🔗 Share this article

Six oddball but resilient kids encounter the way of a vast and fearsome otherworldly evil that has invaded our realm from the farthest reaches of darkness. They are compelled to devote their lives battling it, enduring horror after horror in the process.

A Familiar Premise with a New Twist

This outlines the narrative, in essence, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (his best; no arguments). It is also the plot of the celebrated author’s heir Joe Hill’s latest chilling tome, in which a close-knit group summon the ancient, infinitely malicious serpent the Dragon King from the Abyssal Void to help them defeat some baddies. Needless to say, their otherworldly invocation backfires.

Acknowledging a Authorial Heritage

The author started his career going to great lengths to remain separate from his renowned parent, adopting the nom de plume he still uses today and avoiding meeting his agent (he possesses a strong similarity to his dad). However, in his newest work, he fully acknowledges it. Several quotes that intentionally mirror some of the senior author’s well-known (that classic opening line); a moment that brings to mind a signature King element (a battle of wits). In this epic story, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his lineage, and the audience revels alongside.

Meet the Protagonists

Returning to the group: the majority are students at the fictional Rackham College in the New England state. We have Arthur, bookish and brilliant, cracking Old English riddles in his leisure hours; another key figure, wealthy, clever, and prone to trampling anyone who stands in his way; the twin siblings; the stunning Allie herself. Then we have Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but assumes a vital role of their group as they experiment, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in the occult.

The Pivotal Summoning

Our hero becomes, for reasons we don’t need to go into, forced into stealing prized manuscripts from his beloved college library by a set of regional villains. This wounds his academic spirit, notably because he’s compelled to seize the institution’s prized and chilling publication: the logbook of practitioner the historical figure (executed “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the book’s jacket is fashioned from his hide). The intrepid group read the journal, learn they can invoke what Crane describes as a “arrogant beast to assist Arthur with his blackmail problem – and devote the remaining story enduring the repercussions. The dragon will undoubtedly remove those troublesome local drug dealers, but they’ll have to choose a different victim annually or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As our protagonist states: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is additional horrors.”

Narrative Fluidity and Creative Breadth

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with effortless ease across narrative styles: as the companions endeavor to address the circumstances they find themselves in by, in different ways, choosing undeniably wicked targets to sacrifice, or hunting down ways to slay the beast themselves, we go from page-turner to grim fantasy, covert operations to romance to terror. A standout transition was to a quest story, far beneath the surface below Cornwall, a part sprinkled with the Lord of the Rings author that was gloriously terrifying.

A Rich Canvas of Horror and Hope

The novel features trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and internet antagonists, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. The story includes mystic weapons and betrayals, heart-stopping scenes of valor and instances of terrible wickedness, both earthly and otherworldly. This is a remarkable achievement: a horror novel that is chiefly 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 the wealthy student as the companions gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their serpent into being with the power of their thoughts.

According to Joe Hill in his introductory quote: “Hic sunt dracones”. Don’t miss them.