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A group of six quirky but doughty children fall into the trail of a colossal and dreadful otherworldly evil that has invaded our world from the outer limits of oblivion. They have no choice but to devote their lives confronting it, experiencing horror after horror in the ordeal.

An Echoing Storyline with a New Twist

This is the plot, roughly, of Stephen King’s novel It (his best; no arguments). It is also the plot of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent massive horror novel, in which six friends call forth the age-old, utterly malevolent serpent King Sorrow from the Endless Night to aid them in overcoming some baddies. Unsurprisingly, their supernatural ritual has unintended consequences.

Celebrating a Literary Heritage

Joe Hill launched his profession striving diligently to avoid any connection from his well-known dad, publishing under the pen name he still uses today and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he exhibits a uncanny likeness to his dad). However, in his newest work, he embraces it. Several quotes that consciously reflect some of the senior author’s well-known (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a moment that brings to mind a recurring theme in King’s works (a battle of wits). Throughout this massive book, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his family connection, and the audience revels alongside.

Introducing the Protagonists

Focusing on the companions: most are scholars at the made-up Rackham College in this northeastern locale. First is Arthur, studious and gifted, solving historical enigmas in his free moments; the character Colin, rich, sharp, and inclined to bulldoze anyone who stands in his way; the twin siblings; the beautiful Allie herself. Then we have Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but assumes a vital role of their group as they dabble, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in the occult.

The Fateful Summoning

Our hero becomes, due to circumstances beyond his control, forced into stealing valuable volumes from his treasured institution’s archives by a group of neighborhood thugs. This wounds his academic spirit, notably because he’s made to take the institution’s prized and unsettling publication: the journal of occultist this enigmatic character (condemned “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the binding is crafted from his flesh). Our Scooby gang peruse the diary, realize they are able to call forth what the occultist details as a clever snake to assist Arthur with his extortion dilemma – and devote the remaining story facing the fallout. King Sorrow will undoubtedly remove those troublesome local drug dealers, but they’ll have to choose a different victim each year or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. In the character’s own words: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is additional horrors.”

Genre Versatility and Imaginative Range

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with seamless grace across narrative styles: as the companions attempt to deal with the circumstances they find themselves in by, variously, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to immolate, or searching for methods to destroy the entity themselves, we go from suspense to shadowy tale, black-ops torture to romance to fright. My favorite genre switch was to a quest story, far beneath the surface below Cornwall, a section infused with the Lord of the Rings author that was magnificently horrifying.

A Detailed Mosaic of Fear and Hope

There are trolls – those living under bridges and online ones, properly scary and perfectly brought to life. We see enchanted blades and deceptions, breath-taking moments of bravery and ones of dreadful evil, both mortal and supernatural. It stands as a masterpiece: a chilling book that is above all a paean to the creative spirit, and to love and friendship. “We longed for a tale to embrace and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says Colin as the companions gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their serpent into existence with the strength of their collective will.

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