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Erica Robyn Reads

a horror book review blog

[Book Review] The Best of Indie Horror: Christmas Edition

December 6, 2021      Erica Robyn      1 Comment

The Best of Indie Horror: Christmas Edition is a must-own for fans of holiday horror! From the chilling to the full-blown brutal, this has a bit of everything included in just 11 tales!

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way. I also ordered myself a copy.

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on The Best of Indie Horror: Christmas Edition by KJK Publishing

I can’t get over this collection… I love that I never know what to expect when I pick up a book from this publisher. I know I’m always in for a wild ride though, that’s for sure!

My favorite tales from this collection included:

  • Tradition by Steve Stred
  • Let the Damn Elves Die Already by Veronica Smith
  • Santa Claws by Patrick Reuman
  • The Christmas Cabin from Hell by Kevin J. Kennedy

Per usual, here are my notes on each tale:

Tradition by Steve Stred
A family with a Christmas obsessed father heads in a trip to bring home the perfect Christmas tree. But of course, this isn’t a quick trip in and out. There’s someone else in the grove of trees… 

With Steve you always know you’re going to get something really intense! My god, what a tale to kick this collection off with. It started so heartwarming and then turned absolutely terrifying! 

Top Floor: Seasonal Furnishings and Christmas Decorations by Lex H Jones
When tasked to clear out a department store that had once been something wonderful, a man finds a hidden room. As he goes to explore, he finds out why it had been sealed off. 

This tale was super unsettling. It was so tough to watch the poor character get sucked in! 

Pennies for Santa by RJ Roles
When a bell ringer discovers the mall Santa and his elves are asking kids for their spare change, he’s furious that it is cutting into his take. After talking to the Santa Clause doesn’t go well, he decides to take things into his own hands. 

This one is filled with darkness. It certainly makes you think twice of bringing your kids to see Santa or donating to any of the bell ringers… 

Clitoris Krampus by Zoltán Komor
Not one for me, but fans of super bizarre and sexual happy are gonna love this! 

Let the Damn Elves Die Already by Veronica Smith
One Christmas ends with a little girl being sent to a psych hospital. Ten years later, she’s back with her parents and things seem to be well. But when she hears a certain song, things start to scare her. looking to find out what happened that one Christmas, this girl is determined to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

I loved this one so much! The first scene is absolutely terrifying. Seeing the girl go through that was just horrible. But when she’s back home, her bravery and determination was so wonderful to see. I was rooting for her so much! And I absolutely loved the ending. 

The Mall Santa by Eric Butler
When a group of men break into the house of a mall Santa, they think it’s going to be an easy job. But once they start getting split up, it’s everyone for themselves as they try to escape the maze. 

This tale is brutal! A wonderful story about being naughty or nice! 

Santa Claws by Patrick Reuman
Set as a story inside a story, readers are informed of who Santa Claws is. While On one hand, it’s said to be just a story, on the other it seems very real indeed!

Terrifying and brutal! This one will certainly haunt my dreams. 

A Last Change Christmas Miracle by Matthew V. Brockmeyer
A father that’s brewing up a special batch of meth, an older brother that has hired a sex worker for his younger brother who has murderous plans, and a young brother who just misses his mom are each trying to make the most of their Christmas Eve. 

Phew, this one was so upsetting. This poor boy. I hope he ends up okay!

Blood, Bullets and Baubles by David Owain Hughes
When men on a job think they’ve got this one in the bag, things suddenly go sideways…

The beginning of the tale sets the scene as we get to know what these people are doing, but then once the first moment of intensity happens, this story is action packed until the end!

Golden Ticket by Matthew A. Clarke
Not one for me. 

The Christmas Cabin from Hell by Kevin J. Kennedy
When a brother and sister reunite for Christmas, they’re shocked when snowmen suddenly appear outside the cabin they rented. But things only get stranger from there!

Ah I love a good cabin in the woods tale! Take that and add in some living snowmen?! Yes please!

My Final Thoughts on The Best of Indie Horror: Christmas Edition

I was saving this one to kick off my holiday reading this year, and it was the most perfect collection to do just that.

This is yet another collection from KJK Publishing that has a little something for horror fans of all types! Do yourself a favor and go pick this one up today!


Snag a copy through your local bookstore if you are able or feel free to use my Amazon affiliate link:

Related Reading:

  • Collected Christmas Horror Shorts 1
  • Collected Christmas Horror Shorts 2
  • Merry Fuckin’ Christmas and Other Yuletide Shit by Kevin J. Kennedy

Thanks for reading!

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Erica Robyn of Erica Robyn Reads
I run on hot tea, good books, and loud music. She/Her.
 

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