The Dead of Winter: Beware the Krampus and Other Wicked Christmas Creatures by Sarah Clegg

3.85 AVERAGE

courtagonist's profile picture

courtagonist's review against another edition

3.0
adventurous dark informative medium-paced

eleanorclare's review

3.5
informative mysterious fast-paced

fredosbrother's review against another edition

3.75
informative medium-paced
michaela_june's profile picture

michaela_june's review against another edition

3.0
informative slow-paced
Specifically reviewing the audiobook, I wish the author had read the whole book and not just the prologue and epilogue. I found the audio quality of the authors portion better than that of the audio artist. Also personal preference, I just liked Sarah Clegg’s voice better. 

aoife_10's review

3.75
fast-paced
trywii's profile picture

trywii's review

4.0
informative medium-paced

kahuggs's review against another edition

3.0
The Dead of Winter traces the history of a handful of spookier Christmas traditions, from the Krampus runs to St. Lucy to the various witches associated with Christmas folklore. I appreciated the attention to detail balanced with extremely readable prose. I loved hearing about the eerier myths and folktales around the midwinter season, plus some possible ties to earlier Christian and pagan traditions throughout Europe. I was especially delighted to read an opening chapter that traces the connections between Venice's Carnivale and Christmas revels.

As the author concludes, I agree that the frightful traditions make the light of Christmas season brighter and cozier without feeling too saccharine. This is a really good book for cozying up on a cold winter's night. A great read for fans of folklore, witchy vibes, and seasonal spookiness.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
babyvamping's profile picture

babyvamping's review

5.0
"this is horror as entertainment - horror to be relished. there's too much fun in these monsters for them to be solely representations of genuine fear, too much joy taken in the subversive excitement of rampaging through the night, whether as a witch, krampus or snapping monster, too much laughter mingling with the screams that echo through the centuries"

what a delightful book! sarah clegg strikes just the right balance - creating something equally academic & entertaining. it was really atmospheric & makes me look forward to experiencing more spooky christmas rituals of my own!

5 stars

annhawkins's review against another edition

3.5
informative fast-paced
More travelogue than history, but still does an excellent job providing an overview of midwinter traditions. 

sfox26's review against another edition

3.0
dark informative fast-paced