King Sorrow Chapter 33 Summary & Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
As King Sorrow attacks the library tower, Donna McBride downs a thermos of dragon tears, granting her a brief surge of power. She taunts the dragon with a riddle, then spews fire into his eye, blinding him. Gwen Underfoot, guided by a mystical crossword, walks to the glass wall where Arthur’s image repeats. She pulls Arthur’s lacrosse stick from the cracked glass—it transforms into a blade of light. Allie retrieves Van’s shield from the same glass wall. Donna dies from the tear-poison. King Sorrow batters the tower, killing and wounding many. Gwen stabs his tail with Arthur’s sword, pinning him, and the dragon begins devouring his own tail until he swallows himself and vanishes. Gwen lies mortally wounded but laughs.
Key Events
- King Sorrow blasts fire through the tower embrasures, igniting books and filling the room with smoke.
- Donna McBride drinks dragon tears, feeling a dangerous thrill, then shouts a riddle (fire) out the window. King Sorrow answers correctly; she responds by blowing flame into his eye, burning his face and sealing one eye shut.
- Meanwhile, Gwen watches a crossword puzzle fill itself in with the word “chum,” and she whispers a farewell to Arthur.
- Tana sees Arthur’s hand pressed against the inside of the Russian mirror, touches it, and a Y‑shaped crack appears in the glass wall.
- Gwen walks to the glass wall, sees Arthur’s lacrosse stick protruding through the crack, and pulls it free—it becomes a long blade of mirrored steel.
- King Sorrow, enraged, tears a hole in the tower wall and reaches inside. Gwen severs one of his talons with Arthur’s sword.
- Allie retrieves Van’s shield from the glass wall and uses it to deflect the dragon’s flame.
- King Sorrow’s tail smashes through another embrasure, striking Gwen and Robin, and demolishes the glass wall. Gwen is gravely wounded, with shattered ribs and a collapsed lung.
- Donna dies from the effects of the dragon tears. Tana and Robin are beaten down, but Allie and Tana hide under a table as the dragon yanks himself through the wall, causing a rockslide.
- King Sorrow begins swallowing his own tail, impaled by Arthur’s sword, and eventually consumes himself entirely, disappearing with a pop.
- Gwen, mortally injured, laughs at the absurd outcome.
Character Development
- Donna McBride: Displays reckless courage and maternal fierceness. Sacrifices herself to buy time, using dragon tears as a weapon despite knowing the cost. Her death underscores her role as a protector and a fire‑bringer.
- Gwen Underfoot: Emerges as the story’s chosen hero. Her connection to Arthur intensifies; she finds the strength to pull the sword from the glass wall and fights despite fatal wounds. Her laughter at the end shows acceptance and defiance.
- Allie: Grows into a fearless protector, using Van’s shield to block fire. She remains loyal to Donna even after her death.
- Tana: Demonstrates resilience and quick thinking, reversing the mirror’s power and sheltering Allie during the collapse.
- Robin: Initially perceived as fleeing, but she fetches a fire extinguisher and later reassures Gwen, showing hidden bravery.
- King Sorrow: Brutal and mocking, yet vulnerable—his overconfidence leads him to devour his own tail. His blindness and pain hint that centuries of invincibility have made him arrogant.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Sacrifice and Agency: Donna chooses to drink the tears, trading her life for a moment of power. Her self‑sacrifice mirrors the martyr imagery of Allie’s robe.
- Words and Riddles: The crossword puzzle and Donna’s riddle highlight how language can be both a weapon and a trap. King Sorrow’s inability to resist the riddle game reveals his ego.
- Glass and Mirrors: The glass wall serves as a boundary between worlds. Cracks in the mirror correspond to cracks in the wall, allowing Arthur and Van to reach through from the past.
- Transformation of Objects: Arthur’s lacrosse stick becomes a sword; Van’s shield appears from the glass. Ordinary artifacts become mythic weapons.
- Self‑Destruction of Evil: King Sorrow’s consumption of his own tail is a literal and symbolic act of his own undoing—his greed and hunger turn inward.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 33 is the climax of the tower siege and a turning point in the narrative. Donna’s death removes a key ally, while Gwen’s acquisition of Arthur’s sword and Allie’s shield empower the survivors. King Sorrow’s apparent defeat (by devouring himself) creates a temporary victory, but the chapter ends with Gwen barely alive, setting up the final confrontation. The merging of past and present through the glass wall solidifies Arthur and Van as ongoing forces, not merely memories.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does the crossword puzzle guide Gwen’s actions in this chapter?
The crossword fills in automatically with the word “chum” (bait for a shark, also “your Arthur”). This clue aligns with Gwen’s sense that Arthur is bait for King Sorrow. It also provides her with a moment of clarity, prompting her to walk to the glass wall and retrieve the sword. The puzzle represents fate or hidden knowledge steering her.
2. Why does King Sorrow swallow his own tail, and what does this signify?
King Sorrow devours his tail because Gwen has pinned it with Arthur’s sword. Unable to free himself, he begins eating his own body—an act of literal self‑consumption. This signifies his insatiable hunger and narcissism, ultimately causing his own destruction. The sword inside him prevents healing and forces his vanishing act.
3. What is the role of the dragon tears, and what happens to Donna after drinking them?
The dragon tears grant Donna a temporary surge of fire‑breathing power and heightened perception, but they also poison her. She feels her heart slowing and experiences excruciating pain. After blinding King Sorrow, she collapses and dies, her body found by Allie. The tears are a double‑edged gift that enables a decisive blow but costs her life.