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A group of six quirky but brave kids encounter the way of a vast and terrible otherworldly evil that has infiltrated our realm from the outer limits of shadow. They have no choice but to spend their lifetimes confronting it, enduring terror upon terror in the struggle.

A Familiar Storyline with a Distinctive Spin

This describes the premise, in essence, of the master of horror’s novel It (his best; no debate). It similarly frames of King’s son Joe Hill’s latest massive horror novel, in which six friends invoke the ancient, utterly malevolent serpent the Dragon King from the Abyssal Void to assist them in vanquishing some antagonists. As one might expect, their otherworldly invocation goes awry.

Acknowledging a Literary Lineage

Joseph Hillström King launched his profession striving diligently to avoid any connection from his renowned parent, publishing under the pen name he still uses today and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he bears a striking resemblance to his dad). However, in his newest work, he leans into it. There are lines that deliberately echo some of his father’s iconic (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a scene that recalls a recurring theme in King’s works (a game of puzzles). In this epic story, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his family connection, and readers share in the joy.

Introducing the Protagonists

Focusing on the companions: most are scholars at the made-up Rackham College in Maine. First is Arthur, academic and gifted, solving Old English riddles in his spare time; another key figure, wealthy, clever, and known for crushing those who oppose him; twins Donna and Donovan; the attractive the lovely Allie. And there’s Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but assumes a vital role of their group as they dabble, partly convinced, partly skeptical, in the occult.

The Fateful Ceremony

Our hero becomes, for reasons we don’t need to go into, obliged to take rare books from his cherished academic collection by a set of regional villains. This tears at his bookish heart, notably because he’s made to take the library’s most valuable and unsettling title: the journal of adept this enigmatic character (put to death “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the book’s jacket is made from his skin). These young investigators examine the log, realize they are able to call forth what the author references as a cunning serpent to help Arthur out with his coercion issue – and spend the rest of the novel facing the fallout. This ancient entity will indeed rid them of those troublesome local drug dealers, but they are required to pick a new sacrifice annually or become his victim themselves. In the character’s own words: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Versatility and Imaginative Range

Spanning forty years, Hill also moves with natural fluency through various literary forms: as the allies attempt to deal with the situation they find themselves in by, in different ways, picking people who are obviously evil to immolate, or seeking means to kill the dragon themselves, we transition from suspense to grim fantasy, black-ops torture to love story to horror. A standout transition was to a quest story, within the subterranean depths under the English county, a segment tinged by JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

An Expansive Mosaic of Fear and Hope

There are trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and online ones, truly terrifying and superbly depicted. We see enchanted blades and treacheries, pulse-pounding sequences of courage and ones of dreadful evil, both human and extraterrestrial. It stands as a masterpiece: a frightening tale that is primarily a tribute to the human inventiveness, 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 the wealthy student as the companions sit around the table, getting ready to invoke their serpent to life with the strength of their collective will.

As Hill puts it in his opening statement: “Here be dragons”. Do not overlook this.