My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It's December, so I wanted to read a Christmasy story. And you can't get more Christmas than the Yule Lord himself, Krampus. 😈
The funny thing about this book is that I actually started reading it last year, but after a few chapters I put it down. For some strange reason, I couldn't get into it. Yet, this time around I was hooked right away.
That's weird, right? I guess it's all about timing and mood. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Anyway, let's talk about the story.
Jesse's life sucks. He's barely making enough money to survive, his wife left him, he's fallen into some serious trouble with some very bad men, and some weird devils are after him.
If only Santa's sack could deliver more than toys.
Krampus has been locked up for a long time, but his luck might be about to change...
This was such a fun read!
I really liked how an average, everyday kinda setting with small-town characters dealing with contemporary issues is intertwined with dark fantasy, Yuletide and Norse mythology. It's all very well balanced and handled in a way that works on several levels.
This fun modern fable also provides a very accurate commentary about humans. About how easily they forget, how determined they are to destroy the planet, and how we always talk about external threats when the biggest threat to our world is in fact, ourselves.
I really liked Krampus. He was a very likeable character. Even though he seemed hostile and had an edgy personality, all he wanted to do was get on with his duty as Yule Lord. And destroy Santa Claus.
This Santa was right out of Norse mythology and not the jolly man we're used to. He wasn't above imprisoning his enemy, and was quite ruthless.
It was really cool to see them go against each other. The dialogue between them was epic, and even amusing.
The human characters--some who are also slaves to Krampus known as Belsnickels--were just as interesting. They were taken from different moments in time, and weren't evil at all. I especially liked Isabel because she was so strong and kind, plus her backstory was tragic.
As for Jesse, the hero of this story. Well, on the surface he seems like a loser who's such a coward he's given up on his music, and instead does shitty stuff for shitty people. But he's so much more than that, and after he gets caught up in the fight between Santa and Krampus, I loved spending time with him.
There's a lot of bad real-world stuff in this book--addicts, abuse, zealots, scum--and it's mixed in with some intriguing supernatural stuff. As well as a lot of awesome folklore and mythology. I just LOVE how well every piece fit together, and how everything moved the story along.
So many times, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next. The suspense never lets up, and neither does the wonder.
I also loved the Afterword because the author shared his fascinating Krampus research. And the Illustrations because they're awesome. 😊
Krampus: The Yule Lord is quite the Yuletide treat! 🎁
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