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Six oddball but brave kids encounter the trail of a colossal and dreadful paranormal evil that has invaded our realm from the farthest reaches of shadow. They must wage a lifelong battle fighting it, enduring horror after horror in the ordeal.

A Familiar Premise with a Distinctive Spin

This outlines the narrative, broadly speaking, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (a standout in his career; undeniable). It is also the plot of Stephen King’s offspring Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent chilling tome, in which six friends call forth the primordial, utterly malevolent beast the Sorrowful Monarch from the Endless Night to aid them in overcoming some antagonists. Needless to say, their arcane ceremony backfires.

Embracing a Family Legacy

Joseph Hillström King began his writing journey striving diligently to remain separate from his famous father, publishing under the pen name he continues to employ and avoiding meeting his agent (he bears a uncanny likeness to his father). But in this latest novel, he embraces it. There are lines that intentionally mirror some of the senior author’s well-known (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a incident that evokes a recurring theme in King’s works (a riddling contest). In this whopper of a novel, Hill is delighting in his lineage, and we delight along with him.

Introducing the Protagonists

Back to those friends: most are pupils at the imagined Rackham College in this northeastern locale. First is Arthur, academic and brilliant, deciphering historical enigmas in his free moments; the character Colin, affluent, clever, and prone to trampling anyone who stands in his way; the twin siblings; the stunning Allie herself. And there’s Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but assumes a vital role of their group as they toy, somewhat credulous, half not, in supernatural practices.

The Fateful Ritual

Our hero becomes, due to circumstances beyond his control, obliged to take prized manuscripts from his treasured institution’s archives by a set of regional villains. This devastates his scholarly soul, particularly as he’s compelled to seize the library’s most valuable and disturbing publication: the diary of adept this enigmatic character (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 “proud worm to assist Arthur with his extortion dilemma – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. This ancient entity will undoubtedly remove those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they’ll have to choose a different victim every twelve months or fall prey to the beast. As our protagonist states: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Fluidity and Creative Scope

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with natural fluency between genres: as the companions attempt to deal with 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 suspense to grim fantasy, black-ops torture to love story to terror. My favorite genre switch was to a heroic journey, deep in the caves under the English county, a part tinged by the Lord of the Rings author that was gloriously terrifying.

A Detailed Canvas of Horror and Hope

We encounter trolls – those living under bridges and digital trolls, properly scary and expertly realized. The story includes mystic weapons and treacheries, breath-taking moments of courage and ones of terrible wickedness, both mortal and otherworldly. It stands as a masterpiece: a frightening tale that is primarily a tribute to the human inventiveness, and to love and friendship. “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 friends gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their beast into existence with the strength of their collective will.

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