This book had me invested from the very first chapter! king sorrow was fast paced from the start and I’ve been looking forward picking it up every day!
It’s a mammoth of a book at 895 pages, around the 500 odd mark, I felt the story could have been wrapped up and it started to feel like a real slog to read.
However I really enjoyed all the different paths this story went down. The character development is well done and I can imagine this would make a great movie!
Truly original and fantastic, worth the read!

This is a big old book full of damaged and imperfect characters which I love! Creepy, nerve wracking and tense at times, a really good read!

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!

With many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow, a monster of a book in every way. King Sorrow is Joe Hills first novel since the awesome The Fireman almost 10,years ago and it’s epic in scale and in size. Spanning over thirty years King Sorrow follows the lives of a group of friends who summon a dragon from the Long Dark to help solve a situation. The summoning leads to far more than any of them bargained for. King Sorrow is Joe Hills best novel and when you consider his awesome back catalogue, that’s really saying something.

Wow! A long time coming, but well worth the wait.

Supreme storytelling, and a brilliantly written book. Even after almost 900 epic pages, I still wanted more. An emotional rollercoaster that keeps the reader enthralled and breathless.

What starts off as a college kids story evolves into a masterpiece of suspense and horror. With a cast of seemingly hundreds, it takes a while to get straight who’s who, but when they click they stay around for long after the book is finished.

It’s unfair to compare authors, and suffice to say that this writer is his own man, but is also a (not so little) chip off the old block.

A favourite author, but this book excels. Outstanding, worth way more stars than a measly 5!

Thank you NetGalley and Headline.

Another absolutely fantastic piece of fiction from this author! I have been a big fan for a while and this book made it so hard to stop reading! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

I'm fairly new to Joe Hill's stories but am fast becoming a fan.
This was a great read, switching between the views of each character. I found ,myself being drawn into the story and looking forward to picking it back up.
It is a looonnngg read though but worth the perseverance.

2
My Books
Browse ▾
Community ▾
Liz Barnsley rated a book it was amazing
less than a minute ago

King Sorrow
by Joe Hill (Goodreads Author)
Read
One of the most imaginative, darkly observant, clever pieces of fiction I have read.

Generally I've found Joe Hill to be crazy good in his previous offerings but this surpassed all those by quite some way. To think that he is, relatively speaking, only at the start of his career is exciting and I'm hoping I live long enough to see quite a portion of it unfold.

At nearly 900 pages King Sorrow is a novel that demands commitment. When you do commit to it, it will reward you in many many unexpected ways. No wasted words. No filter, unpretentious, unapologetic storytelling from an author who is already a master of his craft and he's not even nearly done yet.

I'm not offering a single spoiler beyond that which you can read in the blurb. King Sorrow will invoke every emotion it is possible to feel then it will exponentially up the reading stress levels until you are barely breathing and you will love every last moment of it.

No need to read it all at once. It lends itself to many breaks for emotional recovery, you can read something else and go back to it easily so don't let the size of this behemoth of brilliance dissuade you. Go all in. Embrace the long dark and let it embrace you.

Forget the legacy, the expectations that come from Joe Hill's parentage. He is an entirely different writer whose talent may be somewhat inherited on paper but is, in fact, entirely his own.

Some books have mic drop moments. This one regularly drops the mic and dares you not to laugh or cry or scream or fist pump the air but to do at least one, maybe all of those things, may be beyond your control.

Read King Sorrow. It will leave you ragged but absolutely satisfied on any reading level you can put into words.

Did I say I highly recommend this? Well. I do.

An imaginative blend of fantasy and thriller with a touch of romance to boot, King Sorrow is a huge book that takes some reading.
The story takes place over a series of time frames, following a group of characters whom we get to know well. Allie, Donna, Gwen, Van, Arthur and Colin are well defined yet even as we think we know them we find they have hidden depths.
The friends summon a dragon from the long dark and spend the next part of their lives dealing wih the consequences, which were more than they anticipated.
I found the story lagged somewhat in places but ratchets up towards the end and the ending itself was excellent - entirely as it should be. In all this could have been five stars with a bit editing to take out the slow spots.
Well worth a read however, especially if you are a fan of dragons and/or fantasy.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

A great horror story of the price of power. Told in a number of timelines, we follow the characters through their life and how the price of power changes through the years.

