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Silent Night, Dark Desires: A Christmas Anthology of Darkness
Experience ten haunting psychological thrillers that expose the dark side of the holiday season.
Authors Samyra Alexander and Talese Nicole have joined forces to create Silent Night, Dark Desires — an anthology where Christmas joy collides with psychological horror.
Here’s a glimpse of what awaits you:
The Last Christmas Wish ~ On Christmas Eve, a woman desperate for one last connection turns to a necromancer to reach her late brother. (by Samyra Alexander)
The Icicle Kiss ~ Haunted by survivor’s guilt, a grieving woman begins seeing her dead boyfriend — but is he real or just a ghostly illusion? (by Talese Nicole)
A Beautiful Disaster ~ A woman’s best friend introduces her to the man of her dreams, but is he too good to be true? (by Samyra Alexander)
House by the Side of the Road ~ A boy meets a mysterious girl near his grandmother’s house — but her presence carries an unsettling secret. (by Talese Nicole)
Snowbound and Sinister ~ Trapped by a snowstorm, a family’s holiday gathering takes a disturbing turn when dark truths come to light. (by Samyra Alexander)
Authors Samyra Alexander and Talese Nicole have joined forces to create Silent Night, Dark Desires — an anthology where Christmas joy collides with psychological horror.
Here’s a glimpse of what awaits you:
The Last Christmas Wish ~ On Christmas Eve, a woman desperate for one last connection turns to a necromancer to reach her late brother. (by Samyra Alexander)
The Icicle Kiss ~ Haunted by survivor’s guilt, a grieving woman begins seeing her dead boyfriend — but is he real or just a ghostly illusion? (by Talese Nicole)
A Beautiful Disaster ~ A woman’s best friend introduces her to the man of her dreams, but is he too good to be true? (by Samyra Alexander)
House by the Side of the Road ~ A boy meets a mysterious girl near his grandmother’s house — but her presence carries an unsettling secret. (by Talese Nicole)
Snowbound and Sinister ~ Trapped by a snowstorm, a family’s holiday gathering takes a disturbing turn when dark truths come to light. (by Samyra Alexander)
- GenresThriller
160 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 16, 2024
10 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 22, 2024
“Silent Night, Dark Desires” is an anthology of ten short stories centered around a dark Christmas. The authors went tit for tat and it seemed like the further I got into the book, the more scarier the stories became - and I ate every single page up!!! There was a running theme of being careful what you wish for, what’s done in the dark always comes to light, and mind the business that pays you. Some of the stories overlapped and I appreciated getting to see things from different perspectives, because it kept me guessing about “who” was actually right or wrong in the different situations. Hands down my favorite story was the creepy snowbound and sinister, when I got to the last page I literally SAT UP in my seat - stunned! 😳 I liked the darkness and twists to the stories, it was a good change in pace for holiday season. Whew!😅
**arc review
**arc review
February 26, 2025
Loved these short Christmas tales. Giving the stories the same titles by both authors was brilliant! Silent Night, Dark Desires was attention grabbing & several of these stories will have you wide eyed with anticipation! Highly recommend and you don’t have to wait until Christmas time to read this anthology of darkness.
June 28, 2025
Thank you to authors, Samyra Alexander and Talese Nicole for an opportunity to read the ARC of Silent Night, Dark Desires, in exchange for an honest review. Silent Night, Dark Desires is a collection of 10 fast-paced, psychological thrillers loaded with chilling characters and unpredictable twists. This Christmas anthology includes 5 eerie titles that will keep you awake at night - House By The Side of The Road, The Icicle Kiss, A Beautiful Disaster, Snowbound and Sinister and The Last Christmas Wish. If you’re looking for Christmas themed stories with shocking and unsettling content, I highly recommend Silent Night, Dark Desires!
December 3, 2024
Thank you to the authors for providing me an early copy.
This was a good collection of Christmas-themed horror short stories that touched on the dark sides of family drama, demons and more. Looking forward to reading other work by both authors.
