_The Darkest Night: 22 Winter Horror Stories_, edited by Lindy Ryan, is a dark compilation of short stories that involve aspects of the chilling cold such as unsettling winter weather, paranormal encounters, and the holidays and terrors that can accompany them. Told by popular horror authors, the disturbing tales elicit experiences of family trauma, the unknown, and our inner fears. This is a good read for colder days and fans of the horror genre.

“The Darkest Night” is a horror anthology featuring 22 tales with the theme of winter horror, edited by Lindy Ryan of Black Spot Books, who is a successful author in her own right.

The anthology features an incredible lineup in the table including Gwendoly Kiste, Josh Malerman, Hailey Piper, Clay McLeod Chapman, Eric LaRocca, Cynthia Pelayo, Kristi DeMeester, Rachel Harrison, Sara Tantlinger, Darcy Coates, and more.

One of the things about the release date that confused me was that this is like… the perfect holiday horror book that should come out near November or December, but that’s a publishing/editorial/marketing decision that the editor and other folks on the production team may not have had control over so I am just going to mention that as a minor aside.

Kiste’s story is one of the best, right away starting with a protagonist finding their own body beneath the ice of a lake. If that doesn’t get your attention, I don’t know what will! Throughout the story, Kiste builds suspense and definitely offers a chilling (pun intended) tale that starts the anthology off on a solid footing.

The next story that grabbed me most was Hailey Piper’s tale called ‘The Vermin Moon’ and it starts off with smoeone holding a burial for a rat.
Definitely also one of the more creative tales in the bunch.

Wytovich’s story has a very witchy “Snow White but gone horribly wrong” vibe and fans who love her short stories will enjoy this tale as well. Very much a dark fairy tale.

Cynthia Pelayo’s piece also has a very dark fairy tale vibe to it. Stylistically, this was one of the more dynamic pieces with and of longing for a mother’s love but finding coldness instead, of a mother who tricks the daughter into saying there is no love for people like them. So they turn to the written word and Shakespeare. The story really forces readers to remember and look carefully at the words of Ophelia in Hamlet. It’s a beautifully written piece.

Other stories I enjoyed were “Eggnog” by Kristi DeMeester and “Threads of Epiphany” by Sara Tantlinger. Definitely save this title on your TBR to read in November or December to feel the atmosphere more.

I was excited to receive this ARC as it promised chilling yuletide stories from some of the top names in modern horror: Josh Malerman, Clay McLeod Chapman, M. Rickert, Nat Cassidy, Rachel Harrison, Darcy Coates, and more! With tales of grief and familial disputes to creature features and hauntings, there is bound to be something in this collection for every kind of horror lover. Best read—I imagine—with a cup of hot apple cider on a snowy day during the winter solstice.

Thoughts:
It’s a bold move to begin a collection with two stories told in second person narrative as I know this could turn a lot of people off. While reading the second story, I found myself begging with the short story gods that this was not going to be a recurring theme and that all of the stories would not be in second person. Luckily, my prayers were answered. Still, many of the stories in this collection were rather mundane and failed to grasp me in their claws. Some were great, some were not. And since the audience seems so skewed on their likes and dislikes, I can’t really recommend one story over another… You will just have to read and find your own favorites!

Thank you Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the digital copy! Out 09/24/2024!

Dark, spooky winter stories! This is a collection of 22 short stories based in winter and over winter holidays. Some stories I found to be very well written, exciting and spooky. However, there was a handful that I was underwhelmed reading.
I enjoyed Cold As Ice by Tim Waggoner the best. It is such an original and interesting story!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this fun collection of short stories. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

et in Texas, we meet the Evans women. As the town falls victim to a vampire plague when a local woman named Mina (!) returns from the dead as a bloodsucker, the women take charge and fight back. We’re introduced into a new mythology of the Strigoi—where the returning creatures seem to be part vampire, part ghoul. It’s an interesting, creative take, for sure. There were a lot of late ‘90s references and I liked how there was a good dose of humor throughout, contrasting nicely with the numerous kills. This also felt like it’s definitely the opening shot of a larger series, which is pretty fun to think about. Lots of possibilities.

It’s hard to not root for Lenore Evans and her family. They’re great characters and I felt them come off the page and heard many of their voices in my head about halfway through the book. I also loved the settings, which all felt real and dimensional. Another rare thing for me is that I read the book very quickly. It moved so fast that I was able to read it in three sessions. I was anxious to know what happened, who the Big Strigoi was, and where things would end up. Overall, a very enjoyable read.

