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Six quirky but brave kids confront the path of a colossal and terrible supernatural evil that has infiltrated our world from the outer limits of shadow. They are compelled to spend their lifetimes battling it, facing one nightmare after another in the ordeal.

A Familiar Plot with a New Spin

This outlines the narrative, in essence, of Stephen King’s iconic book It (arguably his finest; no arguments). It similarly frames of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest massive horror novel, in which a close-knit group summon the age-old, utterly malevolent beast the Dragon King from the Endless Night to help them defeat some baddies. Unsurprisingly, their supernatural ritual has unintended consequences.

Acknowledging a Authorial Lineage

Joseph Hillström King started his career making great efforts to remain separate from his famous father, using the pseudonym he still uses today and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he exhibits a striking resemblance to his parent). Yet with this recent release, he embraces it. There are lines that deliberately echo some of King’s most famous (“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 epic story, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his family connection, and readers share in the joy.

Introducing the Protagonists

Focusing on the companions: most are scholars at the made-up this academic setting in Maine. There’s Arthur, bookish and gifted, cracking historical enigmas in his leisure hours; the character Colin, rich, astute, and prone to trampling those who oppose him; the twin siblings; the stunning the lovely Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their circle as they experiment, half believing, half not, in arcane arts.

The Critical Ceremony

Our hero becomes, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer valuable volumes from his cherished academic collection by a set of regional villains. This tears at his bookish heart, notably because he’s forced to acquire the institution’s prized and unsettling work: the logbook of adept this enigmatic character (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover is crafted from his flesh). Our Scooby gang peruse the diary, learn they can invoke what Crane describes as a armored demon” to help Arthur out with his coercion issue – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. King Sorrow will undoubtedly remove those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they’ll have to choose a fresh offering annually or fall prey to the beast. As our protagonist states: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Dexterity and Imaginative Breadth

Covering a generation, the author shifts with natural fluency across narrative styles: as the allies endeavor to address the predicament they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to immolate, or searching for methods to slay the beast themselves, we move between page-turner to shadowy tale, covert operations to romance to terror. A standout transition was to a heroic journey, within the subterranean depths below Cornwall, a segment infused with JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

An Expansive Mosaic of Dread and Courage

The novel features trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and digital trolls, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. We see enchanted blades and betrayals, pulse-pounding sequences of valor and ones of terrible wickedness, both earthly and supernatural. It’s a tour de force: a horror novel that is above all a tribute to the human inventiveness, 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 the wealthy student as the friends gather at the table, getting ready to invoke their dragon into being with the strength of their collective will.

As Hill puts it in his epigraph: “This is dragon territory”. Don’t miss them.