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Six unlikely but brave children fall into the way of a immense and fearsome otherworldly evil that has entered our existence from the outer limits of darkness. They must spend their lifetimes fighting it, facing horror after horror in the process.

A Familiar Premise with a Fresh Approach

This describes the premise, broadly speaking, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (arguably his finest; no debate). It parallels of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s new chilling tome, in which a band of six invoke the age-old, utterly malevolent beast King Sorrow from the Endless Night to aid them in overcoming some baddies. Needless to say, their supernatural ritual backfires.

Acknowledging a Literary Lineage

Joseph Hillström King began his writing journey going to great lengths to remain separate from his renowned parent, using the pseudonym he still uses today and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he exhibits a striking resemblance to his parent). Yet with this recent release, he leans into it. Several quotes that deliberately echo some of the senior author’s well-known (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a moment 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.

Meet the Main Characters

Returning to the group: most are students at the fictional this academic setting in this northeastern locale. There’s Arthur, academic and brilliant, solving ancient puzzles in his leisure hours; Colin, wealthy, clever, and inclined to bulldoze anyone who stands in his way; Donna and Donovan; the stunning Allie herself. And there’s Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their group as they dabble, partly convinced, partly skeptical, in supernatural practices.

The Fateful Ceremony

The protagonist finds himself, as a result of external pressures, obliged to take prized manuscripts from his cherished academic collection by a group of neighborhood thugs. This devastates his scholarly soul, notably because he’s forced to acquire the library’s most valuable and unsettling title: the logbook of adept the historical figure (executed “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the cover is crafted from his flesh). The intrepid group peruse the diary, realize they are able to call forth what Crane describes as a “proud worm to help Arthur out with his blackmail problem – and devote the remaining story facing the fallout. King Sorrow will undoubtedly remove those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they’ll have to choose a new sacrifice annually or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. In the character’s own words: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Versatility and Inventive Scope

Moving through four decades, Joe Hill transitions with natural fluency between genres: as the allies endeavor to address the situation they find themselves in by, in different ways, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to offer up, or seeking means to kill the dragon themselves, we transition from page-turner to dark fantasy, black-ops torture to love story to fright. A standout transition was to a heroic journey, far beneath the surface beneath this UK region, a section sprinkled with the fantasy maestro that was wonderfully frightening.

An Expansive Mosaic of Horror and Courage

There are trolls – those living under bridges and digital trolls, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. There are magical swords and treacheries, pulse-pounding sequences of courage and scenes of dreadful evil, both human and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a horror novel that is chiefly a paean to the imagination, 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 this character as the allies gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their beast into existence with the strength of their collective will.

According to Joe Hill in his opening statement: “Hic sunt dracones”. Ensure you experience it.