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Six quirky but brave kids fall into the way of a vast and terrible otherworldly evil that has infiltrated our realm from the deepest abyss of oblivion. They have no choice but to spend their lifetimes fighting it, facing horror after horror in the process.

An Echoing Premise with a New Approach

This is the plot, in essence, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (a standout in his career; no debate). It parallels of Stephen King’s offspring Joseph Hillstrom King’s new chilling tome, in which a close-knit group summon the primordial, infinitely malicious beast the Dragon King from the Endless Night to assist them in vanquishing some baddies. As one might expect, their otherworldly invocation goes awry.

Embracing a Literary Heritage

Joseph Hillström King started his career making great efforts to avoid any connection from his well-known dad, publishing under the pen name he maintains to this day and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he bears a strong similarity to his father). Yet with this recent release, he embraces it. There are lines that deliberately echo some of his father’s iconic (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a incident that recalls a King plot point (a game of puzzles). Throughout this massive book, the author rejoices in his family connection, and we delight along with him.

Introducing the Protagonists

Returning to the group: the majority are students at the fictional this academic setting in this northeastern locale. First is Arthur, bookish and brilliant, solving ancient puzzles in his free moments; another key figure, affluent, astute, and inclined to bulldoze those who oppose him; Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie. And there’s Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but assumes a vital role of their circle as they experiment, somewhat credulous, half not, in supernatural practices.

The Critical Ceremony

The protagonist finds himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer valuable volumes from his treasured institution’s archives by a set of regional villains. This wounds his academic spirit, especially when he’s compelled to seize the institution’s prized and unsettling title: the logbook of occultist Enoch Crane (put to death “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the binding is crafted from his flesh). These young investigators peruse the diary, discover they could summon what Crane describes 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 annoying regional antagonists, but they’ll have to choose a new sacrifice every twelve months or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As Arthur later puts it: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is additional horrors.”

Genre Versatility and Inventive Breadth

Moving through four decades, the author shifts with seamless grace across narrative styles: as the companions endeavor to address the situation they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to offer up, or hunting down ways to slay the beast themselves, we move between thriller to dark fantasy, clandestine torment to romance to fright. My favorite genre switch was to a heroic journey, within the subterranean depths under the English county, a segment tinged by the Lord of the Rings author that was wonderfully frightening.

A Rich Canvas of Dread and Optimism

There are trolls – those living under bridges and digital trolls, properly scary and expertly realized. There are magical swords and betrayals, pulse-pounding sequences of valor and ones of dreadful evil, both mortal and extraterrestrial. It stands as a masterpiece: a horror novel that is above all a ode to the creative spirit, and to love and friendship. “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 companions sit around the table, preparing to summon their dragon into being with the strength of their collective will.

In the author’s own words in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Ensure you experience it.