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Six quirky but doughty youngsters fall into the path of a colossal and dreadful supernatural malevolence that has infiltrated our existence from the farthest reaches of oblivion. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle fighting it, experiencing terror upon terror in the process.

A Resonant Premise with a New Approach

This is the plot, roughly, of Stephen King’s novel It (a standout in his career; no arguments). It is also the plot of King’s son Joe Hill’s recent massive horror novel, in which six friends invoke the primordial, deeply sinister serpent the Sorrowful Monarch from the Long Dark to assist them in vanquishing some antagonists. As one might expect, their supernatural ritual has unintended consequences.

Acknowledging a Authorial Heritage

The author launched his profession going to great lengths to distance himself from his well-known dad, using the pseudonym he maintains to this day and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he possesses a striking resemblance to his dad). However, in his newest work, he leans into it. Certain passages that consciously reflect some of his father’s iconic (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a incident that recalls a King plot point (a battle of wits). In this whopper of a novel, the author rejoices in his lineage, and we delight along with him.

Meet the Protagonists

Returning to the group: five of them are scholars at the imagined this academic setting in this northeastern locale. We have Arthur, bookish and intelligent, deciphering historical enigmas in his spare time; another key figure, rich, clever, and known for crushing obstacles in his path; Donna and Donovan; the beautiful the lovely Allie. Then we have Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but emerges as crucial of their circle as they experiment, half believing, half not, in arcane arts.

The Pivotal Summoning

Our hero becomes, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer valuable volumes from his beloved college library by a bunch of local criminals. This tears at his bookish heart, particularly as he’s forced to acquire the library’s most valuable and disturbing title: the logbook of adept this enigmatic character (condemned “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the book’s jacket is fashioned from his hide). The intrepid group examine the log, realize they are able to call forth what the author references as a cunning serpent to help Arthur out with his coercion issue – and occupy the subsequent narrative facing the fallout. This ancient entity will indeed rid them of those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they must select a new sacrifice every twelve months or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. In the character’s own words: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is additional horrors.”

Stylistic Fluidity and Inventive Scope

Moving through four decades, the author shifts with seamless grace between genres: as the companions endeavor to address the situation they find themselves in by, in different ways, picking people who are obviously evil to offer up, or hunting down ways to destroy the entity themselves, we move between suspense to dark fantasy, covert operations to love story to fright. My favorite genre switch was to a adventure narrative, far beneath the surface below Cornwall, a segment infused with the fantasy maestro that was magnificently horrifying.

An Expansive Mosaic of Horror and Optimism

The novel features trolls – the classic variety and internet antagonists, truly terrifying and superbly depicted. The story includes mystic weapons and betrayals, pulse-pounding sequences of courage and ones of dreadful evil, both human and otherworldly. It’s a tour de force: a chilling book that is primarily a paean 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 Colin as the allies sit around the table, getting ready to invoke their dragon into existence with the power of their thoughts.

According to Joe Hill in his introductory quote: “This is dragon territory”. Do not overlook this.