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Six oddball but doughty kids confront the trail of a immense and terrible supernatural evil that has infiltrated our world from the outer limits of darkness. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle fighting it, enduring terror upon terror in the process.

An Echoing Storyline with a Fresh Spin

This is the plot, in essence, of the master of horror’s seminal work It (his best; undeniable). It is also the plot of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent horror doorstopper, in which a close-knit group call forth the age-old, infinitely malicious beast the Sorrowful Monarch from the Abyssal Void to aid them in overcoming some baddies. Needless to say, their supernatural ritual has unintended consequences.

Acknowledging a Literary Heritage

Joseph Hillström King began his writing journey making great efforts to distance himself from his renowned parent, adopting the nom de plume he maintains to this day and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he possesses a uncanny likeness to his parent). But in this latest novel, he embraces it. Certain passages that consciously reflect some of the senior author’s well-known (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a scene that recalls a recurring theme in King’s works (a game of puzzles). In this epic story, Hill is delighting in his heritage, and readers share in the joy.

Meet the Central Figures

Returning to the group: most are pupils at the fictional this academic setting in Maine. First is Arthur, bookish and brilliant, solving Old English riddles in his free moments; the character Colin, rich, astute, and prone to trampling obstacles in his path; Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie. Then we have Gwen, who isn’t their classmate, but becomes a key part of their group as they experiment, partly convinced, half not, in arcane arts.

The Pivotal Ritual

Our hero becomes, for reasons we don’t need to go into, forced into stealing prized manuscripts from his treasured institution’s archives by a group of neighborhood thugs. This tears at his bookish heart, particularly as he’s compelled to seize the institution’s prized and disturbing title: the diary of occultist 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, discover they could summon what the occultist details as a “proud worm to help Arthur out with his coercion issue – and spend the rest of the novel reaping the consequences. King Sorrow will indeed rid them of those annoying regional antagonists, but they must select a new sacrifice each year or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As Arthur later puts it: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Versatility and Inventive Range

Spanning forty years, the author shifts with seamless grace between genres: as the friends strive to manage the predicament they find themselves in by, variously, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to offer up, or hunting down ways to slay the beast themselves, we transition from thriller to shadowy tale, clandestine torment to romance to fright. A standout transition was to a adventure narrative, within the subterranean depths below Cornwall, a section tinged by the fantasy maestro that was wonderfully frightening.

A Rich Tapestry of Dread and Hope

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and digital trolls, properly scary and superbly depicted. The story includes mystic weapons and betrayals, breath-taking moments of valor and ones of appalling malevolence, both human and supernatural. It stands as a masterpiece: a frightening tale that is primarily a tribute to the creative spirit, and to affection and camaraderie. “We needed a story to believe and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says the wealthy student as the companions gather at the table, getting ready to invoke their serpent into existence with the strength of their collective will.

In the author’s own words in his introductory quote: “Here be dragons”. Don’t miss them.