Short story collections are very hit-or-miss for me, and this was a bit of a miss. Most of the stories are just okay, none of them particularly stuck with me or stood out to me. I've seen mixed reviews, though, so I'd say it's worth giving it a try. In terms of whether or not I'd buy this, the answer is no. I would recommend checking it out through the library.

These 22 wintery horror stories are a great way to wave goodbye to the heat of summer and kick off the start of spooky season.

I enjoyed the thrills, chills and a bit of dark humor.

A girl seeks out the help of a witch to heal her brother's failing heart.

A teenager on the cusp of adulthood learns that his final childhood gift from Santa will be a lump of coal. Is there time to get on the nice list before Christmas Eve is over? His attempts are gruesome and hilarious.

A very good boy learns from an elf that working conditions are unbearable at the North Pole. It would be so much easier at Santa's workshop if the naughty list was longer. Of course any good child would want to help make that happen, with bloody and horrific results.

An exhausted new mother is made to feel like a frumpy house frau by the office flirt at her husband's work party. Revenge is not a dish served cold, but a festive glass of Christmas cheer.

A woman who blames herself for a Christmas tragedy gets a chance for a do-over.

A romantic weekend in a cozy cabin complete with festive decorations and a snowman in the yard doesn't go quite as planned as a woman starts to notice some traits of toxic masculinity... and hey is that snowman coming closer?

A good Samaritan stops his car on an icy mountain road to help an injured woman, and puts himself and his daughter at risk.

An empty box mysteriously appears on the porch and there is no way to be rid of it until it gets what it wants.

The Darkest Night is 322 pages of delightfully deadly fun.

Anthologies don't often catch my attention but when I saw the names included, I HAD to read it. Rachel Harrison is easily one of my favorite authors so I was especially excited she was included. This book is perfect for all horror fans. There is a story for everyone inside. All the stories are set in the dark cold of winter. I would recommend curling up with this book in the winter.

Would highly recommend for anyone who likes their creepy stories in bite-sized servings. I feel like horror in particular is a genre that succeeds in short-story format. Some of these will stick in your mind for a long time!

Such a fun book!! Stories from so many authors that I love reading. Not a book that you read straight through, I liked to pick and read different stories on different days from it.

“It turns out the living can haunt a place as easily as the dead.”

Lindy Ryan in this anthology has collected some of the biggest names in horror writing to bring a collection of short horror stories that you will want to add to your winter horror TBR.

Firstly I was delighted at how many authors are featured in the collection. Many I am familiar with and some that were new to me. This was a great interaction to their style of work.

The stories are set around winter and the holidays. Each one has its own dark and twisted take on a classic winter horror story. Many of these were so messed up I can’t forget them easily. Others were shocking and had me flipping back through the pages to process what had happened.

Featured are the following authors:

Gwendolyn Kiste, Tim Waggoner, Josh Malerman, Hailey Piper, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Clay McLeod Chapman, Christopher Brooks, Lindy Ryan, Eric LaRocca, M. Rickert, Lee Murray, Cynthia Pelayo, Christopher Golden, Tim Lebbon, Kelsey Yu, Jessica McHugh, Nat Cassidy, Rachel Harrison, Thommy Hutson, Kristi Demeester, Sara Tantlinger, Darcy Coates, Jeff Strand, Mercedes M Yardley and Jamie Flanagan.

With an Introduction by George C. Romero and artwork by Mister Sam Shearon.

So many of these I know I won’t be forgetting any time soon. If anything it’s made me want to pick up more books by a lot of these authors. I will no doubt be buying a physical copy of this collection once its out.

What a great winter anthology! I love horror in all its forms and cold weather horror is no exception. A few favorite stories were from Nat Cassidy, Rachel Harrison, Josh Malerman, Clay McLeod Chapman and Jamie Flanagan. Thank you so much to Crooked Lane & NetGalley for the ARC. This book publishes September 24, 2o24. You don't want to miss adding this to your winter TBR!

I love the winter horror trope and all of the factors like isolation, forest monsters,hidden danger,etc. But, this anthology only gave me some of that horror I craved and mostly left me unsatisfied. The stories were far from terrible. They just weren't what I was hoping for in this winter horror anthology.

