In the short span of 33 years how do you think can change, how much greif can you feel, how can I little think make a world of difference?

6 friends find this all out the hard way in one of the best horror fantasy I've read. Each book brings you closer to the friends giving their perspective of how they deal with King Sorrow, while each interlude gives the perspective from one of the friends named Gwen and some background information as well.

I felt very attached from the get go for one reason or another and I enjoyed seeing how my feelings changed for good or bad as the book went on.

What gets me is this could easily be real world scenarios and you'd never know.

8 days to read this 896-page, amazingly complex and multilayered, multifaceted, coming-of-age, contemporary Urban Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Found Family, Friendship, Pride, multiple sociopaths, novel. I should probably require 8 days to write this Review. Regardless, KING SORROW is unforgettable.
Read it, and it'll remain with you, likely forever.

What happens if you mix a group of misfit college kids, a dragon straight out of a nightmare, and a pact that spirals way out of control?

Arthur Oakes is a guy who’s got “outsider” stamped all over him (Hill does love a good underdog). His mom’s in prison, his dad’s MIA, and he’s just trying to keep his head down. But then he sticks up for someone and suddenly he’s tangled up in a scheme to steal rare books from the library. I mean, who hasn’t been there, right? Okay, maybe not, but bear with me. His friends decide the logical next step is to summon a dragon named King Sorrow using a creepy book bound in human skin. Because THAT has never ever gone wrong or lead to demons in the basement or creepy trees who assault people.

I laughed out loud when they first summon King Sorrow, half-expecting it to fail spectacularly like a jaunt into a restaraunt bathroom to summon Bloody Mary in the dark, only to realize they’ve unleashed a problem that demands a human sacrifice every year. Whoops. Could happen to anyone.

What really got me, though, was the heart. This isn’t just a horror show; it’s a story about friendship, loyalty, and the dumb choices we make for the people we love.

Is it perfect? Maybe not. Sometimes it feels like Hill went ahead and packed every idea he’s ever had into one book, but it's Joe Hill at his peak, proving he’s not just Stephen King’s kid but a storyteller in his own right.

I have waited over a decade for a Joe Hill novel and it was worth it. This was his best yet. He is better writer that his father by leaps and bounds.

It's very hard to review a Joe Hill book of this type without making comparisons to his father, Stephen King. This viscerally reminded me of a my 1990s childhood spent reading the door stop works of Stephen King and being equal parts terrified and entranced. This book took me away to a world that wasn't always comfortable, but was never boring. We start with our group of friends who get mixed up in a bad situation, where one of them has to steal rare books from his job (as a librarian currently and someone who worked in a museum where people did steal artifacts and sell them, this was my nightmare) they use unconventional and sorcerous means to get out of trouble, but wind up starting a chain of events that will impact the world by calling forth a dragon from the Long Dark.
I've read quite a few books with multiple perspectives and characters recently that didn't hit the mark, but the characters here were so unique and their voices so distinct that it was a joy. Hill definitely does an incredible job with character studies, as all of these characters, even when they were being heinous felt like real people that I cared very deeply about. This is an early contender to be one of my top books of 2025.

I did not realize this novel was 896 pages long. Horror and thriller ebooks are most enjoyable for me when they are shorter, or else I prefer a physical book. I will definitely look for this one in stores, but this is a long one!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to provide honest feedback! I am grateful to have received an eARC of this book!

Let's start with the fact that this novel is almost 900 pages in length. That can seem intimidating at first glance. I will say that it didn't feel like 900 pages. I was so lost in the story and the amazing zig zagging, twisty, and utterly compelling narrative that the length didn't matter.

Basically, this is about a group of young friends who call forth an evil sadistic dragon during a ritual. They ask for it's help and it agrees...as long as they're willing to give it a human sacrifice. What they don't realize is that they can't put it back and every year, On Easter, they must continue to name someone to die. But there will always be collateral deaths. If the chosen person is in prison, a hospital, or an airplane, many many more people die horrifically.

This stays with them for decades. And it's the lives of these characters which make up the heart of the book. Their secrets, their loves, their deaths, and their betrayals. Some of these events come without warning and is quite the emotional shock to the reader. They're brilliantly written, flawed yet often sympathetic and your feelings will change for some as the book continues.

This is simply an epic terrifying horror novel that's irresistible once you start and I very highly recommend it.

My son is 10, and we share a mutual love for writing. The pride I feel when I read the amazing things he writes is indescribable. I can only imagine how Mr. King feels.

That said, Joe Hill has officially established himself as a standalone paragon. He has illuminated any lingering shadow he still existed within, and has demolished any doubts that remained about his worthiness an authorial entity.

