'Original and gripping, a page-turner' George R. R. Martin on The Fireman
'A master storyteller who writes with fire in his veins' Lauren Beukes on The Fireman
'A genuinely scary novel... I loved it unreservedly' Neil Gaiman on Heart-Shaped Box
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 the gang of six intend to use a tome bound in human skin in an arcane ritual to summon the notorious dragon demon King Sorrow to kill their arch nemeses... They enter into a pact - he will kill the couple who have been terrorising the group by Easter 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 he will kill...
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.
- ISBN10 0575130768
- ISBN13 9780575130760
- Publish Date 13 February 2025 (first published 3 February 2022)
- Publish Status Forthcoming
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Gollancz
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 368
- Language English