Still, I had to give this at least 3⭐️ because it was definitely a me thing and not a story deficiency. I have no doubt that people will enjoy this book. Just don't go into it with set expectations like I did, and I know you'll enjoy it more!

As always, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an advanced ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Despite reading this during the summer I really felt the Christmas feelings simmer below the surface in this dark and frightening short story collection. All of the stories held a good quality but my favorites were The Body of Leonora James by Stephanie M. Wytovich because of the beautiful language despite a gruesome tale; I Hope This Finds You Well by Eric LaRocca because he is the God of horror writing and the end is perfect and last but not least Thaw by Rachel Harrison just because snow men are creepy and it was a classic horror story. I really recommend this collection. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

**3.5 Star Review: The Darkest Night - A Terrifying Anthology of Winter Horror Stories**

I was really looking forward to diving into *The Darkest Night*, especially with such a strong lineup of horror authors like Josh Malerman, Rachel Harrison, and Darcy Coates. The premise of chilling winter tales sounded perfect for getting into the spooky season, and I was excited to see how these writers would explore the theme of winter horror.

**Thoughts:**
The anthology kicks off with a couple of stories that might be a bit challenging for some readers, especially those told in second person. While I appreciate the experimental approach, it can be jarring, and I found myself hoping this style wouldn’t dominate the entire collection. Thankfully, the rest of the anthology shifted into more traditional storytelling, which was a relief.

As for the stories themselves, they were a mixed bag. Some tales were truly eerie and memorable, capturing that cold, creeping dread that winter horror promises. However, others felt rather ordinary, failing to leave much of an impression. It's clear that the collection was aiming for variety, which is great, but it also means that not every story will resonate with every reader.

A few stories really stood out and made the collection worth reading, but there were also some that fell flat, even from authors I typically enjoy. It’s always a bit disappointing when high expectations aren’t fully met, but there’s enough good here to make it worth your time if you’re a fan of the genre.

In conclusion, while *The Darkest Night* isn’t a perfect anthology, it still offers some solid winter horror tales. There’s something here for most horror fans, though you might find yourself skipping over a story or two. A decent read for a cold, dark night by the fire, but not quite as terrifying as I had hoped.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the pre-release copy. Below is my honest review.

I'm going to be 100% honest here: I requested this ARC because of a handful of the horror authors in it: namely, Rachel Harrison, Josh Malerman, and Darcy Coates. They're all authors I really love! Luckily for me, so many of the other stories really grabbed me, so now I have a long list of potential new horror authors to check out further.

Rather than do an average of scores, I'm going to give this one an overall four stars, because even the stories that weren't my favorites were still fun, which is just what I wanted from this anthology.

---
The Mouthless Body in the Lake by Gwendolyn Kiste
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Three and a half

Interesting concept and good writing, but not sure the ending hit for me. I'd say I'm intrigued enough to potentially check out more of her stories one day.

---
Cold as Ice by Tim Waggoner
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Four

Oh, this one was fun!

---
Children Aren't the Only Ones Who Know Where the Presents Are Hidden by Josh Malerman
My Fan Status: Big Fan
Stars: Three and a half

Love Josh Malerman, but I didn't feel like this one had much of a plot. The twist at the end was clever-ish.

---
The Vermin Moon by Hailey Piper
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Three

I can't say I loved this one, but I didn't hate it either. It was... weird. But also heartbreaking.

---
The Body of Lenora James by Stephanie M. Wytovich
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Four and a half

Can we get a full length novel of this please? Loved!

---
Mr. Butler by Clay McCleod Chapman
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Four and a half

Albeeeeeeeee, Mr. Butler was creepy as heck! Loved the personal nature of this one, and really disturbed by Mr. Butler.

---
Feast of Gray by Lindy Ryan and Christopher Golden
My Fan Status: New to me (Ryan) and Fan (Golden)
Stars: Three

I liked this one fine, but felt like it needed more.

---
I Hope This Finds You Well by Eric LaRocca
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Three and a half

That ending though!

