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A group of six unlikely but doughty children fall into the way of a vast and dreadful otherworldly malevolence that has infiltrated our world from the outer limits of shadow. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle battling it, facing terror upon terror in the struggle.

A Familiar Storyline with a Fresh Approach

This outlines the narrative, broadly speaking, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (a standout in his career; no arguments). It is also the plot of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest horror doorstopper, in which six friends summon the ancient, utterly malevolent dragon King Sorrow from the Endless Night to assist them in vanquishing some baddies. As one might expect, their supernatural ritual goes awry.

Celebrating a Literary Heritage

Joseph Hillström King launched his profession making great efforts to remain separate from his famous father, publishing under the pen name he maintains to this day and avoiding meeting his agent (he bears a striking resemblance to his parent). Yet with this recent release, he fully acknowledges it. Certain passages that intentionally mirror some of King’s most famous (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a moment that brings to mind a King plot point (a riddling contest). In this whopper of a novel, Hill is delighting in his family connection, and the audience revels alongside.

Meet the Central Figures

Focusing on the companions: most are scholars at the made-up this academic setting in this northeastern locale. First is Arthur, studious and intelligent, deciphering Old English riddles in his leisure hours; Colin, affluent, astute, and prone to trampling obstacles in his path; Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their circle as they dabble, somewhat credulous, half not, in arcane arts.

The Fateful Ritual

Our hero becomes, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer rare books from his cherished academic collection by a set of regional villains. This tears at his bookish heart, especially when he’s made to take the collection’s foremost and unsettling title: the diary of adept the historical figure (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover 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 spend the rest of the novel reaping the consequences. The dragon will indeed rid them of those troublesome local drug dealers, but they must select a fresh offering annually or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. In the character’s own words: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is more dragons.”

Genre Versatility and Imaginative Scope

Covering a generation, the author shifts with natural fluency across narrative styles: as the friends attempt to deal with the predicament they find themselves in by, in different ways, choosing undeniably wicked targets to sacrifice, or hunting down ways to slay the beast themselves, we go from suspense to grim fantasy, black-ops torture to love story to fright. My favorite genre switch was to a adventure narrative, far beneath the surface below Cornwall, a part infused with JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

A Rich Mosaic of Fear and Courage

The novel features trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and expertly realized. There are magical swords and treacheries, heart-stopping scenes of valor and instances of dreadful evil, both human and extraterrestrial. It stands as a masterpiece: a chilling book that is chiefly a paean to the creative spirit, 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 Colin 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 opening statement: “Here be dragons”. Ensure you experience it.