🔗 Share this article

A group of six quirky but resilient children encounter the path of a colossal and dreadful otherworldly darkness that has infiltrated our existence from the farthest reaches of darkness. They have no choice but to devote their lives fighting it, facing terror upon terror in the process.

A Familiar Plot with a New Spin

This describes the premise, roughly, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (arguably his finest; no arguments). It similarly frames of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest chilling tome, in which six friends summon the ancient, deeply sinister beast King Sorrow from the Abyssal Void to assist them in vanquishing some baddies. Unsurprisingly, their arcane ceremony backfires.

Celebrating a Family Legacy

The author launched his profession going to great lengths 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 exhibits a strong similarity to his parent). However, in his newest work, he leans into it. Certain passages that intentionally mirror some of the senior author’s well-known (that classic opening line); a scene that brings to mind a signature King element (a riddling contest). In this epic story, the author rejoices in his heritage, and readers share in the joy.

The Cast of the Main Characters

Back to those friends: most are students at the fictional the esteemed institution in Maine. There’s Arthur, studious and intelligent, deciphering ancient puzzles in his spare time; the character Colin, affluent, clever, and known for crushing anyone who stands in his way; Donna and Donovan; the stunning Allie herself. Additionally, Gwen appears, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their group as they experiment, partly convinced, somewhat doubtful, in arcane arts.

The Pivotal Summoning

Our hero becomes, for reasons we don’t need to go into, obliged to take valuable volumes from his cherished academic collection by a set of regional villains. This tears at his bookish heart, notably because he’s made to take the institution’s prized and disturbing work: the diary of occultist Enoch Crane (put to death “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the cover is crafted from his flesh). The intrepid group peruse the diary, discover they could summon what the occultist details as a cunning serpent to assist Arthur with his coercion issue – and devote the remaining story reaping the consequences. King Sorrow will indeed rid them of those annoying regional antagonists, but they must select a fresh offering annually or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. In the character’s own words: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Fluidity and Imaginative Range

Spanning forty years, the author shifts with seamless grace between genres: as the companions strive to manage the circumstances they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, choosing undeniably wicked targets to sacrifice, or hunting down ways to kill the dragon themselves, we move between thriller to dark fantasy, clandestine torment to love story to horror. One particularly memorable shift was to a quest story, far beneath the surface below Cornwall, a segment infused with the Lord of the Rings author that was wonderfully frightening.

A Detailed Tapestry of Dread and Courage

We encounter trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and digital trolls, properly scary and expertly realized. We see enchanted blades and treacheries, heart-stopping scenes of valor and ones of dreadful evil, both mortal and extraterrestrial. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is above all a ode to the imagination, and to devotion and companionship. “We longed for a tale to embrace and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says Colin as the companions gather at the table, preparing to summon their dragon to life with the force of their minds.

As Hill puts it in his opening statement: “Here be dragons”. Do not overlook this.