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Six quirky but doughty youngsters fall into the way of a colossal and dreadful paranormal malevolence that has invaded our world from the outer limits of shadow. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle confronting it, experiencing horror after horror in the process.

A Resonant Storyline with a New Twist

This is the plot, in essence, of the master of horror’s novel It (his best; no debate). It similarly frames of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s new horror doorstopper, in which a band of six summon the age-old, utterly malevolent serpent King Sorrow from the Abyssal Void to assist them in vanquishing some baddies. Unsurprisingly, their otherworldly invocation backfires.

Acknowledging a Literary Heritage

Joseph Hillström King launched his profession striving diligently to distance himself from his famous father, adopting the nom de plume he continues to employ and avoiding meeting his agent (he possesses a striking resemblance to his parent). But in this latest novel, he embraces it. Several quotes that deliberately echo some of his father’s iconic (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a incident that recalls a signature King element (a riddling contest). Throughout this massive book, the author rejoices in his heritage, and we delight along with him.

The Cast of the Main Characters

Returning to the group: most are students at the imagined Rackham College in Maine. We have Arthur, bookish and gifted, cracking historical enigmas in his free moments; Colin, wealthy, sharp, and prone to trampling those who oppose him; the twin siblings; the attractive the lovely Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who remains outside their academic circle, but emerges as crucial of their circle as they dabble, partly convinced, half not, in the occult.

The Fateful Ceremony

Arthur is, for reasons we don’t need to go into, obliged to take rare books from his treasured institution’s archives by a bunch of local criminals. This tears at his bookish heart, particularly as he’s forced to acquire the institution’s prized and chilling work: the journal of practitioner this enigmatic character (executed “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the cover is made from his skin). Our Scooby gang examine the log, learn they can invoke what the occultist details as a clever snake to assist Arthur with his extortion dilemma – and spend the rest of the novel facing the fallout. This ancient entity will certainly eliminate those troublesome local drug dealers, but they must select a different victim annually or fall prey to the beast. As our protagonist states: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is additional horrors.”

Genre Versatility and Inventive Breadth

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with seamless grace between genres: as the allies endeavor to address the situation they find themselves in by, in different ways, choosing undeniably wicked targets to immolate, or hunting down ways to slay the beast themselves, we go from suspense to grim fantasy, black-ops torture to love story to horror. A standout transition was to a quest story, deep in the caves under the English county, a segment sprinkled with JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

A Rich Canvas of Fear and Hope

The novel features trolls – those living under bridges and digital trolls, truly terrifying and superbly depicted. We see enchanted blades and deceptions, pulse-pounding sequences of bravery and scenes of appalling malevolence, both earthly and supernatural. It stands as a masterpiece: a horror novel that is chiefly a tribute to the imagination, 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 Colin as the friends gather at the table, getting ready to invoke their beast to life with the force of their minds.

In the author’s own words in his epigraph: “This is dragon territory”. Do not overlook this.