The Dragon's Curse by Joseph Hillstrom King Review – A Dragon-Fired Supernatural Saga Is a Tour de Force

A group of six oddball but doughty kids confront the way of a colossal and dreadful supernatural darkness that has entered our realm from the deepest abyss of oblivion. They are compelled to devote their lives confronting it, enduring one nightmare after another in the process.

A Familiar Storyline with a New Approach

This describes the premise, roughly, of Stephen King’s seminal work It (arguably his finest; no arguments). It parallels of the celebrated author’s heir Joe Hill’s recent massive horror novel, in which a band of six call forth the age-old, utterly malevolent serpent the Sorrowful Monarch from the Long Dark to aid them in overcoming some antagonists. Unsurprisingly, their supernatural ritual has unintended consequences.

Celebrating a Literary Lineage

Joseph Hillström King started his career making great efforts to distance himself from his renowned parent, publishing under the pen name he continues to employ and avoiding meeting his agent (he bears a striking resemblance to his father). But in this latest novel, he leans into it. Certain passages that intentionally mirror some of the senior author’s well-known (the famous Dark Tower introduction); a moment that evokes a King plot point (a riddling contest). Throughout this massive book, Joe Hill takes pleasure in his family connection, and we delight along with him.

Introducing the Main Characters

Returning to the group: five of them are scholars at the imagined the esteemed institution in this northeastern locale. There’s Arthur, bookish and gifted, deciphering ancient puzzles in his free moments; the character Colin, wealthy, sharp, and inclined to bulldoze anyone who stands in his way; twins Donna and Donovan; the attractive the lovely Allie. Additionally, Gwen appears, who remains outside their academic circle, but becomes a key part of their circle as they dabble, somewhat credulous, somewhat doubtful, in the occult.

The Pivotal Ceremony

The protagonist finds himself, for reasons we don’t need to go into, forced into stealing rare books from his treasured institution’s archives by a set of regional villains. This devastates his scholarly soul, notably because he’s made to take the library’s most valuable and unsettling title: the logbook of practitioner Enoch Crane (condemned “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the binding is crafted from his flesh). Our Scooby gang examine the log, discover they could summon 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 problematic neighborhood criminals, but they’ll have to choose a different victim annually or fall prey to the beast. In the character’s own words: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is more dragons.”

Genre Versatility and Inventive Breadth

Moving through four decades, the author shifts with seamless grace between genres: as the friends endeavor to address the circumstances they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, choosing undeniably wicked targets to immolate, or searching for methods to destroy the entity themselves, we go from thriller to dark fantasy, black-ops torture to affectionate subplot to fright. My favorite genre switch was to a adventure narrative, far beneath the surface below Cornwall, a section sprinkled with the Lord of the Rings author that was gloriously terrifying.

A Detailed Tapestry of Dread and Hope

The novel features trolls – the classic variety and online ones, truly terrifying and perfectly brought to life. We see enchanted blades and deceptions, heart-stopping scenes of courage and scenes of terrible wickedness, both human and otherworldly. This is a remarkable achievement: a chilling book that is chiefly a tribute to the human inventiveness, and to love and friendship. “We needed a story to believe and {now we’ve got one|presently we possess it|currently we hold it,” says the wealthy student as the allies gather at the table, preparing to summon their dragon into being with the strength of their collective will.

In the author’s own words in his opening statement: “Here be dragons”. Ensure you experience it.