Hark! The Herald Angels Scream an anthology edited by Christopher Golden was received direct from the publisher. Anthologies are my go to reading material. Shorter stories pique my interest without boring me as many of the modern novels tend to do. An anthology of Christmas themed horror, with these authors, released around Halloween, how can a person go wrong? To come up with my star rating, I rated each story individually and then averaged out the score. Of course I realize this is unfair to some authors but overall fair to the actual anthology. It should be noted that most of these stories are in no way a traditional Christmas story. Overall I gave this anthology a 3.75 stars. Buy it just in time for Halloween then the holiday season.

I picked this up because of the Seanan McGuire story and that fantastically kitschy horror cover, and this delivered on exactly what it promised!

This was such an enjoyable little slice of horror. Every story had its own vibe and most were just so fun to read. I would highly recommend this to any fans of anthology series like Tales From the Crypt. It is spooky, campy, and jolly.

A solid collection of Christmas-time horror stories. Editor Golden has chosen a group of writers with varied writing styles and ideas of horror, and it makes for an interesting mix of stories that never starts to feel stale.

I loved this book. There is something for everyone in this collection. Although it is Christmas themed, this book is worth reading at any time. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book. Although I received the book in this manner, it had no impact on my opinion of this book nor my review.

Hark! The Herald Angel's Scream was a very fascinating book. It features short horror stories (all Christmas themed of course). Being a huge lover of Christmas AND horror, this was one book I was really looking forward too! I relished in each chapter, a new horror to read about page after page. I do have to admit a few of the stories really left me unsettled.

Each story was quite unique and, to be honest, that was a pleasant surprise! The stories ranged from straight up horror, psychological terror, ghosts, apocalyptic nightmares, and even despair (which is a horror in it's own right). A couple of the stories were a little campy and hard to follow, but the rest were very enjoyable.

My absolute favorite story was the last one, which is also the longest. I don't want to spoil the story by giving out too many details but, I will say this, if you love Japanese horror stories, you will love this!

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for allowing me to have this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a funny book to review... reading Christmas stories in the Summer is slightly odd! Although there are some excellent stories in this collection I got the impression they were 'written to order' and so came across as a little too forced with the Christmas theme. Also, many of the stories seemed to try really hard for 'surprise' or 'twist' ending and the result was actually that the endings were often the weakest parts of the stories.

There were some great ones though "Love Me" concerned some sort of parasite doll, "Christmas in Barcelona" was truly terrific with a couple having a Christmas holiday from hell with a newborn baby, and this story had a brilliant ending.. There was also a really funny tale about a song that turned listeners into murderers. In many ways the best stories were those that did not ram Christmas down our throat, such as the one about the new type of advanced robotic pets that start to glitch and then swear, insult and advertise stuff. I really laughed at that one. There is a really top range of authors involved, including fine entries from Jonathan Maberry and Josh Malerman,

It is never too early to start reading Christmas books, and this Christmas/horror book of short stories is GREAT. There are the traditional short scary stories (ghosts, vengeful spirits) set on Christmas Eve but the real treat are the stories of horrible Christmas things - have you heard of mummers? Go ahead, google it, I'll wait. Yikes. I've also picked up a few new horror authors I have not read before - Angela Slatter, John McIlveen, Scott Smith, Kelley Armstrong (and Sarah Pinborough whom I did not realize wrote scary books before her last thriller [that I was not particularly fond of] but who I'll revisit after reading her here). As soon as this is available, you should probably just read it. In fact, just pre-order it now - you are going to love it.

I have always been a fan of the themed anthology. There's something very enjoyable about the idea of several imaginative authors providing their own spin on a stated topic, whether it's a time in history or a geographical area or a Shakespearean text. In the upcoming Hark the Herald Angels Scream (Knopf Doubleday/Anchor Books), one can guess by the title and Cryptkeeper-esque ghoul in a Santa Claus suit on the cover that the presents under this tree are eighteen stories of horror and the macabre centered around Christmas and holiday celebrations. It's a neat juxtaposition of moods and motives, the peaceful and the violent, the sacred and the profane, and many of the collected authors deliver inspired stories, a couple of which truly soar.

This anthology is edited by horror and sci-fi writer Christopher Golden, who delivers "It's a Wonderful Knife," successfully trading on the dark, seductive allure of infamous Hollywood crimes and celebrity deaths to craft a fantastical but compelling revenge tale (either deliberately or coincidentally timed to the recent "Me Too" movement). Also featuring a paranormal element is "Hiking Through," Michael Kortya's smart spin on the recurring specter story. This tale benefits from a smart-alecky but likeable narrator, who begins by viewing the New England start of the Appalachian Trail as both a path to romantic happiness and a balm for a broken heart. By story's end, he will see this stretch of land through a quite different set of eyes.

