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A group of six quirky but brave youngsters confront the path of a colossal and fearsome otherworldly malevolence that has infiltrated our existence from the outer limits of oblivion. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle fighting it, experiencing horror after horror in the ordeal.

A Resonant Storyline with a Fresh Approach

This is the plot, roughly, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (a standout in his career; undeniable). It is also the plot of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent chilling tome, in which a band of six invoke the age-old, utterly malevolent beast the Dragon King from the Endless Night to aid them in overcoming some baddies. Needless to say, their otherworldly invocation goes awry.

Acknowledging a Authorial Legacy

Joseph Hillström King started his career striving diligently to avoid any connection from his well-known dad, using the pseudonym he maintains to this day and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he exhibits a striking resemblance to his father). Yet with this recent release, he fully acknowledges it. Several quotes that consciously reflect some of King’s most famous (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a scene that brings to mind a recurring theme in King’s works (a riddling contest). In this whopper of a novel, the author rejoices in his lineage, and readers share in the joy.

Meet the Central Figures

Back to those friends: the majority are scholars at the made-up Rackham College in Maine. First is Arthur, studious and gifted, solving historical enigmas in his spare time; another key figure, wealthy, astute, and prone to trampling obstacles in his path; Donna and Donovan; the attractive Allie. And there’s Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but assumes a vital role of their group as they dabble, partly convinced, half not, in supernatural practices.

The Critical Ceremony

The protagonist finds himself, for reasons we don’t need to go into, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his treasured institution’s archives by a group of neighborhood thugs. This tears at his bookish heart, particularly as he’s compelled to seize the library’s most valuable and unsettling publication: the journal of occultist Enoch Crane (put to death “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the cover is crafted from his flesh). The intrepid group peruse the diary, discover they could summon what Crane describes as a cunning serpent to help Arthur out with his blackmail problem – and spend the rest of the novel facing the fallout. The dragon will undoubtedly remove those troublesome local drug dealers, but they must select a different victim every twelve months or fall prey to the beast. As Arthur later puts it: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is additional horrors.”

Stylistic Fluidity and Creative Range

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with seamless grace across narrative styles: as the allies attempt to deal with the circumstances they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, picking people who are obviously evil to offer up, or hunting down ways to slay the beast themselves, we transition from thriller to dark fantasy, covert operations to romance to fright. One particularly memorable shift was to a heroic journey, far beneath the surface under the English county, a segment infused with the Lord of the Rings author that was wonderfully frightening.

An Expansive Canvas of Fear and Courage

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and online ones, truly terrifying and superbly depicted. There are magical swords and deceptions, heart-stopping scenes of valor and scenes of dreadful evil, both mortal and supernatural. It’s a tour de force: a horror novel that is primarily a tribute to the human inventiveness, and to devotion and companionship. “We needed a story to believe and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says this character as the companions gather at the table, preparing to summon their serpent into existence with the force of their minds.

In the author’s own words in his opening statement: “Hic sunt dracones”. Don’t miss them.