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A group of six unlikely but brave kids confront the trail of a colossal and fearsome otherworldly malevolence that has entered our existence from the deepest abyss of oblivion. They must wage a lifelong battle fighting it, enduring terror upon terror in the ordeal.

A Resonant Plot with a New Spin

This outlines the narrative, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (his best; undeniable). It is also the plot of Stephen King’s offspring Joe Hill’s latest horror doorstopper, in which six friends call forth the age-old, deeply sinister beast the Sorrowful Monarch from the Long Dark to assist them in vanquishing some baddies. As one might expect, their otherworldly invocation has unintended consequences.

Celebrating a Authorial Lineage

Joe Hill launched his profession going to great lengths to distance himself from his renowned parent, publishing under the pen name he still uses today and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he exhibits a strong similarity to his parent). However, in his newest work, he fully acknowledges it. There are lines that deliberately echo some of King’s most famous (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a incident that evokes a recurring theme in King’s works (a game of puzzles). In this epic story, the author rejoices in his family connection, and the audience revels alongside.

Introducing the Protagonists

Back to those friends: five of them are scholars at the fictional Rackham College in Maine. There’s Arthur, studious and brilliant, cracking ancient puzzles in his spare time; another key figure, rich, astute, and known for crushing those who oppose him; Donna and Donovan; the beautiful the lovely Allie. Then we have Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but assumes a vital role of their group as they experiment, somewhat credulous, half not, in arcane arts.

The Pivotal Summoning

The protagonist finds himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, forced into stealing valuable volumes from his beloved college library by a set of regional villains. This tears at his bookish heart, particularly as he’s forced to acquire the institution’s prized and chilling publication: the diary of adept the historical figure (put to death “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the book’s jacket is fashioned from his hide). These young investigators peruse the diary, learn they can invoke what the occultist details as a “proud worm to assist Arthur with his extortion dilemma – and occupy the subsequent narrative reaping the consequences. This ancient entity will undoubtedly remove those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they are required to pick a different victim each year or fall prey to the beast. In the character’s own words: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Genre Fluidity and Inventive Range

Covering a generation, Hill also moves with seamless grace across narrative styles: as the friends strive to manage the circumstances they find themselves in by, in different ways, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to immolate, or seeking means to slay the beast themselves, we transition from suspense to dark fantasy, covert operations to love story to terror. A standout transition was to a heroic journey, deep in the caves under the English county, a segment infused with JRR Tolkien that was magnificently horrifying.

A Rich Tapestry of Dread and Optimism

There are trolls – those living under bridges and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. We see enchanted blades and treacheries, heart-stopping scenes of valor and ones of terrible wickedness, both earthly and extraterrestrial. It’s a tour de force: a chilling book that is chiefly a tribute to the human inventiveness, and to love and friendship. “We required a narrative to trust and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says this character as the allies gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their serpent into existence with the strength of their collective will.

In the author’s own words in his introductory quote: “This is dragon territory”. Don’t miss them.