King Sorrow by Joe Hill Review – An Fiery Horror Saga Is a Tour de Force

A group of six quirky but doughty kids fall into the path of a immense and fearsome supernatural darkness that has invaded our existence from the outer limits of oblivion. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle fighting it, experiencing one nightmare after another in the process.

A Familiar Plot with a Fresh Twist

This is the plot, roughly, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (a standout in his career; no arguments). It parallels of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest massive horror novel, in which six friends summon the age-old, deeply sinister serpent the Dragon King from the Endless Night to aid them in overcoming some baddies. Needless to say, their arcane ceremony backfires.

Celebrating a Authorial Lineage

Joe Hill launched his profession making great efforts to remain separate from his renowned parent, publishing under the pen name he maintains to this day and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he possesses a uncanny likeness to his dad). Yet with this recent release, he embraces it. Certain passages that intentionally mirror some of King’s most famous (that classic opening line); a scene that brings to mind a signature King element (a game of puzzles). Throughout this massive book, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his lineage, and readers share in the joy.

Introducing the Protagonists

Back to those friends: the majority are students at the fictional Rackham College in the New England state. There’s Arthur, academic and gifted, cracking ancient puzzles in his leisure hours; Colin, wealthy, astute, and prone to trampling anyone who stands in his way; the twin siblings; the beautiful Allie herself. And there’s 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 Fateful Ceremony

The protagonist finds himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, obliged to take rare books from his cherished academic collection by a bunch of local criminals. This tears at his bookish heart, especially when he’s made to take the collection’s foremost and unsettling publication: the logbook of occultist the historical figure (put to death “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the book’s jacket is crafted from his flesh). Our Scooby gang examine the log, realize they are able to call forth what the occultist details as a clever snake to aid our hero with his blackmail problem – and occupy the subsequent narrative enduring the repercussions. King Sorrow will undoubtedly remove those troublesome local drug dealers, but they’ll have to choose a fresh offering each year or become his victim themselves. As Arthur later puts it: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Stylistic Fluidity and Creative Range

Covering a generation, the author shifts with natural fluency through various literary forms: as the friends attempt to deal with the predicament they find themselves in by, variously, choosing undeniably wicked targets to offer up, or searching for methods to kill the dragon themselves, we move between page-turner to grim fantasy, clandestine torment to love story to terror. A standout transition was to a quest story, within the subterranean depths below Cornwall, a part sprinkled with the Lord of the Rings author that was gloriously terrifying.

A Rich Canvas of Horror and Hope

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and digital trolls, properly scary and perfectly brought to life. We see enchanted blades and deceptions, heart-stopping scenes of courage and instances of dreadful evil, both human and supernatural. This is a remarkable achievement: a frightening tale that is above all a paean to the imagination, and to devotion and companionship. “We required a narrative to trust and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says Colin as the friends gather at the table, making preparations to call forth their beast into existence with the strength of their collective will.

According to Joe Hill in his opening statement: “Hic sunt dracones”. Do not overlook this.