King Sorrow

Internationally bestselling horror sensation Joe Hill is back with a dark and astonishing new thriller.

Stephen King meets The Secret History in this sprawling nightmare spanning forty years of fear, sparked when six friends unite in one deadly pact, in 1980s Midwest America . . .

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'A monster of a book, as gripping and wickedly insidious as the title character. Not a page is wasted along its scaly length, from human villainy to diabolical plots, government folly to the desperate search for redemption. A vast, brimstoned, relentless zinger'
Nick Harkaway, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of THE GONE-AWAY WORLD


'KING SORROW is an epic that will linger with you long after the last page is turned, a timeless tale that's also a haunting time capsule. Joe Hill somehow delivers it all, from the terrifying to the hilarious to the heartbreaking. A relentless and thoughtful tour de force, KING SORROW proves Joe Hill is one of the great storytellers of our generation'
Michael Koryta, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of AN HONEST MAN


'Joe Hill walks the tightrope between horror and fantasy with grace and menace. This is a tale infused with terror and hope'
Robin Hobb, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE

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.