My Five Word TL:DR Review: Where Do I Even Begin?

This book!  It definitely has the wow factor.  I’m not gonna lie – when I saw the page count was just shy of 900 pages I had a little moment – but, having been granted a wish and receiving a review copy I also confess I was dancing a little happy dance.  I’m only sorry that this review is later than planned due to personal reasons that I won’t bore everyone with.

First things first, this book didn’t feel like I’d read 900 pages!  I’m absolutely serious.  I’m not going to say I breezed through this in a couple of nights because that would just be silly (for me at least) but I was enjoying myself so much that I practically inhaled the first 30% of the story (which is  a book in itself if we’re going to be honest).

Secondly, how to even begin to review this.  I don’t really want to talk too much about the story so this will probably be more a short recap and then a good amount of gushing about what I really liked.

In a nutshell, King Sorrow (and I do love the title) brings to us a bunch of characters, friends (although they don’t always act like it) that strike a kind-of ‘Faustian” bargain – but with a dragon instead of the devil.  And, to be fair, deals with devils, dragons and the fae – well, they’re never quite what they first appear.  This is a sneaky dragon and these ‘young uns’ really didn’t look into the finer detail of what they were actually getting into. Long story short, this wasn’t a one time deal, it’s for life, and if our little group of friends don’t get their acts together they’ll be next up on the menu.

What worked really well for me?  Well, everything to be fair.

The writing is perfection.  It’s been a while since Joe Hill’s last book but this was, without doubt, worth the wait.  A mystery, a fantasy, a horror and a story told by a group of friends who fall into a terrible pact that changes their lives beyond their wildest dreams (or nightmares), and definitely not in a good way.  It has that wonderful feeling of familiarity somehow, like there’s elements of other much loved books (just enough to make you recall them but not enough to feel the same) A Secret History, for example, when the friends are a group of privileged students attending an elite college together (all except for one of their number that is), there are hints of Tolkien (terrible dragon! quest), and elements of old folklore – Arthurian legend (two of the characters are named Arthur and Gwen) but with a feminist twist and all sorts of wonderful little references to other books that I really enjoyed – of course, it’s possible that I just imagined those (or give things extra meaning than was intended) but I enjoyed myself regardless!  The author has impeccable timing.  I didn’t want to read a novel that turns into a yearly hit list, as creative as that might become, and so to keep up the momentum we move on to other dreadful encounters such as abduction and then deeper still into the land of fantasy with trolls and a seemingly impossible quest.  Come on, everyone loves a quest!  This is a story that is constantly evolving, rolling forward and taking you in directions that you really didn’t expect or see coming.

The characters are really good, their development so well crafted.  I mean, would they be friends in the later stages if not for this terrible deal they struck?  Probably not.  As it is, they’re stuck with each other and, without doubt, the dreadful pact they made and it’s implications definitely shaped them in ways that would probably not have otherwise occured.  There’s lost love, lust, manipulation, death, sorrow and definitely some backstabbing.  I’m not even sure who the main character is.  I felt like it started off as Arthur, perhaps it was Gwen?  But, the others also have their share of the limelight as the story moves forward into the most unexpected territory.  Hill manages to tie in many world events in a really creative way, even making this small group come to the notice of people that would be incredibly dangerous, if not for the fact that they have their very own secret weapon.

Then we have the dragon.  An entity that can cross into our world.  Despicable, cruel, can’t be bargained with, absolutely will not stop (much like the Terminator) until the mission is accomplished, and loves a good riddle.  I loved the way that this dragon is bigger than an aeroplane and yet small enough to fit under your bed or into a cupboard.  He can tap you on the shoulder with one claw that seems to come from the dark shadows in the corner of the room and loves nothing more than to cause confusion and discord between these friends – it’s like an ode to the imagination, anything is possible here.   (I admit that I had the voice of Smaug running through my head at times!)

I’m not sure that I can really do this book justice.  It’s definitely one of the best stories I’ve read for a long while.  I was totally blown away and frankly I’d love to read it again because I think it would be even more satisfying the second time around.  Perhaps I’ll pick up the audio copy and see how that compares.

Anyway, in conclusion, I have no hesitation in recommending this.  Yes, it is a weighty tome indeed but it’s worth every minute of your time.  Savour it and be happy.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.

My rating 5 of 5 scorching, dragon breath stars