Back when NOS4A2 was published I seem to recall Joe Hill mentioning that it had started out as an exercise to see if he could write a 'Stephen King' novel. The simple answer was yes, and it ended up working almost as a companion piece to King's Doctor Sleep which was published the same year. Reading King Sorrow you can't help wondering if it also started in a similar fashion. It's packed with King references, some obvious, others more subtle & none that I'm going to spoil here, and shares DNA with one of King's finest: IT. Comparisons are inevitable: Both take place over decades and feature unlikely groups who find themselves tormented by an entity. In IT it's the Losers Club and Pennywise while in King Sorrow it's the Get Even Club and the titular, plummily voiced, dragon King Sorrow. While IT's narrative was split in two taking place thirty years apart, King Sorrow's is more episodic and takes in several encounters with King Sorrow over a forty year or so period. Charting the highs, lows and dissolution of the Get Even Club it never quite hits the highs of King's IT, and the ending's almost as problematic as IT's, but the journey more than makes up for that.

Thanks to NetGalley, Headline and the author for an advance copy.

The horror fantasy-epic mash-up that I’ve been waiting for! Dragons but make it horror? Yes, please!

Basic overview: we follow a group of friends who make a deal with a dark entity called King Sorrow and unwittingly end up in a bargain with him for life.

This is a chunky book and I could not be happier about that! The character development and sections that felt like they could’ve been a novella all on their own were perfection and needed that length. Admittedly there were a few times when I enjoyed some sections more than others but that’s just personal preference based on which character we were with and the setting, etc. but each had its merits and worked in a non-linear, slightly chaotic way (but in the absolute best way).

Some characters I enjoyed more than others, some I loved to hate, but all of them were very well developed and had very distinct personalities and I was able to vividly picture them and know them. I rooted for them, booed at them and cried for them. An emotional connection to characters is a sure sign of a great book for me and this one definitely did that.

I think what worked most for me was the mash-up of horror and fantasy. One chapter we could be reading about seances and curiosity cabinets full of dark items and the next we could be whisked away to a troll cave, then back to another chapter all about the real horrors of alcohol and drug abuse. It’s hard hitting and pulls no punches but it works so well.

A definite favourite of the year!

4.5 stars

When six friends experiment with the occult to aid a friend and carry out a ritual that summons King Sorrow, they end up themselves way over their heads (and then some). He is a cruel, devilish, and frightening dragon who is willing to offer provided he receives something in return. His desire is straightforward: a human sacrifice. However, nothing is easy, and everything has a high cost. The 900 pages went very quickly, and it is almost flawless. Don't let its enormity scare you. Once you begin reading, you won't be able to stop.

It's great to have Joe Hill back after an extended absence. So is King Sorrow worth the wait?

Well, I don't think this is Hill on top form, as other reviewers have stated (see Horns, NOS4A2 for that), but it's still a fun ride and it's to the writer's credit that it really didn't feel like a 900-pager!

The early parts are the weakest for me. I found the transition from college kids larking about to full on supernatural craziness a bit abrupt and implausible. They all seemed happy to accept that dragon-summoning was a thing. Some of the character decisions also seemed to make sense only as a way to bring about certain plot points. And I hated Donna from minute one, but maybe I was meant to.

So, yeah, I was a little underwhelmed. But then things picked up. A section of the book set on a transatlantic flight was an absolute blast! I mean this was nerve-shreddingly fucking great. It felt like a fantastic novella on its own. Another section, dealing with an extended containment, was also tense, heart-rending and powerful. Both sections reminded me of what a great writer Joe Hill is and made me think of his great novella collection, Strange Weather. Maybe he *really* excels when the stories are a little tighter and less epic/rambling?

The Nighswanders were also great antagonists. To be honest, I found this loathsome family a lot more terrifying than King Sorrow, who seemed to vacillate between an Aldi Smaug and a barman from Eastenders.

The ending was OK, although I found some of the inferred crossover to real-world events a little cringe.

All in all, there were several flaws on show in King Sorrow, but it was a hell of a lot of fun.

So, a book about dragons, eh?
They say you should start with the good things and mention the not-so-good things later. So, good things first: this book is an unreal PAGE-TURNER! It’s incredibly engaging, full of twists, interesting characters, lovely insights into history, thought-provoking ideas, and a lot of humor (some of it quite dark!). I never expected it to be this good. I never thought I’d say I loved (!) a book about dragons—one of my least favorite subjects to read about—but I truly loved it! Several times while reading, I thought: wow, amazing, wow, wow, bravo, Joe Hill!

So, “King Sorrow” is a dark fantasy about a group of six friends at Rackham College in Maine. One of them gets into trouble and then there is a desperate (and not quite so serious) plan to use a mysterious, human-skin-bound journal to summon a dragon - King Sorrow - to solve the problem.

But their problems are just about to start! The book’s scope is epic, following the group (and others) across nearly quarter of a century. Hill explores how the burden of their “dragon secret” shapes their lives, friendships and identities. The story is as much about the human condition - loyalty, love, power, corruption, guilt and the weight of responsibility - as it is about dragons and dark magic.

