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Six quirky but doughty kids fall into the path of a colossal and fearsome paranormal evil that has infiltrated our existence from the outer limits of shadow. They must wage a lifelong battle battling it, enduring one nightmare after another in the ordeal.

A Familiar Storyline with a New Spin

This is the plot, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (a standout in his career; undeniable). It parallels of Stephen King’s offspring Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent chilling tome, in which six friends summon the primordial, infinitely malicious serpent the Dragon King from the Abyssal Void to help them defeat some villains. Needless to say, their otherworldly invocation backfires.

Acknowledging a Family Lineage

Joseph Hillström King started his career going to great lengths to remain separate from his famous father, publishing under the pen name he continues to employ and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he bears a uncanny likeness to his dad). But in this latest novel, he embraces it. There are lines that deliberately echo some of King’s most famous (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a moment that recalls a recurring theme in King’s works (a battle of wits). Throughout this massive book, the author rejoices in his lineage, and we delight along with him.

Meet the Main Characters

Back to those friends: the majority are pupils at the fictional Rackham College in the New England state. First is Arthur, academic and intelligent, solving historical enigmas in his free moments; another key figure, wealthy, clever, and known for crushing anyone who stands in his way; the twin siblings; the attractive Allie. And there’s Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their circle as they dabble, half believing, partly skeptical, in the occult.

The Fateful Ritual

Arthur is, for reasons we don’t need to go into, forced into stealing valuable volumes from his treasured institution’s archives by a set of regional villains. This devastates his scholarly soul, particularly as he’s made to take the institution’s prized and chilling title: the journal of adept Enoch Crane (condemned “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the book’s jacket is crafted from his flesh). These young investigators read the journal, discover they could summon what Crane describes as a armoured devil” to aid our hero with his coercion issue – and spend the rest of the novel facing the fallout. This ancient entity will certainly eliminate those annoying regional antagonists, but they must select a fresh offering every twelve months or fall prey to the beast. As our protagonist states: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is additional horrors.”

Narrative Fluidity and Inventive Range

Spanning forty years, Hill also moves with seamless grace across narrative styles: as the allies endeavor to address the circumstances they find themselves in by, in different ways, choosing undeniably wicked targets to sacrifice, or seeking means to kill the dragon themselves, we move between suspense to grim fantasy, clandestine torment to romance to fright. A standout transition was to a quest story, deep in the caves beneath this UK region, a part sprinkled with JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

A Detailed Mosaic of Fear and Optimism

There are trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and online ones, properly scary and expertly realized. There are magical swords and treacheries, pulse-pounding sequences of bravery and instances of appalling malevolence, both earthly and otherworldly. It’s a tour de force: a chilling book that is above all a paean to the creative spirit, and to devotion and companionship. “We needed a story to believe and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says this character as the allies sit around the table, preparing to summon their dragon into being with the force of their minds.

In the author’s own words in his opening statement: “Here be dragons”. Don’t miss them.