I have been really enjoying books that dive into the mythology or lore of creatures. This was such a fun book to read over the holidays. I really liked that the stories are broken out and easy to pick up as the mood strikes. This book introudced me to so many celebrations around the winter solstice I had never heard of.

I am excited to make this book an annual traditon to vist some of my now favorite solstice celebrations.

I had the opportunity to get an ARC of the audiobook - I really enjoyed this narrator, it really felt like I was cozy around a fire listening to an elder tell us stories.

Thank you Hatcheet Audio, Sarah Clegg, NetGalley and the narrator Hannah Curtis;

This one was not the read I was expecting, it was more informative than storytelling, so it just felt like it dragged. The author did gather tons of interesting information, adding spooky to the holiday season, and I’m sure it delivered for some readers, but was just not engaging to me. Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I started this book on my kindle then switched to the audiobook due to the abundance of footnotes. I think I’d recommend that you pick up a physical copy or listen to the audiobook. The audiobook skipped the footnotes altogether so give them a glance in a sample to see if you feel like you’re missing anything. The audiobook was narrated by Hannah Curtis. This was my first listen by this narrator, and I thought she had a soothing tone and lent a lyrical excitement to this subject of the nonfiction book.

This book takes the reader on a journey through midwinter to explore the lesser-known Christmas traditions from the Lords of Misrule to The Christmas Witches and Krampus. While I enjoyed the creative travel log style narrative, I felt like it sacrificed a bit of the detail that I would have enjoyed about each individual myth. Still, it was a good overview of the myths and legends associated with the Christmas holiday and its precursors for which there is documented evidence. I found all the information to be fascinating and would love to know more.

I think my main issue with the book was its very nature of being an academic book about myths and legends with documentation. I found it strangely lacking in some of the pagan traditions that I’ve heard about through various other means. There’s some interesting information at the end about why a lot of what I had previously found disappointing in the lack of coverage was because of the lack of historical evidence for any of those myths. Not only that but the evidence that other notable collections of tales are perhaps interpreted or molded to fit a narrative rather than true depictions of the actual myths and legends in their practice. However, since the book was prominently centered on historical fact, I would have loved more information about traditions surrounding Christmas and their possible origins.

Recommended to those inquisitive about a general overview of holiday myths and legends and their historical context. I will be looking for more detailed reviews of some of these that I found fascinating.

Thank you to Netgalley, Algonquin Books and Hachette Audio for a copy provided for an honest review.

It was truly hard for me to get into the Christmas mood in 2024. The older I become, the more of an effort it takes to acquire even a modicum of the festive spirit that used to naturally manifest itself in me when I was a child. If I don't consume enough Christmas movies, music, and art in December, if I don't force myself into it, the magic simply won't happen. And that bothers me, because consumption already controls so many less nostalgic aspects of my life.

It's sad that capitalism in all its forms - be it the endless overhours at work, or the endless holiday advertising on all social media channels - has cheapened this holiday somehow. And I say this from an atheist point of view, as someone who appreciates the last days of the years as the only time unencumbered by work that I get to spend with my family and regress back to kindergarten days. But what I often forget usually works best to instill a sense of wonder in me are, despite everything, the stories and fairytales I grew up with, which have accompanied me through the darkest month of the year all my life. They remain unchanged, and wonderfully frightening.

Likewise, The Dead of Winter then thawed my frosty heart a bit through the great love and detail it was written with. Part travel log, part account of historical witch trials to Roman emperors to Shakespearean plays, it served up a feast of interwoven customs that I had never connected in my mind before, even though the similarities between international beliefs now loom blatantly obvious. It also made me want to go on a winter Eurotrip next year, because I, too, want to get beaten up by a Krampus one day.

I was very lucky to have been raised in a Western European country that celebrates the spooky in anticipation of the holidays, although German practices never go as wild as e.g. the Austrian ones (oh to have a vintage sexy Krampus greeting card in my possession). And while I think the rich traditions that are kept in Eastern Europe, from Christmas until the Epiphany, were markedly missing from The Dead of Winter, it's true that Ms. Clegg could probably write a whole book about those alone. I hope she does!

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Algonquin Books for this ARC Audio Copy!

This was such a fun and informative read. I feel like the author really did do a lot of research into these topics before writing this and it was so fun to learn all the mythology and folklore associated with the holiday season.

