King Sorrow: A Novel

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.

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King Sorrow: A Novel

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.

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Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Unearthing the depths of Hill's imagination, this fantastical tale delivers with a villainous dragon steering the ship. It's a satisfying horror that plays out the pitfalls of the human condition — with a side of romance.

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.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9798228478039
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 10/21/2025
Edition description: Unabridged
Product dimensions: 5.30(w) x 7.50(h) x (d)
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

About The Author
Joe Hill is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels (King SorrowThe FiremanNOS4A2Horns, Heart—Shaped Box), fiction collections (Strange Weather, Full Throttle, 20th Century Ghosts), and a comic—book series (Locke & Key). Much of his work has been adapted for film and TV.


Ari Fliakos is an actor with experience in television, radio, film, theater, and voice—overs. He has earned four Earphones Awards, and his narration of Seth Patrick’s Reviver won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration for paranormal fiction. On screen, he is best—known for his roles in Law & Order, Pills, and Company K.



Ian Shaw is a Research Fellow in Egyptian Archaeology at the University of Liverpool, as well as visiting professor in Egyptology at the Northeast Normal University, Changchun. He has excavated and surveyed at the cities of Amarna, Gurob, and Memphis, the Valley of the Kings, and the ancient quarrying and mining sites of Hatnub, Wadi el—Hudi, Gebel el—Asr, and Wadi Hammamat. His publications include The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology, The British Museum Dictionary of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Egyptian Technology and Innovation, and (with Elizabeth Bloxam) The Oxford Handbook of Egyptology.

Kate Mulgrew is an accomplished film and television actress, most noted for her lead role as Captain Kathryn Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager. Other television credits include Ryan’s Hope, Murphy Brown, Cheers, and the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black. She has won numerous awards for her performances, including an Obie Award, Golden Satellite Award, Saturn Award, and a Golden Globe nomination. Her audiobook narrations have won her four AudioFile Earphones Awards.


Dominic Hoffman, winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards for narration, has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice. He is a Los Angeles–based actor of stage, screen, and television. He has appeared in such television shows as The Shield, NYPD Blue, and The Jamie Foxx Show. He attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art as well as the American Conservatory Theater.


Marin Ireland is a voice artist who has won five Earphones Awards as well as the prestigious Audie Award for Best Female Narration in 2020. She is an award—winning actress known for her starring role in the Broadway show Reasons to Be Pretty, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award. She has appeared in a number of off—Broadway shows and television series, including Homeland, Unforgettable, The Killing, The Following, and others.


Tim Sample is a New England humorist, famous both for his presentation and his Maine accent. His books, albums, and videos have sold over a million copies worldwide, and his “Postcards from Main” segments on CBS News Sunday Morning are hugely popular in the United States and abroad.


Kristen Ariza is a voice talent and audiobook narrator.


Kristen Sieh is a voice and television actress. She has appeared on such television shows as Law & Order and Boardwalk Empire. She has also narrated several audio books.


Pete Simonelli is a writer, audiobook narrator, and vocalist for the band Enablers.


Dan Bittner is an actor and voice talent and winner of several AudioFile Earphones Awards for audio narration. He has starred on stage and on the screen, in movies such as Men in Black, Adventureland, and the Producers: The Movie Musical. He has also appeared onstage as Macbeth and Sherlock Holmes in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.


Kevin Stillwell is an actor, voice talent, and Earphones Award—winning audiobook narrator. His film and television credits include Looper and Drop Dead Diva.

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