A Cold Christmas and the Darkest of Winters
by Cinnabar Moth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Dark fantasy/horror
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
A Cold Christmas and the Darkest of Winters is a collection of Christmas- and winter-themed short stories from an international group of authors with diverse perspectives. Each of the stories was selected for the incredible world building, character development, and fantastic storytelling. The collection is divided into two groups: stories that include Christmas or have a Christmas theme, and stories that take place in winter. None of the stories are for the faint of heart, and we strongly advise that everyone read the content notes in their entirety.
The Christmas tales are a mixture of profound loss and familiar fantasy with a fresh twist. The fantasy Christmas stories are a mixture, ranging from tales of despair and frustration to those with hope, delight, and an amusing twist.
The darkest of winter begins with a whimsical fantasy tale, followed by some paranormal tales that will leave you feeling haunted. Also included are dark contemporary, dark fantasy, chilling and brutal horror, and postapocalyptic science fiction. The contemporary works include twisted tales of sadness and loss. There are no purely happy endings, but there are many thrills, chills,and surprises.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
The Sound of Wolves by Gwen Katz. The two of them pull their blankets tighter around themselves and sink lower into the muddy ditch that will one day be a street, not that it would offer any protection if the beasts decided to attack. Their work crew had to claw out this ditch with their bare hands, which was hell on Ulrik’s still-healing arm. If there are any shovels in this worksite, Ulrik hasn’t seen them.There are wolves in Sweden, of course, but Ulrik lives in an apartment in Stockholm and has never even seen a wolf. Or rather, that’s where he lived once. Before the Army. Before the battle. Before he was captured and press-ganged into building a city for his enemies.
The wind shrieks through the ditch, which, far from sheltering them, seems to funnel its full force directly onto the cluster of workers. There are no buildings here yet. Just ditches and the foundations of a lone fortress. The serfs haven’t even had a chance to build shelters for themselves. A fat raindrop splatters against Ulrik’s cheek as though God is spitting on him. It’s raining. Of course it is.
As the downpour pelts them, Grishka looks up at the sky and shrugs, as if to say that he didn’t expect any better.
And the worst part, thinks Ulrik, is that it’s summer. It’s going to get worse. It’s going to get so much worse.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Review This anthology is a collection of short horror and dark fantasy stories. Each one either involves Christmas or the winter season in general. There are actually quite a few stories, so there should be something for everyone within these pages. Unfortunately, I can't say I really cared for most of these stories. There were maybe 1 or 2 I liked, but I found the stories to be a bit dull for my taste. None of them really screamed horror or dark fantasy to me, and considering I'm a huge fan of both genres, I was a bit disappointed. The writing was okay. There were a few grammatical errors. Nothing terrible, though. I felt like this anthology could have been darker, more horrific, and better overall, but it wasn't a complete bust. Out of the 25 or so stories, there were a couple I did enjoy. I'm giving this one 3 stars.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
This Anthology was written by an international team of renowned short story authors. Each author’s point of view is unique, and their voices are from groups not typically heard from. Every author is either a BIPOC, neurodivergent, part of the LGBTQIA community, or is physically or mentally disabled. This thrilling work contains story that reflect their own voices and lived experiences.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Christmas-Darkest-Winters-ebook/dp/B09DTN9STX/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
Cinnabar Moth will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteSounds good, thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds like an excellent read.
ReplyDeleteA Cold Christmas and the Darkest of Winters sounds like a chilling read...just the way I like them! Thanks for sharing it with me! Thanks Jazzy, for sharing your review! Have a happy & successful New Year!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great collection. I love this genre.
ReplyDeleteA Cold Christmas and the Darkest Winter sounds like a read that will have me snuggling into the blanket as I read it...I can't wait! Thanks for sharing it with me! Thanks for sharing your review, Jazzy! Have a happy & success New Year!
ReplyDelete