The Dark Servant

by Matt Manochio

"Santa's not the only one coming to town..."

It has tormented European children for centuries. Now America faces its wrath. Unsuspecting kids vanish as a blizzard crushes New Jersey. All that remains are signs of destruction-and bloody hoof prints stomped in the snow.

Seventeen-year-old Billy Schweitzer awakes on December 5 feeling depressed. Already feuding with his police chief father and golden boy older brother, Billy's devastated when his dream girl rejects him. When an unrelenting creature infiltrates his town, endangering his family and friends, Billy must overcome his own demons to understand why supposedly innocent high school students have been snatched, and how to rescue them from a famous saint's ruthless companion-that cannot be stopped.

Genres: Horror, Christmas

290 pages, Paperback

First published November 4, 2014

About the author

I've been writing and editing professionally for my entire adult life. I spent most of that time in the newspaper business. Writing novels is what I enjoy doing the most, and I'm fortunate enough to have Samhain Publishing backing my debut, The Dark Servant. Those of you who enjoy Christmas, mayhem and demons will love it. When I'm not writing, I'm wrangling my toddler from mischief.

Reviews

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 Stars

I know you know it:

“He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake “

Think that song’s a little creepy? Well, trust me, after reading The Dark Servant, those seemingly innocent lyrics will forevermore take on an ominous new meaning. Author Matt Manochio fills in all the blanks implied in those words up there.

Santa has an evil sidekick named Krampus. Krampus is not cuddly. Nor is he a kind, plump fool doling out gifts to “good” little brats. He’d much rather chain you up and lick the flesh from your face while you beg for mercy. No, you do not want Krampus coming after your bad self. So try your very best to be good kiddos.

The kiddos in this story weren’t very good to each other and thus Krampus comes a-calling.

“Besides the beast’s howls, the last bit Travis remembered before losing consciousness was the smell that started the nightmare: the odor of a malevolent force that invaded New Jersey twenty days before Christmas.”



Sorry. I tried to resist. The temptation was too great.

Once Krampus arrives in town, armed with his handy dandy giant backpack-crate, his steamy breath, torturous tongue and his list, teens quickly start to go missing. One of those teens is Billy’s older brother. Billy braves a treacherous snowstorm and risks his life to discover the truth behind the disappearances. What he discovers is unbelievable but he doesn’t let it discourage him. Along the way he grows up, finds love and becomes a better, braver, much more confident person ready to face off against the likes of Krampus.

Maybe Krampus isn’t so bad after all! I’m betting there are many towns that would benefit greatly from a Krampus visit. . . .

I very much enjoyed this story. It had a quick pace and teen kids who act like jerks but don’t get off easy. My only complaint was that I thought it got a little too “talky” in bits. You may think differently. Truly, though, the best thing about this story is its terrifying, unpredictable monster that had a snarky, dark sense of humor and was also a little bit of perv. I have to admit, I kind of adored him (except for the bit where he ATE the doggie, seriously that was totally uncalled for). Otherwise, he was 100% amusing.

“I crave your beauty. The despairing feelings you imbue in others, your masterfully concealed wretchedness and your physical grace embody a perfect creature. If only the Master would permit me to take a bride…”

To sum this up (finally, you say), if you’re already sick of the Christmas shopping insanity and looking for a little holiday nastiness to better get you in the spirit, you’ll probably want to read this. I have no regrets and will probably do it again next November.

*I received this book to review for Horror After Dark. Thank you Samhain and Nikki!*

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
Something is snatching teens in a small New Jersey town during the winter holiday season and it's not Santa. Krampus has come to town and he is deciding who has been naughty and who has been nice. When the son of the police chief, Billy, finds his older brother has been taken he decides to try and find out what's happened to the missing teens and in doing so has to confront a few home truths about himself.

This was a fairly enjoyable read, there were a few issues I had with the conversations between characters, especially between the kids. They seemed at times too adult and the flow of the conversations felt stilted and a bit unrealistic. This also affected the flow of the story as every time this happened it pulled me out of the story which was a shame as it's a pretty good read. I really liked the anti-bullying aspect of the story and thought the message came through well in the storyline.

Billy has a crush on friend Maria and the interactions between them were good, Maria was a solid character and I admired her bravery when confronted by Krampus. I thought Billy's character was okay but not as engaging as Maria. Krampus was a bit of a mixed character for me, I loved some of his dark humour but he wasn't a consistent character and I found myself becoming less interested in him. I did enjoy the teens making fun of him for using old technology and him not really understanding what the issue was.

The humourous scenes were a stark contrast to the violence in the book, whilst it didn't happen on every page when it did come it was shocking and pretty gratuitous.

A few issues with pacing, flow and character dialogue but still a good read and one I would recommend.

[Angel Gelique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hancock Township in New Jersey is your typical modernized, picket-fenced community. When, just weeks before Christmas, three teenagers are kidnapped during a snowstorm, everyone is rattled, especially Police Chief Donald Schweitzer. His son, Tim, is amongst the missing.

After finding hoofprints in the snow, Tim's brother Billy begins to suspect that a beast, not a man, is the culprit. It isn't long before he comes face to face with the massive creature--Krampus himself.

With some help from a couple of friends, Billy embarks on a mission to rescue his brother and the other missing kids. But can a group of teens stop a demonic beast hell-bent on exacting punishment on the wicked?

