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Six quirky but brave children fall into the way of a colossal and fearsome otherworldly evil that has infiltrated our realm from the outer limits of shadow. They are compelled to devote their lives fighting it, facing horror after horror in the process.

A Resonant Plot with a New Approach

This is the plot, in essence, of Stephen King’s iconic book It (arguably his finest; no arguments). It is also the plot of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest horror doorstopper, in which a close-knit group call forth the age-old, utterly malevolent beast King Sorrow from the Endless Night to aid them in overcoming some baddies. Needless to say, their otherworldly invocation has unintended consequences.

Embracing a Literary Legacy

Joseph Hillström King launched his profession making great efforts to remain separate from his well-known dad, using the pseudonym he still uses today and avoiding meeting his agent (he bears a striking resemblance to his father). However, in his newest work, he leans into it. Certain passages that consciously reflect some of King’s most famous (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a scene that recalls a King plot point (a riddling contest). Throughout this massive book, the author rejoices in his heritage, and the audience revels alongside.

Meet the Main Characters

Focusing on the companions: most are pupils at the fictional Rackham College in Maine. We have Arthur, studious and brilliant, solving historical enigmas in his spare time; another key figure, affluent, astute, and known for crushing obstacles in his path; the twin siblings; the stunning Allie. Then we have Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their group as they dabble, partly convinced, somewhat doubtful, in supernatural practices.

The Fateful Summoning

Arthur is, as a result of external pressures, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his treasured institution’s archives by a group of neighborhood thugs. This devastates his scholarly soul, especially when he’s made to take the institution’s prized and disturbing work: the journal of occultist this enigmatic character (condemned “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the cover is made from his skin). The intrepid group read the journal, realize they are able to call forth what the occultist details as a clever snake to help Arthur out with his coercion issue – and spend the rest of the novel enduring the repercussions. This ancient entity will undoubtedly remove those annoying regional antagonists, but they’ll have to choose a new sacrifice annually or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. In the character’s own words: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is more dragons.”

Genre Dexterity and Inventive Breadth

Spanning forty years, Hill also moves with natural fluency across narrative styles: as the allies attempt to deal with the circumstances they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to immolate, or searching for methods to kill the dragon themselves, we transition from thriller to grim fantasy, covert operations to love story to fright. My favorite genre switch was to a adventure narrative, far beneath the surface below Cornwall, a section infused with the Lord of the Rings author that was wonderfully frightening.

An Expansive Tapestry of Dread and Hope

There are trolls – those living under bridges and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. There are magical swords and deceptions, pulse-pounding sequences of valor and instances of terrible wickedness, both earthly and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a horror novel that is chiefly a tribute to the creative spirit, and to devotion and companionship. “We needed a story to believe and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says this character as the allies sit around the table, preparing to summon their dragon into existence with the strength of their collective will.

In the author’s own words in his epigraph: “Hic sunt dracones”. Do not overlook this.