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A group of six oddball but brave kids fall into the way of a colossal and terrible otherworldly malevolence that has infiltrated our world from the outer limits of oblivion. They are compelled to wage a lifelong battle fighting it, enduring one nightmare after another in the process.

A Familiar Premise with a Fresh Approach

This is the plot, roughly, of Stephen King’s novel It (his best; undeniable). It parallels of Stephen King’s offspring Joe Hill’s latest horror doorstopper, in which a close-knit group call forth the primordial, deeply sinister dragon the Dragon King from the Long Dark to assist them in vanquishing some villains. Needless to say, their supernatural ritual goes awry.

Celebrating a Authorial Legacy

Joseph Hillström King began his writing journey making great efforts to remain separate from his well-known dad, publishing under the pen name he continues to employ and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he exhibits a strong similarity to his dad). Yet with this recent release, he fully acknowledges it. Certain passages that intentionally mirror some of his father’s iconic (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a moment that brings to mind a signature King element (a riddling contest). In this epic story, the author rejoices in his lineage, and the audience revels alongside.

The Cast of the Protagonists

Back to those friends: most are students at the fictional Rackham College in Maine. First is Arthur, academic and brilliant, cracking Old English riddles in his spare time; the character Colin, wealthy, sharp, and prone to trampling obstacles in his path; the twin siblings; the beautiful Allie herself. And there’s Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but becomes a key part of their band as they dabble, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in arcane arts.

The Critical Summoning

Arthur is, as a result of external pressures, obliged to take prized manuscripts from his treasured institution’s archives by a group of neighborhood thugs. This tears at his bookish heart, notably because he’s compelled to seize the library’s most valuable and unsettling work: the logbook of adept the historical figure (executed “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the binding is fashioned from his hide). These young investigators peruse the diary, learn they can invoke what the occultist details as a armored demon” to aid our hero with his extortion dilemma – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. This ancient entity will undoubtedly remove those annoying regional antagonists, but they are required to pick a new sacrifice each year or become his victim themselves. As our protagonist states: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is additional horrors.”

Narrative Dexterity and Creative Range

Covering a generation, Hill also moves with effortless ease across narrative styles: as the allies attempt to deal with the circumstances they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, choosing undeniably wicked targets to sacrifice, or hunting down ways to slay the beast themselves, we move between page-turner to grim fantasy, clandestine torment to affectionate subplot to fright. My favorite genre switch was to a quest story, far beneath the surface under the English county, a section sprinkled with JRR Tolkien that was wonderfully frightening.

An Expansive Mosaic of Horror and Courage

We encounter trolls – those living under bridges and online ones, properly scary and perfectly brought to life. We see enchanted blades and deceptions, pulse-pounding sequences of bravery and instances of dreadful evil, both human and supernatural. It stands as a masterpiece: a horror novel that is chiefly a tribute to the human inventiveness, and to love and friendship. “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 sit around the table, preparing to summon their beast to life with the force of their minds.

According to Joe Hill in his epigraph: “This is dragon territory”. Don’t miss them.