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A group of six quirky but doughty children confront the path of a vast and terrible otherworldly malevolence that has infiltrated our realm from the deepest abyss of shadow. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle fighting it, enduring terror upon terror in the struggle.

An Echoing Plot with a New Approach

This describes the premise, in essence, of Stephen King’s iconic book It (his best; undeniable). It is also the plot of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest massive horror novel, in which a band of six summon the ancient, deeply sinister beast King Sorrow from the Endless Night to assist them in vanquishing some antagonists. Unsurprisingly, their otherworldly invocation backfires.

Acknowledging a Literary Lineage

The author launched his profession making great efforts to distance himself from his renowned parent, adopting the nom de plume he continues to employ and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he exhibits a striking resemblance to his parent). Yet with this recent release, he fully acknowledges it. There are lines that intentionally mirror some of King’s most famous (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a moment that brings to mind a signature King element (a battle of wits). In this whopper of a novel, the author rejoices in his family connection, and readers share in the joy.

Introducing the Protagonists

Returning to the group: the majority are scholars at the imagined this academic setting in Maine. First is Arthur, bookish and intelligent, solving historical enigmas in his free moments; another key figure, wealthy, clever, and inclined to bulldoze those who oppose him; the twin siblings; the attractive Allie herself. And there’s Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but assumes a vital role of their group as they experiment, somewhat credulous, half not, in supernatural practices.

The Pivotal Summoning

The protagonist finds himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer valuable volumes from his beloved college library by a set of regional villains. This devastates his scholarly soul, particularly as he’s compelled to seize the collection’s foremost and chilling publication: the diary of occultist Enoch Crane (executed “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the book’s jacket is fashioned from his hide). These young investigators read the journal, learn they can invoke what Crane describes as a “arrogant beast to aid our hero with his coercion issue – and occupy the subsequent narrative reaping the consequences. This ancient entity will indeed rid them of those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they’ll have to choose a fresh offering each year or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As our protagonist states: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is more dragons.”

Genre Dexterity and Imaginative Range

Covering a generation, the author shifts with seamless grace across narrative styles: as the allies attempt to deal with the predicament they find themselves in by, in different ways, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to offer up, or hunting down ways to slay the beast themselves, we transition from thriller to shadowy tale, clandestine torment to love story to terror. A standout transition was to a quest story, deep in the caves under the English county, a segment sprinkled with JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

An Expansive Canvas of Fear and Optimism

We encounter trolls – those living under bridges and internet antagonists, truly terrifying and superbly depicted. There are magical swords and betrayals, breath-taking moments of bravery and scenes of terrible wickedness, both human and otherworldly. It stands as a masterpiece: a chilling book that is chiefly a tribute to the imagination, 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 serpent to life with the strength of their collective will.

According to Joe Hill in his epigraph: “Here be dragons”. Do not overlook this.