This was a good collection of Christmas-themed horror short stories that touched on the dark sides of family drama, demons and more. Looking forward to reading other work by both authors.
December 31, 2024
Double Titles
Great idea to name the chapters the same title, with two vastly different stories. Talese Nicole is a new to me author, I will be back to read more from her. I have read The Hostage
by Samyra Alexander and it was good as well. Overall, I enjoyed my time with these two authors!
Great idea to name the chapters the same title, with two vastly different stories. Talese Nicole is a new to me author, I will be back to read more from her. I have read The Hostage
by Samyra Alexander and it was good as well. Overall, I enjoyed my time with these two authors!
January 7, 2025
Wow! Silent Night, Dark Desires was such a unique and entertaining holiday read! This anthology features 5 titles but 10 stories, with each title getting two different takes—one from each author. I loved how this setup allowed for two distinct writing styles and approaches to the same concept. It made for such an intriguing and creative storytelling experience!
These ladies truly made Christmas both fun and creepy. The twists and turns in each story kept me captivated, and even when I thought I had an idea of where things were going, the endings still managed to shock me. Each author brought their own unique style, but they all nailed the dark holiday vibe. The blend of eerie, festive, and thrilling moments was just perfection.
I also have to say how much I loved the setting of Spring Hills! Even though these were short stories and the entire book was no more than 160 pages, the town felt so spooky that I wanted to know even more about it. The quick pace of the stories made it easy to keep reading—I couldn’t put it down!
While I didn’t read many holiday-themed books this season, this one gave me exactly what I needed. If you’re looking for a holiday read with a dark and twisty edge, Silent Night, Dark Desires will deliver. It’s a perfect mix of festive and frightful, and I’m so glad I got to read it!
These ladies truly made Christmas both fun and creepy. The twists and turns in each story kept me captivated, and even when I thought I had an idea of where things were going, the endings still managed to shock me. Each author brought their own unique style, but they all nailed the dark holiday vibe. The blend of eerie, festive, and thrilling moments was just perfection.
I also have to say how much I loved the setting of Spring Hills! Even though these were short stories and the entire book was no more than 160 pages, the town felt so spooky that I wanted to know even more about it. The quick pace of the stories made it easy to keep reading—I couldn’t put it down!
While I didn’t read many holiday-themed books this season, this one gave me exactly what I needed. If you’re looking for a holiday read with a dark and twisty edge, Silent Night, Dark Desires will deliver. It’s a perfect mix of festive and frightful, and I’m so glad I got to read it!
December 27, 2024
4.5 Stars
This anthology led off with a terrific tale featuring forlorn alcoholic Lloyd in The Last Christmas Wish by Talese Nicole and never let up until the end of the treacherous The Icicle Kiss by Samyra Alexander. I was fully engaged reading all the stories, but some that stood out were: both of The Last Christmas Wish tales, A Beautiful Disaster by Talese Nicole and Snowbound and Sinister by Samyra Alexander.
From premeditated murder and suicide, cannibalism and ghosts, betrayal and infidelity, I really enjoyed this collection of tales, some about utter evil, some about plain human frailty and some that fell in between the two.
The loosely interconnected stories – either through setting or characters – included overlying themes of human’s basest and fondest desires, and their desperation to achieve them which all made for wicked twists and unfortunate or outright tragic consequences.
This anthology was a sprinkling of Tales from the Hood and Hood of Horror and a dash of The Twilight Zone with its creepy cautionary messages: Be Careful What You Wish For; All That Glitters Is Not Gold, and the ever popular The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side.
And yes, I was tempted to strangle quite a few of the characters. 😂
This anthology led off with a terrific tale featuring forlorn alcoholic Lloyd in The Last Christmas Wish by Talese Nicole and never let up until the end of the treacherous The Icicle Kiss by Samyra Alexander. I was fully engaged reading all the stories, but some that stood out were: both of The Last Christmas Wish tales, A Beautiful Disaster by Talese Nicole and Snowbound and Sinister by Samyra Alexander.