Overall, this was a good, entertaining story. The action began almost immediately. The writing is detailed and descriptive, which allows readers to become immersed in the story. The characters are well-developed and, for the most part, realistic. I think Billy was the most believable and, in my opinion, the most endearing. He was brave, honest, altruistic and clever.

Given the nature of this story, suspension of disbelief is necessary. I found the idea of Krampus fascinating but thought he would have been more horrific if he didn't speak--or at least, maybe, if he weren't so humorous (though I generally do appreciate humor in a book).

I will definitely be reading more books by Matt Manochio in the future.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this clever, frightening, and not just for the Holidays horror tale, author Matt Manochio crafts a novel centered around the Krampus story, but set in New Jersey. Kids have disappeared, one of them the town sheriff's eldest son. And as the sheriff and his younger son attempt to put the pieces together of the potentially horrifying puzzle, the real reason for the disappearances is both terrifying and unique. My only minor criticism would be some of the dialogue between teen characters felt a bit too grown up, but again, just a small nitpick.

Check out the sequel recently released, as well as Manochio's other Samhain titles, as this reviewer will in the future. Recommended!

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Krampus is good ole St. Nicks cloven hoofed minion that is sent out to discipline bad little boys and girls that find themselves on the naughty list. Now he has been summoned to come to Hancock Township and reign down some holiday beatings on a few of the residents. That is if he can manage to round up the appropriate “naughties” and make them see the error of their ways before the Krampusnacht ends.

An entertaining creature feature torn from German folklore and plopped in the middle of present day small town America. A wee heavy on the “bullying” social commentary and the ending felt a bit rushed, but nonetheless an evenly paced and well written story.

I think Billy got off a little light in the readjustment department, imo. I was hoping to see more of a climatic ending, but suppose it is wide open for Krampus to return.

*I received and advance review copy of this release from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Michael Hicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm the kind of guy who thinks that Die Hard is the best Christmas movie ever, while absolutely despising A Christmas Story wholeheartedly. And, frankly, give me Scrooged over the straight-up Dickens classic come Dec. 25, or even Lethal Weapon. Heresy? Yeah, maybe, but whatever... All of this is to say that when it comes to Christmas stories, I'm looking for something a bit off-kilter, something most holiday purists would see as largely non-traditional.

In short, give me Krampus over Santa Claus any day.

And that is exactly what Matt Manochio does with The Dark Servant, a delightful bit of X-Mas horror that sees naughty high schoolers abducted by Kringle's dark, demonic other. Manochio has done his homework when it comes to the hoof-footed beast, with a story derived directly from the mythology of Krampusnacht and what feels like a heaping amount of 1980s-inspired B-horror fun.

While the book is hardly a fright-fest - in fact, I don't recall finding anything in this book to be downright chilling or truly horrifying, despite the menace Krampus represents and the agonies endured by the cast of high schoolers in peril - it is, at the very least, an entertaining creature feature that's more The Monster Squad than Alien.

One thing that Manochio does very well, though, are his characters. Billy and Mike have an easy-going and relateable friendship, and I'd wager we all had similar relationships in high school. Billy's pining over his classmate, Maria, is familiar but nicely done, without ever feeling too cloying or sappy. Both Billy and Maria feature prominently, and I enjoyed spending time with them. The family dynamic between Billy, his brother Tim, and their local cop father also rang some true notes for me.

Although I was expecting, and ultimately hoping, for more of a terror thrill ride, The Dark Servant entertained me well enough to keep me happy. Thematically, the work brings up some important issues regarding bullying and the traumatic physiological toll those cruel taunts can carry, but it doesn't plumb those murky depths quite deeply enough to satisfy. Overall, it's an enjoyable read, but feels a bit too light-weight in the topics its author tackles. Still, it's not a bad bit of holiday-themed reading, even if Manochio pulls his punches a little too carefully and a little too often.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, I really enjoyed the overall theme and seeing the TRUE bullies having to own up to the--sometimes horrific things--that they've uncaringly done to others. Sadly, there were parts in that manner that I could see happening all too clearly.

I did have a few issues with the story, however. The dialog between the kids and adults just seemed "off"--almost as if the adults just weren't as bright as the kids. Another point was that some of these "kids" were 18 years old, and in my eyes, more like adults than "children". The parts where humor was injected was a nice change of pace, and all in all, I think that the message sent was appropriate.

My biggest gripe was regarding Billy. Here he actually ATTACKED Krampus, set him on fire, wounded him, etc., and yet he is let off with merely a broken arm and a nice little speech. After we've seen the horrors that Krampus was capable of--not to mention his temper!--this part was just very inconsistent with the rest of the tale.

An author with promise (this is the second book I've read by him), that I look forward to reading in the future.

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW: DARK SERVANT by Matt Manochio

Fast, exhilarating, and adventurous, DARK SERVANT introduces a "horror" creature new to most readers in the United States: Krampus, an enormous, ugly, horned and cloven-hoofed monstrosity who is somewhat the dark facet of Saint Nick. Forget lumps of coal, and think switching, broken bones, and flesh-eating. No rest for the wicked boys and girls on December 5--Krampusnacht. He knows where you live, and whether you've been naughty or nice--and he' s coming for you, and he won't be denied.

