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Six oddball but doughty children encounter the path of a immense and fearsome paranormal darkness that has entered our world from the outer limits of oblivion. They are compelled to devote their lives confronting it, enduring terror upon terror in the struggle.

A Familiar Storyline with a Distinctive Approach

This describes the premise, broadly speaking, of the master of horror’s seminal work It (his best; no debate). It similarly frames of the celebrated author’s heir Joe Hill’s new horror doorstopper, in which a band of six summon the age-old, infinitely malicious serpent King Sorrow from the Long Dark to help them defeat some antagonists. Unsurprisingly, their supernatural ritual has unintended consequences.

Embracing a Family Heritage

Joe Hill started his career going to great lengths to distance himself from his renowned parent, using the pseudonym he maintains to this day and avoiding meeting his agent (he bears a striking resemblance to his father). But in this latest novel, he leans into it. Several quotes that consciously reflect some of his father’s iconic (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a scene that evokes a King plot point (a game of puzzles). In this whopper of a novel, the author rejoices in his heritage, and we delight along with him.

The Cast of the Central Figures

Back to those friends: five of them are students at the fictional this academic setting in the New England state. We have Arthur, studious and intelligent, solving ancient puzzles in his free moments; another key figure, wealthy, sharp, and inclined to bulldoze those who oppose him; twins Donna and Donovan; the attractive Allie. And there’s Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but becomes a key part of their circle as they toy, somewhat credulous, half not, in arcane arts.

The Fateful Summoning

The protagonist finds himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, obliged to take prized manuscripts from his cherished academic collection by a group of neighborhood thugs. This tears at his bookish heart, particularly as he’s made to take the library’s most valuable and disturbing publication: the journal of adept Enoch Crane (put to death “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the binding is made from his skin). The intrepid group examine the log, learn they can invoke what Crane describes as a “proud worm to help Arthur out with his blackmail problem – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. King Sorrow will indeed rid them of those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they’ll have to choose a different victim each year or become his victim themselves. In the character’s own words: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Fluidity and Inventive Range

Moving through four decades, Joe Hill transitions with natural fluency between genres: as the allies attempt to deal with the situation they find themselves in by, variously, choosing undeniably wicked targets to offer up, or seeking means to slay the beast themselves, we transition from thriller to shadowy tale, black-ops torture to romance to terror. A standout transition was to a adventure narrative, deep in the caves under the English county, a part infused with the fantasy maestro that was gloriously terrifying.

A Rich Mosaic of Fear and Hope

We encounter trolls – those living under bridges and internet antagonists, truly terrifying and perfectly brought to life. We see enchanted blades and treacheries, breath-taking moments of valor and instances of dreadful evil, both human and supernatural. It stands as a masterpiece: a horror novel that is chiefly a tribute to the human inventiveness, and to affection and camaraderie. “We longed for a tale to embrace and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says the wealthy student as the allies gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their dragon into existence with the force of their minds.

As Hill puts it in his introductory quote: “Here be dragons”. Do not overlook this.