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Six quirky but brave youngsters confront the trail of a vast and dreadful otherworldly darkness that has invaded our existence from the farthest reaches of shadow. They have no choice but to devote their lives fighting it, facing terror upon terror in the struggle.

An Echoing Premise with a New Spin

This is the plot, in essence, of Stephen King’s iconic book It (his best; undeniable). It similarly frames of Stephen King’s offspring Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent massive horror novel, in which a close-knit group call forth the age-old, deeply sinister beast the Sorrowful Monarch from the Long Dark to assist them in vanquishing some antagonists. As one might expect, their arcane ceremony backfires.

Embracing a Authorial Lineage

Joseph Hillström King started his career going to great lengths to remain separate from his famous father, using the pseudonym he continues to employ and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he possesses a striking resemblance to his dad). But in this latest novel, he leans into it. There are lines that consciously reflect some of his father’s iconic (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a incident that brings to mind a recurring theme in King’s works (a battle of wits). In this epic story, the author rejoices 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 the New England state. First is Arthur, studious and gifted, solving Old English riddles in his free moments; the character Colin, rich, clever, and prone to trampling obstacles in his path; Donna and Donovan; the attractive Allie. Then we have Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their band as they dabble, partly convinced, somewhat doubtful, in supernatural practices.

The Fateful Ritual

Our hero becomes, for reasons we don’t need to go into, compelled to pilfer valuable volumes from his treasured institution’s archives by a group of neighborhood thugs. This tears at his bookish heart, particularly as he’s forced to acquire the collection’s foremost and chilling publication: the diary of adept this enigmatic character (condemned “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the book’s jacket is made from his skin). These young investigators read the journal, learn they can invoke what the occultist details as a armoured devil” to assist Arthur with his coercion issue – and devote the remaining story facing the fallout. The dragon will indeed rid them of those annoying regional antagonists, but they must select a fresh offering each year or become his victim themselves. In the character’s own words: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is more dragons.”

Stylistic Versatility and Imaginative Scope

Moving through four decades, the author shifts with effortless ease through various literary forms: as the companions strive to manage the predicament they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, picking people who are obviously evil to sacrifice, or seeking means to slay the beast themselves, we go from page-turner to dark fantasy, black-ops torture to romance to fright. One particularly memorable shift was to a quest story, deep in the caves beneath this UK region, a section sprinkled with JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

An Expansive Canvas of Horror and Courage

We encounter trolls – those living under bridges and internet antagonists, truly terrifying and perfectly brought to life. The story includes mystic weapons and betrayals, breath-taking moments of bravery and ones of appalling malevolence, both earthly and extraterrestrial. It’s a tour de force: a horror novel that is primarily a tribute to the human inventiveness, 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 serpent to life with the strength of their collective will.

As Hill puts it in his opening statement: “Here be dragons”. Do not overlook this.