Reviews

Christmas and Other Horrors: An Anthology of Solstice Horror by Ellen Datlow

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moosereads1's review

slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I just had a really difficult time getting into many of the stories in this book. Most did not grab my attention, which is necessary for short stories I feel like. There were one or two that were enjoyable, but the rest were not.

reunitepangaea's review

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

nmcannon's review

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sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

invisibleninjacat's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

A very solid anthology. I at least liked pretty much all the stories, and really liked a few. There was only one that I didn't actually like.

purple676's review

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Big names boring stories

For an anthology about Christmas/winter horror it lacked horror. I was really disappointed, most of the stories were boring and forgettable. I dnfed 2 of them. There were only 3 that I actually liked. I will put my individual ratings below.

1.The Importance of a Tidy Home:
3 stars. This was more depressing than creepy.
2. The One He Takes: 2 stars
3. His castle: 2.5 stars
4. The Mawkin Field: 2 Stars
5. The Blessing of the Waters : 2 stars
6. Dry and Ready: 1 stars DNF
7. Last Drinks at Bonds Beach: 2 stars
8. Return to Bear Creek Lodge: 3.5
9. The Ghost of Christmases Past: 4 stars. My favorite story that was actually scary.
10. Our recent unpleasantness: 2 stars
11. All the pretty people: 1 star
12. Löyly Sow-na : 1 star. DNF
13. Cold: 2 stars
14. Grave of Small Birds: 2.5 stars
15. The Visitation: 2 stars
16. Lord of Misrule: 3 stars
17. No light, No Light: 3 stars
18. After Words: 2 stars

mruiz's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

alicia_toothman's review

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5.0

From page one, my Reading Rut was obliterated. I was hooked immediately! Despite loving each story, I couldn’t wait to get to the next.

As a horror reader, I’m always looking for stories to scare me. Not just make me a little uneasy but ACTUALLY scare me. Let me tell you, the authors delivered just that!

Being a Winter Solstice Anthology, I loved the variety of themes, settings, and traditions throughout the stories. Not knowing where in the world the authors would send me next just added to the excitement.

To top it all off, many of these stories were “kid friendly”. Well, if you have a horror loving 10 year old anyway.

As most kids her age, she has the attention span of a gnat. Keeping her attention while reading is an Olympic sport. When she asked me to read to her, she hung on my every word. That just added to my love of the book as a whole.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for allowing me to read and review Christmas and Other Horrors! I’m excited to grab a physical copy and wind it into our holiday season again this year!