I thoroughly enjoyed this horror Anthology. The short stories were just the right length and the longer story kept me so intrigued I flew right through it. I can't wait to read more from Daniel Pyle. ( )

A book consisting of 24 quick, tiny, mean Christmas-themed horror stories, one for each day of advent, as an Advent calendar, if you like - and one more lengthy novella.
The 24 advent stories were fun, however a bit too unsubstantial for me at times. I wanted more from them, they sometimes felt like foam subsiding.
That's mainly because of the shortness of the stories, I guess. Each story only consists of a few 100 words which makes them easy and quick to consume but doesn't provide much depth/background. Some I found forgettable because of that, some I quite enjoyed.
Last Christmas, The Bear, Bylaws & The Snowman especially were very nasty little pieces of fun horror fast-food.
The novella The Snowbirds I enjoyed a lot, because it is a bit more 'meaty' in the storytelling sense and the more lengthy format adds some substance to it which it benefits from.
A nasty little high-school drama cum gory monster story set in the Florida Christmas sun.

I received this eARC via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program - Thanks, LT and author! - in exchange for an honest review. ( )

You better watch out! In this collection of not so merry stories, you'll find that Santa is not always the jolly old guy with the beard, and the red on his suit may come from the blood spilled.
I love Advent calendars and was really happy to find this book, which offers one scary story for each day up until Christmas (if you can be patient) and, if you made it that far, an additional bonus novella. While all stories share the Christmas theme, each one is a delicious treat of its own flavor and I was positively surprised by how many different faces Santa shows, like the one on the gorgeous book cover.
This will definitely go to my re-read pile of Christmas books for years to come. Thank you Mr Pyle! ( )

If you are into off beat, non-warm and fuzzy, hot cocoa and caroling Christmas stories, this book is for you. There is nothing traditional about it. This book should be found not only on shelves under Christmas but also Halloween. If you want a sweet story(s) to read for Christmas then look somewhere else. If you’re a horror fan who likes twists and turns, this is for you. ( )

I really loved this book, which probably says something about me. It seems like the whole genre of Christmas stories/movies/music is limited to warm-and-fuzzies, romance, children's innocent awe and wonder, and looooove; Daniel Pyle has successfully de-elevated the Christmas story genre and for this I'm incredibly grateful. Throw away any hopes of cheer while reading this book and instead brace yourself for a sick onslaught of blood, death, fear, and truly chilling concepts (yes, concepts) that will change you. I seriously think Daniel Pyle's goal is to twist the way the reader looks at Christmas, forever. Again, thank you Daniel. Binge read it or read it like a dark, twisted literary Advent calendar, but whatever you do, be prepared when you pick it a because you aren't eased into things - right from the first story you're going to be changed. ( )