I really enjoyed this. A look at some darker figures of the Christmas season was interesting. A nice change up from holiday romcoms.

This was an incredibly interesting book about the history of Christmas monsters and ghosts from how they came to become folklore to their ongoing evolution and popularity. This wasn't something I had thought about much before, but I found it so interesting to find out what we know about these stories origins and what the can tell us about how Christmas, and midwinter in general, was celebrated historically in Europe.

As someone who studies the history of Christmas, this is right up my alley. If you are from North America (or even the UK), your holiday celebrations tend not to have many pesky or dark creatures involved. However, much of the rest of the world does have their own supernatural figures/beings who often take a different vibe.
Because I study the holiday season, I tend to be fairly picky about books in related subjects. However, I am happy to share that I think Clegg has done a fantastic job with The Dead of Winter! She has taken a truly novel approach to an interesting subject and it pays off.

This book is set up as a series of quasi-essays rather than straight history, and I think that makes them even more readable. Clegg travelled to all of these different regions to experience their current “forms” and I think that it helps drive home why history is both interesting and needed. Although I have to say, some of these Christmas-related celebrations are far more violent and upsetting than many of us realise.

Note: I am quite a scaredy-cat, and I was able to read this no problem when I never read horror.

The history here is solid, as well. It is not an academic book, so Clegg is not determined to cover every single aspect of a figure. While she does not miss anything major, this helps the book to move at a good pace. I think that the subject matter is also unique enough that this will interest anyone who is curious about folklore/mythology in general, not only in regards to Christmas. This is a great book for someone interested in the darker side of Christmas or the origins of current figures!

I adore Creepy Christmas, and this is a unique history of some of the most macabre Christmas traditions we still see remnants of today.

There are a fair number of books on this subject so I was a little worried I wouldn’t get much new information out of this, but Clegg has done a wonderful job of giving us some fantastic and unique insights into the subject. And I loved the way she organized the material.

The tone is fun but still largely focused on being informative, and it’s a quick read if you’re looking for something holiday themed with a bit of a dark twist.

This was fun, interesting and informative. I love any opportunity to read about non-commercial holiday folklore.

This book was strange. Using the premise of a fictional trip, or so it seems, the narrator takes us on a tour of dark and macabre traditions associated with the Yule season in England and Europe. Though full of facts and old traditions, I felt it dragged a bit.

The darker side of Christmas has always fascinated me. I picked this up because I wanted to learn more about the history and lore behind the different holiday traditions/myths. While this novella did teach me some interesting things, it was written in such a way that made me feel like a bystander in a non-fiction travelogue. I was really hoping to feel immersed into the lore, but this fell flat for me. I did love the descriptions of the places the narrator visits though! The audiobook narration was also wonderful and set an exceptional dark, semi-eerie tone as well.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an advance listening copy of this title.

There's a chill in the air which means that winter folklore books are on their way! This year we get Dead of Winter, which is a solid book for some midwinter monsters. The book was a mix of deeper dives into folklore and descriptions of the author's visits to witness traditions. The monsters are mostly European, which is fine, but the blurb doesn't really mention that specifically. We get to visit some of the classic monsters and maybe a few you might not regularly encounter. I really enjoyed the history of winter-time debauchery. This was something I hadn't seen explored in as much detail, so that was an enjoyable element offered by this book. I suppose my only complaint is that some areas were more tourist visit and less history and I would have enjoyed a deeper dive into those areas as well. Hannah Curtis does a lovely job narrating and has a perfect cadence for the material. Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio and Algonquin Books for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is so informative, but it was also entertaining in the descriptions of "Christmas'" past. I knew that the idea and festive traditions of Christmas were taken from the Pagan Yule, but I had not known anything about Saturnalia or the dark and scary characters and festivities of Yule. I have since watched the Krampus parade (online) in Germany and WOW! I'd be scared of, let alone children seeing Krampus! But I also think my kids would love the tales and stories.

The narrator on this audio did a lovely job narrating this book. Her voice is cozy and warm. I think, for myself personally, if I had read this as a physical book, I would have remembered more about it. But that has no bearings on narration or book itself, juts a personal observation. :)

I love reading about history and folklore, especially if it’s about a season or a holiday that I love. This book was on my radar wayyyyy before it was published so I had been patiently waiting for a bit.

