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A group of six unlikely but brave youngsters encounter the way of a vast and dreadful otherworldly malevolence that has invaded our realm from the farthest reaches of oblivion. They have no choice but to devote their lives confronting it, experiencing horror after horror in the process.

A Familiar Premise with a Fresh Spin

This is the plot, in essence, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (a standout in his career; undeniable). It similarly frames of Stephen King’s offspring Joe Hill’s recent chilling tome, in which a close-knit group invoke the primordial, infinitely malicious serpent King Sorrow from the Long Dark to aid them in overcoming some baddies. Needless to say, their otherworldly invocation goes awry.

Embracing a Authorial Legacy

Joe Hill launched his profession striving diligently to distance himself from his renowned parent, publishing under the pen name he maintains to this day and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he possesses a striking resemblance to his father). However, in his newest work, he leans into it. Several quotes that consciously reflect some of the senior author’s well-known (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a scene that evokes a King plot point (a riddling contest). In this whopper of a novel, the author rejoices in his family connection, and we delight along with him.

Introducing the Main Characters

Returning to the group: most are students at the imagined Rackham College in Maine. First is Arthur, studious and intelligent, cracking Old English riddles in his spare time; Colin, affluent, astute, and known for crushing those who oppose him; Donna and Donovan; the stunning Allie herself. Then we have Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but assumes a vital role of their circle as they dabble, half believing, half not, in the occult.

The Critical Summoning

Arthur is, due to circumstances beyond his control, obliged to take prized manuscripts from his treasured institution’s archives by a group of neighborhood thugs. This devastates his scholarly soul, especially when he’s forced to acquire the collection’s foremost and disturbing title: the journal of adept this enigmatic character (put to death “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the binding is fashioned from his hide). The intrepid group examine the log, discover they could summon what Crane describes as a armoured devil” to assist Arthur with his coercion issue – and occupy the subsequent narrative facing the fallout. King Sorrow will indeed rid them of those troublesome local drug dealers, but they must select a new sacrifice annually or fall prey to the beast. As Arthur later puts it: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is additional horrors.”

Stylistic Fluidity and Imaginative Scope

Spanning forty years, Hill also moves with seamless grace between genres: as the allies endeavor to address the situation they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, choosing undeniably wicked targets to immolate, or seeking means to destroy the entity themselves, we go from thriller to grim fantasy, clandestine torment to love story to terror. A standout transition was to a quest story, deep in the caves under the English county, a section sprinkled with the fantasy maestro that was magnificently horrifying.

A Rich Mosaic of Dread and Optimism

There are trolls – the classic variety and digital trolls, properly scary and expertly realized. There are magical swords and deceptions, heart-stopping scenes of valor and instances of terrible wickedness, both human and extraterrestrial. It’s a tour de force: a chilling book that is primarily a tribute to the imagination, 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 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 opening statement: “Hic sunt dracones”. Do not overlook this.