---
The Buried Child by M. Rickert
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Three

Kind of confusingly written and muddled, brought me out of the story a bit.

---
Father's Last Christmas by Lee Murray
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Four

Lots of fun (for us) and reminiscent of Gaiman's Stardust (in a good way)

---
The Warmth of Snow by Cynthia Pelayo
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Three

Decent little shorty, didn't feel like much of a plot though

---
Wintry Blue by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon
My Fan Status: Fan (Golden) and New to me (Lebbon)
Stars: Five

Absolute yes. I wanna see this made into a movie!

---
Carol of the Hells by Kelsea Yu
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Four

Man, that ending tore me up!

---
Full of Toys by Jessica McHugh
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Three

A poem on a creepy gross bloody Santa picture.

---
Nice by Nat Cassidy
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Four

You know what? There's not much creepier than kids in horror. Yikes.

---
Thaw by Rachel Harrison
My Fan Status: Devoted Follower/Obsessee/Stan/Fanboy
Stars: Five+

I'm a huge fan of Rachel Harrison's. This story is no exception to that. Nothing quite like dealing with a jerk of a significant other AND a possibly living creepy snowman hunting you.

---
Candy Cane by Thomas Hutson
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Five

Sometimes it's best to write what you know. Insert devil emoji here.

---
Eggnog by Kristi DeMeester
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Four

Don't mess with momma!

---
Threads of Epiphany by Sara Tantlinger
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Four

I'd read this full length novel!

---
The Ladies' Society for the Dead by Darcy Coates
My Fan Status: Big Fan
Stars: Four

Nice twist!

---
Being Nice by Jeff Strand
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Four

Interesting play on the Naughty/Nice List and last minute makeup points lol

---
Ghosted by Mercedes M. Yardley
My Fan Status: New to me
Stars: Three

Decent little ghost story about a partner who died who you didn't really know

---
Bruiser by Jamie Flanagan
My Fan Status: New to me/Fan of his shows
Stars: Four

Weird but I'd watch this show!

I would recommend picking this up if you are missing winter already and just want to cozy up against a fire and read frightening stories by some very talented authors.

I am not a huge fan of anthologies in general but especially around Creepmas! I love that every story centers around winter and the holiday times. Only horror writers can create fear with something as skimple as a cardboard box. Whether you love blood and gore or creepy and strange along with some dark humor you will love this book.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books & Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I thought this collection of short stories was...fine. None of them were true standouts for me, unfortunately. Most of them were mundane, and failed to spook me on any level. A few stories were good, but as a whole, I can't really recommend this book to horror lovers. Again, there were a few that could work for some people, but not the majority of them. There's a lot of great (or so I hear) authors that lent their work to this book, so I think I'll seek out their individual work instead! Like Josh Malerman. I liked his writing (even if the story was eh) - so I'm at least intrigued by his larger work.

This releases 9/24/24!

As with other anthologies, the stories are hit and miss with some shining brighter than others. Will be a great read for those cold winter nights.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest reviews.

22 horror stories collected by George C. Romero and featuring authors like Josh Malerman, Eric LaRocca, Cynthia Pelayo, Darcy Coates and Christopher Golden, to name but a few; this is a sweet treat for horror lovers. These pages manage to make elves, Santa Claus and snowmen creepy. Some of the stories have a sort of happy ending, but mostly left me feeling chilled, even while reading them in the summer. A few read like fairy tales, others have more contemporary settings. The horror is both inside and outside and the monsters are sometimes literal and others human. I was going to list the ones that I liked the most, but that would make this review too long, as there was only one that I didn’t care for. The rest were all five star material. The authors are a solid mix of established horror writers and some who have so far written for TV. Each new story was surprising and addictive and I really enjoyed this volume.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Crooked Lane Books.

"The Darkest Night" anthology, edited by Lindy Ryan, offers an intriguing mix of winter horror stories from well-known authors. While I was excited by the concept and the impressive lineup, including Josh Malerman and Eric LaRocca, the collection didn't quite live up to my expectations. Some stories really shine, capturing the chilling atmosphere of long winter nights and leaving a lasting impression. Clay McLeod Chapman's contribution, for example, stands out as a memorable piece. However, other entries feel a bit lackluster, failing to fully engage or unsettle. The anthology does have its moments of genuine creepiness, and horror fans might find a few new favorites here. Overall, "The Darkest Night" is a bit of a mixed bag - worth a read for the standout stories, but be prepared for some that might not hit the mark.

