King Sorrow by Joseph Hillstrom King Review – A Dragon-Fired Supernatural Saga Is a Tour de Force

A group of six quirky but doughty children confront the path of a immense and fearsome paranormal evil that has invaded our existence from the outer limits of darkness. They have no choice but to spend their lifetimes fighting it, facing terror upon terror in the struggle.

A Resonant Storyline with a Fresh Approach

This is the plot, broadly speaking, of Stephen King’s iconic book It (his best; undeniable). It is also the plot of the celebrated author’s heir Joseph Hillstrom King’s recent chilling tome, in which six friends call forth the ancient, infinitely malicious beast the Dragon King from the Endless Night to assist them in vanquishing some villains. Unsurprisingly, their arcane ceremony goes awry.

Embracing a Authorial Heritage

Joseph Hillström King started his career making great efforts to distance himself from his well-known dad, publishing under the pen name he still uses today and eschewing in-person meetings with his agent (he possesses a strong similarity to his father). Yet with this recent release, he embraces it. Several quotes that intentionally mirror some of King’s most famous (that classic opening line); a scene that recalls a signature King element (a game of puzzles). In this whopper of a novel, Hill is delighting in his lineage, and readers share in the joy.

Introducing the Main Characters

Back to those friends: most are pupils at the fictional the esteemed institution in Maine. There’s Arthur, studious and brilliant, deciphering ancient puzzles in his spare time; the character Colin, affluent, clever, and known for crushing those who oppose him; twins Donna and Donovan; the beautiful Allie herself. Additionally, Gwen appears, who doesn’t study with them, but assumes a vital role of their band as they experiment, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in the occult.

The Pivotal Summoning

Arthur is, for reasons we don’t need to go into, obliged to take valuable volumes from his cherished academic collection by a bunch of local criminals. This tears at his bookish heart, particularly as he’s forced to acquire the collection’s foremost and disturbing work: the logbook of practitioner Enoch Crane (executed “for dealing with infernal entities in 1703”; the cover is fashioned from his hide). Our Scooby gang examine the log, discover they could summon what the author references as a “arrogant beast to help Arthur out with his extortion dilemma – and spend the rest of the novel reaping the consequences. The dragon will certainly eliminate those problematic neighborhood criminals, but they must select a fresh offering annually or become his victim themselves. In the character’s own words: “You sow dragon’s teeth, all you get is more dragons.”

Stylistic Versatility and Inventive Scope

Spanning forty years, the author shifts with effortless ease through various literary forms: as the companions endeavor to address the situation they find themselves in by, variously, picking people who are obviously evil to offer up, or hunting down ways to destroy the entity themselves, we move between page-turner to shadowy tale, black-ops torture to romance to horror. One particularly memorable shift was to a adventure narrative, deep in the caves below Cornwall, a segment infused with the Lord of the Rings author that was magnificently horrifying.

An Expansive Tapestry of Fear and Optimism

There are trolls – bridge-dwelling ones and online ones, properly scary and expertly realized. We see enchanted blades and deceptions, heart-stopping scenes of valor and scenes of appalling malevolence, both earthly and extraterrestrial. It stands as a masterpiece: a chilling book that is primarily a ode to the human inventiveness, and to affection and camaraderie. “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 allies sit around the table, preparing to summon their beast into being with the power of their thoughts.

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