Now, some critiques. There are too many characters. It takes a while to remember who’s who, understand what’s going on between them and keep track of who did what. By the time you’re more or less familiar with everyone - more towards the end of the book - you’ve already forgotten some of their earlier roles and involvement. That said, some characters do stand out. Arthur, for example - I thought he would be the main protagonist. Robin - such a quirky character, loved her! But I wonder if she were included just to tick a certain box. Secondly, the beginning: it’s long. Really, really long. It goes on forever - almost more than 20% of the book - and such a detailed introduction doesn’t really add much to the story. I mean, what takes 200 pages here was summarised in one sentence in the synopsis.

That said, I loved the book! I enjoyed many long evenings with it and have already recommended it to a number of people—both those who love dragons and those who don’t care for them. I think it deserves FIVE stars!

This was a wild ride like Joe Hill is always capable of. Highly recommended for new and veteran fans.

King Sorrow by Joe Hill
It’s a epic fantasy story 900 pages long, so plenty of cups of coffee is needed that being said it’s one of the best fantasy novels i have ever read, plot: Bookworm 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 from the local drug dealers is forced to steal rare books from the college library. And the events that will unfold from that single act of bravery will lead to slaughter. i was kindly given advance ARC copy of this novel by the nice people at NetGalley
#joehill #kingsorrow #epic #fantasy #gripping #gottareadbooks #mustreadbooks #netgalley

DNF at 17% on chapter 30. I tried this from 19/05/25 to 31/05/25.

King Sorrow just wasn’t for me. I wanted to like this mainly because I’ve never read a book by this author before but he seems quite popular. Unfortunately I just wasn’t feeling this. There is something compelling me to read on with this but since I’m not loving it I’ve decided to DNF so I don’t end up giving this a low rating. So many people will love this but I’m just not interested in it.

King Sorrow- Joe Hill ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Can you will something into existence? Joe Hill certainly seems to manage it in this (just under) 1000 page epic novel.

This is a horror tale teetering on fantasy and legend. In true Joe Hill style it’s long and weaves a complicated but easy to follow tale. It’s packed with action, feelings and characters who feel real. Talking of real, real life events and real people appear every now and again which really draw you into the story and make you question life itself.

I absolutely consumed this book, eager to follow the journey of our six protagonists as they make a deal with a dragon, King Sorrow.

It’s beautifully written, strong, powerful but also fun, a few Easter eggs relating back to his dads books (always love to see these) and just a new and modern take on legends and internet trolls.

I was beyond ecstatic to receive this early, as I genuinely was so excited to read it. I’ve already pre-ordered my signed and dedicated copy and I can’t wait to see it in the “flesh” in October.

Characters- 10
Atmosphere- 10
Writing Style- 10
Plot- 10
Intrigue-10
Readability -10
Enjoyment- 10
10

I was very grateful to receive an e-ARC of King Sorrow and thank you so much to Headine for granting my NetGalley ‘wish’. I felt very blessed to be given this advance copy due to the amazing writer that is Joe Hill.

I loved that this book was initially set in the 80s, it was very nostalgic with telephones on the walls and IBM computers. It felt like from a few comments that Joe Hill also likes his cars as there are a few good mentions. There are some really great witty moments in this book that I really enjoyed, the whole thing was really clever and gripping.

This good isn’t my usual genre, I am usually a romance or fun fantasy reader, so the reason for this score is because of how intense this book was, with a thriller vibe which wasn’t my cuppa tea, but this is only because this isn’t my kind of book, however I can really see the merits to it and how people would be obsessed with this if this is the genre that they enjoy.

Wow.
I feel like a book this size needs a well thought out review to match.. but I don't think I have words to justify it.
Two things really shocked me with one:
1. The depth of the characters, and the worlds they all existed in. Somehow they all had their own, but together they were the universe that gave King Sorrow life.. and well a lot more apparently!
2. The unpredictable twists. Whenever I thought "oh here we go, back to a bland narrative where blah blah happens".. NOPE! Driven mostly by each character's flaws/wishes, he managed to write some really complex scenes that blew me away.

I've been meaning to work up to a Joe Hill book for a while now, and being lucky enough to get an ARC of King Sorrow has me dying to read more!

it was amazing

What. A. Book.

I have read many books featuring dragons. Many of them great, but none of them are quite like Joe Hill's 'King Sorrow', which puts a unique twist on these mystical creatures.

The titular dragon is summoned by a group of friends to see off an enemy, but said summoning isn't the one-off event it was expected to be. To avoid being killed themselves, the group must nominate someone for King Sorrow to kill each Easter.

There are so many layers to the story and it cleverly intertwines real-life events with the fantastical. There are some really memorable set piece moments, a smattering of foreshadowing and plenty of brilliant fairy tale elements that had me whooping along out loud. The story moves along at a really satisfying pace and the range of flawed characters allows for plenty of depth and social commentary, being at times humorous and moving.

An absolutely brilliant book which had me engrossed from the very beginning. I haven't had this much fun with a story for a very long time and this is an easy 5 stars!

A massive thank you to NetGalley and Headline for granting my wish with an ARC!

What a book! I slowed my reading down near the end, as I just didn't want it to end (always a sign of a really good book I have found).
The story is amazing in every sense of the word and I fell in love with the main characters. This book made me laugh, cry and every emotion in between. I cannot recommend this book enough. It will stay with me for a long time. Thank you.