4.5

This is an awesome collection of holiday horror. Again some names I’m familiar with and some names I just found. I haven’t found a story I didn’t like in this collection. Each one held its own. I will say there were a few that were just a touch above (no names here, we dont play favorites around the holidays), but overall this is one of the best collections I’ve read in a while. I’m sure to revisit during the appropriate season.

Even in the off-season, "The Darkest Night” delivers a chilling blend of holiday cheer and spine-tingling terror. Seasoned masters of horror come together in this collection, crafting a diverse blend of fear. Each story offers a unique take on the holiday season, blending the festive with the frightful and offering a fresh spin on seasonal storytelling. This anthology's strength lies in its ability to evoke a sense of dread throughout each story while maintaining the essence of Christmas spirit. "The Darkest Night” is a must-read for fans of both horror and holiday tales.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review " The Darkest Night " before its publication date.

From some of the biggest names in horror comes an Advent calendar of short stories perfect for the darkest nights of the year. Edited by award-winning author and anthologist Lindy Ryan, this horrific anthology will chill you to the bone.From New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box Josh Malerman, a story of a dark Christmas past in “Children Aren’t The Only Ones Who Know Where the Presents Are Hidden.” From national bestselling author Rachel Harrison, “Thaw,” in which a couple spends their first Christmas together in a cabin—but are they alone, or does something else watch them from the tree line? New York Times bestselling authors, Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon’s “Wintry Blue” sets an innocent child on the road with a strange and monstrous creature. Bram Stoker Award®-winning screenwriter of Netflix’s Haunting of Bly Manor and The Fall of the House of Usher, in Jamie Flanagan’s “Bruiser,” something sinister stalks the chilling hallways of a nursing home at night. Author of Such a Pretty Smile, Kristi DeMeester, tells a tale of “Eggnog” a Christmas party, an over-friendly female coworker, and an angry wife are the recipe for a deadly cocktail party. Plus stories by Nat Cassidy, Darcy Coates, Clay McLeod Chapman, Tim Waggoner, and many more, with an introduction by George C. Romero and art by renowned British horror

As the description says, this is an advent calendar of sorts. A collection of holiday horror stories by some of todays best horror and thriller authors. As in most collections like this, some stories are better than others. I did however find the general quality on most of them to be quite high and I really enjoyed reading through this one. Would highly recommend to horror fans, especially holiday horror fans like me:)