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A group of six quirky but brave kids fall into the trail of a vast and terrible otherworldly evil that has entered our world from the outer limits of oblivion. They must wage a lifelong battle fighting it, enduring one nightmare after another in the process.

An Echoing Storyline with a New Twist

This describes the premise, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (arguably his finest; no debate). It parallels of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent horror doorstopper, in which a close-knit group invoke the primordial, utterly malevolent dragon King Sorrow from the Abyssal Void to assist them in vanquishing some villains. Unsurprisingly, their supernatural ritual goes awry.

Celebrating a Authorial Lineage

Joseph Hillström King started his career striving diligently to remain separate from his well-known dad, using the pseudonym he continues to employ and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he bears a strong similarity to his father). Yet with this recent release, he embraces it. There are lines that intentionally mirror some of King’s most famous (that classic opening line); a incident that brings to mind a signature King element (a game of puzzles). In this epic story, Hill is delighting in his heritage, and readers share in the joy.

The Cast of the Protagonists

Returning to the group: most are pupils at the made-up this academic setting in the New England state. We have Arthur, bookish and intelligent, deciphering ancient puzzles in his spare time; another key figure, wealthy, clever, and known for crushing those who oppose him; the twin siblings; the stunning Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who isn’t their classmate, but emerges as crucial of their circle as they toy, half believing, somewhat doubtful, in arcane arts.

The Critical Ritual

Arthur is, for reasons we don’t need to go into, obliged to take valuable volumes from his beloved college library by a group of neighborhood thugs. This tears at his bookish heart, particularly as he’s forced to acquire the institution’s prized and disturbing title: the logbook of occultist Enoch Crane (put to death “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the book’s jacket is fashioned from his hide). The intrepid group examine the log, learn they can invoke what Crane describes as a “proud worm to assist Arthur with his extortion dilemma – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. King Sorrow will undoubtedly remove those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they must select a fresh offering annually or become his victim themselves. As our protagonist states: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Dexterity and Inventive Breadth

Spanning forty years, the author shifts with natural fluency through various literary forms: as the companions endeavor to address the predicament they find themselves in by, variously, choosing undeniably wicked targets to offer up, or searching for methods to kill the dragon themselves, we move between suspense to dark fantasy, black-ops torture to affectionate subplot to horror. My favorite genre switch was to a heroic journey, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a section sprinkled with the fantasy maestro that was gloriously terrifying.

A Detailed Canvas of Dread and Courage

The novel features trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and expertly realized. There are magical swords and deceptions, pulse-pounding sequences of bravery and ones of terrible wickedness, both earthly and extraterrestrial. This is a remarkable achievement: a chilling book that is chiefly a paean to the human inventiveness, and to devotion and companionship. “We required a narrative to trust and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says the wealthy student as the companions gather at the table, preparing to summon their serpent into being with the force of their minds.

In the author’s own words in his opening statement: “This is dragon territory”. Ensure you experience it.