From premeditated murder and suicide, cannibalism and ghosts, betrayal and infidelity, I really enjoyed this collection of tales, some about utter evil, some about plain human frailty and some that fell in between the two.
The loosely interconnected stories – either through setting or characters – included overlying themes of human’s basest and fondest desires, and their desperation to achieve them which all made for wicked twists and unfortunate or outright tragic consequences.
This anthology was a sprinkling of Tales from the Hood and Hood of Horror and a dash of The Twilight Zone with its creepy cautionary messages: Be Careful What You Wish For; All That Glitters Is Not Gold, and the ever popular The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side.
And yes, I was tempted to strangle quite a few of the characters. 😂
January 2, 2025
I’m not a huge fan of short stories or collections of short stories, but this completely changed my opinion about them! The stories were honestly the perfect length and grabbed my attention right away, from the very first page of every individual story! I did think this would be a lot more “holiday” forward, but I actually preferred the way it was. Christmas was pretty much the day or close to the day that all of the stories took place around but Christmas wasn’t a main focal point.
If you’re looking for an awesome and addicting collection of short stories that you won’t want to stop reading, then this is the book for you! This was also super fun to read right after Christmas, because there aren’t a lot of holiday/Christmas books that I can find in the genres I typically gravitate towards, so I really enjoyed that this was thriller-ish, dramatic & suspenseful but still had a Christmas theme.
Definitely read this book, you won’t be disappointed!!!
If you’re looking for an awesome and addicting collection of short stories that you won’t want to stop reading, then this is the book for you! This was also super fun to read right after Christmas, because there aren’t a lot of holiday/Christmas books that I can find in the genres I typically gravitate towards, so I really enjoyed that this was thriller-ish, dramatic & suspenseful but still had a Christmas theme.
Definitely read this book, you won’t be disappointed!!!
November 22, 2024
Nothing says Christmas like a disturbing, twisty, thriller anthology!
What an absolute thrill ride, this book was, it had me hooked from the first few pages. Nothing gets me into the holiday spirit more than a creepy and disturbing story, except this is 10 perfectly crafted stories, a perfect Christmas gift!
If deeply flawed and downright deranged are your thing then pick up this book. It takes a lot for me to have a physical reaction to what I’m reading but a few times I actually sat up in disbelief, looking around the room to see if anyone read what I just did.
I loved all these stories but A Beautiful Disaster absolutely floored me, my pick of the bunch! I gasped out loud and then belly laughed, absolutely brilliant did not see that coming!
Excellent story telling from both authors!!
**arc review
What an absolute thrill ride, this book was, it had me hooked from the first few pages. Nothing gets me into the holiday spirit more than a creepy and disturbing story, except this is 10 perfectly crafted stories, a perfect Christmas gift!
If deeply flawed and downright deranged are your thing then pick up this book. It takes a lot for me to have a physical reaction to what I’m reading but a few times I actually sat up in disbelief, looking around the room to see if anyone read what I just did.
I loved all these stories but A Beautiful Disaster absolutely floored me, my pick of the bunch! I gasped out loud and then belly laughed, absolutely brilliant did not see that coming!
Excellent story telling from both authors!!
**arc review
November 22, 2024
Gripping and Chilling
Each story in this anthology was unique and expertly crafted. The authors spun tales of tragedy, heartache, pain, and betrayal. I am looking forward to reading more from both of these authors and cannot wait until their next release drops. After finishing the compilation, I tried my best to think of which story would be my favorite, but I'm not able to do so because each one was well written. Some of the stories were darker than others and some had certain characteristics that are not my cup of tea, but each story had a message within the fabric of what it of what it told. Kudos to these authors for providing thought-provoking, chilling, and thrilling tales.