I enjoyed reading it a lot and learning a bit more about the “old ways,” along with series of traditions and beliefs. With that being said, I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style. It’s a hybrid between memoir and non-fiction —which I love— but I did not like the author’s many asides and opinions sprinkled in as footnotes. Personal opinion: those work better as discussions on the actual text, especially since footnotes take you out of reading and it’s not as impactful, for me. Others may love it though!

As far as the book goes, I loved the breakdown of traditions and the idea of what happened in the old days. It’s always fun to look closely at what we do and believe, especially when it yields some interesting conclusions.

Needless to say, this book has me still thinking about those spooky winter nights near Christmas and the new year where you could have an unsettling visitor at your door.

3.5 ⭐️ Very immersive storytelling. Love learning about the darker side of beloved holidays/traditions. Connecting past to present traditions. The narration was easy to listen to. I do think this would be more enjoyable as a physical book maybe with doodles to go along with the tales. Overall informative and enjoyable.

Narrator(s): Hannah Curtis | Sarah Clegg
Length: 4h 34m
Source: ALC - NetGalley, Hachette Audio
Release Date: November 12, 2024
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Such a FANTASTIC dive into the dark and disturbed part of December/Christmas we just don’t really hear about.
Think of the TRUE Grimm’s fairy tales…but centered around a time when everything *should* be bright and merry.
Folklores from around the world shed light on some of the most gruesome and terrifying tales from different cultures.

Krampus.
Witches.
Monsters.
And nightmares linger in the history of many countries and it was so fascinating to listen to these creepy tales.

Hannah Curtis was such a pleasure to listen to.
Her voice was crisp and so pleasant in my earholes.
And Sarah Clegg, who is the author and an Oxford-trained historian, narrated a few parts and her voice was simply mesmerizing.
Her storytelling was addictive and I can’t wait to read more from her!

{I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook. All reviews are my own.}

The Dead of Winter is a non fiction book that explains about all those dark traditions and fold tales surrounding the darkest parts of our year, the winter. I found reading this book fascinating and insightful as it takes us on a journey through the centuries and all over the world. From Krampus to those mid winter traditi0ns and Christian Martyrs, it will leave you shivering and not from the cold!

Antonia Beamish who narrated the audio version has a wonderful storytelling voice, which is both lulling and interesting,

Thank you Netgalley, Granta publishers and W. F. Howes Ltd ( audio version ) for the arc of this compelling book


5 stars

1.5 soggy stars.

When I read the description of this new compilation, I was deeply intrigued and very excited to read it. Sadly, it was a huge disappointment.

Had this account been written by an actual Witch or practicing Pagan (who understands the energies and traditions involved), this could have been incredibly valuable and inspiring. Unfortunately, it was written by a university researcher who views everything through a deeply Christian lens, and travels around to different ritual celebrations as a complete tourist (and writes her experiences down as if she were a traveller of old who has been invited to partake in the most non-Christian, uncivilized rituals for no other reason than to tell her civilized friends about it upon her return).

I am giving 1.5 stars for the great research. I so rarely actually rate books this low (1-2 stars), but while this writing may have been solid enough to be a research paper, people absolutely need to STOP co-opting the belief systems of others for profit.

Further, this could have been an even better book with the inclusion of similar and differing rituals from across both Eastern snd Western Europe, rather than a handful of cherry-picked locales.

Much gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher Hachette Audio, for an Audio-ARC of this book, in exchange for my (probably much TOO honest) review.

"In Salzburg I catch sight of a Krampus at a Christmas market prowling under a glittering tree, and watch as he stalks his prey – a small child trying to persuade his mother to buy him sweets. Perhaps it’s just that I’ve spent too long immersed in the darkness of the season, but to me at least, there’s no contradiction between the glittering fairy lights and the horned, shaggy monster. In a world of snow and Christmas magic, he looks right at home."


Out of all that were mentioned, I find Grýla, Lucy and Krampus stood out the most. Learned a little bit more about Krampus including the other names he goes by: Perchte , Klaubauf, Kramperl, Ganggerl and Toifi. The superficial differences between the monsters yet traditions surrounding them are almost identical, and you’d be hard pressed to tell them apart on a dark night. How dangerous, violent and terrifying the Krampus run/parade can get that even the regular spectators aren’t entirely safe.
Fascinating..menacing..lovely bedtime read
If you tend to like the darker side or aspects of folk lore and other winter tales. The narration is good and read it with a digital copy as well.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio 🖤


3.45✨