the subterranean depths under the English county, a segment tinged by JRR Tolkien that was magnificently horrifying.

A Rich Canvas of Fear and Optimism

The novel features trolls – those living under bridges and online ones, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. We see enchanted blades and treacheries, breath-taking moments of courage and instances of appalling malevolence, both mortal and extraterrestrial. This is a remarkable achievement: 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 this character as the allies sit around the table, preparing to summon their dragon to life with the force of their minds.

In the author’s own words in his opening statement: “Hic sunt dracones”. Do not overlook this.