The Dragon's Curse by Joseph Hillstrom King Review – A Fiery Supernatural Epic Is a Tour de Force

Six quirky but doughty children encounter the path of a colossal and dreadful otherworldly darkness that has infiltrated our realm from the farthest reaches of oblivion. They have no choice but to wage a lifelong battle confronting it, experiencing horror after horror in the struggle.

A Familiar Premise with a Fresh Spin

This describes the premise, roughly, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (his best; no debate). It parallels of Stephen King’s offspring Joseph Hillstrom King’s latest horror doorstopper, in which a band of six call forth the ancient, deeply sinister dragon the Dragon King from the Abyssal Void to aid them in overcoming some villains. Needless to say, their otherworldly invocation goes awry.

Celebrating a Authorial Legacy

The author began his writing journey making great efforts to distance himself from his famous father, publishing under the pen name he still uses today and steering clear of encounters with his agent (he possesses a uncanny likeness to his dad). But in this latest novel, he leans into it. Several quotes that intentionally mirror some of the senior author’s well-known (“The man in black fled across the desert …”); a scene that recalls a King plot point (a game of puzzles). Throughout this massive book, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his lineage, and we delight along with him.

Meet the Central Figures

Back to those friends: the majority are scholars at the imagined Rackham College in Maine. First is Arthur, academic and intelligent, solving ancient puzzles in his spare time; the character Colin, wealthy, sharp, and prone to trampling anyone who stands in his way; the twin siblings; the attractive the lovely Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who isn’t their classmate, but assumes a vital role of their circle as they experiment, somewhat credulous, partly skeptical, in arcane arts.

The Critical Summoning

The protagonist finds himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his cherished academic collection by a group of neighborhood thugs. This tears at his bookish heart, particularly as he’s compelled to seize the library’s most valuable and disturbing publication: the logbook of adept Enoch Crane (executed “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the binding is crafted from his flesh). The intrepid group read the journal, realize they are able to call forth what the occultist details as a “arrogant beast to assist Arthur with his blackmail problem – and devote the remaining story facing the fallout. King Sorrow will certainly eliminate those annoying regional antagonists, but they are required to pick a different victim every twelve months or fall prey to the beast. As Arthur later puts it: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is further monstrosities.”

Genre Dexterity and Inventive Range

Spanning forty years, Joe Hill transitions with effortless ease between genres: as the friends strive to manage the circumstances they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, picking people who are obviously evil to immolate, or seeking means to destroy the entity themselves, we move between thriller to dark fantasy, clandestine torment to romance to fright. A standout transition was to a adventure narrative, within the subterranean depths beneath this UK region, a segment tinged by the fantasy maestro that was magnificently horrifying.

An Expansive Mosaic of Horror and Hope

There are trolls – those living under bridges and digital trolls, genuinely frightening and perfectly brought to life. There are magical swords and treacheries, heart-stopping scenes of bravery and instances of appalling malevolence, both mortal and extraterrestrial. It’s a tour de force: a frightening tale that is above all a paean to the creative spirit, and to affection and camaraderie. “We needed a story to believe 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 serpent into being with the force of their minds.

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