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bookishactor's review
4.0
Halldark Holidays, edited by Gabino Iglesias, is a fun anthology of holiday horror. I started watching Hallmark movies a year or two ago with my Mom. She likes them (okay, maybe sometimes I do too), but I always shake my head at how predictable and formulaic they all seem. Halldark Holidays is an anthology that takes the familiar tropes, themes, and images of Hallmark movies and twists them into horror stories. I love the premise of this book and found several stories to be really outstanding! I throughly enjoyed The Morbs by Greg Sisco, A Winterland Surprise by Kathryn E. McGee, A Total Super Miracle on 34th Street by Mackenzie Kiera, Holiday Traditions by Cina Pelayo, Mother and Child by Todd Robinson, and the introduction to the anthology by Gabino Iglesias. Some of the other stories were enjoyable too, though a few seemed underdeveloped. I also disagreed with the point of view that seemed to be expressed in one or two of these tales, though I suppose provoking that kind of response in me is an artistic achievement in and of itself. Overall this collection is a mixed (Santa) bag in terms of quality. The themes and tropes common to many of these stories, like the Hallmark movies they parody, get a bit repetitive after awhile. Still, this is a really fun anthology for horror fans familiar with Hallmark movies, and is a great read for the holiday season. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
patrickreads89's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
jessejane306's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
bookivore's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
4.5
A really good themed collection, with a satisfying variety within that theme. Mostly surrounding Christmas, the stories take familiar aspects of the holiday and turn them on their head. This can be read at any time of year, but if you do make it a seasonal read, the glittery backdrop of reality will enhance the experience.
errantdreams's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Halldark Holidays, edited by Gabino Iglesias, is full of stories meant to be a twist on the “Hallmark Holidays” concept. These are horror tales, all of which take place on or around holidays. Mostly Christmas, but occasionally Valentine’s Day, 4th of July, or Easter.
Todd Robinson’s “Mother and Child” was my favorite; even in a short length it has a lot of emotion to it. Officer Garrett Kincade volunteers to watch over the town’s haunted house on Christmas Eve. The land has been bought by developers, and they don’t want kids messing with it. It’s the 10th anniversary of the tragedy that took place there, and Garrett thinks he sees something moving in the windows.
Cina Pelayo’s “Holiday Traditions” introduces us to Jenny and her mother, Alice. It’s Jenny’s first “real” Christmas, and her family is preparing an unusual feast. I particularly enjoyed the obvious love between Alice and Jenny against a creepy backdrop.
Michael Harris Cohen wrote “What Happens In the Dark Will Soon Happen In the Light.” Daddy left for war when his daughter was five; now she’s seven and mom says Daddy’s coming home. This story definitely captures what PTSD can mean to a person and their family, but the story is ultimately quite creepy beyond that. Content note for animal harm and death.
Nicole Willson’s “Christmas Every Day” shows us what can happen when a six-year-old wishes for every day to be Christmas. There’s a great theme of revenge in here as well.
Elizabeth Hirst’s “Somebody Always Hears You” is another take on the wishing theme, as Mia, who has strange holes in her memory, decides to go home for the first time in years. I love the turn this one takes.
Mark Allan Gunnells’s “O Little Town” sees couple Kevin and Mike taking in their suddenly-very-pregnant neighbor Peggy. Unfortunately for them, the father wants in. Content warning for gory sexual content.
Mackenzie Kiera’s “A Total Super Miracle on 34th Street” is absolutely hysterical and very dark. Merry is a fantastic point of view character, and she’s just been dumped by her boyfriend on Christmas Eve. He even had the audacity to tell her that his mother hates Merry’s cooking!
Alan Baxter’s “The Bone Fire” is every bit as good as his longer works. Davie has brought his girlfriend, Katie, home to meet his parents at the holidays. His family has some very peculiar traditions.
Kathryn E. McGee’s “A Winterland Surprise” introduces us to Samantha, a rather lonely woman who directs the Christmas Eve pageant. When a handsome man with a puppy invites her to take a walk with him, she suddenly sees a different side of Christmas.
“Der Ewich Yaeger” by Alessandro DiFrancesco involves fiancees Layla and Otto going back to his family home. Otto seems very embarrassed by his Aunt Brigid, who claims to be a witch, but Layla finds her both sweet and fascinating. I love the ending of this one; it’s quite beautiful.
Greg Sisco’s “The Morbs” is a great look at a town that has no choice but to celebrate Christmas with a great deal of good cheer!
Clara Madrigano’s “She’s Back” sees Auntie Kate come back to town for Christmas. Blake and her girlfriend Meg actually rather like Auntie Kate, and because of that, Kate does something nice for them.
