A group of six quirky but doughty children encounter the trail of a colossal and dreadful supernatural malevolence that has infiltrated our existence from the deepest abyss of shadow. They must devote their lives battling it, experiencing one nightmare after another in the ordeal.
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 new massive horror novel, in which a close-knit group call forth the age-old, utterly malevolent serpent the Dragon King from the Endless Night to assist them in vanquishing some baddies. As one might expect, their otherworldly invocation backfires.
Joseph Hillström King started his career going to great lengths to avoid any connection from his well-known dad, publishing under the pen name he maintains to this day and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he possesses a strong similarity to his father). Yet with this recent release, he embraces it. There are lines that intentionally mirror some of his father’s iconic (that classic opening line); a incident that brings to mind a recurring theme in King’s works (a game of puzzles). In this epic story, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his heritage, and we delight along with him.
Focusing on the companions: most are pupils at the made-up the esteemed institution in the New England state. First is Arthur, bookish and gifted, deciphering Old English riddles in his free moments; the character Colin, rich, sharp, and inclined to bulldoze obstacles in his path; twins Donna and Donovan; the attractive Allie. Then we have Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but becomes a key part of their circle as they experiment, half believing, somewhat doubtful, in supernatural practices.
The protagonist finds himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, forced into stealing prized manuscripts from his cherished academic collection by a group of neighborhood thugs. This tears at his bookish heart, especially when he’s compelled to seize the institution’s prized and disturbing publication: the logbook of adept this enigmatic character (put to death “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the book’s jacket is made from his skin). These young investigators examine the log, learn they can invoke what the author references as a clever snake to help Arthur out with his coercion issue – 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 new sacrifice every twelve months or become his victim themselves. In the character’s own words: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is more dragons.”
Moving through four decades, the author shifts with effortless ease through various literary forms: as the friends endeavor to address the situation they find themselves in by, in different ways, choosing undeniably wicked targets to offer up, or searching for methods to slay the beast themselves, we move between page-turner to shadowy tale, covert operations to love story to terror. One particularly memorable shift was to a adventure narrative, far beneath the surface under the English county, a segment sprinkled with JRR Tolkien that was magnificently horrifying.
The novel features trolls – those living under bridges and digital trolls, truly terrifying and expertly realized. There are magical swords and betrayals, heart-stopping scenes of courage and instances of terrible wickedness, both mortal and extraterrestrial. It’s a tour de force: a chilling book that is primarily a tribute to the creative spirit, 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 companions sit around the table, getting ready to invoke their beast into being with the strength of their collective will.
As Hill puts it in his opening statement: “Here be dragons”. Do not overlook this.
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