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Six oddball but resilient youngsters encounter the trail of a colossal and dreadful otherworldly malevolence that has entered our world from the deepest abyss of oblivion. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle confronting it, experiencing horror after horror in the struggle.

A Familiar Storyline with a Fresh Twist

This outlines the narrative, roughly, of Stephen King’s iconic book It (a standout in his career; no arguments). It is also the plot of King’s son Joe Hill’s recent chilling tome, in which a band of six call forth the primordial, infinitely malicious beast the Sorrowful Monarch from the Abyssal Void to help them defeat some antagonists. As one might expect, their otherworldly invocation goes awry.

Acknowledging a Family Heritage

The author launched his profession making great efforts to distance himself from his well-known dad, using the pseudonym he still uses today and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he possesses a uncanny likeness to his parent). But in this latest novel, he embraces it. There are lines that deliberately echo some of his father’s iconic (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a scene that evokes a signature King element (a game of puzzles). In this whopper of a novel, Hill is delighting in his heritage, and we delight along with him.

The Cast of the Central Figures

Returning to the group: most are students at the fictional Rackham College in Maine. We have Arthur, academic and intelligent, deciphering historical enigmas in his free moments; another key figure, rich, astute, and known for crushing obstacles in his path; Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie. Then we have Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but emerges as crucial of their group as they toy, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in arcane arts.

The Critical Ritual

The protagonist finds himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, forced into stealing rare books from his cherished academic collection by a bunch of local criminals. This tears at his bookish heart, especially when he’s forced to acquire the collection’s foremost and chilling work: the diary of occultist the historical figure (executed “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the book’s jacket is made from his skin). The intrepid group read the journal, learn they can invoke what the occultist details as a “arrogant beast to assist Arthur with his extortion dilemma – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. King Sorrow will certainly eliminate those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they’ll have to choose a fresh offering every twelve months or fall prey to the beast. As Arthur later puts it: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Dexterity and Imaginative Scope

Moving through four decades, Hill also moves with natural fluency across narrative styles: as the friends endeavor to address the predicament they find themselves in by, in different ways, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to sacrifice, or seeking means to kill the dragon themselves, we go from suspense to dark fantasy, clandestine torment to affectionate subplot to fright. One particularly memorable shift was to a heroic journey, far beneath the surface under the English county, a section tinged by the fantasy maestro that was magnificently horrifying.

A Rich Tapestry of Dread and Optimism

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and expertly realized. The story includes mystic weapons and treacheries, breath-taking moments of courage and instances of appalling malevolence, both human and otherworldly. This is a remarkable achievement: a frightening tale that is chiefly a tribute to the imagination, 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 the wealthy student as the allies sit around the table, getting ready to invoke their beast into existence with the power of their thoughts.

As Hill puts it in his opening statement: “Hic sunt dracones”. Do not overlook this.