The Darkest Night provides a variety of stories from some of the heaviest hitters in horror today, each giving their own take on the terrors the winter season can hold. Most of the stories in this collection focus on creating a haunting tone that fits perfectly with the coldest months of the year, although some humorous segments are sprinkled throughout to break things up. This anthology contains standout pieces from Gwendolyn Kiste, Josh Malerman, Clay McLeod Chapman, Rachel Harrison, and Christopher Golden & Tim Lebbon. While my favorite stories were Wintry Blue & Thaw, there’s something for everyone in this collection. An excellent read to get in the mood for the holiday season during the depths of winter (although it also works to send a chill down your spine during a hot Texas summer)!

Thank you Crooked Lane Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Most anthologies are a mixed bag, the reader is very lucky to get an entire book of excellent short stories. Good or bad, there is almost always a mix, often counterbalanced to one side other the other. As in this case, but sad to say the balance is heavily weighted towards the bad. After giving it my best shot I have decided that this is not the book for me.

The blurb promised me “an horrific anthology that would chill me to the bone”. Well here I am, 22 stories in still awaiting that chill. For me these are not horror stories, just unusual stories, and would be better marketed as such.

As “unusual” stories, 3*. As “horror” stories, 1*.

On a positive note, the cover looks good!

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books.

The Darkest Night: 22 Winter Horror Stories features some of the biggest names in horror, such as Clay McLeod Chapman, Cynthia Pelayo, Eric LaRocca, Hailey Piper, and Josh Malerman, and the anthology is edited by Lindy Ryan, one of the most well-respected curators of contemporary horror fiction.

Anthologies, by their nature, can be inconsistent. Not every story is going to please every reader. That said, I’ve been fortunate to read some really strong anthologies and collections lately, so Darkest Night stood out to me as especially lacking in the kind of consistency that I’ve become accustomed to. First of all, there are 22 stories here, which is a lot. Some of them tried to be too clever and ended up falling flat for me. Also, the theme of “winter,” as it appears in these tales, is either too broad or too narrow. Winter is fully one-quarter of a year, which leaves a lot of wiggle room within the theme. However, the stories overall lean on the most obvious winter imagery: ice and snow.

Another complaint is that too many of the stories revolve around Christmas, which is to be expected, but I wish there had been a wider variety of winter traditions explored. As a result, some of the stories are a bit too similar. For instance, there are two stories about being on the naughty list and two stories that involve domestic drama at a Christmas party. All four of these were quite enjoyable, so I can see why they were included, but it’s hard to keep them straight.

I know it sounds like I’m being really hard on the anthology, and I realize that maybe this is a me-problem. As I said, there are 22 stories, so there’s certain to be something for everyone in Darkest Night. In fact, when I tallied up the stories I actually enjoyed, it ended up being more than half. That’s impressive! And just to show that I’m not a total grinch, here’s an abridged list of the stories that I felt were highlights:

“The Mouthless Body in the Lake” by Gwendolyn Kiste: A hauntingly surreal tale about a girl who finds her doppelganger frozen in the ice of the nearby lake.
“Father’s Last Christmas” by Lee Murray: a fun bit of palace intrigue that plays like one of the bloodier episodes of Game of Thrones, but with more humor.
“Candy Cane” by Thommy Hutson: a Misery-eque story about an author who gets an unexpected visit from a “fan” while holed up in the woods for some private writing time.
“Eggnog” by Kristi deMeester: a story about a new mother who attends her husband’s office Christmas party and becomes overtaken by jealousy over a sexy, French coworker.
“Being Nice” by Jeff Strand: a comedy of errors about a teenager’s last-minute attempt to get on the “nice” list.

Thanks to Netgalley for the digital ARC. The Darkest Night is out September 25, 2024 from Crooked Lane Books.