Each story in this anthology was unique and expertly crafted. The authors spun tales of tragedy, heartache, pain, and betrayal. I am looking forward to reading more from both of these authors and cannot wait until their next release drops. After finishing the compilation, I tried my best to think of which story would be my favorite, but I'm not able to do so because each one was well written. Some of the stories were darker than others and some had certain characteristics that are not my cup of tea, but each story had a message within the fabric of what it of what it told. Kudos to these authors for providing thought-provoking, chilling, and thrilling tales.
December 5, 2024
A horror anthology centered around Christmas/holidays?! Sign me up. 10 stories under 5 titles penned by 2 different authors. I love it because their writing styles truly stand out since they’re so vastly different. Not once did the stories feel like they competed with each other. Compliments all around!
In terms of the stories think dark, and then go darker because a couple of them had me clutching my pearls. In all seriousness check those trigger warnings !
As for my favorite from to Talese’: The house by the side of the road and beautiful disaster. My favorite from Samyra: the last Christmas wish and the icicle kiss.
Thank you to the authors for the digital arc ! Such a great and different read for the holiday season
In terms of the stories think dark, and then go darker because a couple of them had me clutching my pearls. In all seriousness check those trigger warnings !
As for my favorite from to Talese’: The house by the side of the road and beautiful disaster. My favorite from Samyra: the last Christmas wish and the icicle kiss.
Thank you to the authors for the digital arc ! Such a great and different read for the holiday season
November 25, 2024
Where do I even start?! These stories are definitely not your usual jolly ole Christmas stories….. and I loved each story bc of that! Some of my favorites included The Last Wish with the siblings and Beautiful Disaster with the plants…IKYKY!! These stories put me in the mind of the show Black Mirror. They were no happy endings. I also enjoyed how each story kinda intertwined with each other, taking place in the same town and street with the same owners for the butcher shop in each one. If you love thrillers and Christmas time, you’ll absolutely this book!
To the authors: Thank you for the arc!
To the authors: Thank you for the arc!
December 2, 2024
A great way to start off December
I like how the stories were all different but connected, especially with that butcher shop. I wanted a little more darkness from a couple of the stories but I enjoyed them. These stories will not have you in the Christmas spirit LOL, so they did their job! This book will have you side eyeing snowmen and hating Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas!
My favorites were: The Last Christmas Wish with Lloyd, that would have drove me crazy. House By the Side of the Road, those were both creepy. Snowbound and Sinister with the creepy “snowman”. And The Icicle Kiss, I was waiting for Phoenix to snap!
4.5 ⭐️
I like how the stories were all different but connected, especially with that butcher shop. I wanted a little more darkness from a couple of the stories but I enjoyed them. These stories will not have you in the Christmas spirit LOL, so they did their job! This book will have you side eyeing snowmen and hating Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas!
My favorites were: The Last Christmas Wish with Lloyd, that would have drove me crazy. House By the Side of the Road, those were both creepy. Snowbound and Sinister with the creepy “snowman”. And The Icicle Kiss, I was waiting for Phoenix to snap!
4.5 ⭐️
December 28, 2024
4.5 Stars
This short story collection did not miss. Usually in a collective there is 1 or 2 stories that fall short or don't seem to flow. But EVERY single story in this collection did what it was supposed to do.
I got so many vibes from this. I felt the innocent yet ominous thrills from Goosebumps, and the bloody, fucked up Tales from the Crypt. There is some serious dark humor in between these pages and it's not for the weak. Each story fed another and karma was serving.
This was an incredible winter themed dark story collection that doesn't have to wait for Christmas. I would love to see this adapted by Jordan Peele.
This short story collection did not miss. Usually in a collective there is 1 or 2 stories that fall short or don't seem to flow. But EVERY single story in this collection did what it was supposed to do.
I got so many vibes from this. I felt the innocent yet ominous thrills from Goosebumps, and the bloody, fucked up Tales from the Crypt. There is some serious dark humor in between these pages and it's not for the weak. Each story fed another and karma was serving.