The characters were going well flushed out and they each brought their own purpose to the story. Van, absolute legend.

Overall a very enjoyable read, my only issue was the length. This could be trimmed a lot and it wouldn’t harm the story in any way.

4/5 stars.

Thank you to the author, publishers Headline and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review.

No good deed goes unpunished, but the punishment for bad deeds lasts a lifetime. When Arthur Doakes lends his hoodie to a girl so that she can visit her mother in prison it sets off a series of events that leads to him and his friends unleashing a dragon on the world. A dragon who demands an annual sacrifice for his help.

A wonderful blend of fantasy and thriller, horror and hope, if you loved the author’s The Fireman you’ll adore this one even more. Epic, but never dragging, the story takes place over a lifetime with reality seamlessly weaved with creature of fantasy who often seem more real, and more understandable, than the real-life horrors or reflections of real-life horrors contained in the story.

The characters are strong throughout, well-rounded and growing over the course of the narrative. Neither wholly good nor wholly bad, and so even more believable in their most shining moments or darkest depths.

I was particularly struck by how the book initially centred around one character and then gradually focused on more without it ever seeming forced. Some multiple character perspective novels have a pattern of switching focus which is part of the rhythm of the narrative and so always reminds you that it is narration. I don’t know when Arthur’s story became the story of all of his friends, and then of individuals and small groupings again. That ebb and flow of focus just felt so much of how life changes that it’s only reflecting back that it seems odd not to have questioned why different characters became more or less vital to the story at various points.

I’ve enjoyed all of the author’s previous books, but this one is a cut above the rest. Highly recommended.

I shouldn't compare Joe to his father, but all I will say is the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
At nearly 900 pages, it's a long one, and at times, it was a little too long, with some parts being overly descriptive. I've read all Joe Hills novels and enjoyed them all. I wasn't sure about a book about a dragon, but I actually really enjoyed it. The characters were fully rounded and all very different. I loved Arthur and Gwen 🥺. And Jayne and Rod were horrible. But I kind of enjoyed that.
As for King Sorrow himself. He was my absolute favourite.
4 stars only because it was a little longwinded in parts.
Thank you, Netgalley, and the publishers for making my wish come true.

When a group of college friends summon the dragon King Sorrow from the Long Dark and form a life and death pact with him their lives are changed forever

Wow. An epic tome that has it all covered - fantasy, supernatural, horror , thriller . The writing never lets up despite the length, the plot twists keep the reader determinedly reading trying to absorb the emotional shocks along the way, the characters evolve and change in a never ending spiral of friendship, hate, love, guilt, loyalty…. the list is endless.
Joe Hill goes out of his way to avoid comparisons with his father (Stephen King) but this is a blockbuster that is worthy of that kinship.

What did I just read… Joe Hill.. King Sorrow .. absolutely outstandingly superb! I made so many notes reading this and they just don’t and won’t do this book justice! 5/5. I’m completely blown away.

Holy hell fire, what a book this is!!

Take a group of college kids, add in a pair of drug dealers, subtract a young damsel in distress, and multiply by a Dragon Demon who protects them as long as they feed him once a year. It is all fun and games until it isn't. And what a toll it will take.

I just cant say more, I dont want to give anything away, but let me tell you, it is not going to go the way you think it is.

As usual, Joe Hill has delievered a book of epic proportions (both figuritly and litrally.) In some ways it is reminiscent of his Fathers work, but with his own unique flavour, that sits on your tongue like an ever lasting gobstopper. One that seems to get bigger in your mouth as you suck. I also did notice a few references to his fathers books, which delighted me no end.

In short, read this damn book.

First of all i would like to say a huge thank you to headline publishing for allowing me to review such an incredible book.

this is a spoiler free review

This story has hard hitting moments of grief ,guilt ,blackmail , a lot of magic , a big scary dragon which i would not mess with !
Six friends being pushed to their limits making very dangerous and desperate attempt to summon this dragon i told you about which they think is going to help solve all their problems ( little do they know ).

