Just in time for the holiday! This has been on my shelf for years and I’m glad I finally got to it.
KRAMPUS: THE YULE LORD – Brom (Released October 30th, 2012)
Book Description:
Santa Claus, my dear old friend, you are a thief, a traitor, a slanderer, a murderer, a liar, but worst of all you are a mockery of everything for which I stood. You have sung your last ho, ho, ho, for I am coming for your head. . . . I am coming to take back what is mine, to take back Yuletide . . . —from Krampus
The author and artist of The Child Thief returns with a modern fabulist tale of Krampus, the Lord of Yule and the dark enemy of Santa Claus
One Christmas Eve in a small hollow in Boone County, West Virginia, struggling songwriter Jesse Walker witnesses a strange spectacle: seven devilish figures chasing a man in a red suit toward a sleigh and eight reindeer. When the reindeer leap skyward, taking the sleigh, devil men, and Santa into the clouds, screams follow. Moments later, a large sack plummets back to earth, a magical sack that thrusts the down-on-his-luck singer into the clutches of the terrifying Yule Lord, Krampus. But the lines between good and evil become blurred as Jesse’s new master reveals many dark secrets about the cherry-cheeked Santa Claus, including how half a millennium ago the jolly old saint imprisoned Krampus and usurped his magic.
Now Santa’s time is running short, for the Yule Lord is determined to have his retribution and reclaim Yuletide. If Jesse can survive this ancient feud, he might have the chance to redeem himself in his family’s eyes, to save his own broken dreams, . . . and to help bring the magic of Yule to the impoverished folk of Boone County
My Thoughts: 4/5 stars
A few years ago I read THE CHILD THIEF by Brom and loved it – the dark tale of Peter Pan was so good and the illustrations were beautiful. So when I saw KRAMPUS I knew I needed to snag a copy. I hate that I initially didn’t know too much about the demon of Christmas until after seeing the movie a couple years ago and his appearance in a couple episodes of American Dad.
Another captivating story from Brom with equally incredible illustrations. There were some terrifying horror moments, the comedic breaks balanced it perfectly, and the atmosphere and characters were developed so well. I don’t know if I could call this straight horror but there are some scary and gory parts throughout the book, I mean, if there weren’t any while following Krampus on his path to revenge, then I would have been disappointed.
Now I need to get more stories about Krampus because the lore absolutely fascinates me. If you’re drawn in by the cover like I was, then definitely give this a read. If you want a good revenge horror read, then get this on that TBR. If creatures like Krampus pique your curiosity, then this is the book for you.
Jessicamap Reviews 