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Six quirky but doughty kids encounter the trail of a colossal and dreadful paranormal malevolence that has infiltrated our world from the deepest abyss of darkness. They are compelled to spend their lifetimes battling it, enduring horror after horror in the struggle.

A Resonant Plot with a New Approach

This is the plot, in essence, of Stephen King’s iconic book It (arguably his finest; no arguments). It is also the plot of King’s son Joe Hill’s new horror doorstopper, in which a close-knit group invoke the ancient, deeply sinister serpent the Sorrowful Monarch from the Endless Night to help them defeat some baddies. As one might expect, their supernatural ritual backfires.

Acknowledging a Family Legacy

The author started his career making great efforts to distance himself from his renowned parent, using the pseudonym he maintains to this day and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he exhibits a strong similarity to his father). However, in his newest work, he leans into it. Several quotes that intentionally mirror some of King’s most famous (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a moment that evokes a King plot point (a riddling contest). In this epic story, Hill is delighting in his heritage, and we delight along with him.

Meet the Main Characters

Returning to the group: five of them are students at the imagined Rackham College in this northeastern locale. There’s Arthur, studious and brilliant, cracking Old English riddles in his leisure hours; Colin, wealthy, sharp, and inclined to bulldoze obstacles in his path; twins Donna and Donovan; the beautiful the lovely Allie. And there’s Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but emerges as crucial of their circle as they experiment, partly convinced, half not, in supernatural practices.

The Fateful Ritual

Arthur is, for reasons we don’t need to go into, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his beloved college library by a set of regional villains. This tears at his bookish heart, particularly as he’s forced to acquire the collection’s foremost and unsettling publication: the logbook of adept this enigmatic character (put to death “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the binding is crafted from his flesh). These young investigators read the journal, discover they could summon what Crane describes as a clever snake to help Arthur out with his coercion issue – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. King Sorrow will undoubtedly remove those troublesome local drug dealers, but they must select a new sacrifice each year or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. In the character’s own words: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Fluidity and Imaginative Range

Spanning forty years, the author shifts with effortless ease across narrative styles: as the companions endeavor to address the situation they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to sacrifice, or searching for methods to kill the dragon themselves, we transition from page-turner to dark fantasy, clandestine torment to affectionate subplot to horror. A standout transition was to a quest story, far beneath the surface under the English county, a segment tinged by the fantasy maestro that was gloriously terrifying.

A Rich Canvas of Dread and Hope

There are trolls – the classic variety and digital trolls, truly terrifying and expertly realized. We see enchanted blades and betrayals, pulse-pounding sequences of valor and instances of terrible wickedness, both mortal and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a chilling book that is above all a tribute to the imagination, and to affection and camaraderie. “We needed a story to believe and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says the wealthy student as the allies gather at the table, getting ready to invoke their serpent into being with the force of their minds.

As Hill puts it in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Don’t miss them.