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Six quirky but doughty kids encounter the way of a colossal and dreadful otherworldly evil that has entered our existence from the outer limits of darkness. They are compelled to spend their lifetimes fighting it, experiencing one nightmare after another in the process.

A Familiar Plot with a New Twist

This is the plot, in essence, of the master of horror’s seminal work It (his best; no debate). It parallels of the celebrated author’s heir Joe Hill’s latest horror doorstopper, in which a band of six call forth the age-old, infinitely malicious dragon King Sorrow from the Long Dark to aid them in overcoming some villains. Needless to say, their arcane ceremony backfires.

Embracing a Literary Legacy

Joe Hill launched his profession striving diligently to distance himself from his renowned parent, adopting the nom de plume he still uses today and avoiding meeting his agent (he exhibits a strong similarity to his father). However, in his newest work, he leans into it. There are lines that consciously reflect some of the senior author’s well-known (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a moment that brings to mind a King plot point (a riddling contest). In this epic story, the author rejoices in his lineage, and the audience revels alongside.

Meet the Central Figures

Returning to the group: the majority are students at the imagined Rackham College in the New England state. First is Arthur, academic and intelligent, cracking Old English riddles in his leisure hours; Colin, rich, clever, and prone to trampling those who oppose him; twins Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who isn’t their classmate, but becomes a key part of their band as they experiment, half believing, half not, in the occult.

The Critical Ceremony

Arthur is, for reasons we don’t need to go into, compelled to pilfer valuable volumes from his treasured institution’s archives by a group of neighborhood thugs. This devastates his scholarly soul, particularly as he’s made to take the library’s most valuable and unsettling publication: the logbook of practitioner the historical figure (put to death “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover is made from his skin). Our Scooby gang peruse the diary, learn they can invoke what the occultist details as a armoured devil” to help Arthur out with his blackmail problem – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. The dragon will certainly eliminate those annoying regional antagonists, but they are required to pick a new sacrifice every twelve months or become his victim themselves. As Arthur later puts it: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is more dragons.”

Stylistic Fluidity and Creative Scope

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with effortless ease across narrative styles: as the companions endeavor to address the situation they find themselves in by, in different ways, choosing undeniably wicked targets to sacrifice, or seeking means to slay the beast themselves, we move between thriller to dark fantasy, black-ops torture to romance to horror. My favorite genre switch was to a heroic journey, deep in the caves under the English county, a segment infused with the Lord of the Rings author that was magnificently horrifying.

An Expansive Mosaic of Fear and Hope

The novel features trolls – the classic variety and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. The story includes mystic weapons and deceptions, heart-stopping scenes of bravery and scenes of dreadful evil, both mortal and supernatural. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is above all a ode to the human inventiveness, and to affection and camaraderie. “We required a narrative to trust and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says this character as the companions gather at the table, preparing to summon their beast to life with the strength of their collective will.

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