King Sorrow

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Joe Hill, a chilling tale of modern-world dangers, dark academia, and the unexpected consequences of revenge as six friends dabble in the occult and are tragically, horrifyingly successful... calling forth an evil entity that demands regular human sacrifice.

"A brilliantly Faustian fable with a heart as huge as a dragon's, and a stinging twist in its tail. I devoured it." --Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in Suite 11

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.

Author: Joe Hill
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Published: 10/21/2025
Pages: 896
Binding Type: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780062200600


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 07/01/2025 pg. 6
Publishers Weekly 08/11/2025
Booklist 08/01/2025
Kirkus Reviews 08/15/2025
BookPage 10/01/2025

About the Author
Hill, Joe: -

Joe Hill is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels (King Sorrow, The Fireman, NOS4A2, Horns, Heart-Shaped Box), fiction collections (Strange Weather, Full Throttle, 20th Century Ghosts), and a comic-book series (Locke & Key). Much of his work has been adapted for film and TV.