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A group of six unlikely but doughty kids encounter the path of a vast and dreadful supernatural evil that has entered our realm from the deepest abyss of shadow. They are compelled to devote their lives confronting it, facing terror upon terror in the process.

An Echoing Premise with a Distinctive Spin

This describes the premise, in essence, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (a standout in his career; undeniable). It similarly frames of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent horror doorstopper, in which a close-knit group invoke the age-old, utterly malevolent serpent the Sorrowful Monarch from the Abyssal Void to help them defeat some baddies. As one might expect, their otherworldly invocation has unintended consequences.

Embracing a Authorial Legacy

The author began his writing journey making great efforts to remain separate from his renowned parent, publishing under the pen name he continues to employ and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he possesses a striking resemblance to his parent). But in this latest novel, he embraces it. Several quotes that deliberately echo some of the senior author’s well-known (that classic opening line); a moment that evokes a recurring theme in King’s works (a battle of wits). Throughout this massive book, Hill is delighting in his heritage, and readers share in the joy.

The Cast of the Central Figures

Focusing on the companions: five of them are pupils at the fictional Rackham College in Maine. There’s Arthur, studious and intelligent, deciphering Old English riddles in his free moments; another key figure, wealthy, astute, and inclined to bulldoze those who oppose him; twins Donna and Donovan; the stunning Allie herself. And there’s Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but becomes a key part of their circle as they experiment, half believing, partly skeptical, in supernatural practices.

The Pivotal Summoning

Our hero becomes, due to circumstances beyond his control, forced into stealing valuable volumes from his treasured institution’s archives by a set of regional villains. This wounds his academic spirit, particularly as he’s compelled to seize the collection’s foremost and chilling title: the diary of adept Enoch Crane (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover is fashioned from his hide). These young investigators examine the log, learn they can invoke what Crane describes as a “proud worm to assist Arthur with his blackmail problem – and spend the rest of the novel facing the fallout. The dragon will undoubtedly remove those troublesome local drug dealers, but they’ll have to choose a new sacrifice each year or become his victim themselves. In the character’s own words: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Genre Dexterity and Imaginative Breadth

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with seamless grace between genres: as the friends endeavor to address the predicament they find themselves in by, in different ways, choosing undeniably wicked targets to offer up, or searching for methods to slay the beast themselves, we move between thriller to shadowy tale, black-ops torture to affectionate subplot to terror. My favorite genre switch was to a quest story, within the subterranean depths under the English county, a section infused with the fantasy maestro that was magnificently horrifying.

A Rich Mosaic of Dread and Hope

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and online ones, truly terrifying and expertly realized. The story includes mystic weapons and treacheries, pulse-pounding sequences of bravery and scenes of dreadful evil, both human and otherworldly. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is primarily a paean to the imagination, 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 Colin as the friends gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their dragon to life with the strength of their collective will.

In the author’s own words in his introductory quote: “This is dragon territory”. Don’t miss them.