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Six unlikely but brave children fall into the trail of a immense and dreadful otherworldly evil that has infiltrated our realm from the deepest abyss of shadow. They have no choice but to devote their lives confronting it, facing terror upon terror in the process.

An Echoing Storyline with a Distinctive Twist

This describes the premise, in essence, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (his best; undeniable). It similarly frames of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest chilling tome, in which a band of six call forth the primordial, utterly malevolent serpent the Dragon King from the Abyssal Void to aid them in overcoming some antagonists. Needless to say, their arcane ceremony goes awry.

Embracing a Literary Lineage

The author began his writing journey striving diligently to avoid any connection from his well-known dad, using the pseudonym he continues to employ and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he possesses a uncanny likeness to his father). But in this latest novel, he fully acknowledges it. Several quotes that deliberately echo some of King’s most famous (that classic opening line); a incident that evokes a King plot point (a battle of wits). In this epic story, Hill is delighting in his lineage, and readers share in the joy.

Introducing the Central Figures

Returning to the group: the majority are pupils at the fictional Rackham College in this northeastern locale. We have Arthur, academic and brilliant, cracking ancient puzzles in his spare time; another key figure, affluent, astute, and prone to trampling anyone who stands in his way; the twin siblings; the attractive Allie. Then we have Gwen, who remains outside their academic circle, but becomes a key part of their group as they experiment, half believing, somewhat doubtful, in supernatural practices.

The Pivotal Ceremony

Arthur is, due to circumstances beyond his control, forced into stealing valuable volumes from his beloved college library by a bunch of local criminals. This wounds his academic spirit, notably because he’s forced to acquire the library’s most valuable and chilling title: the diary of adept the historical figure (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the book’s jacket is crafted from his flesh). The intrepid group peruse the diary, discover they could summon what the occultist details as a armored demon” to assist Arthur with his coercion issue – and spend the rest of the novel facing the fallout. The dragon will indeed rid them of those annoying regional antagonists, but they must select a fresh offering every twelve months or fall prey to the beast. As Arthur later puts it: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is additional horrors.”

Genre Fluidity and Imaginative Breadth

Moving through four decades, Hill also moves with effortless ease across narrative styles: as the companions attempt to deal with the predicament they find themselves in by, in different ways, picking people who are obviously evil 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 fright. My favorite genre switch was to a adventure narrative, within the subterranean depths under the English county, a part sprinkled with JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

A Rich Mosaic of Horror and Optimism

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and online ones, truly terrifying and superbly depicted. There are magical swords and deceptions, pulse-pounding sequences of courage and instances of dreadful evil, both human and supernatural. It’s a tour de force: a horror novel that is above all a tribute to the creative spirit, and to love and friendship. “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 dragon to life with the power of their thoughts.

As Hill puts it in his opening statement: “This is dragon territory”. Ensure you experience it.