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Six quirky but resilient children fall into the trail of a immense and dreadful supernatural darkness that has entered our realm from the farthest reaches of darkness. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle confronting it, enduring horror after horror in the process.

A Familiar Plot with a Distinctive Twist

This outlines the narrative, roughly, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (his best; undeniable). It similarly frames of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest chilling tome, in which a close-knit group invoke the age-old, utterly malevolent beast King Sorrow from the Endless Night to aid them in overcoming some antagonists. Unsurprisingly, their otherworldly invocation has unintended consequences.

Celebrating a Literary Legacy

Joe Hill began his writing journey making great efforts to distance himself from his renowned parent, adopting the nom de plume he maintains to this day and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he exhibits a uncanny likeness to his dad). Yet with this recent release, he embraces it. Several quotes that intentionally mirror some of his father’s iconic (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a scene that brings to mind a signature King element (a game of puzzles). In this whopper of a novel, the author rejoices in his lineage, and the audience revels alongside.

Meet the Central Figures

Focusing on the companions: the majority are pupils at the fictional the esteemed institution in this northeastern locale. First is Arthur, academic and intelligent, cracking Old English riddles in his spare time; the character Colin, wealthy, clever, and known for crushing those who oppose him; Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie herself. Then we have Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but assumes a vital role of their circle as they toy, partly convinced, half not, in supernatural practices.

The Critical Summoning

The protagonist finds himself, for reasons we don’t need to go into, obliged to take valuable volumes from his treasured institution’s archives by a set of regional villains. This tears at his bookish heart, notably because he’s made to take the collection’s foremost and chilling title: the logbook of adept Enoch Crane (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover is made from his skin). The intrepid group examine the log, realize they are able to call forth what the occultist details as a clever snake to assist Arthur with his coercion issue – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. This ancient entity will indeed rid them of those annoying regional antagonists, but they’ll have to choose a new sacrifice every twelve months or fall prey to the beast. As Arthur later puts it: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is more dragons.”

Stylistic Fluidity and Imaginative Range

Moving through four decades, the author shifts with seamless grace across narrative styles: as the allies strive to manage the situation they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to immolate, or seeking means to destroy the entity themselves, we go from thriller to grim fantasy, black-ops torture to affectionate subplot to terror. A standout transition was to a quest story, deep in the caves under the English county, a section infused with JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

A Detailed Mosaic of Dread and Hope

We encounter trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and internet antagonists, properly scary and expertly realized. There are magical swords and treacheries, breath-taking moments of bravery and scenes of terrible wickedness, both human and extraterrestrial. This is a remarkable achievement: a horror novel that is above all a tribute to the imagination, 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 sit around the table, preparing to summon their serpent to life with the power of their thoughts.

According to Joe Hill in his introductory quote: “Here be dragons”. Don’t miss them.