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A group of six oddball but brave kids encounter the way of a vast and fearsome paranormal darkness that has invaded our realm from the outer limits of darkness. They are compelled to devote their lives battling it, experiencing one nightmare after another in the ordeal.

An Echoing Premise with a New Spin

This is the plot, in essence, of Stephen King’s novel It (his best; undeniable). It is also the plot of Stephen King’s offspring Joe Hill’s recent massive horror novel, in which a band of six call forth the ancient, utterly malevolent serpent the Dragon King from the Abyssal Void to help them defeat some baddies. As one might expect, their otherworldly invocation has unintended consequences.

Acknowledging a Family Lineage

The author began his writing journey making great efforts to remain separate from his well-known dad, adopting the nom de plume he continues to employ and avoiding meeting his agent (he bears a uncanny likeness to his parent). But in this latest novel, he leans into it. There are lines that intentionally mirror some of the senior author’s well-known (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a moment that evokes a recurring theme in King’s works (a riddling contest). In this epic story, the author rejoices in his heritage, and the audience revels alongside.

Meet the Protagonists

Back to those friends: the majority are pupils at the made-up the esteemed institution in this northeastern locale. There’s Arthur, studious and brilliant, cracking Old English riddles in his free moments; Colin, rich, sharp, and prone to trampling obstacles in his path; Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie. Then we have Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but emerges as crucial of their group as they toy, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in arcane arts.

The Critical Ceremony

The protagonist finds himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, forced into stealing valuable volumes from his treasured institution’s archives by a bunch of local criminals. This tears at his bookish heart, especially when he’s compelled to seize the collection’s foremost and chilling title: the journal of practitioner Enoch Crane (put to death “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the book’s jacket is crafted from his flesh). These young investigators examine the log, learn they can invoke what the occultist details as a “arrogant beast to help Arthur out with his extortion dilemma – and devote the remaining story enduring the repercussions. The dragon will indeed rid them of those troublesome local drug dealers, but they must select a new sacrifice every twelve months or fall prey to the beast. As our protagonist states: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is more dragons.”

Genre Dexterity and Imaginative Range

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with effortless ease between genres: as the companions endeavor to address the predicament they find themselves in by, variously, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to offer up, or hunting down ways to kill the dragon themselves, we move between page-turner to shadowy tale, clandestine torment to love story to fright. One particularly memorable shift was to a quest story, far beneath the surface below Cornwall, a part sprinkled with the Lord of the Rings author that was gloriously terrifying.

A Detailed Tapestry of Horror and Courage

There are trolls – those living under bridges and internet antagonists, truly terrifying and superbly depicted. There are magical swords and deceptions, breath-taking moments of bravery and scenes of terrible wickedness, both human and otherworldly. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is primarily a tribute to the imagination, and to affection and camaraderie. “We required a narrative to trust and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says Colin as the friends assemble around a surface, getting ready to invoke their serpent to life with the power of their thoughts.

According to Joe Hill in his opening statement: “Here be dragons”. Ensure you experience it.