This was an incredible winter themed dark story collection that doesn't have to wait for Christmas. I would love to see this adapted by Jordan Peele.
December 7, 2024
Well……that was disturbing
Not a lick of holly jolly and that was to be expected and boy did Talese and Nicole deliver on the darkness. I’m a scary person in general and will absolutely make sure my nightlight is on for the next few days. Keep me far away from any place called Spring Hills. At the end of each story I either said a prayer or said WTF, so Mission Accomplished. I would definitely read from each of these ladies again, psychological thrillers aren’t normally my genre of choice but I think that’s changed!!
Not a lick of holly jolly and that was to be expected and boy did Talese and Nicole deliver on the darkness. I’m a scary person in general and will absolutely make sure my nightlight is on for the next few days. Keep me far away from any place called Spring Hills. At the end of each story I either said a prayer or said WTF, so Mission Accomplished. I would definitely read from each of these ladies again, psychological thrillers aren’t normally my genre of choice but I think that’s changed!!
January 2, 2025
This PMTFO in the best way because how dare yawll write these disturbing stories and just when it gets juicy yawll go to the next and the way you guys interconnected them and answered some of the questions I had doesn't excuse the way yawll have me longing for more!!! Seriously it was like watching a TV series. I love a book that describes everything so vividly it consumes you in the story.
Phewwww Chef kiss!!! Excellent writing and I hope you guys plan to give us more and expand on these stories.. These were good!!!
I just need more Madam Alma and Nicole.
Phewwww Chef kiss!!! Excellent writing and I hope you guys plan to give us more and expand on these stories.. These were good!!!
I just need more Madam Alma and Nicole.
November 25, 2024
I enjoyed reading the Christmas themed short stories. Both authors' writing styles complimented each other, which helped with the switching of the stories. There were times when I wished the story didn't end. The betrayal in the Last Christmas Wish story definitely stood out for me. I couldn't believe the jaw-dropping twist that occurred! If you want to read something short, sweet,and shocking this book is for you.
-Read My Mind Book Club
-Read My Mind Book Club
December 1, 2024
If you want to start the Christmas Holidays with a psychological thriller with 10 stories ,5 titles by 2 different authors. This is the book for you. Such a great thriller with different twist and turns. The same story titles with different scenarios in them that will keep you on edge. Even some stories overlap. Again a perfect thriller to start the Christmas spirit.
The last Christmas Wish was my favorite
Thanks Samyra and Talese
— Arc reader
The last Christmas Wish was my favorite
Thanks Samyra and Talese
— Arc reader
December 6, 2024
I enjoyed each story. Both authors left me scratching my head (in a good way). These stories were at times a lot to digest. Snowbound and Sinister… I don’t want to experience it again.. ONE TIME is enough! What a ride! My favorite titles by both authors were The Last Christmas Wish and A Beautiful Disaster! My take away- The tongue is powerful, be careful what you wish for & MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!
December 21, 2024
I DEVOURED THIS.
This anthology was absolutely fantastic. Each story instantly sucked me in and I really struggled walking away. I legitimately couldn't put this down.
The stories were chilling and an amazing spin on Christmas. I absolutely loved it.
I highly recommend it if you want thriller type Christmas stories! Also good luck guess the end of some cuz i was flabbergasted.
Can't wait to check out more work by both of these authors!
This anthology was absolutely fantastic. Each story instantly sucked me in and I really struggled walking away. I legitimately couldn't put this down.
The stories were chilling and an amazing spin on Christmas. I absolutely loved it.
I highly recommend it if you want thriller type Christmas stories! Also good luck guess the end of some cuz i was flabbergasted.
Can't wait to check out more work by both of these authors!
December 24, 2024
I started this book blindly after one of the authors reached out and WOW. I usually don’t vibe with a series of short stories but this definitely changed my mind. My favorite 2 stories was the last one and the 2nd one about the sister and brother. Each story was different and they just got more and more unhinged as we progressed!