I really love the stories in this anthology! Some more than others. The only thing I would wish was different is reading this during winter for the atmosphere. The authors involved in this collection are fabulous and I don't think I could pick a favorite story. These are great because you can get each one (22) in one sitting! I may have to reread this during a snowstorm. I absolutely recommend this collection for horror fans.

This is a fun book of 22 short winter horror stories. There were several authors I was excited to read for the first time and some others I was happy to read some more of their work. Like most books of short stories, I enjoyed some more than others but they were all entertaining and creepy! This will be a great book to read by a fire and watch the dancing shadows on the walls.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This is a really nifty little compendium of spooky horror reads, with some stories better than others (which is always the way in compilations anyhow!). It definitely doesn't fit the bill of a Halloween compendium, with a distinct Christmas lilt to most of the stories within. I am ordinarily not a huge fan of spooky Christmas fare, but I did enjoy reading some of the stories within this set of tales.

There were a couple of standouts in here, but I didn't find myself absolutely adoring any of them (which is really a shame!). I was hoping that there would be something a little more novel in here, or at least a more memorable one or two than what I ended up with. I really appreciate the opportunity to read this one, but I didn't find that it was quite for me unfortunately.

The Darkest Night presents a compilation of chilling winter tales that are sure to captivate a wide range of readers. While the majority of the narratives possess commendable merit, a select few surpass the others in terms of literary prowess and evocative sentiment. For those seeking a nostalgic journey back to the holiday season, or simply desiring to experience the macabre musings of skilled writers, this literary masterpiece is a must-read.

There's something about reading scary Christmas stories in the summer. I don't know what that is just yet, but I didn't hate it.

This collection is PACKED with heavy hitters. Damn. I am impressed that though all of these authors are so unique, the stories didn't feel completely disjointed from one to the other.

Favorite line: "Can a cardboard box be haunted?" I would very much like to know, lol.

The Warmth of Snow by Cynthia Pelayo is this collection's ultimate chef's kiss. The thrown-in Shakespeare quotes had me kicking my legs; it's just so friggin cool.

I'm excited to add this one to my shelf and do some rereads closer to Christmas.

Collection of 22 horror stories by some of my favorite authors. Not really impressed with any of the stories. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

The Goodreads description for this anthology says “Perfect for Halloween” but this is actually a Winter/holiday collection, and even then many of them follow that theme very loosely. I do enjoy a good frosty scare, and personally I would recommend reading something like this in November - January.

However, let me caution you that this collection is not what I would call “scary.” My overall critique will probably sound harsh, but I’ve read several of these holiday anthologies now and it’s getting pretty tough to find good ones. I’m also a bit letdown that a dusting of snow on the ground at one point in the story for a brief moment is enough to qualify some of these for the theme.

Out of 22 stories I only liked maybe 8 or 9 of them, and as I went through and gave them individual ratings I would say only a few got 4 or 5 stars.

A couple of tales in this collection would do pretty well in a gross out contest, many were just kind of boring or mediocre, and a few were a bit cringe. I’ve definitely seen better from most of these talented and established authors. I even disliked some stuff here by writers whose work I usually enjoy. (Examples: Nat Cassidy, M Rickert and Clay McLeod Chapman.)

The stories that I did like were good because they were either very unique or extremely holiday forward and fun. It’s always interesting to read other reviews and see how nobody ever likes the same pieces that I did. A few highlights (for me) were:

- “Threads of Epiphany” by Sara Tantlinger, a beautiful and haunting folk tale (typically not my thing!)
- “The Vermin Moon” by Hailey Piper. Really fucking weird and I liked it a lot. Many reviewers seemed to dislike this one but I was surprised by how much it appealed to me, especially considering that this author’s work hasn’t been my thing in the past.
- “Children Aren’t the Only Ones Who Know Where the Presents Are Hidden” by Josh Malerman. Very creepy and effective, but also felt like a companion story for his upcoming novel “Incidents Around the House,” which I loved.
- “Wintry Blue” by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon. So much more action and plot than all the others. A little trope-y but I’ll forgive it because it was exciting and the closest thing to actual Winter horror in this whole anthology. Except for maybe….
- “Thaw” by Rachel Harrison, *Cute* and very Christmasy. I love her books.

