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King Sorrow

A Novel
Pages
896
Published
2025
Language
English

Synopsis

Arthur Oakes is a quiet student at Rackham College until a local criminal forces him into a desperate library heist. To escape the blackmail, Arthur and his friends use a cursed journal to summon a dragon, hoping for a miracle. Instead, they find themselves bound to a terrifying yearly ritual that demands a heavy price for their survival.

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About the author

J
Joe Hill

Hill is the second child of authors Stephen and Tabitha King. He grew up in Bangor, Maine. His younger brother Owen is also a writer. Hill has three sons. Hill chose to use an abbreviated form of his given name (a reference to executed labor leader Joe Hill, for whom he was named) in 1997, out of a desire to succeed based solely on his own merits instead of as the son of Stephen King. After achieving a degree of independent success, Hill publicly confirmed his identity in 2007 after an articl...

Characters

Arthur OakesProtagonist

Rackham College senior whose desperate plan to escape blackmail leads the group to summon King Sorrow.

Gwen UnderfootProtagonist

Becomes a paramedic to save as many lives as the dragon claims; the group's moral center.

Colin WrenProtagonist

Wealthiest of the group; proposes using the Crane journal to summon the dragon.

Alison ShinerProtagonist

Survivor of conversion therapy who struggles with alcoholism and her feelings for Donna.

Donna McBrideProtagonist

One of two politically opposed, selfish twins; quick to anger and violence.

All characters in King Sorrow

Frequently asked questions

  • Has King Sorrow won any awards?

    Yes. King Sorrow won the 2026 Dragon Award for Best Horror Novel. It was also a finalist for the 2025 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Novel (won by Stephen Graham Jones's The Buffalo Hunter Hunter) and a finalist for the 2026 Locus Award for Best Horror Novel.

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