Audiobook Review: KING SORROW by Joe Hill

KING SORROW by Joe Hill. Audiobook narrated by Ari Flakes and others (Audible Audio, October 21,2025) 26 Hours. ASIN # B0DSCGDY6Z 

Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .

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.

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.

MY FIVE-STAR REVIEW ON THE GOODREADS WEBSITE . . . . .

I loved this audiobook, one of the absolute best that I have ever listened to. I sincerely believe the narrator and others brought so much to the story from the inflections, tone, pitch, and various voices that it actually enhanced my appreciation for this story. Kudos to the performers!

This is an epic of a novel, one that is best enjoyed over time rather than binge-reading or listening. The novel is divided into books/sections, so that makes it easier to follow. Half-way through the audiobook, I purchased the print novel which I plan to return to sometime in early 2026. It's so good I want to read it again, and sooner rather than later.

An ensemble of college friends summon a demon/dragon to do their bidding and then become committed to a lifelong pact to satisfy the dragon's demand for pain, sorrow and life-taking once a year. The story follows them for decades from college through middle-age. All the characters are completely fleshed out and go through some incredible changes as they cope with this burden hanging over them. I appreciated every single one of them, although I can't say I loved them all. 

Hill straddles several popular genres in the unfolding of the story - - horror, crime, fantasy, contemporary fiction. There are multiple Easter Eggs and pop culture references throughout the novel. Some sections reminded me of political thrillers. Others of Arthurian legends and The Lord Of The Rings, as well as several Stephen King works.

There's enough that's been said about this work through so many reviews, that I don't feel it necessary to elaborate here. I highly recommend this novel.

A few notes on the audiobook . . . . . 

NOVEMBER 20

Listening to the audiobook during a long drive to visit my son and grandkids. The narrator is doing an awesome job! We're almost to the halfway point. (Later, I realized we weren't even close to half-way. However, Hill keeps introducing new things to keep this interesting. )

DECEMBER 02

I listened to approximately 15-17 hours of the audiobook for free until my Spotify Premium account notified me that I had used up my allotted audiobook time for November. Bummer! I didn't realize there was such a thing,

I suppose now that it's December I can return to it.

Just in case, I ordered the book and should have a hard copy in a few days. Loving this story, and now my family members who traveled with me are hooked as well.

DECEMBER 05

Now that it's a new month, I can return to Spotify to continue the free audiobook. Yay! Listened to a few more chapters today. (view spoiler)

My hardcover copy arrived in the mail today. I'd give this a dual read/listen if I didn't have so many other books waiting for me. Maybe in February I'll return to the book and give it a second reading. Definitely deserves it. Good one, Mr. Hill!

DECEMBER 16

Still listening to the audio book when I can.

Amazing how many shifts in tone the story takes, as if Hill is trying to pay homage to many different genres. (view spoiler)

DECEMBER 19

There was a point at which I felt certain I knew how this story would end, or at least parts of it.

About 25% or less to go and finish the audiobook.

After what happens I can't be certain of anything - - except that I truly love this wild novel. It's a little bit of everything!

And the narrator of the audiobook is killing it. I'm really impressed with his reading.