Oh my gosh !! this book had my jaw drop every page. My mind was moving 100 miles an hour trying take in this amazing adventure .

i have read some of Joe's short stories which i loved but wow this book was something else .

the book will have you thinking you know what is coming but hell no you don't this read is such a rush . i thought the fantasy and horror to the story is so well balanced that it is great writing .
the way that the character's friendship is tested you would question everything about every one of them .

this book will send on such a rush .

this story is definitely going to be imprinted in my mind forever .

im giving this read 5 mind blowing stars

We‘ve all waited what seemed like ages for a new Joe Hill novel but it was definitely worth it. With this baby being 900 pages long, it‘s also understandable that the author took his time to get the story right. And he sure did.
I loved everything about this book. Horror meets fantasy here and it is epic! I loved the world building, the characters were intriguing and the short chapters made the story fly by. Hill manages to keep things suspenseful from beginning to end. This will surely be one of this autumn‘s mega hits.

Just, Wow! I loved every page of this brick of a book. Arthur is being blackmailed to steal rare books from the college library. His friends find out and in a drunken, drug fuelled evening, they summon King Sorrow to deal with the blackmailers. What they don't realise, is that the 'contract' with King Sorrow is for a sacrifice every Easter and they have to choose who is next. But King Sorrow enjoys his games and things get very busy from time to time! I know King Sorrow is the big, bad dragon, but I thought he was awesome with his London cabbie speech and his reign of death and destruction. There were a few rather unexpected twists that just added to the thrill. Dare I say it ... this book was fun to read and I couldn't put it down! NOS4A2 was excellent but King Sorrow is even better!
Thanks to Netgalley, Headline Press, and Joe Hill for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.

An epic journey of friendship, fate, and a dragon.

This book? Absolute magic. It’s the story of six friends who make one desperate, wild choice—to summon a dragon (yes, a frigging dragon) to solve their problems. What follows is decades of consequence, sacrifice, and the kind of bond that only grows stronger—or more dangerous—with time.

The writing? Sharp as dragon claws. The characters? So vivid you feel like you know them. And the story itself? It could’ve been 200 pages longer and I’d still have devoured it.

Joe Hill delivers fantasy and horror in equal, beautiful doses. King Sorrow isn't just a monster—he's a presence that haunts every decision, every friendship, every heartbeat of this story. I couldn’t put it down.

Thanks NetGalley and Headline for a Review Copy

Joe Hill’s King Sorrow is a searing, unforgettable descent into grief, guilt, and the supernatural—a novel that not only cements Hill’s place among the modern masters of horror but pushes the boundaries of emotional storytelling within the genre. With haunting prose and characters that bleed off the page, King Sorrow is Hill at the height of his narrative powers.

The story starts as a dark academy YA Novel and then decends into a twisted fairy tale centered around grief, longing, abuse and predertimination. As reality frays at the edges, Hill draws the reader deep into a story that’s as much about love and redemption as it is about fear. The pacing is relentless, the imagery chilling, and the emotional weight strikingly real.

In King Sorrow, Hill channels the eerie familial depth that long-time fans of his father, Stephen King, might recognize—echoes of IT or 11/22/63 resonate here—but Hill’s voice is undeniably his own: sharper, darker in some places, and unexpectedly tender in others.

Even at it‘s length of nearly 900 pages it never feals drawn out- on the contrary, i longed for it to be longer. I felt deeply attached to the characters who grew up in a blistering pace while i read this book. Twist and turns that some you might have dredded but none that i truely expected.

In my arc - kindly provided by the publisher via netgalley- i had a few formatting issues but nothing to hinder my expierience. Sometimes the page number and the title / author was embedded within a sentence.

I don’t want to spoil anything in my review so i will end it before i involuntaty do.

Simply put, King Sorrow is a triumph. It’s not just a horror novel—it’s a masterclass in how to haunt a reader’s heart long after the final page.

5 out of 5 stars (A rating reserved for a true must read