[Elke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book delivers a good old-fashioned monster tale, where the creature is after some children. However, this one comes with a twist, as the creature is no other than Krampus, Santa's Dark Servant. He takes those children that are on the naughty list for behaving badly, especially for bullying other kids. If the children freely acknowledge and honestly regret their deeds they may be spared a brutal punishment. But this year in New Jersey, Krampus made a mistake, and now he is the one in trouble.

This was my second book based on the Krampus legend, and while 'The Dark Servant' stayed close to the original legend, at the same time it was kind of a stereotypical monster story. There where several though very minor things that bothered me. The references to the Nazis, while legitimate, seemed unnecessary. Also, I was not convinced why Krampus made his appearance in New Jersey, of all things. Finally, Krampus was made ridiculous on several occasions, which was entertaining but also counteracted the sense of dread and horror.

While I would definitely recommend this book as a well-written scary monster story, when it comes to Krampus I prefer Brom's interpretation of the legend: Krampus: The Yule Lord.

[Hunter Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Matt Manochio for making Christmas cool! I don't know how a monster as awesome as Krampus flew under my radar all these years. What a great beast, and a beast of a novel to boot. The Dark Servant is deliciously creepy fun, jammed with mystery and mayhem. An excellent debut novel.

[Hal Bodner · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE DARK SERVANT by Matt Manochio proved a surprisingly difficult book to review. This novel evidences a freshness and a creative ingenuity that is far in excess of what I’ve seen from any new author in recent years. There is a tremendous amount of potential here. I’ll restate that for emphasis–the potential of this book is nothing short of stunning. Yet, in the end, Manochio tragically fails to realize more than a small percentage of it.

I desperately wanted to like this book. I wanted to love it. And, for a short time in the beginning, I did. The basic plot, like some of the best horror stories, is simple. Krampus, the semi-demon of European legend, has arrived in a small New Jersey town to punish certain specific children for their wickedness. Manochio has to be admired for his willingness to take risks inherent in working with such a unique and little used trope and, by and large, he handles Krampus, quite well. The character is a monster, through and through, and a little voice in the back of this reader’s brain was chanting “More Krampus! More Krampus!” each time the character exited the scene.

But reading this book is like trying to eat a half melted chocolate bar. It’s frustrating and annoying as hell, and little bits of foil send unpleasant sensations through your entire skull when they scrape across your teeth or get caught between them. But the experience as a whole is a sweet one and, every so often, you’re able to glean an entire morsel. When you do, though it’s only a small bit of chocolate, it’s sublime. THE DARK SERVANT is like that and, to stretch the melted chocolate bar analogy a trifle further, it is also a bit of a mess.

It’s messy in a way that makes me what to take the author by the shoulders and shake him until his eyes rattle. And I’d like to see his editors flogged. So much of what’s wrong with THE DARK SERVANT – and, ultimately, the novel collapses under the weight of those flaws – could have been fixed so very easily by the skilled objective eye of a content editor or had Manochio had a few more years of writing experience under his belt.

What initially appears to be some minor stilted dialogue gradually reveals itself to be a strange and improbable flux in how Manochio believes that people speak. Though most of the characters are purportedly high school students, their dialogue is a strange mix of naivete and improbably sophistication. It is sometimes difficult to tell, by the dialogue alone, whether a character is a six year old or a young adult. Two high school juniors implausibly debate religion, concepts of morality and the human condition for several pages. A bully gets his gruesome comeuppance and his erstwhile victim spends a shockingly long time pontificating on the psychological effects of being bullied for a shockingly long time, and with a great degree of repetition to boot.

Throughout, the dialogue is over-written. Manochio persists in telling us about his characters, rather than allowing them to show us who they are on their own. Overall, this book contains far, far too much explaining of things that don’t warrant any explanation at all. Those scenes involving police procedures are particularly painful, and I suspect that the author has little familiarity with how the police actually operate outside of what he’s glimpsed on television. What’s worse, for the purposes of plot contrivances, Manochio strains his readers’ credulity to the breaking point and past it during what I think of as the “Find the Kids” portions of the book.

The police chief allows his teenaged son to accompany him throughout most of the investigation, and even allows him access to confidential information, in a way that would have gotten even a lowly beat cop immediately fired. The boy remains at his father’s side in spite of multiple kidnapings, violent assaults and burglaries – and none of the other characters see fit to question or comment upon the boy’s presence. Later in the book, both the chief and other parents seem to have no qualms whatsoever about leaving their offspring on their own for prolonged periods – and this in the middle of a kidnaping spree where, in at least two cases, the parents are already missing a child each!

And yet, in spite of this contrived foolishness, Manochio manages to draw us into the characters’ plights and make us feel concern for them and even horror at their predicaments. Moreover, with very few exceptions, this author completely and surprisingly manages to avoid perpetrating one of my pet peeves, that of failing to distinguish between individual characters. The reader may not always be sure from the dialogue alone whether a particular character purports to be sixteen or sixty, but we know who these people are.

Moreover, Manochio understands how to create literary suspense. He’s quite good at it though, at this stage of his career, I think calling him masterful is premature. But, if once he has some more writing experience under his belt, he may very well get there. The story catches you, intrigues you, keeps enticing you forward in a way that is very much reminiscent of what people mean when they say they “couldn’t put this book down.”

