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Six unlikely but doughty children fall into the way of a vast and fearsome paranormal evil that has entered our world from the outer limits of oblivion. They are compelled to spend their lifetimes battling it, facing one nightmare after another in the struggle.

An Echoing Premise with a Distinctive Twist

This describes the premise, broadly speaking, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (arguably his finest; no arguments). It is also the plot of King’s son Joe Hill’s recent chilling tome, in which a close-knit group summon the ancient, utterly malevolent serpent the Sorrowful Monarch from the Abyssal Void to help them defeat some baddies. Unsurprisingly, their otherworldly invocation goes awry.

Celebrating a Literary Heritage

The author began his writing journey making great efforts 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 parent). However, in his newest work, he fully acknowledges it. There are lines that intentionally mirror some of his father’s iconic (that classic opening line); a moment that evokes a King plot point (a battle of wits). In this whopper of a novel, Hill is delighting in his heritage, and we delight along with him.

Meet the Main Characters

Focusing on the companions: the majority are students at the imagined the esteemed institution in this northeastern locale. We have Arthur, bookish and brilliant, deciphering Old English riddles in his spare time; the character Colin, affluent, astute, and inclined to bulldoze obstacles in his path; twins Donna and Donovan; the stunning the lovely Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who doesn’t study with them, but emerges as crucial of their circle as they dabble, somewhat credulous, partly skeptical, in arcane arts.

The Critical Summoning

The protagonist finds himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, obliged to take valuable volumes from his treasured institution’s archives by a group of neighborhood thugs. This wounds his academic spirit, notably because he’s compelled to seize the institution’s prized and disturbing work: the diary of adept Enoch Crane (executed “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the book’s jacket is made from his skin). Our Scooby gang examine the log, learn they can invoke what the author references as a clever snake to help Arthur out with his extortion dilemma – and occupy the subsequent narrative facing the fallout. This ancient entity will certainly eliminate those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they must select a fresh offering each year or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As our protagonist states: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Genre Fluidity and Creative Range

Moving through four decades, the author shifts with natural fluency across narrative styles: as the allies endeavor to address the predicament they find themselves in by, variously, choosing undeniably wicked targets to offer up, or searching for methods to kill the dragon themselves, we go from thriller to shadowy tale, clandestine torment to affectionate subplot to fright. One particularly memorable shift was to a heroic journey, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a section tinged by JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

A Rich Mosaic of Horror and Courage

We encounter trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and digital trolls, truly terrifying and superbly depicted. There are magical swords and deceptions, pulse-pounding sequences of courage and ones of terrible wickedness, both earthly and extraterrestrial. It’s a tour de force: a chilling book that is primarily a paean to the creative spirit, 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 assemble around a surface, getting ready to invoke their serpent to life with the power of their thoughts.

As Hill puts it in his introductory quote: “Here be dragons”. Ensure you experience it.