Jonathan Duckworth’s “Elmreach” introduces us to Daphne, who has become engaged to Ethan after one week of knowing him. Ethan’s slovenly brother Carl suggests that there might be a problem there, but he also seems resigned to the idea that he can’t really help.
Max Carrey’s “Christmas In Quail’s Egg” is another story about someone going home for the holidays, only to find out that the town is not as they remember it.
The rest of the stories had one or two problems that pulled me out of them or just felt not-quite-right.
Brian Keene’s “The Hatching” (an Easter tale) felt like it needed a little more to it. Gina Ranalli’s “Rainbow Black,” while a great story of found family vs. blood family, felt a little too tongue-in-cheek for me. Bev Vincent’s “An Invisible Christmas Spectacular” had too little information about what was happening and how; even a few more details about the residents of the mysterious mansion would have been welcome. Kelly J. Ford’s “Frito Pie” started out kind of… weird, even if it did end wonderfully.
Magnolia Strock’s “Feu de Joie,” a story in which Dan loves the Fourth of July and his pregnant wife Jessica does not, really didn’t have enough solidity to it for me to enjoy. The ending of Fred Venturini’s “The Christmas Cabin” ended kind of weirdly for me. The characters in Sheri White’s “The best Christmas Town in Maryland!” seemed too one-note, although there’s some nice bloody fun involved (content note for child death). Jillian Bort’s “A Wail of a Christmas” sees adult Jenny’s mother Alicia inviting her high school boyfriend to Christmas dinner, and Jenny thinks her embarrassment will be the hardest part of the night; the ending for this one was kind of out of nowhere.
Overall this is a wonderful anthology, and will make a great read for the holidays!
Content note: child death, animal harm/death, gory sexual content, and gore in general.
the_original_shelf_monkey's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
ericarobyn's review
5.0
Halldark Holidays edited by Gabino Iglesias is a collection of tales that are perfect for people that love both Hallmark holiday movies and all things horror.
I remember the tweet going out from Gabino with the original idea. I immediately retweeted and said something like “sign me up for a copy!”
I just love holiday horror so much! I loved watching the horror community on Twitter and in various podcasts talking about the project. Even the folks that got a rejection letter were praising the overall process!
When I first heard about the idea of this one, I could not wait to get my hands on a copy! I’m so excited that I was able to dive in during my holiday break.
Per usual with collections like this, here are my quick thoughts on each of the stories.
The Darkness is Always There: An Introduction by Gabino Iglesias
I loved that this intro talked about how the project came to be! What an exciting thing this was. This intro also does a wonderfully job pumping the reader up for the following stories.
The Morbs by Greg Sisco – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Sent on assignment to write about a town big on Christmas, our photojournalist main character just wants to do her job, but has to continue brushing off her coworkers advances. What they’re about to learn about the town will make quite a story indeed. I loved this one so much! I read a story similar to this in one of Kevin J Kennedy’s holiday collections I believe.
The Hatching by Brian Keene – 5/5
Holiday: Easter
Oh my goodness this one was so heartwarming a with a dash of terror! I loved how dedicated to his daughter the main character was. But those poor kids. Beware of the oversized Easter eggs!
She’s Back by Clara Madrigano – 4/5
Holiday: Christmas
Ooh the hints dropped in this one were wonderfully unsettling. I loved that we very slowly started to see that something was wrong.
Der Eeich Yaeger by Alessandro DiFrancesco – 4/5
Holiday: Christmas
This story certainly brought on all the warm and fuzzies of meeting your future in-laws and having it go well. Up until the point that it doesn’t, of course. I loved the main character and how open and caring she was.
A Winterland Surprise by Kathryn E. McGee- 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
In a town that loves Christmas, our main character is about to learn that the Christmas spirit is actually something that needs to be tended to. This tale was so spooky! Definitely a lesson in trusting your gut and not following the attractive man you just met into the dark…
The Bone Fire by Alan Baxter – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Oh my goodness! I was not expecting that ending. Holy moley!
Rainbow Black by Gina Ranalli- 5/5
Holiday: Coming Out Day
Ah! The closed-mindedness will make your blood boil. But the rest is just wonderful! I loved the ending!
An Invisible Christmas Spectacular by Bev Vincent – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
When a mayor just wants to give his town a great Christmas celebration after a rough year, he decides to host the party on the property of a home that everyone thought was abandoned. At the party, things are going wonderfully! Until, of course, things go sideways. This one was so brutal and the switch from hallmark to dark was very quick!
