🔗 Share this article

Six oddball but brave children confront the way of a immense and terrible supernatural darkness that has infiltrated our world from the farthest reaches of oblivion. They are compelled to wage a lifelong battle battling it, enduring one nightmare after another in the struggle.

An Echoing Storyline with a New Twist

This outlines the narrative, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (arguably his finest; undeniable). It is also the plot of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s new chilling tome, in which a band of six invoke the ancient, deeply sinister dragon the Dragon King from the Long Dark to assist them in vanquishing some villains. As one might expect, their arcane ceremony backfires.

Celebrating a Family Legacy

The author started his career going to great lengths to remain separate from his well-known dad, using the pseudonym he still uses today and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he bears a strong similarity to his dad). But in this latest novel, he fully acknowledges it. Several quotes that intentionally mirror some of the senior author’s well-known (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a scene that recalls a King plot point (a battle of wits). In this whopper of a novel, the author rejoices in his family connection, and readers share in the joy.

The Cast of the Protagonists

Returning to the group: the majority are scholars at the imagined the esteemed institution in Maine. First is Arthur, academic and brilliant, deciphering ancient puzzles in his spare time; another key figure, wealthy, astute, and prone to trampling those who oppose him; twins Donna and Donovan; the stunning Allie. And there’s Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but becomes a key part of their circle as they experiment, half believing, somewhat doubtful, in supernatural practices.

The Fateful Summoning

Arthur is, due to circumstances beyond his control, forced into stealing valuable volumes from his cherished academic collection by a bunch of local criminals. This wounds his academic spirit, notably because he’s compelled to seize the library’s most valuable and unsettling publication: the logbook of adept this enigmatic character (put to death “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the book’s jacket is made from his skin). The intrepid group examine the log, discover they could summon what the author references as a “proud worm to help Arthur out with his coercion issue – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. King Sorrow will indeed rid them of those troublesome local drug dealers, but they’ll have to choose a different victim annually or become his victim themselves. As Arthur later puts it: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Versatility and Creative Breadth

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with effortless ease across narrative styles: as the companions endeavor to address the predicament they find themselves in by, in different ways, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to immolate, or seeking means to slay the beast themselves, we transition from page-turner to grim fantasy, covert operations to romance to terror. A standout transition was to a adventure narrative, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a segment infused with the Lord of the Rings author that was wonderfully frightening.

An Expansive Canvas of Dread and Courage

We encounter trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and online ones, properly scary and superbly depicted. There are magical swords and deceptions, heart-stopping scenes of courage and ones of dreadful evil, both human and otherworldly. This is a remarkable achievement: a horror novel that is above all a ode to the creative spirit, and to devotion and companionship. “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 companions gather at the table, preparing to summon their serpent into existence with the power of their thoughts.

As Hill puts it in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Do not overlook this.