A group of friends must confront the ancient dragon they summoned—and the darkness it awakens in themselves.

PLOT SUMMARY:

Arthur Oakes is a reader, a dreamer, and a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters, exceptional library, and beautiful buildings. But his idyll—and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot—is shattered when a local drug dealer and her partner corner him into one of the worst crimes he can imagine: stealing rare books from the college library.

Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for comfort and help. Together they dream up a wild, fantastical scheme to free Arthur from the cruel trap in which he finds himself. Wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren suggests using the unnerving Crane journal (bound in the skin of its author) to summon a dragon to do their bidding. The others—brave, beautiful Alison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen—don’t hesitate to join Colin in an effort to smash reality and bring a creature of the impossible into our world.

But there’s nothing simple about dealing with dragons, and their pact to save Arthur becomes a terrifying bargain in which the six must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow every year—or become his next meal.

GRADE: A

REVIEW:

I’ve loved all of Joe Hill’s previous books, and King Sorrow was no exception. Part fantasy and part horror, the story follows a group of college students who accidentally summon a dragon using an ancient text. At first, they use the dragon to eliminate someone who was tormenting the protagonist, Arthur. But things quickly spiral out of control when they realize the dragon—known as King Sorrow—demands a yearly sacrifice to remain satisfied. As the pressure mounts, the group of friends begins to fracture. How do you get rid of an ancient dragon once it’s been unleashed?

Joe Hill’s King Sorrow is a gripping, imaginative tale that blends horror, fantasy, and emotional depth with signature Hill flair. At its core, this novel isn’t just about an ancient, malevolent dragon awakening from centuries of slumber—it’s about the enduring strength of friendship in the face of overwhelming darkness.

Hill masterfully crafts a world where sorrow itself becomes a living force, embodied in a terrifying, ancient dragon that feeds on despair. But it’s the unlikely bond between the central characters—a band of flawed but fiercely loyal friends—that gives the story its beating heart. Their journey to confront the beast becomes as much a fight against personal demons as it is against the fire-breathing horror that threatens to devour everything.

King Sorrow explores how connection and loyalty can be a light in the darkest places. The characters don’t just try to slay the dragon; they struggle to carry one another through grief, guilt, and fear. It’s this emotional weight, balanced with Hill’s tight pacing and chilling prose, that makes the book unforgettable.

A story of terror, yes—but also a story of hope, sacrifice, and the power of standing together.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley & William Murrow for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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