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Six unlikely but resilient kids encounter the way of a colossal and fearsome otherworldly evil that has invaded our realm from the outer limits of shadow. They have no choice but to devote their lives confronting it, enduring one nightmare after another in the process.

A Resonant Premise with a New Spin

This describes the premise, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (a standout in his career; no debate). It is also the plot of Stephen King’s offspring Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest chilling tome, in which a close-knit group call forth the ancient, deeply sinister dragon the Sorrowful Monarch from the Endless Night to help them defeat some antagonists. As one might expect, their arcane ceremony goes awry.

Acknowledging a Family Legacy

Joe Hill started his career striving diligently to remain separate from his renowned parent, using the pseudonym he continues to employ and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he bears a strong similarity to his dad). But in this latest novel, he embraces it. There are lines that deliberately echo some of his father’s iconic (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a scene that recalls a King plot point (a game of puzzles). In this whopper of a novel, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his lineage, and we delight along with him.

Introducing the Main Characters

Focusing on the companions: most are pupils at the imagined this academic setting in this northeastern locale. There’s Arthur, studious and gifted, cracking Old English riddles in his leisure hours; Colin, affluent, clever, and known for crushing obstacles in his path; twins Donna and Donovan; the attractive Allie herself. Additionally, Gwen appears, who isn’t their classmate, but becomes a key part of their band as they toy, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in supernatural practices.

The Pivotal Summoning

Arthur is, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his treasured institution’s archives by a group of neighborhood thugs. This devastates his scholarly soul, notably because he’s forced to acquire the institution’s prized and chilling title: the logbook of occultist Enoch Crane (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the book’s jacket is fashioned from his hide). These young investigators peruse the diary, learn they can invoke what the author references as a “proud worm to aid our hero with his blackmail problem – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. The dragon will indeed rid them of those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they’ll have to choose a different victim annually or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As our protagonist states: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Fluidity and Inventive Range

Moving through four decades, Joe Hill transitions with natural fluency through various literary forms: as the allies endeavor to address the situation they find themselves in by, in different ways, choosing undeniably wicked targets to sacrifice, or seeking means to destroy the entity themselves, we go from page-turner to dark fantasy, covert operations to affectionate subplot to horror. My favorite genre switch was to a quest story, far beneath the surface under the English county, a part sprinkled with the Lord of the Rings author that was gloriously terrifying.

A Rich Canvas of Horror and Optimism

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and online ones, properly scary and perfectly brought to life. The story includes mystic weapons and treacheries, breath-taking moments of bravery and instances of appalling malevolence, both human and extraterrestrial. It stands as a masterpiece: a chilling book that is chiefly a paean to the human inventiveness, and to affection and camaraderie. “We required a narrative to trust and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says this character as the allies gather at the table, getting ready to invoke their serpent to life with the strength of their collective will.

According to Joe Hill in his epigraph: “Here be dragons”. Ensure you experience it.