I just cannot get enough Christmas horror this time of year!
I had previously read Collected Christmas Horror Shorts 2, but somehow missed the first volume! Mr. Kennedy was the one that actually realized I had missed the first one, and sent over a copy shortly afterward. I was so pumped! The book arrived just in time for the holiday season, and boy did I need some help getting into the holiday spirit this year!
Christmas Horror Shorts is such a wonderful collection of stories that range from the mildly spooky to full-blown terror.
Let’s dive in!
My Thoughts on Collected Christmas Horror Shorts edited by Kevin J. Kennedy
Per usual with these types of collections, here are my rating breakdowns for each story along with some immediate thoughts/reactions:
Forward by Nev Murray –
A wonderful forward to jump start the book! I loved how honest Nev was and how he told the reader a bit about his personal life. I also really loved how welcoming this intro was!
Better Watch Out by Willow Rose –
This story hits on so many thoughts I’ve had over the years. The whole idea of Santa can certainly seem terrifying! I loved how this story played on that. And that ending…
Tommy’s Christmas by John R Little –
Poor Tommy! He was so innocent… but what a twist!
Naughty or Nice by Veronica Smith –
Yikes! How terrifying! Our neighbors have an inflatable Santa outside… we can see it from our bedroom. I’m going to be a smidge paranoid about that Santa now…
All Naughty, No Nice by Michael A. Arnzen –
Ever wonder what would happen to the naughty and nice list when zombies take over? This story covers just that! How spooky!!
Slay Bells by Weston Kincade –
Heartbreaking and so terrifying! What an absolutely horrible annual tradition. These poor people. The gore in this one was intense.
Santa’s Midnight Feast by J. L. Lane –
So intense!! This tale started out innocently, but then took quite the turn. I love tales like this!
The Christmas Spirit by Lisa Morton –
I loved that this one centered around a spooky house in the middle of nowhere and that the couple read from a book! What a scary tale! But also quite heartwarming.
Thy Will Be Done by J.C. Michael –
Yikes! Terrifying. And all in Gods name…
Psychopath Remix by J.C. Michael –
Phew! This turned dark very quickly!
A Tome of Bill Christmas Carole by Rick Gualtieri –
A fun twist in the usual Christmas Carol!
Christmas Market by Amy Cross –
This one made me feel so claustrophobic. That crowd does not sound fun. And what a terrifying situation! And what happens next?!
Deck the Halls by Xtina Marie –
A short but terrifying poem!
Merry Fuckin’ Christmas by Kevin J. Kennedy –
Oh my goodness! So heartbreaking, but what wonderfully intense payback. I have zero respect for people that think drunk driving is okay.
Santa Came by Peter Oliver Wonder –
Unfortunately, not for me.
Hung With Care by Ty Schwamberger –
Ah! Another intense and bloody one with one unhappy Santa!
Killing Christmas by Andrew Lennon –
What a twisted tale! I loved it!
A Disappointed Shade of Blue by C.S. Anderson –
A sad one. Oofh.
The Present by Israel Finn –
A difficult one to read because of the domestic violence. But that ending!
Christmas Carole by Lisa Vasquez –
Unfortunately I don’t think I understood this one. It started with a bang, but then it lost me. I’ll have to give it a re-read another time! Stay tuned 🙂
Stuffed Pig by Steven Murray –
Phew! That was intense and terrifying!! Right when the neighbor called to report someone luring about, I knew we were in for an intense ride.
The Last Christmas Dinner by Christina Bergling –
Ugh, what rotten and self centered kids! I felt so bad for this poor mother. But yes! What payback!
The Veil by Rose Garnet –
Oooh! Spooky! I’m so glad this dirtbag got was was coming to him.
The Night Before Christmas by Suzanne Fox –
Personally not a fan of the erotic elements of this one, but if that’s your jam, you’ll love this! This one was also quite brutal.
The The Bag by Tim Curran –
I kept picturing something like that book with teeth from Harry Potter for this one. Phew, what a dark and sad tale.
My Final Thoughts on Collected Christmas Horror Shorts
This was such a fun collection!! If you enjoy horror and Christmas, you have to give this a read! This is yet another collection from Mr Kennedy that has a little something for every horror fan!
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This Christmas anthology sounds awesome and scary and fun. Thanks for posting your review.
It was right up my alley! haha I loved it so much. Thanks for stopping by!
Never heard of this type of story, sounds interesting!
<3
I think it’s fun to see that you enjoyed all of these pretty equally. When I read an anthology it’s usually hit or miss.
That’s usually the case with me! But with collections from this author, I have had really good luck!
Oooh, lots of winners in this one! I need some Christmas horror.
I’d love to hear what you think if you give this one a go!
Glad to see this collection was practically all hits for you!
I’m not keen on anthologies because the frequent style changes distract me.
😀
Thanks for sharing. I think this is one I need to check out. Especially since I was going to buy the Willow Rose one separately. This way I can get my bang for my buck!
Wahoo!!!! Enjoy!
I love how you manage to always find so many horror novels which are suitable for various holiday times! It sounds like most of these short stories were either 4 or 5 stars, so overall a huge hit 😀
haha I just love the combo SO much!! 🙂