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A group of six unlikely but brave kids confront the path of a vast and dreadful otherworldly malevolence that has infiltrated our realm from the deepest abyss of oblivion. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle battling it, enduring horror after horror in the ordeal.

A Familiar Premise with a Fresh Twist

This outlines the narrative, broadly speaking, of the master of horror’s seminal work It (arguably his finest; no debate). It parallels of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent chilling tome, in which a close-knit group call forth the age-old, deeply sinister dragon the Sorrowful Monarch from the Long Dark to aid them in overcoming some baddies. As one might expect, their otherworldly invocation backfires.

Embracing a Family Lineage

Joseph Hillström King started his career striving diligently to remain separate from his famous father, adopting the nom de plume he continues to employ and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he bears a striking resemblance to his dad). But in this latest novel, he embraces it. Several quotes that consciously reflect some of the senior author’s well-known (that classic opening line); a scene that evokes a King plot point (a game of puzzles). In this epic story, the author rejoices in his heritage, and the audience revels alongside.

Meet the Main Characters

Returning to the group: the majority are scholars at the fictional this academic setting in this northeastern locale. There’s Arthur, academic and brilliant, cracking ancient puzzles in his free moments; Colin, affluent, astute, and inclined to bulldoze those who oppose him; Donna and Donovan; the stunning Allie. And there’s Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but becomes a key part of their group as they dabble, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in the occult.

The Fateful Ritual

Arthur is, for reasons we don’t need to go into, compelled to pilfer valuable volumes from his treasured institution’s archives by a set of regional villains. This devastates his scholarly soul, particularly as he’s made to take the library’s most valuable and chilling title: the diary of practitioner the historical figure (executed “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the book’s jacket is made from his skin). The intrepid group peruse the diary, learn they can invoke what Crane describes as a cunning serpent to aid our hero with his blackmail problem – and devote the remaining story facing the fallout. King Sorrow will certainly eliminate those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they must select a fresh offering every twelve months or become his victim themselves. In the character’s own words: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is additional horrors.”

Stylistic Versatility and Imaginative Range

Spanning forty years, Hill also moves with seamless grace across narrative styles: as the friends endeavor to address the situation they find themselves in by, variously, choosing undeniably wicked targets to sacrifice, or seeking means to slay the beast themselves, we go from thriller to grim fantasy, black-ops torture to affectionate subplot to horror. A standout transition was to a quest story, within the subterranean depths below Cornwall, a part infused with JRR Tolkien that was wonderfully frightening.

A Rich Tapestry of Fear and Courage

The novel features 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 ones of dreadful evil, both mortal and supernatural. It stands as a masterpiece: a frightening tale 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 companions assemble around a surface, preparing to summon their beast into being with the power of their thoughts.

As Hill puts it in his introductory quote: “Here be dragons”. Don’t miss them.