Papercuts1’s Reviews > Christmas and Other Horrors: A Winter Solstice Anthology > Status Update

“Dry And Ready” by Glen Hirshberg is about a family Hanukkah ritual established by a dead family member that end in expected yet unexpected ways.
One of my favorites so far. I love that this collection includes diverse religious, spiritual or folkloric elements.

“The Blessing Of The Waters” by Nick Malaya’s was meh. What sounded like a good idea ended up falling short, and in a muddy ending.
In general, I’m finding that these stories have trouble sticking the landing. The short story format isn’t for everyone, it seems. Not as simple as it looks!

“The Mawkin Field” by Terry Dowling plays with expectations and subverts them with an ending I’m not quite sure I understand.

“His Castle” by Alma Katsu has an early twist, and I really liked the increasingly disturbing POV it’s written from. The ending feels rushed and a little trunkated, but so have the two previous stories. A common flaw with short stories.

“The Ones He Takes” by Benjamin Percy is a very obvious evil Santa story, short and with enough creepy atmosphere, but without any kind of twist. Okay, I guess.

The first one, The Importance of a Tidy Home by Christopher golden, is a creepy, gory piece of folklore from Salzburg, Austria. I liked it.