🔗 Share this article

Six oddball but resilient children confront the path of a immense and terrible otherworldly evil that has entered our existence from the farthest reaches of shadow. They are compelled to devote their lives battling it, enduring terror upon terror in the process.

A Resonant Premise with a New Spin

This is the plot, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s novel It (arguably his finest; no arguments). It parallels of King’s son Joe Hill’s recent chilling tome, in which a band of six summon the ancient, infinitely malicious beast the Dragon King from the Abyssal Void to help them defeat some baddies. Needless to say, their supernatural ritual goes awry.

Embracing a Literary Lineage

Joe Hill started his career striving diligently to remain separate from his renowned parent, publishing under the pen name he maintains to this day and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he bears a strong similarity to his father). However, in his newest work, he embraces it. Certain passages that consciously reflect some of the senior author’s well-known (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a moment that evokes a King plot point (a battle of wits). Throughout this massive book, the author rejoices in his family connection, and readers share in the joy.

The Cast of the Protagonists

Returning to the group: the majority are pupils at the fictional Rackham College in this northeastern locale. We have Arthur, bookish and gifted, cracking ancient puzzles in his leisure hours; the character Colin, wealthy, sharp, and inclined to bulldoze anyone who stands in his way; the twin siblings; the stunning Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who isn’t their classmate, but emerges as crucial of their band as they experiment, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in supernatural practices.

The Fateful Summoning

Arthur is, as a result of external pressures, obliged to take valuable volumes from his beloved college library by a bunch of local criminals. This devastates his scholarly soul, notably because he’s made to take the library’s most valuable and chilling work: the diary of occultist this enigmatic character (put to death “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the cover is crafted from his flesh). Our Scooby gang peruse the diary, discover they could summon what the occultist details as a “arrogant beast to help Arthur out with his blackmail problem – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. King Sorrow will indeed rid them of those troublesome local drug dealers, but they are required to pick a different victim every twelve months or succumb to the dragon’s wrath. As Arthur later puts it: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is more dragons.”

Genre Fluidity and Creative Breadth

Covering a generation, Joe Hill transitions with effortless ease between genres: as the allies attempt to deal with the situation they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to sacrifice, or seeking means to kill the dragon themselves, we go from thriller to dark fantasy, clandestine torment to affectionate subplot to fright. One particularly memorable shift was to a adventure narrative, within the subterranean depths under the English county, a part sprinkled with the fantasy maestro that was magnificently horrifying.

A Rich Tapestry of Dread and Courage

There are trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and online ones, properly scary and perfectly brought to life. The story includes mystic weapons and treacheries, heart-stopping scenes of courage and ones of appalling malevolence, both earthly and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a frightening tale that is chiefly a ode 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 companions gather at the table, preparing to summon their serpent to life with the power of their thoughts.

As Hill puts it in his opening statement: “Here be dragons”. Ensure you experience it.