Nickolas Claus: Ghosts of Christmas Past

by Mae Holloway

What if your past is the ghost?
There’s a dark force stalking Nickolas.

Problem is, living at the North Pole, a technologically advanced subterranean “wonderland,” means there’s no place to run, no place to hide.

At eighteen years old, though, that’s all Nick wants to do—leave.

He’s ready for college and to start a new life far away from the glitter and glitz of a Christmas season that never ends. Not to mention the enthusiastic, over-achiever elves who can’t seem to understand Nick’s aspirations—or why he would have any outside of being the only son of the man known the world over as Santa Claus.

Despite being ignored and brushed off by everyone—including his father—Nick has been making plans for his exodus anyway.

But when his best friend, an elf named Witlock, inadvertently lands the pair in hot water, a veil of long-held secrets begins to peel free, hinting at why Nick hasn’t been allowed to leave.

The secrets—all of them—have everything to do with Nick, Witlock, and possibly, the frightening entity Nick can’t seem to shake.

When the dam finally breaks and the terrifying truth comes spilling forth, the bright candy shell of Nick’s insulated world is ripped away to reveal a much darker layer.

He is not who—or what—he has been led to believe.

And neither are those closest to him.


Dark fantasy
Secrets
Romance subplots
Humor
Spooky
Friendship
Magic
Morally gray characters
Twists
Banter
Duality
Paranormal
Mythology



Filled with intrigue, action, magic, humor, twists, chills, and a hint of romance, this New Adult, Christmas-themed fantasy will appeal to fans of the darker, more ghostly side of Christmas, popular manga titles, mythology, video game enthusiasts, and readers of dark fairy tales, dark fantasy, and dark fantasy romance.

574 pages, Paperback

Published June 24, 2025

Reviews

[Kevin Donato · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nickolas Claus is eighteen and completely over Christmas. Growing up at the North Pole — a hyper-advanced, glittering underground world — hasn’t been magical so much as suffocating. With college on the horizon, Nick is desperate to leave behind the nonstop cheer, the expectations, and the shadow of being Santa’s son. But strange things have always followed Nick, and when a risky move with his best friend Witlock starts unraveling long-buried secrets, it becomes clear that Nick’s life has never really been his own. Dark forces, hidden truths, and unanswered questions about who — or what — Nick truly is begin to surface, revealing that the North Pole isn’t nearly as safe or simple as it pretends to be. What starts as a desire to escape quickly turns into a confrontation with secrets that were never meant to be uncovered.

Honestly? This book was pretty awful. I went in expecting a fun, twisted Christmas story with some edge — maybe a darker take on Santa lore — and instead I got something that felt messy, boring, and wildly overstuffed. There are so many subplots that it’s hard to keep track of what actually matters, and instead of building tension, everything just feels scattered. The characters didn’t help. No one stood out in a meaningful way — most of them were annoying, underdeveloped, or just kind of… there. I never felt invested in Nick, his friendships, or his supposed destiny, which made the stakes fall completely flat. And the ending? Not good. It felt like the author tried to wrap up fifty-plus plot threads all at once, while somehow introducing even more questions. Instead of feeling satisfied or clever, it was exhausting and rushed.

Overall, this just wasn’t it for me. What I hoped would be a fun, unconventional Christmas read turned into a blah, overcomplicated slog that never paid off. -2 Stars! — and that’s me being generous.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a little closer to a 2.7 but honestly the story wasn’t bad. I desperately wanted something Christmas that wasn’t a barfy hallmark romance and it delivered. It was kind of strange. I couldn’t help but enjoy the little world building details. The writing was good. My only hope is that someday the author is able to earn enough money to pay for a live voice actor for the audiobook. The audiobook was narrated with AI and the listening experience was not for a novice audiobooker. It required a lot more concentration and deciphering than other audiobooks. I think there may have been spelling errors which caused confusion too? Voice actors can rest assured knowing that AI has zero ability to interpret writing and especially tone. Even punctuation is a struggle for it. It doesn’t understand that a ? Doesn’t always mean up-speak and similar nuance. I would have LOVED to hear some of the voices done by a professional.

[Autumn R Guoan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpected and Engaging

This book was not at all what I expected. It was very different from what I've read, yet I couldn’t stop reading. A few parts had me lost, however it was an enjoyable read. The plot was complex, the character's were relatable, the world building was rich. This is not your typical Christmas read, but it is SO worth the read. Do yourself a favor and give it a go!