Elmreach by Jonathan Duckworth – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Ah, another tale about going home to meet your partners family. This one was a whirlwind romance. Everything seemed so storybook perfect at the beginning… man this story was wicked unsettling! I love that the veil was slowly lifted as both the reader and main character learned what was going on at the same time. And that ending!
Frito Pie by Kelly J. Ford – 5/5
Holiday: Valentines Day
Oh the set up of this tale was so wonderfully done. I had no inkling that the tale was about to end up where it did!
A Total Super Miracle on 34th Street by Mackenzie Kiera – 3/5
Holiday: Christmas
Oh Lordy, this woman was obsessed with her own personal timeline of how things in her life should work out. When things don’t go as she thought, she goes on a warpath.
O Little Town… by Mark Allan Gunnells – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Oh noooooo! How quickly this all transpired was absolutely terrifying.
Feu De Joie by Magnolia Strock – 4/5
Holiday: 4th of July
Jesus! Very real world horror. Oofh. This one is gonna stick with me.
Somebody Always Hears You by Elizabeth Hirst – 3/5
Holiday: Christmas
What a dark twist on making wishes and having them come true! This main character was very unlikable for me, so I couldn’t wait to see how things turned out.
Christmas Every Day by Nicole Willson – 3/5
Holiday: Christmas
Oh gosh, what a spoiled child! The parents clearly couldn’t reason with her. And what revenge for the sister!
The Christmas Cabin by Fred Venturini – 4/5
Holiday: Christmas
Oh my goodness! I loved the start of this one so much. When the creepiness set in, it made me feel wicked claustrophobic!
What Happens in the Dark Will Soon Happen in the Light by Michael Harris Cohen – 3/5
Holiday: Christmas
Oofh, what a heartbreaking and eerie tale. I definitely wanted to know more when I got the end of this one.
The Best Christmas Town in Maryland! by Sheri White – 3/5
Holiday: Christmas
Yikes! This poor mayor just wanted everything to be perfect. But this year in the Christmas town, there will be more bloodshed than Christmas cheer.
Christmas in Quail’s Eggs by Max Carrey – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Another tale about going back home with your significant other to meet up with family. Phew, I was ready for something crazy to happen, but I couldn’t have seen this one coming! Terrifying!!
A Wail of a Christmas by Jillian Bost – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Woah! This one was super eerie. I loved the slow and easy pacing and then boom. Wonderfully done!
Holiday Traditions by Cina Pelayo –
Holiday: Christmas
Cina’s writing is so poetic and beautiful, even when discussing the macabre! I loved the flow of this story and how you knew something was not quite right but didn’t know what up until the reveal.
Mother and Child by Todd Robinson – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Ooh a haunted house in Maine?! I was so in for this one. What a spooky and absolutely heartbreaking tale. I loved the set up and pacing of this one.
My Final Thoughts
I loved that the majority of these stories were centered around Christmas, but that there were a few other holidays scattered in. Each story was so unique! I loved that some were creepy, some were absolutely terrifying, and some were very real world horror.
If you enjoy holiday horror, you gotta go pick this one up if you haven’t yet!
I remember the tweet going out from Gabino with the original idea. I immediately retweeted and said something like “sign me up for a copy!”
I just love holiday horror so much! I loved watching the horror community on Twitter and in various podcasts talking about the project. Even the folks that got a rejection letter were praising the overall process!
When I first heard about the idea of this one, I could not wait to get my hands on a copy! I’m so excited that I was able to dive in during my holiday break.
Per usual with collections like this, here are my quick thoughts on each of the stories.
The Darkness is Always There: An Introduction by Gabino Iglesias
I loved that this intro talked about how the project came to be! What an exciting thing this was. This intro also does a wonderfully job pumping the reader up for the following stories.
The Morbs by Greg Sisco – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Sent on assignment to write about a town big on Christmas, our photojournalist main character just wants to do her job, but has to continue brushing off her coworkers advances. What they’re about to learn about the town will make quite a story indeed. I loved this one so much! I read a story similar to this in one of Kevin J Kennedy’s holiday collections I believe.
The Hatching by Brian Keene – 5/5
Holiday: Easter
Oh my goodness this one was so heartwarming a with a dash of terror! I loved how dedicated to his daughter the main character was. But those poor kids. Beware of the oversized Easter eggs!
She’s Back by Clara Madrigano – 4/5
Holiday: Christmas
Ooh the hints dropped in this one were wonderfully unsettling. I loved that we very slowly started to see that something was wrong.