There are indeed lots of big authors in this story collection, but I would personally recommend that you seek out their solo works or look elsewhere if you want a truly satisfying Wintery or holiday horror experience. This is not their shining moment, for the most part, nor did it make me feel the chills I was hoping for.

Regardless, thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

TW: Child death, Animal harm/death, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Cannibalism, Depression, Mention of SA

Book: The Darkest Night
Author: Lindy Ryan
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Pub Date: September 24, 2024

There are 22 perfectly horror-filled short stories that will keep you up at night. These were creepy and terrifying and couldn’t have been more perfect. I would suggest waiting and reading this in November/December during winter and the darkest time of the year. I adore short stories and these haven’t disappointed. My favorite was easily Eggnog by Kristi DeMeester. Revenge was sweet in this one and it comes in the form of breast milk from an overly tired new mom out for the first time at her husband’s work party. My other favs were Thaw by Rachel Harrison, a gruesome tale about a snowman. And also The Ladies’ Society For The Dead by Darcy Coates which is a society that only meets once a year on solstice night to try and perform an exorcist on ghosts. I also enjoyed Mr. Butler by Clay McLeod Chapman about a box. Yes a box. And it’s terrifying.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is September 24, 2024.

I am so thankful to Crooked Lane Books, Lindy Ryan, and Netgalley for granting me advanced physical and digital access to this book before it hits shelves on September 24, 2024.

If you know me, you KNOW that I LOVE anthologies and a set of anthologies with writing from Clay Macleod Chapman, Lindy Ryan, Hailey Piper, Kristi DeMeester, Gwendolyn Kiste, Eric LaRocca, and so many other of my favorite horror writers?!? Like that goes without saying or questioning.

There were stories about murderous post-partum mothers hitting the town on their pump and dump adventures, there was an elf-on-the-shelf prank that took a gruesome and ultra-mischievous turn for the worst, and there was a killer snowman with a taste for blood. There were so many other fantastically horrific stories that kept my attention, and lost me some precious sleep time.

This book will make the perfect Yuletide gift for all of my wintery horror lovers out there.

The Darkest Night by Lindy Ryan is a fantastic collection of horror stories from all the great horror writers, including an intro by George C Romero, All the stories take place in the winter and to say that they are chilling is an understatement. As most anthologies go, some are better than other but they all were creepy and enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.

Wow… this collection! Amazing group of authors each bringing a terrifying tale. I just couldn’t put it down I spent a whole day devouring this book of stories. Amazing and good work from all the writers.

Wintertime? Horror time? My favorite combination! These anthology has some wonderfully delicious stories written by some of the biggest names in horror. I think my favorite of the bunch was "Cold As Ice" by Tim Waggoner. I love everything Tim touches and he delivers yet again! I recommend this book for anyone looking to cozy up by the fireplace and ready some wonderful winter tales.

Wow! I’m so amazed by this collection. Firstly, the TOC is full of top 10 list horror authors. Second, the chilling selection of creepy, winter-themed stories is chefs kiss. From the very first story to the last, not a single one lets up until the ending and they’re all uniquely different. Now that I read this collection, I’ve added numerous new authors to my TBR lists

This was a great collection of 22 short stories that ranged from gory, chilling and at times funny! I got Tales from the Crypt vibes with how some of the stories were gory and some were creepy! This is a perfect book to read during the winter time on a rainy or snowy day. I loved that some of the stories tied into the holidays. A few of my favorites stories were:

-Children Aren't the only Ones who know where the Presents are Hidden
-The Body of Lenora James
-Mr. Butler
-The Warmth of Snow
-Wintry Blue
-Carol of the Hells
-Thaw
-Eggnog
-The Ladies' Society for the Dead

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books. All opinions are my own.

Macabre, creepy, terrifying, sad, haunting. The 22 stories in this collection give the reader a feel for the dread of winter and pay homage to the Victorian tradition of telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve. The horror stories are sharp, biting, and, at times, gruesome. But the collection doesn’t just give us the supernatural and gore; pain and suffering is also a ghost sometimes you can’t shake. It shakes your life in powerful ways, and the short stories that lay out stories of loss hit all the right notes.

I will say that my favorite story out of the collection was Being Nice. It’s a hilarious take on a 17 year old trying to get off the naughty list by the end of Christmas Eve night. It goes horribly wrong.

This was a delightful assortment of dark christmassy/winter stories, and one that horror fans are sure to enjoy.