This book is a stalwart giant. It exists somewhere in the netherworld, teetering precariously on the precipice of fantasy, while simultaneously maintaining a foothold in real world horror. It’s long to be sure, but it also knows exactly when its length needs to be tamed. It moves on at just the right times, and pulls you into its next segment with earnest determination.

One look through the Surrealist’s Glass and you’ll see why this book is so special. It demands to be read, reread and read again to fully grasp its complex layers. King Sorrow is a momentously frightening and insipid character. I never thought dragons were scary until I read this. Now, I think I’ll be seeing scaled creatures with forked tongues around every dark corner.

This is a full-scale examination of the human condition and everything that entails. It interrogates the vileness of our baseline instincts. It inquires about justice and bad things happening to bad people. It sifts through the complexities loving those we love, and asks us why it makes us do the things we do.

I consider myself extremely lucky to have received an early copy of this book, and if I’m being honest, I don’t know how anything else will top it this year. It’s that good.

very well-done horror story. it's VERY long, and at points feels longer than it needs to do, but had some pretty strong/effective themes in general. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Just finished reading an advance e-galley of King Sorrow—Joe’s epic 900-pager, due in the fall—and am totally floored by what a brilliant, page-turning success he has created here. That it’s a nonstop thrill ride is no surprise. But it’s so much more—a dazzling and profound meditation on themes of responsibility, loyalty, guilt, and redemption. Joe has truly swung for the fences this time, and he has hit the ball far, far beyond the centerfield fence. A++++

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I've enjoyed Mr. Hill's books and this one did not disappoint. This was less hallucinatory than some of the others, but no less enjoyable because of it. What really grounded the story is the friendship circle, and the history and relationships between the people in this circle. I really enjoyed the characters and character development throughout.

This book was pretty good, I would definitely recommend

~This was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

We meet Arthur, Van, Donna, Colin, Allie, and Gwen back in the 80s, at Maine's prestigious Rackham College. While visiting his mother at a women's prison, bookish Arthur's chance encounter with a couple of local drug dealers changes his and his friends lives. This novel is a beast that spans decades and over 800 pages, following the group after they summon an evil, vengeful dragon to help Arthur escape the situation with his new criminal foes.

There are many twists and turns to this story, and whenever I would start to question the novel's length, a new direction would unfold and I would eagerly be right back in the middle of it all. I devoured this in about four days, and it was a wild ride--fun, creepy, and unexpected in places with hints of dark academia at its core.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

An epic novel that has it all, scares, adventure, romance, told in a nostalgic hopeful manner. This is Joe Hill's best novel yet. You'll be thinking about this one long after you finish it. I'll be recommending this book to everyone I know. Well worth the wait!

Arthur Oakes is an outsider. His mother is in prison, his father is long gone, so he spends his time lost in the legends of English mythology. Then one unintended incident—one moment of standing up for another underdog—leaves his mother in danger and him with orders to steal rare books from the college library. And the events that will unfold from that single act of bravery will lead to slaughter.

Because his gang of six close friends, all outsiders, intend to use a tome bound in human skin in an arcane ritual to summon the notorious dragon-demon King Sorrow to kill their tormentors... They enter into a pact—King Sorrow will kill the couple who have been terrorising the group in exchange for their worship.

But dragons are not to be trusted, and soon they realise this isn't just revenge. They must repeat the ritual every year—including choosing who their King will kill next...

From 1980s Midwest America to 2020s England, King Sorrow is a game-changing horror novel with an unforgettable cast led by six clever, damaged protagonists battling all manner of menaces, both supernatural and all too human—unmissable for fans of Stephen King, Jordan Peele, and Leigh Bardugo.

As weird as this one was, I had a great time reading it. This was my second Joe Hill book after Nos4a2. While I didn't like this one as much, it was still a great read and should be enjoyed by Hill and King fans alike!

Horror fans should start preparing now for this release! This book is a beast! King Sorrow boasts an extensive cast of characters, unbelievable suspense, and some truly scary, creepy moments that left my heart racing. This book is long, but the pacing is spot on. I did find myself growing weary about 2/3 or the way through, just in time for the author to reach out and grab me once again. The plot drives like a freight train and the characters are complex and well developed enough to carry the reader through what is a story full of fear and hopelessness. How this disparate group of individuals come together and and make their way is riveting reading. Add in the philosophical explorations, the title dragon;'s dark wit and the global scope of this story and you get a book that is hard to put down. This is simply excellent storytelling and I cant wait to recommend it to patrons who have a fondness for epic fiction and especially those with a taste for the dark side.