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A group of six oddball but resilient youngsters encounter the trail of a colossal and dreadful otherworldly evil that has invaded our realm from the deepest abyss of darkness. They must devote their lives fighting it, enduring horror after horror in the struggle.

An Echoing Storyline with a Fresh Approach

This is the plot, in essence, of Stephen King’s novel It (a standout in his career; no arguments). It similarly frames of the celebrated author’s heir Joe Hill’s latest massive horror novel, in which six friends call forth the primordial, utterly malevolent beast the Dragon King from the Abyssal Void to aid them in overcoming some antagonists. Unsurprisingly, their supernatural ritual has unintended consequences.

Acknowledging a Authorial Heritage

Joe Hill launched his profession making great efforts to remain separate from his well-known dad, adopting the nom de plume he still uses today and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he possesses a uncanny likeness to his dad). But in this latest novel, he fully acknowledges it. Certain passages that consciously reflect some of the senior author’s well-known (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a moment that recalls a recurring theme in King’s works (a game of puzzles). Throughout this massive book, Hill is delighting in his family connection, and the audience revels alongside.

Meet the Protagonists

Focusing on the companions: five of them are scholars at the fictional Rackham College in the New England state. We have Arthur, bookish and brilliant, cracking Old English riddles in his spare time; Colin, affluent, astute, and known for crushing those who oppose him; twins Donna and Donovan; the stunning Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who doesn’t study with them, but emerges as crucial of their band as they experiment, half believing, somewhat doubtful, in arcane arts.

The Critical Summoning

Our hero becomes, as a result of external pressures, compelled to pilfer rare books from his cherished academic collection by a group of neighborhood thugs. This tears at his bookish heart, especially when he’s compelled to seize the library’s most valuable and chilling publication: the journal of practitioner the historical figure (put to death “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover is crafted from his flesh). The intrepid group peruse the diary, realize they are able to call forth what the occultist details as a cunning serpent to assist Arthur with his blackmail problem – and spend the rest of the novel facing the fallout. The dragon will certainly eliminate those troublesome local drug dealers, but they’ll have to choose a new sacrifice annually or fall prey to the beast. As Arthur later puts it: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is additional horrors.”

Genre Versatility and Inventive Breadth

Moving through four decades, Joe Hill transitions with effortless ease between genres: as the companions strive to manage the situation they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to sacrifice, or seeking means to kill the dragon themselves, we transition from suspense to grim fantasy, clandestine torment to romance to horror. A standout transition was to a adventure narrative, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a section sprinkled with JRR Tolkien that was magnificently horrifying.

A Rich Mosaic of Horror and Courage

There are trolls – the classic variety and digital trolls, properly scary and perfectly brought to life. There are magical swords and betrayals, pulse-pounding sequences of valor and instances of terrible wickedness, both human and otherworldly. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is above all a tribute 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 this character as the companions sit around the table, making preparations to call forth their serpent into existence with the power of their thoughts.

According to Joe Hill in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Do not overlook this.