To be completely honest, throughout most of the book, I’m baffled as to how Manochio pulls it off. He’s included far too many unreasonable coincidences for any rational reader to buy into. These contrivances are not merely obvious, they’re irritatingly, eye-rollingly obvious. By rights, the reader should fling the book across the room in disgust. Yet, we don’t. It is not until the final chapters, where the teenaged heroes are rushing to the rescue of their fellows that the first urges to toss the book aside crop up. It is during these scenes, which should by rights be filled with exciting suspense, that Manochio bogs down in endless detail, geography and minor techno-babble until, for the first time, the text becomes moderately boring.

Perhaps the most egregious of the author’s manipulations of coincidence occurs quite early in the books. For those who are unfamiliar with the Krampus, he is the demonic servant of Santa Claus who punishes bad children. Though he is a popular holiday figure in Europe, I doubt that even those few Americans who are familiar with the legend devote much thought to it. Krampus is simply too outre a figure for our culture and has never been popularly absorbed into it.

THE DARK SERVANT opens with two young men and a young woman being abducted by this creature. Obviously, the event is supernatural. Equally obviously, one would think that the notion of Krampus is completely alien to the cultural environment of the book’s New Jersey setting. Thereafter, completely by coincidence, the young protagonist of the book just happens to find out about the Krampus via the contrived mechanism of being assigned a class project in his German language class. In fact, according to the author’s fictional time line, this Eureka Moment happens within an hour or two of the first abduction with no further reason for the character to reach the conclusion other than seeing a picture of the Krampus on a webpage! Like the time-worn trope of the mysterious hermit who just happens to have encountered the Evil Critter years ago, or the anti-social scholar who has purely by happenstance made the obscure lore of the Evil Critter into his life’s work, this contrivance is silly. It strains credulity and it is difficult to understand how the author ever expected his readers to buy into it.

As a minor criticism, there are several points where the author seeks to establish “background” in the form of a general mise en scene. This conceit also fails miserably. One instance involves a description of local highways and roads; the other is a digression into rural crime rates. I understand completely, I think, what the author was trying to do. But the result is an unnecessary information dump which, given the information provided, is largely irrelevant. These two interludes, fortunately of short duration, are the quintessential examples of the bones I’d pick with Manochio’s editor.

So, on the one hand THE DARK SERVANT is a deeply flawed, incredibly frustrating piece of work which contains either some terrible writing choices or a deep absence of some basic literary skills. Yet on the other hand, Manochio is a remarkable story teller. The story itself is not only good, it is absolutely wonderful. There’s an excitement pervading this work, and a clear enthusiasm, with some marvelously horrific moments and a deliciously evil bad guy, combined with something we rarely see any more – true creativity on the part of the author.

Subjectively, I have a few bones to pick that are a matter of personal preference and, which I will fully admit, are unlikely to be shared by most readers. First, it strikes me that Manochio seems overly hesitant to kill any of his juvenile characters. He certainly maintains the suspense but, ultimately, any sense of urgency diminishes when the reader realizes that given the established pattern, it is unlikely that anyone is going to die. My biggest disappointment with this work, and it is simply a personal preference, is that the author never seems to have abandoned restraint and took the plunge into the true horror of the situation and explored it in a more intense way. I’m not talking about a gore-fest; that’s far too easy. Rather Manochio glosses over much of the emotional horror inherent in the scenarios he set up. It’s all there; he simply skips it. And that is a shame.

The author’s sins of omission are most prevalent as the book reaches its climax. Manochio dangles a juicy treat in front of us, hinting at a shocking ending which would be nothing less than a brilliant surprise twist that is truly innovative. The author takes us right up to the brink, even to the point of allowing another character to voice what the reader has been led to believe is about to be revealed -- and Manochio promptly chickens out!

‘Tis a horrid “cheat”, I felt. If one is going to write horror, one must be prepared to write of horrific matters. This author seems afraid to do so, either because he lacks the skill for it or because he is simply reluctant to take the risk. Yet it is precisely the taking of this kind of risk that propels a good horror book into becoming a great one. In this case, had Manochio taken both the plunge and the risk, it would have gone a great way toward redeeming this novel which, in the end, I must reluctantly conclude is simply nowhere near as good as it could have been.

I was tempted to chalk much of the author's restraint up to my own misunderstanding of his intent. I wondered if the reason for this might not be that THE DARK SERVANT was written as a Young Adult novel. Could I have misinterpreted this book so very badly? Suddenly, the overly mature dialogue coming from the teenaged characters, some of the plot contrivances so that the kids are left on their own, the reluctance to engage in too overtly gory scenes, the lead-ins to sexual activity which never fully materializes, the blindness and self-absorption of the few adult characters – all of these start to make a different kind of sense. Yet, THE DARK SERVANT doesn’t ever feel like a Y.A. novel. It lacks that ambiance of teenaged angst and alienation that seems to permeate modern Y.A. work, even though it contains elements of both adult horror and Y.A. genres.

The horrible, horrible frustration I feel is that the potential here is just spectacular. In spite of how much is wrong with this book, there is so very much that is right. At various times while reading it, you may be irritated by the immaturity in the author’s craft or by his conceits and contrivances but, with the possible exception of those final “chase” scenes, you will most certainly not be bored. In spite of all these obstacles and blemishes this is indeed a marvelous story underneath it all.

Matt Manochio’s craft needs a great deal of weathering and some tweaking. And he could certainly benefit from better objective guidance in the form of a decent editor who will forbid him from taking the easy way out. But given the kind of creativity that lurks beneath this troubled freshman novel, Matt Manochio may very well eventually emerge as one of the most interesting and more engaging authors of the near future.

[Leanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

You don't want to get on Santa's bad side, kids. It's always a thrill to read a book written by a friend, and this story is thrilling by definition. Here are a few quotes that made me chuckle:

"It's pretty smutty stuff. I'm surprised AC/DC hasn't written a song about Krampus," [Mike] said. (p162-3)

"I can't believe how big that bear was, Chief -- bigger than Governor Christie."
"Leave Chris out of this, I like the guy. My union might not, but I do."
"All kidding aside, Chief, that bear was friggin huge." (p 71)

AC/DC and Chris Christie in one dark adventure. Congrats, Matt!

[Rich D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review
Let's face it, Halloween and autumn have a stranglehold on the horror genre. It seems every time autumn rolls around and the air begins to get chilly, we are overwhelmed with lists of books and movies that are meant to get us in the spirit. While Halloween may be the undisputed king of all things horror, Christmas has its own legend that rivals the terror of any of Halloweens traditional icons. That legend is Krampus, a cloven-footed beast that serves as the dark foil for Santa Claus. While Santa Claus gets all the publicity since he is responsible for spreading joy and bringing presents to children (how can you not like Santa Claus), Krampus is just as important a figure whose own past stretches back to pre-Christian traditions. He is the one responsible for those who find themselves on the "naughty" list and is tasked with punishing them until they repent. While many children may scoff at the idea of receiving coal in their stocking, I have a feeling none of them would laugh at the idea of an enormous beast armed with sharp talons, a heavy chain and various other weapons dragging them from their homes.

Matt Manochio uses this folklore as the basis for his debut novel, The Dark Servant, and goes right for the jugular with his opening chapter. It is Decemeber 5th, which is also known as "Krampusnacht", and 18-year-old Travis Reardon is on his way to school. He seemingly has it all - football scholarships from numerous Division I schools, a beautiful girlfriend and a brand new car. His idyllic life is smashed when he discovers that the source of the foul odor he smelled all morning and the growls coming from the forest belong to a hulking beast that seems ripped right from his nightmares. It smashes his car with a giant chain before using its talons to rip Travis from his vehicle and effortlessly toss him into the large wooden crate strapped to its back. Travis Reardon becomes Krampus' first unlikely victim and certainly won't be his last.

The novel then focuses on 17-year-old Billy Schweitzer, a seemingly average teenager who lives in Hancock Township, New Jersey. After discovering his fellow classmates and older brother Tim have gone missing under mysterious circumstances, Billy makes a startling discovery about the truth behind their disappearances while working on a project for his German class. Armed with little more than the folklore behind the Krampus and their wits, Billy, his longtime crush Maria and his best friend Mike decide to investigate the disappearances and soon find themselves face to face with an unstoppable evil.

The Dark Servant is a highly entertaining debut effort and has many strengths beyond the originality of basing the story around Krampus. Manochio does an excellent job of utilizing pacing in this novel. Krampus literally bursts onto the scene in the opening chapter and is a constant presence throughout the novel, eliminating any potential lulls in the action. The characters are also well-developed in the novel. Billy is a character that anyone can relate to, whether they are currently a teenager or just someone who remembers those years well. He struggles with the divorce of his parents, living up to the reputation of his older brother Tim and dealing with the embarrassment of being turned down by his longtime crush. Manochio also does an excellent job of bringing Krampus to life and putting his own spin on the mythology behind the creature. Manochio sticks fairly close to the traditional hallmarks of the Krampus legend - his appearance, the rutens left on the porches of his victims and the chain among other things - but elevates him beyond being simply a frightening adversary by giving him a distinctive personality complete with a warped sense of morality and a dark sense of humor.

Matt Manochio's The Dark Servant is an absolute blast to read and horror fans looking to get into the holiday spirit will absolutely want to pick this one up! I can't wait to see what other stories Manochio has planned for the future as he is definitely a talented new author to keep an eye on.

[Angela Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the Description:

Santa's not the only one coming to town ...
It's older than Christ and has tormented European children for centuries. Now America faces its wrath. Unsuspecting kids vanish as a blizzard crushes New Jersey. All that remains are signs of destruction—and bloody hoof prints stomped in snow. Seventeen-year-old Billy Schweitzer awakes December 5 feeling depressed. Already feuding with his police chief father and golden boy older brother, Billy's devastated when his dream girl rejects him. When an unrelenting creature infiltrates his town, imperiling his family and friends, Billy must overcome his own demons to understand why his supposedly innocent high school peers have been snatched, and how to rescue them from a famous saint's ruthless companion—that cannot be stopped.


I received The Dark Servant for review and as part of a blog tour. When the book arrived I wasn’t really sure if it would be a dark fantasy or a horror story, I was sure that the premise sounded intriguing. I was happy to find that it was a great horror story! With characters that you can identify with and care for and a monster straight out of European folklore. This fast paces novel is perfect if you like old-school horror or are just in the mood for a Christmas horror tale that will leave you shivering with fear and delight. Have you been good this year??? A solid 4.5 star read.

See more about Matt and his book on his website: www.mattmanochio.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter (@mattmanochio), Pinterest. And check out my interview with Matt here link

Tour Giveaway!

