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Six oddball but doughty youngsters encounter the path of a vast and dreadful supernatural darkness that has entered our realm from the deepest abyss of shadow. They must devote their lives confronting it, facing one nightmare after another in the struggle.

A Resonant Premise with a New Twist

This is the plot, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s novel It (a standout in his career; no debate). It is also the plot of Stephen King’s offspring Joe Hill’s latest massive horror novel, in which six friends call forth the primordial, utterly malevolent beast King Sorrow from the Endless Night to aid them in overcoming some villains. As one might expect, their supernatural ritual has unintended consequences.

Acknowledging a Literary Legacy

The author launched his profession striving diligently to distance himself from his famous father, adopting the nom de plume he still uses today and avoiding meeting his agent (he possesses a striking resemblance to his parent). However, in his newest work, he fully acknowledges it. There are lines that consciously reflect some of King’s most famous (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a scene that recalls a recurring theme in King’s works (a game of puzzles). Throughout this massive book, the author rejoices in his lineage, and we delight along with him.

Introducing the Protagonists

Focusing on the companions: the majority are students at the made-up the esteemed institution in the New England state. First is Arthur, bookish and gifted, solving ancient puzzles in his free moments; the character Colin, wealthy, sharp, and prone to trampling those who oppose him; Donna and Donovan; the stunning Allie herself. And there’s Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but assumes a vital role of their group as they toy, half believing, somewhat doubtful, in the occult.

The Critical Ritual

Our hero becomes, for reasons we don’t need to go into, forced into stealing valuable volumes from his treasured institution’s archives by a bunch of local criminals. This wounds his academic spirit, notably because he’s forced to acquire the collection’s foremost and unsettling publication: the journal of occultist Enoch Crane (put to death “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the book’s jacket is crafted from his flesh). The intrepid group examine the log, discover they could summon what the author references as a “arrogant beast to assist Arthur with his extortion dilemma – and spend the rest of the novel facing the fallout. This ancient entity will certainly eliminate those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they must select a different victim each year or fall prey to the beast. As our protagonist states: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Dexterity and Creative Scope

Covering a generation, Hill also moves with natural fluency through various literary forms: as the allies attempt to deal with the circumstances they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to immolate, or searching for methods to destroy the entity themselves, we move between thriller to grim fantasy, covert operations to love story to terror. One particularly memorable shift was to a adventure narrative, far beneath the surface beneath this UK region, a section infused with the fantasy maestro that was gloriously terrifying.

A Detailed Tapestry of Horror and Optimism

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and online ones, truly terrifying and perfectly brought to life. We see enchanted blades and deceptions, heart-stopping scenes of courage and instances of appalling malevolence, both human and otherworldly. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is primarily a ode to the imagination, and to affection and camaraderie. “We needed a story to believe and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says the wealthy student as the companions gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their beast to life with the strength of their collective will.

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