King Sorrow
By Joe Hill
William Morrow, October 2025, 896pp.
The Short of It:
It was everything I wanted it to be.
The Rest of It:
Arthur Oakes is being blackmailed by a drug addict and her boyfriend. No matter how many rare books he hands over, their demands only grow. Desperate and out of options, he turns to his friends for help.
Together, they devise a dangerous solution: bring something back from the Long Dark.
That “something” is a horrific creature with talons and reptilian skin. At first, it seems like the perfect answer. They can control it. Once it deals with the blackmailers, they’ll send it back, and return to their normal lives.
Except that’s not how it works.
The price of their bargain is steep: every Easter, someone must be sacrificed. At first, some of Arthur’s friends rationalize it—after all, there are people in the world who “deserve” to die. But choosing a victim isn’t so simple. What if that person is on a plane with 175 other passengers? What if they’re in a school surrounded by children? Suddenly, the consequences are far-reaching and catastrophic.
Year after year, the group faces this moral dilemma. For some, the weight of their decisions becomes unbearable. For others, wielding control over such a monstrous power is intoxicating.
And that may be the most dangerous part of all.
I absolutely loved this book. It had everything I want in a read: a gripping story, richly developed characters, including a few you’ll love to hate and relentless tension. At nearly 900 pages, it’s a wild ride straight through to the end. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
Satisfying. Very satisfying. Highly recommend.
Source: Borrowed
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