The reliable Joe R. Lansdale presents an effective ghost story as well: "The Second Floor of the Christmas Hotel," about the disappearance of a guest and a man who has been haunted by events in the decades to come, is atmospheric and perfectly pitched. I also appreciated the darkly sarcastic absurdity of Jeff Strand's "Good Deeds," about a self-absorbed narrator whose questionable act of kindness (and subsequent artistic inspiration) results in mass deaths.

Bestselling author Scott Smith has accomplished something laudable. He is perhaps the first writer I've come across who actually uses second-person narration effectively and unobtrusively. What makes his uses of "you" and "your" unique? In the excellently observed "Christmas in Barcelona," he puts the reader in the shoes of a very specific and sympathetic character, a husband and father who is trying to do the best for his traveling wife and baby son while absolutely everything goes wrong on an ill-timed European trip. It's an instantly identifiable situation for any reader, and you root for "you", even as the tale concludes with a nasty sting. The sharp twist of final lines and frightening realizations can also be found in two strong early stories, "Fresh as the New-Fallen Snow" by Seanan McGuire and "Absinthe and Angels" by Kelley Armstrong.

The spirit of current torture-horror movies such as the Saw series is captured in "Yankee Swap" by John M. McIlveen. There's the same gruesome fascination of being at the mercy of a violent killer, with the principal question always, Will they live or die at the hands of a maniac? And like those movies, this story shares the genre's weakness of not having much of anything to say. Still, it's a page-turner, even as plot outdistances character and discernible theme.

There were a few stories in the anthology that didn’t resonate with me, and that's to be expected in a multiple-author collection. I briefly mention the final story, though: "The Hangman's Bride" by Sarah Pinborough is a competent ghost story, introducing a sympathetic Dickens-era chimney-sweep protagonist with Japanese Onryo horror legend (think The Ring). But at four times the length of most of the other tales, it felt tedious to push through, especially as the complete plot could have been delivered at half the page count.

The two stories that truly resonated – I'm still thinking about them days later – were the ones that used horror and fantasy to say something larger and bolder about humanity, family, and the cycle of life and death. "Snake's Tail," Sarah Langan's ambitious examination of primal destruction and rebirth (and the great pain that necessarily accompanies it), is boldly approached and executed. Its narrator wants us to see what happens when human hopes and hubris are finally stripped of religious trappings and unearned expectations (my neighbors may be doomed, but surely I'll be saved), if only to make us conscious of the inevitable end awaiting us all. And Angela Slatter's brief "Honor Thy Mother" is a somber yet strong first-person account rooted in a moment of real-world domestic fears: an independent elderly woman realizes that her children are planning to remove her from her house, only to let her die in a retirement home. It's a very deft, understated piece that, like "Snake's Tail," makes one think about rituals and human blindness to the reality of the ways of the world.

Hark the Herald Angels Scream is a very good anthology worth checking out. It's slated for release in October 2018, anticipating the holiday season and its frightful weather (and people). I received an advance eBook copy of the title through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As many who follow me know, I LOVE horror. What you may not know is that I also LOVE Christmas. Yes, I’m the one playing Christmas music right after Halloween (although, you should check out Midnight Syndicate’s CD “Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering” for a nice mix of both). Sadly, there are few authors willing to combine the two; I guess after Dickens, most thought they couldn’t compete.

Because of that, any time I see a collection like “Hark! The Herald Angels Scream”, I immediately jump at the chance to read it. However, when I found out that Josh Malerman wrote a story for this anthology, I immediately logged into NetGalley to request a review copy – and thankfully, my request was granted.

Let me start by saying that this anthology is HUGE! While one or two may have missed the mark, for the most part, this was an extremely enjoyable read.

ABSINTHE & ANGELS – Kelley Armstrong: This one will have you guessing until the very end. Mix caroling with trick or treating, along with some absinthe, and you’ll go crazy. 4/5

CHRISTMAS IN BARCELONA – Scott Smith: As a child, I was told an urban legend – at midnight on Christmas Eve, all your toys come to life. If you ever find yourself lost in Barcelona on Christmas, be careful of the old lady selling (what appear to be) animatronic toys. 4/5

FRESH AS THE NEW-FALLEN SNOW – Seanan McGuire: Be careful how you treat your kids, and be sure to check out your babysitter thoroughly. You never know who’s watching. 3/5

