Synopsis:
Trapped by a snowstorm deep in the Bavarian Alps, Al and Mallory are already unraveling.
Addiction. Resentment. Loss.
Only one thing keeps them together: their six-year-old daughter, Sadie.
Then the chains begin to rattle.
Something ancient has awakened in the forest—and it has targeted them.
Is this punishment?
Is it penance?
As the storm worsens and the line between reality and nightmare blurs, the couple must confront not only the creature closing in from the woods, but the far more intimate demons that have been haunting them.
Review:
This tale begins on a snowy night in a quaint little part of Germany. A family is taking a trip to visit Grandma: mom, dad, and sweet little Sadie. A happy family on a happy journey. Except that cute dream dies with the pop of a tire, or two.
The Christmas Demon is a Krampus retelling, a terrifying European myth that I can never get enough of. And Pitts delivers the proper tropes while putting his own spin on it.
After some car trouble, this family ends up in a strange, backwoods town in the middle of Germany, where they must regroup and find shelter for the night. Not the ideal outcome for the evening, but they don’t really have a choice.
Throughout their stay, Pitts slides bits and pieces of the mother and father’s backstories, revealing that they may not be such a happy family. I loved getting into the nitty-gritty flaws of the characters because no one is perfect, and Krampus capitalized on the opportunity to exploit these weaknesses.
Pitts nails the suspense of this story, especially by adding a child into the mix. As a parent, that’s one of my biggest fears. Perhaps not this exact scenario. I don’t typically fret over Krampus stealing one of my children in the night. As a mom, I already feel guilty every time I take a few moments for myself. To imagine returning to find my child gone is a nightmare come to fruition.
The descriptions in this tale are visceral. I could hear Krampus’s chains swinging and hear the cloven hooves on the snow. I had the whole layout of this tiny, folk cottage laid out in my head. Though most can already imagine what Krampus looks like, Pitts nails every detail, adding to the immense evil these characters face.
The action scenes are tight and had me tapping my screen with fervor, needing to know how this all played out. I enjoyed that the father ended up victorious by using the one thing that brought him to such a low place in his life. Even though the story is short, there is plenty to be learned by the characters, and they certainly come out as different people by the end.
The Christmas Demon is a gripping page-turner, crafted with powerful suspense, immaculate detail, all built on the frame of a beloved and familiar legend. Pitts’ writing is concise, and this short tale is a terrifyingly fun ride.
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