Arthur Oakes spends his days in a picturesque tableau of scholastic life – reading in the exceptional Rackham College library, dreaming against scenic Maine backdrops, entertaining a burgeoning romance with bold and brainy Gwen Underfoot. What more could a studious kid want? Surely not to be roped into a criminal endeavor by a local drug dealer and her partner, bent on committing a truly atrocious crime against the law and academia itself – stealing rare books from the college library. In his attempts to escape the dangers stacked against him, Arthur turns down a dark and unforeseen path into extraordinary loopholes and treacherous trickery. In his newest novel King Sorrow, author Joe Hill brings together an eclectic group of Arthur's closest friends to scheme their way out of the peril breathing down their necks. Irrepressible moneybags Colin Wren, brave and beautiful Alison Shiner, the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride, and with dear Gwen in the mix, they should absolutely be able to get Arthur out of this bind. Should be simple really – grab an ominous tome bound in the skin of its author, warp the very reality of the world around them, summon a dragon to do their bidding. But turns out there's nothing simple about dealing with dragons, and this crew soon learns that supernatural deals with immensely powerful beasts should perhaps not be made so lightly. King Sorrow follows this group on their winding paths through both human and fantastical villainy, biting off more than they bargained for and facing a terrifying pattern to uphold. A new sacrifice must be chosen every year, or risk becoming King Sorrow's next meal. Joe Hill is a best-selling author of novels, novellas, short stories, and comics exploring genres of horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction. His previous published works include the award-winning novels Heart-Shaped Box, NOS4A2, and The Fireman as well as the shorts collections Strange Weather, 20th Century Ghosts, and Full Throttle. He is also the co-creator of the long-running comic series Locke & Key, which was later adapted into a Netflix TV series. Buy the Book King Sorrow: A Novel Elliott Bay Book Company

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