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Six quirky but resilient kids encounter the trail of a colossal and dreadful paranormal evil that has invaded our realm from the deepest abyss of oblivion. They have no choice but to spend their lifetimes fighting it, enduring horror after horror in the process.

A Resonant Premise with a Distinctive Twist

This describes the premise, roughly, of Stephen King’s iconic book It (arguably his finest; no debate). It similarly frames of Stephen King’s offspring Joe Hill’s new massive horror novel, in which a band of six invoke the age-old, infinitely malicious serpent the Dragon King from the Endless Night to help them defeat some villains. Unsurprisingly, their otherworldly invocation backfires.

Embracing a Authorial Heritage

Joseph Hillström King started his career striving diligently to remain separate from his famous father, adopting the nom de plume he still uses today and avoiding meeting his agent (he bears a uncanny likeness to his parent). However, in his newest work, he embraces it. There are lines that consciously reflect some of the senior author’s well-known (that classic opening line); a moment that recalls a recurring theme in King’s works (a battle of wits). In this whopper of a novel, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his heritage, and readers share in the joy.

The Cast of the Central Figures

Focusing on the companions: the majority are students at the made-up the esteemed institution in Maine. First is Arthur, studious and intelligent, deciphering ancient puzzles in his spare time; Colin, wealthy, astute, and known for crushing those who oppose him; twins Donna and Donovan; the stunning the lovely Allie. And there’s Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but emerges as crucial of their group as they experiment, half believing, somewhat doubtful, in supernatural practices.

The Fateful Ceremony

Arthur is, for reasons we don’t need to go into, forced into stealing rare books from his treasured institution’s archives by a set of regional villains. This devastates his scholarly soul, particularly as he’s compelled to seize the library’s most valuable and disturbing publication: the logbook of practitioner Enoch Crane (condemned “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the cover is fashioned from his hide). The intrepid group read the journal, discover they could summon what the author references as a clever snake to aid our hero with his coercion issue – and devote the remaining story enduring the repercussions. The dragon will undoubtedly remove those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they must select a new sacrifice annually or become his victim themselves. As Arthur later puts it: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Genre Fluidity and Creative Scope

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with natural fluency through various literary forms: as the companions endeavor to address the situation they find themselves in by, in different ways, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to offer up, or searching for methods to kill the dragon themselves, we transition from page-turner to dark fantasy, clandestine torment to love story to horror. One particularly memorable shift 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 Tapestry of Dread and Courage

There are trolls – those living under bridges and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. There are magical swords and deceptions, breath-taking moments of valor and ones of terrible wickedness, both human and otherworldly. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is primarily a ode to the human inventiveness, and to love and friendship. “We required a narrative to trust and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says Colin as the allies assemble around a surface, preparing to summon their beast into existence with the strength of their collective will.

According to Joe Hill in his opening statement: “This is dragon territory”. Ensure you experience it.