Named a Writer to Watch by the Los Angeles Times, Richard Chiem brings readers a novel that is equal parts sledgehammer and sweet song--a neon, pulsing portrait of grief, and an electrifying story of one woman's survival against all odds. Corvus has always had an overactive imagination. Growing up, she develops a unique coping mechanism: she can imagine herself out of any situation, no matter how terrible. To get through each day, Corvus escapes into scenes from fantasy novels, pop songs, and action/adventure movies, and survives by turning the everyday into just another role to play in the movie of her life. After a tragic loss, Corvus finds a sadness so great she cannot imagine it away. Instead, she finds Tim, a pornographer with unconventional methods, who offers her a new way to escape into movies. But when a sinister plot of greed and betrayal is revealed, Corvus must fight to reclaim her independence, and discovers she is stronger than even she could have imagined. King of Joy follows Corvus as she copes with the death of her husband by doing what we all do: running away into the woods and living in a sex mansion with a pornographer named Tim. Realizing she’s made a grave mistake, she attempts to return to a stable world, only to be pursued by both Tim’s darkness and her own grief. With King of Joy, you can never look away. Chiem says it best himself: 'It’s scary to see you made it through a night you don’t remember. The feeling is like eyeing a speeding car rush past you, missing you by an inch or a second.' Also, there’s a cute AF dog named Marco. So there’s that, too." —Mason Hamberlin, Flyleaf Books (Chapel Hill, NC) "When a writer comes along with a strong story but even stronger characters, readers take notice. In this case, we have to throw in a wild ride as we follow Corvus in and out of her imaginary scenarios in an attempt to avoid pain. So much for that good idea. When her husband dies, along comes serious pain, and then escape into the hands of a pornographer. What follows includes a dog, a hippo, and, well, a bunch of other strangeness. Oh, and a cat. So buckle your seat belt, step on the gas, and yell 'Geronimo!' You’ll be glad you did." —Linda Bond, Auntie's Bookstore (Spokane, WA)