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

A group of six oddball but brave children confront the trail of a vast and fearsome paranormal evil that has invaded our world from the deepest abyss of oblivion. They are compelled to devote their lives battling it, enduring horror after horror in the struggle.

A Resonant Premise with a Fresh Twist

This outlines the narrative, broadly speaking, of the master of horror’s iconic book It (a standout in his career; no debate). It is also the plot of King’s son Joseph Hillstrom King’s new chilling tome, in which six friends summon the age-old, deeply sinister serpent the Dragon King from the Abyssal Void to aid them in overcoming some baddies. Needless to say, their otherworldly invocation goes awry.

Celebrating a Family Lineage

Joe Hill launched his profession going to great lengths 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 bears a uncanny likeness to his parent). But in this latest novel, he leans into it. There are lines that deliberately echo some of the senior author’s well-known (that classic opening line); a incident that recalls a signature King element (a riddling contest). Throughout this massive book, the author rejoices in his heritage, and the audience revels alongside.

Meet the Central Figures

Returning to the group: most are pupils at the made-up Rackham College in the New England state. First is Arthur, academic and brilliant, deciphering Old English riddles in his leisure hours; another key figure, wealthy, astute, and prone to trampling those who oppose him; twins Donna and Donovan; the attractive Allie herself. And there’s Gwen, who doesn’t study with them, but assumes a vital role of their band as they dabble, somewhat credulous, half not, in the occult.

The Pivotal Summoning

Our hero becomes, due to circumstances beyond his control, compelled to pilfer prized manuscripts from his cherished academic collection by a group of neighborhood thugs. This wounds his academic spirit, notably because he’s forced to acquire the institution’s prized and disturbing work: the logbook of occultist Enoch Crane (put to death “for trafficking with the devyll in 1703”; the binding is crafted from his flesh). The intrepid group examine the log, discover they could summon what the author references as a “proud worm to help Arthur out with his extortion dilemma – and occupy the subsequent narrative reaping the consequences. King Sorrow will indeed rid them of those annoying regional antagonists, but they are required to pick a new sacrifice annually or become his victim themselves. As Arthur later puts it: “You plant seeds of destruction, all you get is additional horrors.”

Genre Fluidity and Imaginative Range

Covering a generation, Hill also moves with natural fluency through various literary forms: as the friends endeavor to address the circumstances they find themselves in by, through diverse methods, selecting clearly malevolent individuals to sacrifice, or hunting down ways to kill the dragon themselves, we move between page-turner to dark fantasy, black-ops torture to affectionate subplot to terror. One particularly memorable shift was to a heroic journey, within the subterranean depths below Cornwall, a section infused with JRR Tolkien that was gloriously terrifying.

An Expansive Canvas of Horror and Courage

We encounter trolls – the classic variety and online ones, truly terrifying and superbly depicted. There are magical swords and deceptions, heart-stopping scenes of courage and instances of appalling malevolence, both mortal and supernatural. It’s a tour de force: a horror novel that is primarily a tribute to the creative spirit, 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 to life with the force of their minds.

As Hill puts it in his introductory quote: “This is dragon territory”. Don’t miss them.