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Six quirky but brave youngsters confront the trail of a immense and terrible paranormal darkness that has infiltrated our existence from the deepest abyss of darkness. They must spend their lifetimes fighting it, enduring one nightmare after another in the ordeal.

An Echoing Premise with a Distinctive Approach

This is the plot, roughly, of Stephen King’s novel It (his best; undeniable). It is also the plot of Stephen King’s offspring Joe Hill’s new massive horror novel, in which a band of six call forth the ancient, infinitely malicious serpent the Sorrowful Monarch from the Long Dark to help them defeat some baddies. Unsurprisingly, their supernatural ritual has unintended consequences.

Embracing a Literary Legacy

Joe Hill began his writing journey going to great lengths to avoid any connection from his famous father, using the pseudonym he continues to employ and avoiding meeting his agent (he bears a striking resemblance to his father). However, in his newest work, he fully acknowledges it. There are lines that intentionally mirror some of the senior author’s well-known (that classic opening line); a incident 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 we delight along with him.

Meet the Protagonists

Focusing on the companions: most are students at the imagined Rackham College in the New England state. We have Arthur, academic and intelligent, deciphering historical enigmas in his leisure hours; Colin, affluent, astute, and inclined to bulldoze obstacles in his path; twins Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie. And there’s Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but emerges as crucial of their group as they experiment, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in arcane arts.

The Fateful Ritual

Our hero becomes, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his treasured institution’s archives by a set of regional villains. This devastates his scholarly soul, especially when he’s forced to acquire the collection’s foremost and unsettling title: the logbook of occultist the historical figure (executed “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the book’s jacket is made from his skin). The intrepid group peruse the diary, learn they can invoke what the author references as a armoured devil” to aid our hero with his blackmail problem – and occupy the subsequent narrative reaping the consequences. This ancient entity will undoubtedly remove those annoying regional antagonists, but they’ll have to choose a new sacrifice annually or become his victim themselves. As Arthur later puts it: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is more dragons.”

Narrative Versatility and Inventive Scope

Spanning forty years, the author shifts with effortless ease through various literary forms: as the allies endeavor to address the circumstances they find themselves in by, variously, choosing undeniably wicked targets to offer up, or hunting down ways to destroy the entity themselves, we move between page-turner to shadowy tale, black-ops torture to affectionate subplot to fright. A standout transition was to a heroic journey, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a section infused with the fantasy maestro that was wonderfully frightening.

A Detailed Tapestry of Fear and Courage

There are trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and digital trolls, genuinely frightening and superbly depicted. We see enchanted blades and betrayals, breath-taking moments of valor and scenes of terrible wickedness, both mortal and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a horror novel that is chiefly a ode to the imagination, 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 this character as the companions sit around the table, preparing to summon their dragon to life with the force of their minds.

According to Joe Hill in his opening statement: “This is dragon territory”. Ensure you experience it.