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spookybookshop's review
4.0
Loved a lot of stories in the beginning but kind of fizzled out for me later. I still really enjoyed the idea of a bunch of horror Christmas short stories.
whitneyborup's review
4.0
I think I like horror short stories more than horror novels. I don’t get bored with the concepts as easily so they can be fun or genuinely eerie. My favorite in this collection was by Scott Smith, who I’ve already read. But there are a lot of new authors to try now as well!
lanternsjourney's review
5.0
I absolutely loved this Christmas themed anthology that I got from my Night Worms book subscription box. It was everything I wanted to read out of Christmas Horror. The stories had all of the feelings of magic and mysticism associated with that special time of year. There were ghost stories and international myths. A feeling that Christmas is full of spirits, and not just kind and giving spirits. Spirits that will come for vengeance and deal out justice. Spirits that harbor naughty mischief and and reveal the hidden nature of mankind itself.
I really cannot pick a favorite story as I enjoyed them all. I think it would be easier to pick out the stories in the anthology that I liked the least. Two stories, Good Deeds and Snake's Tail just didn't sit right with me. Snake's tail just seemed to take itself too seriously. It didn't seem to fit with the rest of the stories, even though it was decent. I just didn't care for it. Good Deeds was just odd. After I read it I kind of laughed in my head and thought, "What did I just read?!" It was a good story, just... odd. On second thought, I kind of liked it. So yes, just one story that didn't hit the spot, so for me the whole book was definitely 5 stars.
I really cannot pick a favorite story as I enjoyed them all. I think it would be easier to pick out the stories in the anthology that I liked the least. Two stories, Good Deeds and Snake's Tail just didn't sit right with me. Snake's tail just seemed to take itself too seriously. It didn't seem to fit with the rest of the stories, even though it was decent. I just didn't care for it. Good Deeds was just odd. After I read it I kind of laughed in my head and thought, "What did I just read?!" It was a good story, just... odd. On second thought, I kind of liked it. So yes, just one story that didn't hit the spot, so for me the whole book was definitely 5 stars.
johnnyorlo's review
5.0
This collection of Christmas Horror is reminiscent of Tales from the Crypt, and the nostalgia is delicious!
From mummers to a post apocalyptic North Pole, these authors reeled in haunts from around the globe.
Hark the Herald Angels Scream made me a bleeding heart for a cackling fireplace haunted by the Christmas Spirit.
I want HBO to find this book and create a new show for us.
From mummers to a post apocalyptic North Pole, these authors reeled in haunts from around the globe.
Hark the Herald Angels Scream made me a bleeding heart for a cackling fireplace haunted by the Christmas Spirit.
I want HBO to find this book and create a new show for us.
corkycorcoran's review
4.0
Didn’t finish this Christmas, but putting it back on the shelf for next year
emilyhoner's review
2.0
I love short story collections with a range of authors because there are usually a few stories that stand out from the crowd and hopefully introduce me to a new author or two. This collection didn't have any of those. If it weren't for “Christmas in Barcelona” by Scott Smith, “Hiking Through” by Michael Koryta, and “The Hangman's Bride” by Sarah Pinborough this would have been a one star review and even those stories didn't send me rushing out to buy the authors's other books. “Farrow Street” by Elizabeth Hand was intriguing. “Tenets” by Josh Malerman had a fun ending. I hated “Yankee Swap” by John McIlveen and strangely this seemed to be the favorite with most other reviewers. The story seemed like a first draft. It was a mess of weird plot lines that didn’t go anywhere and a supposed twist that came out of nowhere but was somehow predictable. All the other stories were utterly average. So all in all, quite a mixed bag and nothing I would resoundingly recommend to anyone.