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A group of six quirky but brave children confront the way of a vast and terrible otherworldly malevolence that has infiltrated our world from the deepest abyss of shadow. They are compelled to wage a lifelong battle battling it, enduring horror after horror in the process.

A Resonant Premise with a New Approach

This outlines the narrative, in essence, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (his best; no debate). It is also the plot of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent horror doorstopper, in which a close-knit group invoke the ancient, deeply sinister dragon the Dragon King from the Endless Night to help them defeat some baddies. Needless to say, their otherworldly invocation goes awry.

Embracing a Family Heritage

Joseph Hillström King began his writing journey making great efforts to distance himself from his famous father, using the pseudonym he continues to employ and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he bears a strong similarity to his father). However, in his newest work, he fully acknowledges it. There are lines that deliberately echo some of his father’s iconic (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a moment that evokes a signature King element (a battle of wits). Throughout this massive book, Hill is delighting in his family connection, and readers share in the joy.

The Cast of the Protagonists

Back to those friends: most are scholars at the made-up Rackham College in this northeastern locale. There’s Arthur, academic and gifted, deciphering historical enigmas in his free moments; another key figure, wealthy, sharp, and known for crushing those who oppose him; twins Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie. And there’s Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but becomes a key part of their group as they toy, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in the occult.

The Pivotal Ceremony

Arthur is, for reasons we don’t need to go into, compelled to pilfer valuable volumes from his beloved college library by a set of regional villains. This wounds his academic spirit, especially when he’s compelled to seize the collection’s foremost and unsettling work: the logbook of occultist this enigmatic character (put to death “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the cover is crafted from his flesh). These young investigators examine the log, discover they could summon what Crane describes as a armored demon” to assist Arthur with his blackmail problem – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. The dragon will certainly eliminate those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they’ll have to choose a new sacrifice annually or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As Arthur later puts it: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Narrative Dexterity and Creative Scope

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with natural fluency between genres: as the allies endeavor to address the circumstances they find themselves in by, in different ways, picking people who are obviously evil to sacrifice, or seeking means to kill the dragon themselves, we transition from thriller to shadowy tale, clandestine torment to affectionate subplot to fright. A standout transition was to a adventure narrative, deep in the caves under the English county, a segment sprinkled with JRR Tolkien that was magnificently horrifying.

A Rich Canvas of Fear and Hope

The novel features trolls – those living under bridges and internet antagonists, truly terrifying and superbly depicted. The story includes mystic weapons and treacheries, pulse-pounding sequences of valor and scenes of dreadful evil, both human and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a horror novel that is chiefly a tribute to the human inventiveness, and to love and friendship. “We needed a story to believe and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says Colin as the allies gather at the table, getting ready to invoke their dragon into being with the strength of their collective will.

As Hill puts it in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Do not overlook this.