If you enjoy quick but crazy thrillers this is the one for you!! I’d recommend this to everyone!! This is a great way to close out the Christmas season!
If you enjoy quick but crazy thrillers this is the one for you!! I’d recommend this to everyone!! This is a great way to close out the Christmas season!
December 29, 2024
Thank you to the authors for a copy.
I wasn’t sure what to expect. But, I didn’t know it would be the same title and just two others writing their own twist on it. I Skipped past the stories about the kids.
I did like “A beautiful disaster and Snowbound a sinister”.
I feel like these short stories were for a younger audience.
I wasn’t sure what to expect. But, I didn’t know it would be the same title and just two others writing their own twist on it. I Skipped past the stories about the kids.
I did like “A beautiful disaster and Snowbound a sinister”.
I feel like these short stories were for a younger audience.
January 1, 2025
This as definitely a favorite holiday read of mine this year. Each story was engaging and also thought provoking in my opinion. Each story also felt original and not another horror Christmas book reimagined from something else. Definitely want to read more from bother authors in 2025. Highly recommend.
November 22, 2024
This is not a Christmas with happy endings. This is a book with some twisted plots that you will never suspect to happen. It is a very quick read and I couldn’t put this book down. Get your copy today because it is a must read.
December 21, 2024
I was on the hunt for some GOOD short stories for the holiday season when this book stumbled upon my lap. It started out, book 1 wasn’t my favorite but trust the process and keep going because these short stories just keep getting better and better.
January 15, 2025
chef kiss to the author
This book did not disappoint. loved the twist and turns of these stories! It was a page turner I could not put it down I finished this book in on day 🔥🔥🔥chef kiss to the author 👏🏻👏🏻
This book did not disappoint. loved the twist and turns of these stories! It was a page turner I could not put it down I finished this book in on day 🔥🔥🔥chef kiss to the author 👏🏻👏🏻
November 21, 2024
Creepy and fun read! Great for thriller lovers during Christmas time.
December 31, 2024
I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading these stories! The way that Samyra Alexander and Talese Nicole went back and forth and told their own version of these stories was wonderful! The writing styles of both authors complimented in a way that you never felt like any story was too different than the other, even with some overlapping that I loved!
I love the overall themes and lessons that each story had and as a reader who likes to see if they can guess what’s going to happen, I couldn’t figure out what would happen and I loved that! I’ve read books by Samyra Alexander before so I’m very familiar with her writing style but I feel like these short stories are some of her best work! I’ve never read anything by Talese Nicole before this but I’m definitely going to go and get some of other books! My favorite stories were the Icicle Kiss (Samyras version), The last Christmas wish (Talese version) and House by the side of the road (both versions).
If you’re looking for Christmas Holiday themed spooky reads, pick up this book!
I love the overall themes and lessons that each story had and as a reader who likes to see if they can guess what’s going to happen, I couldn’t figure out what would happen and I loved that! I’ve read books by Samyra Alexander before so I’m very familiar with her writing style but I feel like these short stories are some of her best work! I’ve never read anything by Talese Nicole before this but I’m definitely going to go and get some of other books! My favorite stories were the Icicle Kiss (Samyras version), The last Christmas wish (Talese version) and House by the side of the road (both versions).
If you’re looking for Christmas Holiday themed spooky reads, pick up this book!
February 1, 2025
This is my first thriller Christmas story experience! And it was good. Idk what is going on in Spring Hills but I hope I never run into anyone of those people 😂 this is good to read throughout December because it’s 10 short stories that don’t necessarily go together(you Gould read them out of order) but the characters make appearances in different stories which I love. I have never looked at this holiday really as something that should be nothing but holly and jolly but this book gave me a nice new perspective of Christmas! I was not expecting some of the twists that happened and I think that my plant mamma Nicole is my favorite ☺️😂
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews