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Six unlikely but resilient children fall into the trail of a colossal and fearsome paranormal evil that has infiltrated our existence from the farthest reaches of shadow. They are compelled to spend their lifetimes fighting it, experiencing terror upon terror in the struggle.

An Echoing Premise with a Distinctive Twist

This is the plot, roughly, of Stephen King’s novel It (a standout in his career; no debate). It is also the plot of Stephen King’s offspring Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest massive horror novel, in which six friends call forth the age-old, deeply sinister beast the Dragon King from the Endless Night to help them defeat some antagonists. Unsurprisingly, their supernatural ritual goes awry.

Celebrating a Literary Legacy

The author launched his profession going to great lengths to remain separate from his well-known dad, publishing under the pen name he still uses today and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he exhibits a strong similarity to his parent). Yet with this recent release, he leans into it. Certain passages that intentionally mirror some of his father’s iconic (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a moment that recalls a recurring theme in King’s works (a battle of wits). Throughout this massive book, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his family connection, and we delight along with him.

Introducing the Protagonists

Returning to the group: most are students at the fictional this academic setting in the New England state. There’s Arthur, academic and brilliant, solving ancient puzzles in his leisure hours; another key figure, affluent, sharp, and inclined to bulldoze obstacles in his path; twins Donna and Donovan; the attractive the lovely Allie. Then we have Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but assumes a vital role of their band as they dabble, somewhat credulous, partly skeptical, in arcane arts.

The Critical Ceremony

Arthur is, for reasons we don’t need to go into, obliged to take valuable volumes from his cherished academic collection by a bunch of local criminals. This devastates his scholarly soul, especially when he’s made to take the collection’s foremost and chilling publication: the diary of practitioner this enigmatic character (executed “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the book’s jacket is made from his skin). These young investigators read the journal, realize they are able to call forth what the author references as a armored demon” to help Arthur out with his blackmail problem – and spend the rest of the novel reaping the consequences. The dragon will indeed rid them of those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they must select 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 additional horrors.”

Stylistic Dexterity and Inventive Scope

Spanning forty years, the author shifts with natural fluency between genres: as the companions strive to manage the situation they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to immolate, or seeking means to kill the dragon themselves, we move between suspense to grim fantasy, black-ops torture to affectionate subplot to horror. A standout transition was to a quest story, far beneath the surface under the English county, a segment sprinkled with the fantasy maestro that was gloriously terrifying.

An Expansive Canvas of Dread and Optimism

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and digital trolls, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. There are magical swords and deceptions, breath-taking moments of courage and instances of terrible wickedness, both mortal and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a horror novel that is primarily a paean to the human inventiveness, and to devotion and companionship. “We needed a story to believe and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says Colin as the allies sit around the table, making preparations to call forth their beast into existence with the power of their thoughts.

According to Joe Hill in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Do not overlook this.