For everyone! CREATE a PINTEREST board by choosing one of the following themes: Krampus, Old World Legends, Vintage Holiday, Old World Christmas, Christmas Around the World, Traditions and Legends, Myths, Monsters, and Horror, or something very similar.
Second rule: You must pin Matt's book cover and Amazon purchase link or Samhain Horror Purchase link. Third Rule: Follow Matt Manochio and Erin Al-Mehairi.
Third Recommendation: Extra points for pinning extra things about Matt, such as tour page, articles, etc.
Your board will be judged on the above PLUS your creativity and effort in the project! Send Erin at hookofabook@hotmail.com your Pinterest page to enter by Dec. 8. Of course you can continue to use it through the Holiday if you wish!
Prize: A "Santa Checked His List and I'm on the Naughty Side" package. This will include your choice of Krampus themed apparel (t-shirt or sweatshirt, men or women, visuals to come) and a signed paperback of the book.
There might be shipping limitations. Check back to tour page before entering if you live outside the U.S. for updated information.
Example:
www.pinterest.com/erinalmehairi/its-o...
And a board about Matt:
www.pinterest.com/erinalmehairi/the-d...
Giveaway for Reviewers!
Anyone on the tour, or outside the tour, who reviews The Dark Servant on Amazon and GoodReads and sends their review link into Erin (Publicist for Matt Manochio) at hookofabook@hotmail.com, now through Dec. 31, 2014, will be entered to win a $25 Amazon gift card.

[Matthew Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I know Christmas is over, but good horror is a gift that keeps on giving year round! And if you can get a nice dose of scares that are intermingled with a recent holiday, then so much the better. Such is the case with author Matt Manochio’s latest release, THE DARK SERVANT. Set against the backdrop of an approaching Christmas season in a small town, this book presents the horrifying truth behind the Santa Claus myth and what happens to those who don’t believe.

I finished this book prior to the recent Christmas holiday, however I did not have the opportunity to post the review until now. Yet, the weather doesn’t have to be cold to enjoy this chilling tale of horror. Manochio does a masterful job of weaving together real life and myth to create the ultimate Yule Tide terror.

THE DARK SERVANT is written very well and flows at a smooth pace. Manochio writes in a fluid matter that conveys a lot of information but moves the story swiftly along. This allows the reader a complete immersion into the story, which in turn enhances the frights as they occur.

The characters are well fleshed-out and believable. They are damaged individuals who are relatable and likable (for the most part, that is…there are a few “bad seeds” that I enjoyed disliking). The realism of the characters is another reason this book is so enjoyable.

I particularly like the small-town setting in which THE DARK SERVANT takes place. I come from (and currently live in) a small town, therefore this book hits home for me. As a result, I felt a connection to the characters that some readers may not. This bond brought me closer to the story, and I felt more deeply vested in what happens in the story.

THE DARK SERVANT is an excellent read, and a feather in the cap of an up-and-coming horror author. I highly recommend giving this one a look, particularly if you are not ready for Christmas to be over for this year. Manochio is an author to watch out for, and he shines with this debut. It is available now in a variety of formats, so make a note.

[Aaron Bunce · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dark Servant – a review.
The first thing I noticed about The Dark Servant was the cover. Admittedly, I have a thing for monsters. I must also confess that when I first picked up this book to start reading I knew next to nothing about the Krampus folklore. Boy was I in for a treat! Also known as the “Christmas Devil”, Krampus was the dark side to St. Nicholas’ light. Where Nicholas rewarded good children, Krampus punished the bad, and so on.
With that understanding firmly in place, I sat down and dug into Matt Manochio’s debut novel, hoping for a thrilling treat. I can say that I was not disappointed! Set in present day New Jersey, The Dark Servant follows Billy Schweitzer, the youngest son of the local police chief. Kids start disappearing, and all that is left behind are massive hoof prints in the snow. Okay…strange. Off we shoot on an adventure of fear, repentance, and self-discovery, as their small New Jersey town is thrown into a crushing blizzard.
The Dark Servant is an engrossing read. You quickly empathize with the characters, especially Billy and his (wish she was my girl) friend, Maria. They gather the facts and surmise Krampus’ identity before anyone else, and struggle with the realization that they are dealing with a supernatural monster. And how in the world are they going to convince the adults?
Krampus is truly an otherworldly character, and comes to life for a whole new generation of readers in this story. I really enjoyed The Dark Servant, and highly recommend it!

[Ira Gansler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up, I was always fascinated by obscure mythology. Of course, when you are a child, obscure means anything that is not directly part of your culture. In the case of The Dark Servant by Matt Manochio, the Germanic legend of the Krampus is brought to life to terrorize a small town and all of those brave enough to pick up this tale.

Manochio crafts an astounding tale of terror and adventure as a sleepy New Jersey town begins to have some of its teens snatched without any idea of where they might have gone. From the first page, The Dark Servant grabs you and refuses to let go. The action is fast-paced and does not let up for a moment. The book goes much deeper than that.

For the full review, check out my blog at: http://ragecircus.blogspot.com/2014/1...

[Catherine Cavendish · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all know about benevolent Santa Claus, don't we? But, unless you grew up in Austria, Germany or another country in that part of Europe, you may well have never come across Krampus - Santa's antithesis. By selecting this particular 'monster', the author has provided us with a Christmas horror tale. Krampus has one role to perform, he must do his Master's bidding and discipline naughty children. But before your mind creates a vision of a crying child on the naughty step, look at the cover. It is a pretty accurate depiction of what you will find on the pages of this scary, riveting and unusual book. Krampus takes his job seriously. When he comes to town, you had better hope you've been good. Wonderfully horrific from page one, this book also references issues of concern to today's school-age population and their families.

