🔗 Share this article

Six unlikely but resilient children confront the trail of a vast and dreadful paranormal evil that has infiltrated our realm from the deepest abyss of shadow. They are compelled to devote their lives fighting it, experiencing terror upon terror in the struggle.

An Echoing Premise with a Fresh Spin

This outlines the narrative, in essence, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (arguably his finest; no debate). It is also the plot of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent horror doorstopper, in which a band of six invoke the age-old, infinitely malicious beast the Sorrowful Monarch from the Endless Night to aid them in overcoming some baddies. As one might expect, their supernatural ritual has unintended consequences.

Acknowledging a Authorial Legacy

Joseph Hillström King started his career striving diligently to avoid any connection from his well-known dad, using the pseudonym he continues to employ and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he possesses a striking resemblance to his father). Yet with this recent release, he embraces it. There are lines that intentionally mirror some of King’s most famous (that classic opening line); a scene that recalls a signature King element (a battle of wits). In this epic story, the author rejoices in his heritage, and we delight along with him.

The Cast of the Protagonists

Back to those friends: the majority are students at the fictional this academic setting in the New England state. First is Arthur, bookish and intelligent, cracking Old English riddles in his leisure hours; the character Colin, affluent, sharp, and known for crushing those who oppose him; twins Donna and Donovan; the beautiful the lovely Allie. And there’s Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but emerges as crucial of their band as they toy, half believing, half not, in supernatural practices.

The Pivotal Summoning

Arthur is, due to circumstances beyond his control, obliged to take rare books from his treasured institution’s archives by a bunch of local criminals. This devastates his scholarly soul, particularly as he’s made to take the institution’s prized and disturbing title: the journal of adept Enoch Crane (put to death “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the binding is fashioned from his hide). The intrepid group read the journal, discover they could summon what the occultist details as a clever snake to aid our hero with his extortion dilemma – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. The dragon will indeed rid them of those troublesome local drug dealers, but they are required to pick a new sacrifice every twelve months or fall prey to the beast. In the character’s own words: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is more dragons.”

Genre Dexterity and Imaginative Breadth

Moving through four decades, Hill also moves with natural fluency through various literary forms: as the allies attempt to deal with the predicament they find themselves in by, in different ways, choosing undeniably wicked targets to sacrifice, or seeking means to slay the beast themselves, we go from suspense to grim fantasy, covert operations to affectionate subplot to terror. One particularly memorable shift was to a heroic journey, far beneath the surface below Cornwall, a segment infused with JRR Tolkien that was magnificently horrifying.

A Rich Tapestry of Dread and Optimism

The novel features trolls – the classic variety and internet antagonists, properly scary and superbly depicted. We see enchanted blades and betrayals, pulse-pounding sequences of bravery and ones of dreadful evil, both mortal and supernatural. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is above all a ode to the human inventiveness, and to affection and camaraderie. “We longed for a tale to embrace and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says this character as the allies sit around the table, making preparations to call forth their serpent into being with the power of their thoughts.

As Hill puts it in his introductory quote: “Here be dragons”. Ensure you experience it.