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A group of six quirky but brave kids encounter the trail of a colossal and fearsome paranormal evil that has invaded our existence from the deepest abyss of shadow. They must wage a lifelong battle confronting it, facing one nightmare after another in the process.

An Echoing Storyline with a New Approach

This is the plot, in essence, of the master of horror’s seminal work It (arguably his finest; no debate). It is also the plot of the celebrated author’s heir Joe Hill’s latest massive horror novel, in which six friends invoke the primordial, deeply sinister serpent the Sorrowful Monarch from the Long Dark to aid them in overcoming some antagonists. As one might expect, their supernatural ritual goes awry.

Acknowledging a Literary Legacy

Joseph Hillström King started his career making great efforts to remain separate from his well-known dad, adopting the nom de plume he maintains to this day and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he possesses a striking resemblance to his father). However, in his newest work, he leans into it. There are lines that intentionally mirror some of King’s most famous (that classic opening line); a moment that recalls a recurring theme in King’s works (a battle of wits). In this whopper of a novel, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his lineage, and readers share in the joy.

Introducing the Central Figures

Focusing on the companions: most are students at the made-up Rackham College in Maine. We have Arthur, bookish and gifted, deciphering Old English riddles in his free moments; another key figure, wealthy, sharp, and known for crushing anyone who stands in his way; Donna and Donovan; the stunning Allie. Then we have Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their group as they toy, half believing, somewhat doubtful, in supernatural practices.

The Fateful Ceremony

Arthur is, as a result of external pressures, obliged to take rare books from his beloved college library by a set of regional villains. This devastates his scholarly soul, particularly as he’s forced to acquire the library’s most valuable and unsettling publication: the logbook of adept the historical figure (put to death “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the book’s jacket is crafted from his flesh). The intrepid group examine the log, learn they can invoke what the author references as a clever snake to help Arthur out with his extortion dilemma – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. King Sorrow will undoubtedly remove those annoying regional antagonists, but they are required to pick a fresh offering each year or fall prey to the beast. As Arthur later puts it: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is additional horrors.”

Genre Dexterity and Inventive Scope

Spanning forty years, the author shifts with natural fluency 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 seeking means to destroy the entity themselves, we go from page-turner to dark fantasy, clandestine torment to romance to fright. My favorite genre switch was to a adventure narrative, deep in the caves beneath this UK region, a section infused with JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

An Expansive Mosaic of Horror and Courage

The novel features trolls – the classic variety and online ones, properly scary and perfectly brought to life. There are magical swords and treacheries, breath-taking moments of courage and scenes of appalling malevolence, both human and supernatural. It stands as a masterpiece: a chilling book that is primarily a paean to the creative spirit, 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 Colin as the companions gather at the table, preparing to summon their serpent into existence with the strength of their collective will.

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