[Patricia Kaniasty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was by far the best Krampus story that I have ever read. However, this one is not for little kids. Older kids maybe. Krampus was scary, gory, exciting, and yes......even funny. I really loved the ending. Did not see it coming..............well not entirely.

[Ebony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Krampus! Need I say more? Growing up I was tormented by tales of Krampus, Perchta among others and I love the modern setting for the story. This was surprisingly good and I might return to it next Christmas as a regular holiday read!
It’s about teenagers and bullying and there’s probably a few kids and adults who should read this. Santa Claus is way too sugar coated in a North America.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Promising premise but I just wasn’t satisfied with any of the characters’ motivations, nor did I like the editorializing that, in more cases than not, felt totally out of place with the characters speaking it.

[Michael Juvinall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dark Servant (2014) Book Review

A novel by Matt Manochio

Published by Samhain Publishing

Reviewed by Michael Juvinall – Horror Society



Up until the last decade or so, most people here in America hadn’t even heard of Krampus or the mythology behind him. But this ancient creature of Alpine lore has become increasingly well-known in this country due to emerging anti-Christmas festivals in cities around the country that celebrate Krampusnacht on December 5th, the day before the Feast of Saint Nicholas. These Krampusnacht festivals are carried over from European traditions that have made their way over to our shores.

According to legend, Krampus is the companion to Saint Nicholas. On December 6th, Saint Nicholas would reward the good little girls and boys with gifts (Our Santa Claus is a derived from Saint Nicholas). The naughty boys and girls however, would get a visit from Krampus on December 5th night. Krampus would punish the naughty ones with a swatting from his ruten (birch branches made into switches) and more terrifying legends would say the evil children would be thrown into a sack or wooden basket strapped to Krampus’ back to be drowned in a frozen lake or even eaten later.

Krampus is described as a huge hairy creature with cloven hooves (some descriptions say Krampus has one cloven hoof and one human foot) and horns sprouting out of its head like a goat. It is also described to have a long, forked-like tongue like a snake. Krampus carries various accoutrements such as chains that he rattles for ominous effect and the aforementioned ruten which is used to swat children with.

Author Matt Manochio’s novel, The Dark Servant is a Christmas-time horror story in which the Krampus invades our shores – New Jersey, to be specific in order to do the bidding of his master and change the lives of several teenagers forever.

In northern New Jersey, the small town of Hancock is being battered by a severe blizzard. It’s December 5th and the weather is not all this small town will have to deal with on this day. Seventeen-year-old Billy Schweitzer is starting his day off badly. He was just rejected by his dream girl the night before and now is in a depressed funk. To make matters worse, Billy can’t seem to get along with his estranged Dad, town police chief Donald Schwitzer and his older brother who can do no wrong in anyone’s eyes. It’s no wonder Billy just wants to skip school for the day and wallow in self-pity.

Billy’s dad, the chief of police, begins getting reports of local teenagers going missing under bizarre circumstances. There have been several cases of high school kids who have seemingly vanished into thin air. Chief Schwitzer investigates and discovers the same clues at all of the vanishings. There has been destruction around where all the kids have gone missing – smashed vehicles that were not from a car crash, damaged school bleachers and the most curious clue – hoof prints were found at each crime scene. Billy and his dad soon discover, to their horror, that one of the abductees is his own older brother.

Billy does some investigating on his own and thinks he knows why his brother and the others have been abducted and who is behind all of this. He must convince the girl of his dreams whose younger brother has also gone missing and his dad that a legendary creature of European folklore is responsible for the abductions. He must figure out how to rescue the missing kids and defeat the unstoppable force of the Dark Servant before the night’s end.

I have to give author Matt Manochio credit for doing his research on the Krampus folklore because everything he has incorporated into his novel is spot on with all the legends of the creature. I love that he took the time to make his creature historically accurate as possible instead of creating a different backstory for the creature.

The Dark Servant is a really fun thrill ride from beginning to end and Manochio really knows how to create likeable characters and has a writing style that keeps the narrative flowing freely without much down time to get in the way. The only downside is that the finale was a bit anti-climactic for me, as I was hoping for something a little more exciting, but it still has a satisfying ending to an awesome story.

This is a creature feature that most genre fans won’t be able to put down and Matt Manochio has helped to introduce Krampus to American audiences in a thrilling and terrifying way. Krampus is the new Christmas anti-hero that hopefully will be scaring us for years to come. Do yourself a favor and don’t wait until next Christmas season to pick up and read Matt Manochio’s The Dark Servant, you won’t regret it.


4 out of 5 Pentagrams!

[Desiree Putaski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Krampus. And what is Krampus you ask? Well, here’s a little tidbit…

December 5 is Krampus Nacht — Night of the Krampus, a horned, cloven-hoofed monster who in pre-Christian European cultures serves as the dark companion to Saint Nicholas, America’s Santa Claus. Saint Nicholas rewards good children and leaves bad ones to Krampus, who kidnaps and tortures kids unless they repent.

I don’t remember my grandmother ever calling it by this name, but it’s basically the same concept.

Do you remember the words to the song…. come on, you know you’ve heard it playing everywhere since November 1!