LOVE ME – Thomas E. Sniegoski: Reading this one, I got a GREMLINS vibe; but in a good way. 5/5

NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS – Sarah Lotz: This story was scary in that it may come to fruition. There’s these new pets, called Gens – extremely lifelike robots. What happens when their software gets hacked? You may not want to know. 5/5

TENETS – Josh Malerman: It’s no secret that this story was the sole reason for me requesting this anthology – and Josh didn’t let me down. There are some things that you just can’t escape – like the cult that Michael belonged to. Don’t answer the door if you have a stranger show up at your Christmas party. 5/5

GOOD DEEDS – Jeff Strand: This was my favorite of the group (sorry Josh). Jeff wrote an interesting take on the song “Christmas Shoes”. This story was hysterical in a very dark way. 5/5

IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE – Christopher Golden: seeing how the Capra film is my perennial go-to, this story struck a chord. Christopher writes a story about a stabbing on set, and the curse that the knife has. 5/5

MISTLETOE AND HOLLY – James A. Moore: I don’t even know how to describe this story. The twists and turns had me guessing all throughout. Just a word of caution, don’t steal your sister’s boyfriend, and especially don’t marry him! 5/5

SNAKE’S TAIL – Sarah Langan: I truly didn’t get this one. Children start disappearing, mysteriously. 2/5

THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE CHRISTMAS HOTEL – Joe R. Lansdale: Joe wrote a classic ghost story. Creepy, atmospheric, and enjoyable. 5/5

FARROW STREET – Elizabeth Hand: This story started out to be a favorite. Elizabeth started writing a great Christmas story in London, almost like a modern Dickens tale. Her descriptive writing made you feel like you are actually there. However, the ending was just too bizarre; and didn’t match the beginning of the story. 3/5 (could have been 5/5)

DOCTORY VELOCITY – Jonathan Maberry: The story was interesting, but the style was plain weird. I didn’t understand if the main characters where humans, or something else. It was very esoteric, and not my favorite. 2/5

YANKEE SWAP - John M. McIlveen: Take the movie SAW and revolve it around Christmas, but with a very interesting twist. 5/5

HONOR THY MOTHER – Angela Slatter: Wow! Didn’t see that coming. How well do you know the people in your family? Make sure you honor your Mother, or you’ll find out she’s not who you thought she was. 4/5

HOME – Tim Lebbon: A bizarre take on the Santa legend; or is it? Follow an old man in a red coat dragging what appears to be a dead body through a barren, snow covered, landscape. 3/5

HIKING THROUGH – Micheal Koryta: Take “The Blair Witch Project” and hiking the Appalacian Trail, and you have a weird, frightening tale. I have two friends that have hiked the AP, and will be sure to have them read this when the book is released. They may not want to finish the trail.

THE HANGMAN’S BRIDE – Sarah Pinborough: This story truly was a gem. A perfect way to end a great anthology. I am a sucker for Japanese horror, they truly know how to create a frightening ghost story. Sarah builds a wonderful love story around the legend of a Japanese spirit. Greed, insanity, death, and legacy – it’s all here. I could actually see this developed into a movie. 5/5

All in all, this was one of the most enjoyable reads (combining horror and Christmas) that I have seen in a long time. Christopher Golden did an excellent job of gathering some great talent. Pick this one up when it’s released.

Some of speculative fiction's biggest names come together to make your Christmas a little bit creepier with this impressive collection of Yuletide horror stories.
The Blumhouse book, edited by Christopher Golden, brings together 18 tales of human and supernatural horrors from authors such as Joe R. Lansdale, Scott Smith, Kelley Armstrong and Jeff Strand.
As with most collections, stories vary in strength - as does the use of the Christmas setting - but the vast array of voices and styles means there is plenty to sink your teeth into.
Highlights include Smith's Christmas in Barcelona, a chilling story of a festive holiday abroad that goes horribly wrong; Thomas E Sniegoski's Love Me, about a child's toy that only wants your love; and Strand's Good Deeds, about a Christmas hit with unexpected consequences.
Worth a look.

Thanks to NetGalley ad Knopf Doubleday Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review. I was first attracted to the book by the colourful, gruesome cover illustration, reminiscent of the art for the 10 cent horror comics of the late 1940’s until they were banned in the early 1950’s.

This anthology contains 15 short stories by various authors, each story connected in some manner with the Christmas season. There is something here for everyone who enjoys stories of this type. There are old fashioned ghost stories, ghastly horror stories, and several written with black humor.

I thought there was a higher proportion of compelling stories here than in most anthologies. I considered seven excellent (5 stars), most of the others very good indeed, and three I felt didn’t reach the level of the rest and didn’t work for me.

