santa I'd a bad man

the pagan inside of me is cheering. A very enjoyable novel with great characters.

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great

didn't know where this was going but great book and story. just give it a go

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Another fantastic BROM book

Once again, another fantastic story by BROM.
The plot, the characters, the overall concept were brilliant!

My only negative for this was probably the narrator. I enjoyed Kirby's performance in the Child Thief but honestly didn't feel he was best suited for this book; most likely due to all his exclamations and shouts always end up the same despite being different characters?

nevertheless, an amazing story and with this I have now read/listened to all of BROM's books! Can't wait to see what he releases next.

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1 person found this helpful

Pleasant Surprise

Any additional comments?

Krampus: The Yule Lord Audio narration = 5+ Kirby Heyborne did such a phenomenal job narrating this story that I would say that it was probably what I enjoyed most about the book. He brought these characters to life in such a way that I thought there were several different narrators and was surprised to find that this was not the case. I wasn't surprised to find that Heyborne also narrated parts of Cloud Atlas which was also done brilliantly. I look forward to enjoying more audio books with this narrator. I am almost sad to say that I didn't enjoy Krampus as much as I thought I would. I loved Brom's retelling of Peter Pan in The Child Thief so much that I was anticipating the same kind of dark and disturbing storytelling in this story about a Christmas demon. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't by any means a fun, happy story, it just didn't have that element of creepiness that I expect from this author or that I anticipated with this particular subject matter. How can a story about a Christmas demon known for dragging naughty children off to Hell be anything less than terrifying? Unfortunately, there is a way. The images of Krampus seem pretty terrifying but for some reason this story presented him as far less than intimidating, and even a little ridiculous at times with all too human-like flaws. Since Krampus is said to carry naughty children off to hell, I thought he would be a bit more imposing with less obvious weaknesses of character. There were definitely some bloody & violent moments involving The Yule Lord but I didn't find him believable as a God or descendant of Loki. Also, the background of the conflict between him and Santa was a little confusing at times, especially near the end. The way this story was resolved was even more baffling. However, an afterword explains a lot of the mythology that the author used to inspire parts of the book and does actually answer some questions.While several aspects of this book left me marginally satisfied, many others I really enjoyed. For example, exploring the origins of the Santa Claus and Krampus mythology and their relationships to the Gods Odin and Loki. I am always fascinated by the way many pagan rituals have been absorbed into Christian celebrations and I enjoyed reading about how that applied to Santa and Krampus' legends. There was also some wicked humor interspersed throughout that I found genuinely entertaining. Those moments when Krampus was attempting to function in today's world was at times amusing and at other times just sad. I would have liked to have seen this explored a bit more. One of my favorite things about Krampus- The Yule Lord was the main character Jesse. I don't know how many of you watch the TV show "Breaking Bad" but there is also a character named Jesse in that show who consistently makes all the wrong decisions and isn't very likable but somehow has some endearing quality that makes you root for him all the same. Jesse in this novel was much the same and so, in my mind, this is who I saw playing this tale out. This and the incredible audio narration were, in my opinion, this books best qualities. But while I loved Jesse's character, sometimes I felt like what was going on with him overshadowed Krampus' story and I was left wanting more from both. Overall, Krampus is a story I would recommend, especially for the Christmas/Yule season. There is a lot going on in this story; violence, mayhem, mythology, gods, goats, magic, thugs, domestic violence, murder, and belsnickels. You definitely won't be bored. If you are thinking of reading this, I HIGHLY recommend the audio, it one of the best narrations I've ever listened to.

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4 people found this helpful

a brillent story

love every part of this story, the charators are great and the story just sucks you in

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Rise of the Yule Lord

'Krampus, the Yule Lord', by Brom is truly a perfect encapsulation of everything it is to modernize existing literature, folklore, and mythology and present it to a new generation of eager readers as a dark fantasy retelling. I was hooked throughout this novel from start to finish. Brom's prose is delightful and full of dark, yuletide cheer. This novel contained characteristics of horror, dark fantasy, magical realism, fairytale fantasy, and more. I read this in three days: December 23rd, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Or rather: Yule. I felt incredible immersion and was delighted by a story which depicted a character (beloved by myself since childhood and many others) in such wonderful fashion, It should be noted that Brom has combined a number of mythological accounts of the Yule Lord and his companions in this novel - choosing to interpret Krampus, Santa, and other Yule Companions as strictly Norse as opposed to European / Alpine. However, I did not find this aspect to detract from the story and its hold over me at all in the slightest. Brom is a powerhouse author of dark fantasy and retellings and has quickly skyrocketed up to the ranks of my all-time favourite authors. Every character, from human to christmas demon, felt relatable and real. I closed the final page of my paperback book after reading along longing to return to this story the following Yule. That is a promise that I intend to make good on. I would highly recommend this novel. It was a 10/10 read and 10/10 listen. Kirby Heyborne truly outdid himself with the emotion he put into each character's story. If you did not believe in the Yule Lord before this novel, you will after. For one last time: "Krampus is coming to town..."

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Stunning story, characters and narrator!

I enjoyed this even more than I thought I would! Just a really beautiful, real story with strong characters and a fabulous message! Full marks!! xxx

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Superb!

I recommend this book in many,many ways. The narration and voices put on for each of the characters was fantastic. The whole confrontation of krampus and santa claus and their stories. Great ending to.

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Brings Yule Back!

An amazing Yuletide story. When listening to the story it's like you are part of the Adventure with Krampus, Jessie, Isabell & all the other Bellsicules! x x

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A must read at winter

This book was so easy to listen to! It was very dark at some points and I couldn't listen to it with my kids in the room. It wasn't predictable, I can't liken it to another book or story. It seems so original to me. You could read chapter 20 first for its making history if you struggle to put together the tradition.

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