“He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake “

After reading this… you’ll understand why it’s so important to be good. And if you think about the origins of many of our Christmas songs, you’ll find a recurring theme among them…

With all that being said…. I LOVED this book! The action starts on page one and never lets up. The Krampus has his list of naughty children and sets about rounding them up, throwing them in his cage (strapped to his back), and taking them to his lair to dole out punishment for their evil deeds. And since we know that Santa always checks that list twice, we know his information is good.

Five kids are kidnapped. Each one has committed a heinous crime against their peers. Mostly we deal with bullying… for one it’s so extreme that the victim tries to take her own life. Each child must be dealt with, each must repent for what they’ve done… and be sincere. Krampus knows if you are lying. But did he somehow make a mistake? Does he have a child in his possession that should not be? Will they be found before they are all tortured within an inch of their lives?

While this is a horror story and it does contain its share of blood, guts, gore, and other grisly things… there is a message here. Bullying isn’t ok. It’s never ok. The Krampus turns the tables on these bullies and makes them feel as their victims do.

The story flows smoothly and your attention is grabbed right away and the hold the story has over you never let’s go. The characters are well-rounded and believable. The issues presented are things that kids deal with every day.

Pick up a copy today for a great holiday horror read!

[Thom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember those parental threats, when your behavior was a little off, that you might be headed for a lump of coal in your stocking on St. Nick's night? Well, Matt Manocio's tale turns the heat up on that action in his novel "The Dark Servant". Released in time for the holidays, the Germanic folklore holiday monster, Krampus, serves as the villain in this fast paced story. A series of strange disappearances of several of the towns children quickly grabs the reader's interest as citizens scramble to understand what is happening and locate the missing kids. While the town's chief of police older teen is taken, the younger becomes the driving force in this effort. Struggling with parent, older brother and girl problems, Billy finds inner strength to overcome his teen angst, while finding himself head to head with Krampus. The only issue I have with the novel is the dialogue, while not from NJ myself, I found it to be somewhat stiff and funky. Teens in my part of the world just don't talk that way. Still is doesn't take away anything significant from the storyline and tempo of the novel. Teens should enjoy this book, and adults remembering those idle threats at holiday time will too. Thanks to the author for a copy of his recent work!

[Mae Clair · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE DARK SERVANT by Matt Manochio showed up on one of my email subscription lists and I was intrigued enough by the blurb to give it a go. Part thriller, part horror story, part YA novel, THE DARK SERVANT has Krampus showing up in modern day New Jersey and snatching several high school kids with bad attitudes.

The protagonist of the book is the sheriff’s seventeen-year-old son. Billy begins to put the pieces together and soon realizes the abductions have been perpetrated by a hulking, hairy monster with a nasty talent for inflicting pain. Too bad for Krampus he’s snatched Billy’s brother because Billy isn’t about to let Krampus haul him to the underworld—even if the adults are clueless about the true danger.

This was a page-turner, and I do recommend checking it out if this type of read appeals to you. I loved it! Personally, I love almost anything with a creature on the loose, especially when said creature gets to rampage in a modern-day setting. I’ll be looking forward to more by this author!

[Stuart West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manochio's The Dark Servant unfolded like a solid horror film playing across the big screen. It's well-written, fast-paced, thrilling, chilling in parts, even darkly amusing on occasion. The plot's simple enough: Krampus comes to visit at Christmastime, doling out pain and punishment to all of the bad boys and girls. But even though the plot's fairly straight-forward, Manochio still manages to serve up some serious surprises before the book reaches its conclusion. Best of all, Manochio puts his demon up-front, not hiding in the shadows. Krampus is quite verbose, quite the chatty Cathy, amusingly reveling in its sadistic pleasures. I see there's a sequel. I'm on-board. The only thing that could make it better? If the Big Man in Red makes an appearance. Highly recommended for lovers of the macabre.

[Wayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the interest of full disclosure, this book was offered for a review through the Horror Writers Association, of which I am a member. Overall I felt it was a solid first novel with a truly horrific antagonist, and the story moved well. The writing was competent and engaging, though I suspect the author will improve in this aspect over time and develop a more professional "voice". Not to say this novel was lacking, but only that it came across a little raw, which served to keep reminding me it was a debut. Matt has all the raw materials for a long career as a horror writer, so I wish him all my best. Well recommended!

[Carra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book - the plan was to read before xmas but, life gets in the way. It didn't lose any atmosphere reading it after the holidays, it was a pretty good premise and like another poster mentioned I quite liked the dialogue of the Krampus himself - dark sense of humor just how I like it :) but in the end it fell a little flat for me - it was a one-time read, which for me is why it's only 3 stars.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be my new favorite go-to Christmas story. :) I imagine the youth of today might behave much better with the threat of Krampus looming over them! This was really well written and definitely a great story!! It gives you hope, not only that people can change but also that no matter what life brings, with good friends and/or family, you can make it. Still plenty of moments that had me holding my breath but I love that this is a story for all ages.

[Michael Daigle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A witty and thrilling take on the Christmas naughty or nice theme that brings the Krampus, Santa's evil enforcer to New Jersey. "The Dark Servant" provides a page-turning read through a classic thriller setting: A snowstorm, clueless teen-agers, befuddled adults doing their best to catch up and a hulking, drooling monster who stays one step ahead of them until the end. Smart story telling.