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Six oddball but doughty kids encounter the path of a vast and terrible otherworldly evil that has infiltrated our existence from the outer limits of shadow. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle confronting it, facing horror after horror in the process.

A Familiar Storyline with a New Twist

This outlines the narrative, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s novel It (arguably his finest; undeniable). It is also the plot of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest massive horror novel, in which a close-knit group summon the primordial, utterly malevolent serpent King Sorrow from the Abyssal Void to aid them in overcoming some antagonists. As one might expect, their supernatural ritual goes awry.

Acknowledging a Family Heritage

The author started his career striving diligently to distance himself from his renowned parent, adopting the nom de plume he still uses today and avoiding meeting his agent (he exhibits a strong similarity to his father). But in this latest novel, he embraces it. Certain passages that consciously reflect some of the senior author’s well-known (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a scene that recalls a recurring theme in King’s works (a riddling contest). In this whopper of a novel, Hill is delighting in his lineage, and readers share in the joy.

Meet the Protagonists

Focusing on the companions: most are students at the imagined Rackham College in the New England state. There’s Arthur, academic and gifted, cracking historical enigmas in his free moments; Colin, affluent, sharp, and known for crushing obstacles in his path; twins Donna and Donovan; the beautiful the lovely Allie. Then we have Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but emerges as crucial of their circle as they toy, somewhat credulous, half not, in the occult.

The Pivotal Summoning

Our hero becomes, due to circumstances beyond his control, forced into stealing rare books from his treasured institution’s archives by a bunch of local criminals. This wounds his academic spirit, notably because he’s made to take the library’s most valuable and disturbing work: the journal of adept Enoch Crane (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the binding is crafted from his flesh). These young investigators examine the log, learn they can invoke what the author references as a “arrogant beast to help Arthur out with his blackmail problem – and spend the rest of the novel enduring the repercussions. This ancient entity will certainly eliminate those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they must select a fresh offering annually or become his victim themselves. As our protagonist states: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Genre Dexterity and Inventive Scope

Covering a generation, Joe Hill transitions with seamless grace through various literary forms: as the companions strive to manage the circumstances they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to immolate, or hunting down ways to destroy the entity themselves, we move between page-turner to dark fantasy, black-ops torture to love story to terror. One particularly memorable shift was to a adventure narrative, far beneath the surface under the English county, a part infused with the Lord of the Rings author that was gloriously terrifying.

A Rich Tapestry of Fear and Optimism

The novel features trolls – the classic variety and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. There are magical swords and betrayals, pulse-pounding sequences of courage and ones of dreadful evil, both mortal and supernatural. It’s a tour de force: a chilling book that is above all a paean to the creative spirit, and to affection and camaraderie. “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 allies gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their serpent into being with the force of their minds.

According to Joe Hill in his epigraph: “Here be dragons”. Do not overlook this.