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A group of six oddball but resilient youngsters confront the trail of a colossal and fearsome supernatural darkness that has entered our world from the deepest abyss of oblivion. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle fighting it, facing terror upon terror in the ordeal.

A Familiar Plot with a Fresh Twist

This is the plot, roughly, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (his best; no debate). It is also the plot of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent chilling tome, in which a band of six summon the ancient, deeply sinister beast the Dragon King from the Abyssal Void to aid them in overcoming some antagonists. Needless to say, their supernatural ritual goes awry.

Acknowledging a Authorial Heritage

Joe Hill began his writing journey making great efforts to distance himself from his well-known dad, publishing under the pen name he still uses today and avoiding meeting his agent (he exhibits a uncanny likeness to his father). However, in his newest work, he embraces it. There are lines that intentionally mirror some of King’s most famous (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a moment that recalls a recurring theme in King’s works (a battle of wits). Throughout this massive book, the author rejoices in his lineage, and readers share in the joy.

The Cast of the Central Figures

Returning to the group: most are students at the made-up Rackham College in Maine. There’s Arthur, studious and gifted, solving historical enigmas in his free moments; another key figure, wealthy, astute, and known for crushing those who oppose him; Donna and Donovan; the attractive Allie herself. And there’s Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their group as they dabble, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in supernatural practices.

The Pivotal Summoning

The protagonist finds himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer valuable volumes from his beloved college library by a bunch of local criminals. This devastates his scholarly soul, especially when he’s forced to acquire the institution’s prized and chilling work: the diary of adept Enoch Crane (executed “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the book’s jacket is fashioned from his hide). These young investigators examine the log, realize they are able to call forth what the occultist details as a “arrogant beast to aid our hero with his extortion dilemma – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. This ancient entity will undoubtedly remove those annoying regional antagonists, but they’ll have to choose a different victim every twelve months or fall prey to the beast. In the character’s own words: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Dexterity and Inventive Scope

Spanning forty years, the author shifts with effortless ease through various literary forms: as the friends strive to manage the predicament they find themselves in by, in different ways, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to offer up, or hunting down ways to kill the dragon themselves, we go from thriller to dark fantasy, covert operations to romance to fright. A standout transition was to a quest story, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a segment tinged by the Lord of the Rings author that was gloriously terrifying.

An Expansive Tapestry of Fear and Optimism

The novel features trolls – the classic variety and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and superbly depicted. There are magical swords and deceptions, pulse-pounding sequences of courage and instances of appalling malevolence, both earthly and extraterrestrial. It’s a tour de force: a horror novel that is chiefly a ode to the imagination, 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 this character as the friends assemble around a surface, making preparations to call forth their dragon into existence with the strength of their collective will.

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