A Christmas Menagerie: A Scary, Merry Anthology of Heartwarming Horror

by Keith Simpkins

Forget the jolly Santa you know – this Christmas, joy and justice share the same sleigh. Four interwoven tales introduce The Figure, a mysterious and dual-natured version of Santa Claus who serves as both the guardian of Christmas spirit and the judge of those who betray it.

Designed to be a quick yet powerful read, this short collection is perfect for fans of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and those intrigued by darker Christmas traditions like Krampus. Blending the festive and the fearsome, this small but impactful book features timeless woodcut-style illustrations that bring its reimagined Christmas folklore to life.In “A Winter’s Night Tale,” a wayward boy discovers that some naughty deeds cannot be undone.“Christmas Shadows” explores redemption and regret as a troubled child faces the truth behind her actions.“He Knows If You’ve Been Bad or Good” tells the story of a selfless boy whose kindness paves the way to an unexpected future.In “The Last Journey,” the origins of The Figure are revealed, blending magic, lore, and the weight of his duty.Ride along on The Figure’s Christmas Eve journeys and experience a captivating blend of shadows, lore, and the timeless spirit of the season.

Genres: Horror, Holiday

77 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2025

Reviews

[Redsteve · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's got a few interesting ideas but this feels like it's the author's first book. Despite the subtitle, it's not an anthology; it's basically a single story in the format of four short stories (all by the same author). Basically the last story circles back to the first, but from a different point of view. I did like the author's take on Santa Claus/Krampus, where they are not two individuals, but one role, manifesting itself in different ways, depending on the viewer. 2.5 stars. In some ways interesting, in others, overly simplistic.

[Jason Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every year, I go on the hunt for Christmas books, especially horror themed, during the holiday season. I bought a couple this year, and the one I finished before this I truly disliked. This was the last of my, relatively, blind Amazon Christmas buys, and I bought it because the cover’s art alludes to Krampus. So…the title is misleading: not really a “Menagerie,” not an anthology, and not really horror (although…there are bits of light horror, I suppose). The dialogue isn’t great, and Simpkins’ voice just isn’t as developed as one might hope (this looks like this might be his first published work), BUT I just found myself responding to this collection of four interconnected short stories. In fact…I will go one step further: I think I love this collection, even with all of its faults, and I think the reason is my 12 year old daughter. As I read, I just kept thinking about all the moments in this that she is going to love. I am excited to share this with her (she is starting to read it as I type this review). This is a book that captures the spirit of Christmas in a way that I know will resonate with her, as she is a fan, like me, of “A Christmas Carol”, which I would argue is the level of “horror” seen in this book (and, if you haven’t read it in a while, there is some legit horror in Dickens’ book), and because of that, I could feel it reverberating and resonating for that 12 year old that is still inside me (buried under three decades of cynicism) as well. This is a book that is just under 70 pages long, doesn’t take long to read, but it just hit the right nostalgic, festive and magical spot for me. I can see myself pulling this out to read each year (seriously).

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book involves a series of short stories revolving around the Christmas Spirit and a series of children. It is somewhat cyclical in nature, and offers a range of holiday themes.

However, I think this book is somewhat misleading. Besides maybe the first story, and maybe the appearance of the spirit (which isn't explained, I don't think) these aren't really scary at all. It's just the classic tales where kids who are good get good things, even if they have a rough life. I was expecting more horror and gore, and was a little disappointed.

Also, unless this author isn't naming any other writers, it should be noted that this is not an anthology, but a collection. An anthology is a series of works by multiple authors while a collections is a series of work by one author.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Maya J. Lujan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting a bit more horror based on the title, but honestly it didn’t matter. I really enjoyed this. it made me smirk and smile, in the best way. I'd recommend for those who like creepy but also occasionally want something to remind you of the good of humanity.

[Kati · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fast read that helped me feel a little festive. Got a bit too drawn out at the end but glad to have read it.