Der Eeich Yaeger by Alessandro DiFrancesco – 4/5
Holiday: Christmas
This story certainly brought on all the warm and fuzzies of meeting your future in-laws and having it go well. Up until the point that it doesn’t, of course. I loved the main character and how open and caring she was.
A Winterland Surprise by Kathryn E. McGee- 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
In a town that loves Christmas, our main character is about to learn that the Christmas spirit is actually something that needs to be tended to. This tale was so spooky! Definitely a lesson in trusting your gut and not following the attractive man you just met into the dark…
The Bone Fire by Alan Baxter – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Oh my goodness! I was not expecting that ending. Holy moley!
Rainbow Black by Gina Ranalli- 5/5
Holiday: Coming Out Day
Ah! The closed-mindedness will make your blood boil. But the rest is just wonderful! I loved the ending!
An Invisible Christmas Spectacular by Bev Vincent – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
When a mayor just wants to give his town a great Christmas celebration after a rough year, he decides to host the party on the property of a home that everyone thought was abandoned. At the party, things are going wonderfully! Until, of course, things go sideways. This one was so brutal and the switch from hallmark to dark was very quick!
Elmreach by Jonathan Duckworth – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Ah, another tale about going home to meet your partners family. This one was a whirlwind romance. Everything seemed so storybook perfect at the beginning… man this story was wicked unsettling! I love that the veil was slowly lifted as both the reader and main character learned what was going on at the same time. And that ending!
Frito Pie by Kelly J. Ford – 5/5
Holiday: Valentines Day
Oh the set up of this tale was so wonderfully done. I had no inkling that the tale was about to end up where it did!
A Total Super Miracle on 34th Street by Mackenzie Kiera – 3/5
Holiday: Christmas
Oh Lordy, this woman was obsessed with her own personal timeline of how things in her life should work out. When things don’t go as she thought, she goes on a warpath.
O Little Town… by Mark Allan Gunnells – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Oh noooooo! How quickly this all transpired was absolutely terrifying.
Feu De Joie by Magnolia Strock – 4/5
Holiday: 4th of July
Jesus! Very real world horror. Oofh. This one is gonna stick with me.
Somebody Always Hears You by Elizabeth Hirst – 3/5
Holiday: Christmas
What a dark twist on making wishes and having them come true! This main character was very unlikable for me, so I couldn’t wait to see how things turned out.
Christmas Every Day by Nicole Willson – 3/5
Holiday: Christmas
Oh gosh, what a spoiled child! The parents clearly couldn’t reason with her. And what revenge for the sister!
The Christmas Cabin by Fred Venturini – 4/5
Holiday: Christmas
Oh my goodness! I loved the start of this one so much. When the creepiness set in, it made me feel wicked claustrophobic!
What Happens in the Dark Will Soon Happen in the Light by Michael Harris Cohen – 3/5
Holiday: Christmas
Oofh, what a heartbreaking and eerie tale. I definitely wanted to know more when I got the end of this one.
The Best Christmas Town in Maryland! by Sheri White – 3/5
Holiday: Christmas
Yikes! This poor mayor just wanted everything to be perfect. But this year in the Christmas town, there will be more bloodshed than Christmas cheer.
Christmas in Quail’s Eggs by Max Carrey – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Another tale about going back home with your significant other to meet up with family. Phew, I was ready for something crazy to happen, but I couldn’t have seen this one coming! Terrifying!!
A Wail of a Christmas by Jillian Bost – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Woah! This one was super eerie. I loved the slow and easy pacing and then boom. Wonderfully done!
Holiday Traditions by Cina Pelayo –
Holiday: Christmas
Cina’s writing is so poetic and beautiful, even when discussing the macabre! I loved the flow of this story and how you knew something was not quite right but didn’t know what up until the reveal.
Mother and Child by Todd Robinson – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Ooh a haunted house in Maine?! I was so in for this one. What a spooky and absolutely heartbreaking tale. I loved the set up and pacing of this one.
My Final Thoughts
I loved that the majority of these stories were centered around Christmas, but that there were a few other holidays scattered in. Each story was so unique! I loved that some were creepy, some were absolutely terrifying, and some were very real world horror.
If you enjoy holiday horror, you gotta go pick this one up if you haven’t yet!
el_stevie's review
5.0
Christmas Cracker
Scenes of over the top good cheer, snow, twinkling lights and festive romance, mutate to turn the winter wonderland into a blood-soaked bonanza. Santa baby takes on a while new meaning! Wonderful fun read.
Scenes of over the top good cheer, snow, twinkling lights and festive romance, mutate to turn the winter wonderland into a blood-soaked bonanza. Santa baby takes on a while new meaning! Wonderful fun read.
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