King Sorrow - BookWyrm

Hardcover, 896 pages

Published by William Morrow.

ISBN:: 978-0-06-220060-0

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 …

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.

1 edition

Amber Herbert reviewed King Sorrow by Joe Hill

Stephen King with Dragons

3 stars

King Sorrow is Stephen King with dragons. Fans of King (Joe Hill's father) will consider this a compliment. Those more critical of the master of horror might find that my comments of King Sorrow mirror their experience with It.

King Sorrow reeled me in with strong character building and a slow introduction to supernatural elements. Any scene with Arthur or Llewellyn was great, and I initially loved the college-aged Losers Club. But what began as a powerful introduction moved swiftly into a slumping middle. While the pacing of Books Two and Three limped along, my dislike for Allie, Van, and Donna only made it worse.

When I was about to throw in the towel, I met Arthur and Colin in Tintagel and the surrounding Cornwall area. Stu Finger and his cave were whimsical, intriguing, and colorful in a way that both excited and infuriated me. If Hill can …

King Sorrow is Stephen King with dragons. Fans of King (Joe Hill's father) will consider this a compliment. Those more critical of the master of horror might find that my comments of King Sorrow mirror their experience with It.

King Sorrow reeled me in with strong character building and a slow introduction to supernatural elements. Any scene with Arthur or Llewellyn was great, and I initially loved the college-aged Losers Club. But what began as a powerful introduction moved swiftly into a slumping middle. While the pacing of Books Two and Three limped along, my dislike for Allie, Van, and Donna only made it worse.

When I was about to throw in the towel, I met Arthur and Colin in Tintagel and the surrounding Cornwall area. Stu Finger and his cave were whimsical, intriguing, and colorful in a way that both excited and infuriated me. If Hill can write like this, I thought, why isn't the whole novel written with such care, poignancy, and concision?

Hill's character development was solid while occasionally repetitive. King Sorrow and the horrible Nightswanders felt like single characteristics personified. All but one death fell flat. Substantial hints were dropped before finding their way into a tense scene. While these criticisms could have faded into the background, it was impossible not to notice them when much of the novel dragged. Joe Hill is a good writer hindered by his popularity. Like Stephen King, a good editor could have tightened the prose, removed unnecessary sections, and imbued the story with more tension.

If you like Stephen King and Joe Hill's other works, I'm sure you'll enjoy King Sorrow. If you're seeking a long trek with urgency, evocative world building, well-constructed character arcs, and three-dimensional villains, I suggest looking elsewhere.