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A group of six quirky but doughty kids confront the trail of a colossal and dreadful supernatural evil that has invaded our realm from the deepest abyss of darkness. They are compelled to devote their lives confronting it, enduring one nightmare after another in the ordeal.

A Resonant Premise with a New Approach

This describes the premise, roughly, of Stephen King’s iconic book It (his best; undeniable). It similarly frames of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent horror doorstopper, in which a band of six invoke the ancient, infinitely malicious serpent the Sorrowful Monarch from the Endless Night to aid them in overcoming some baddies. Unsurprisingly, their otherworldly invocation has unintended consequences.

Embracing a Literary Heritage

The author started his career making great efforts to distance himself from his renowned parent, publishing under the pen name he continues to employ and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he bears a striking resemblance to his dad). But in this latest novel, he fully acknowledges it. Several quotes that intentionally mirror some of his father’s iconic (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a incident that brings to mind a King plot point (a game of puzzles). In this whopper of a novel, the author rejoices in his heritage, and readers share in the joy.

Introducing the Protagonists

Focusing on the companions: five of them are pupils at the made-up this academic setting in this northeastern locale. We have Arthur, bookish and intelligent, solving historical enigmas in his spare time; another key figure, rich, astute, and prone to trampling those who oppose him; Donna and Donovan; the attractive Allie herself. Additionally, Gwen appears, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their group as they toy, partly convinced, partly skeptical, in arcane arts.

The Pivotal Ceremony

The protagonist finds himself, as a result of external pressures, forced into stealing rare books from his beloved college library by a set of regional villains. This tears at his bookish heart, particularly as he’s compelled to seize the library’s most valuable and disturbing title: the diary of adept this enigmatic character (executed “for conspiring with dark forces in 1703”; the binding is made from his skin). The intrepid group peruse the diary, realize they are able to call forth what the author references as a “arrogant beast to help Arthur out with his blackmail problem – and devote the remaining story enduring the repercussions. This ancient entity will undoubtedly remove those troublesome local drug dealers, but they’ll have to choose a different victim each year or become his victim themselves. In the character’s own words: “You invoke terrible forces, all you get is additional horrors.”

Stylistic Versatility and Imaginative Range

Spanning forty years, the author shifts with natural fluency through various literary forms: as the allies strive to manage the situation they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to immolate, or searching for methods to slay the beast themselves, we move between suspense to shadowy tale, covert operations to affectionate subplot to terror. One particularly memorable shift was to a heroic journey, within the subterranean depths under the English county, a part tinged by the Lord of the Rings author that was wonderfully frightening.

A Detailed Canvas of Horror and Hope

The novel features trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and online ones, genuinely frightening and superbly depicted. We see enchanted blades and betrayals, breath-taking moments of bravery and ones of appalling malevolence, both human and supernatural. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is primarily a paean to the creative spirit, 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 sit around the table, preparing to summon their serpent into being with the force of their minds.

In the author’s own words in his epigraph: “Here be dragons”. Do not overlook this.