Recommended for fans of ghost stories and horror fiction.

I received a preview copy of this book to review. I really enjoyed the mix and themes of short stories in this book. The stories twist and turn from mora tales to scary ghost stories and remind me of camp stories around the fire when everyone is trying to scare each other. The stories are all a nice length to dip in and out of this book. If you like a scary story then this book is perfect.

I received this novel for free from the publisher through Netgalley for a review. Overall, I enjoyed this collection of Christmas themed short stories. Several of the authors involved are ones that I have read before and a few were new to me but I will be looking in to their backlists for sure now. I thought that it was a good mixture of different kinds of stories, some of them were better then others in my opinion, but it was a quick read that kept my attention and the topic of Christmas horror stories was newer to me and one that I enjoyed.

When I see the name Christopher Golden, it is almost like the angels screaming! I've loved this author for a very, very long time. In this whole anthology, I seriously disliked 3 stories, thought 2 were crap, and the rest? Duh, they were Golden. "Cheesy, stupid grin." Anything that has Scott Smith as one single story out of many, will always get my attention. Add some J. Maberry, and Golden? Dude, it's on. There were quite a few tales here that kinda freaked me out. Other's, they were just really good. I can read anthologies til' the cows come home, but the ones I love are few and far between. This was the best I've read in years. Literally....years. By the way, why the hell hasn't Scott Smith's stories been brought together in its own anthology. Man, I'd pay money for that! As always, my thanks to the publishers and Netgalley. I'm not sure that I would have bought this. I'd have bought Goldens book, but probably not this. I would have missed out. Truly, one of the best anthologies in the past 20 years. No shit.

Review Copy

4.5 stars

HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SCREAMS was not your run of the mill Xmas anthology. Rather than a mixed bag of short stories by authors most of us love, what this anthology brought was an incredible treasure trove of enjoyment that I'll be reading again and again.

I found two stories that rated better than five stars which offset the two that I hated. Combine those with the couple of four star tales and I decided my final rating was a 1/2 star deduction down to 4.5 stars. Extra kudos to author Christopher Golden for his excellent job editing this volume. His arrangement of the stories was perfection.

Buy this for yourself and buy it for the gift swaps you attend this year. Highly recommended.

To start my review off, let me give a disclaimer that I have never found a short story collection that I have actually enjoy, and unfortunately this one did not change that. I found only a couple of these stories interesting, and the rest I was having to force myself to read which did not make a good reading experience. I found a lot of the stories were extremely to long and some of the point of views were just odd. I have rated each story with a rating out of 5 stars:
Absinthe and Angels: 4 out of 5
Christmas in Barcelona: 3 out of 5
Fresh as the New Fallen Snow: 2 our of 5
Love Me: 4 out of 5
Not Just for Christmas: 5 out of 5
Tenets: 2 out of 5
Good Deeds: 5 out of 5
It’s a Wonderful Knife: 4 out of 5
Mistletoe and Holly: 1 out of 5
Snakes Tail: 1 out of 5
The Second Floor of the Christmas Hotel: 4 out of 5
Farrow Street: 2 out of 5
Doctor Velocity: 2 out of 5
Yankee Swap: 3 out of 5
Honor Thy Mother:
3 out of 5
Home: 4 out of 5
Hiking Through: 3 out of 5
The Hangman’s Bride: 2 out of 5

I was excited to read this collection, especially since it was the 125th day of January here in New York. While I might have been thinking I would be looking for a great beach read, the weather had me more in the mood for some holiday horror. Not one of the eighteen stories failed to hold my attention and I was introduced to numerous authors I have not read before(as my TBR pile keeps growing and growing).
My three favorites were It's a Wonderful Knife by Christopher Golden, Mistletoe and Holly by James A. Moore and The Hangman's Bride by Sarah Pinborough. Reminded me of Tales from the Crypt and since some of these were extremely creepy, I was glad to be curled up on the couch in front of the fireplace with all the doors and windows locked while I was reading. If you enjoy this genre, I recommend Hark the Herald Angels Scream. I am looking forward to reading other books by these authors as each one had a unique storytelling style.
Thank you Christopher Golden, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for the complimentary digital ARC. I reread A Christmas Carol every year and plan to add this book to my annual holiday reading ritual.

Interesting collection of stories. Loved reading this. Good selection. Easy to read. Thanks for the opportunity to read this.

An excellent Christmas themed anthology that brings together some great storytellers from Joe Lansdale to Sarah Pinborough. Think Tales from the Crypt with a Santa hat on and you won’t go far wrong. A highly recommended read.