Advent

by Daniel Pyle

An evil Santa skulking through the shadows. A snowman with a taste for blood. Terrorized children who will never look at presents the same way again. This collection includes 24 twisted holiday tales and a bonus novella that explores the dark side of wintering in the tropics. Treat yourself to a daily helping of horror with stories that will leave you wondering whether Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year…

Genres: Horror, Christmas, Holiday, Ebooks, Collections, Fiction, Adult

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 18, 2022

About the author

Daniel Pyle is the author of Advent, Breakdown, Dismember, and many novellas and short stories. He lives in Springfield, Missouri, with his wife and three children. Visit him online at danielpyle.com.

Reviews

[Barbara Behring · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this horror Anthology. The short stories were just the right length and the longer story kept me so intrigued I flew right through it. I can't wait to read more from Daniel Pyle.

[Rainbow Goth · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with most short story collections, some pieces are stronger than others. A few had real potential and could have been excellent, but they were simply too short to fully develop.
Pyle is clearly a good writer, and the stories I enjoyed were easily 4/5 star reads. Taken as a whole though, I can’t give the collection more than 3 stars overall.

[Ashley ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge thank you to LibraryThing and Daniel Pyle for providing me with a free copy of Advent!

I swear I just finished a series of Goosebumps for adults. Talk about things that go bump in the night. With a side of slaughter, perhaps.

When I suggested we read story #2 - The Line to our kids to scare them into their best behaviour, my husband wasn't so impressed with me, but I still think it's funny.

I flew through this collection of short stories followed by Snowbirds, which was absolutely incredible as well. If you want to be disturbed, amused, shocked, and even sometimes a little sad, all while loving Christmas, this book is for you.

As for Snowbirds, Liv was an absolute joy to read about. She was strong, brave, and quick-witted. The story was so well written and it read so smoothly that I blinked and I was finished reading it.

What an incredibly disturbing and enjoyable journey. This makes me question my mental health, because it may say a lot about me as a person. Thank you!

[Tammie P ℓօรƭเɳαɓօօҡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Advent by Daniel Pyle is a collection of 24 short Christmas-themed horror stories: one for every day of December leading up to the big finale. The 25th and final story, "Snowbirds," is a longer novella. The author explained that, while he originally intended it to be one of the shorter daily tales, he felt compelled to delve deeper as the world of the story unfolded before him.

The Advent Collection (Days 1–24)
The 24 short stories can only be described as little bits of Christmas dread. These are short, bite-sized, and to-the-point tales with no happy endings. Each story concludes with an illustration that captures the entire essence of its central horror in stark detail, functioning as a 'visual punctuation mark.' Since I read this on a Kindle Paperwhite, I only experienced the black-and-white versions of the artwork; nonetheless, they were still incredibly effective.

​The Novella ("Snowbirds")
I was pleased to find that the novella was generously illustrated throughout, rather than featuring only a single image at the conclusion. These illustrations anchored the narrative's most pivotal moments: the first revealing the protagonist, then the monster’s true form, followed by the creature’s last victim, and finally, the defiant figure who refused to let the transformation claim them.

​However, I found myself genuinely unfrightened and unaffected.

✦ The main character in the novella irritated me. Her decision when someone was being attacked felt driven by plot necessity rather than human logic. I can’t imagine anyone making such an illogical choice at that critical moment.

✦ Despite the creatures' unique physical description, the execution felt like a recycled trope (looking a bit younger after each feed, human disguises, feeding at night).

✦ While the novella’s ending wasn’t as bleak as those in the Advent Collection, it was ultimately a moot point; by then, Liv's fate didn't matter to me.

Final Take
While the novella didn't quite land for me, the collection as a whole is a creative take on the traditional Advent calendar.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining🎅🎄 listening 🎧🎶

This kindle ebook is from my Kindle Unlimited account

A number of short stories each different with interesting characters some action and lots of misdirection leading to each conclusion 🎅🎉

I would recommend this novel and author to readers of fantasy world 🌐 Christmas Season short stories novels 😮😁 2025 👀🎅

[Rikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so creative and different from other Christmas themed horror books that I've come across. The stories are short, but they are perfect length for devouring in between errands, chores, and other distractions. I also enjoyed the longer story at the end of the book. It is easy to read and well-written. Anyone who loves a bit of horror coupled with their Christmas festivities should get their hands on this book.

Many thanks to LibraryThing Early Reviewers for providing this ARC. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own, free of outside influence.

[Mike Harnish · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit on the dark side, definitely on the weird side. But all of the stories and the novella were all tales that were entertaining and fun to read. Sometimes, I just like a series of short stories and since these were almost into the Advent season, they fit the bill perfectly.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

some crazy stories in this book! loved it

[Elke · Rating 4 out of 5]

You better watch out! In this collection of not so merry stories, you'll find that Santa is not always the jolly old guy with the beard, and the red on his suit may come from the blood spilled.
I love Advent calendars and was really happy to find this book, which offers one scary story for each day up until Christmas (if you can be patient) and, if you made it that far, an additional bonus novella. While all stories share the Christmas theme, each one is a delicious treat of its own flavor and I was positively surprised by how many different faces Santa shows, like the one on the gorgeous book cover.
This will definitely go to my re-read pile of Christmas books for years to come. Thank you Mr Pyle!

[The_5ft_reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this short story collection.... some where scary, some creepy a few even quite touching!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I REALLY enjoyed this collection. This is exactly what I want from a short story collection with a Christmas theme. The stories were quick reads and just...FUN. Nothing too deep or life changing...just good old popcorn horror type fun

I read this mostly as intended with one story a day and the stories are perfect for that. Each one only takes 5-10 minutes to read except for the last one which is a longer novella...and that's where I deviated a little on the one story a day. As I got closer to Christmas day I doubled up on the stories in the hopes that I could FINISH the final novella on Christmas Day...but that didn't quite work out and I finished it a couple days later. No big deal but I would have preferred just another short story and then for the novella to have been its own book because I think it has 5 star potential but needed a little more space to flesh out some of the great ideas.

I'm not sure how I feel about the artwork at the end of each story...on the one hand I love the idea of all these images but something feels off about them. I think they're AI which doesn't make me automatically hate them...but I also didn't love the style and that's just a personal taste thing. More of a sketchy hand drawn style would have worked better for me I think.

As for my favorite stories...I really liked most of them with a lot of 4 stars and a handful of 3 stars but my two 5 star favorites from the collection were Dear Santa and The Snowman.

All in all I would definitely recommend this for a read around the holidays and thought it worked well as an advent as long as you are ok with a longer story that you might not finish on that last day.

[Carm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I broke the rules with “Advent”. The first 24 stories are meant to be read like an advent calendar. One creepy 3–5 page treat per day, from December 1st through Christmas Eve, followed by a longer novella meant to be enjoyed at a more leisurely pace. I couldn’t do it. I was lucky to drag it out as long as I did.

I really enjoyed most of the bite-sized stories, and the novella was pretty engaging, even if I wanted a little more from the ending. All in all, probably a 3.5 star read, rounded up. I approached it the same way I approach holiday food and cocktails… with enthusiasm and very little restraint. Honestly, if it weren’t for the cocktails, I probably would have finished this even sooner. 😅

[Kay Masson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Very creepy.

The initial Advent stories were twisted, but so much fun to read.

Nothing really prepared the reader for the wonderful 2nd story. I absolutely loved this book. I had a hard time putting it down.

The author takes the reader on a vacation to Florida that turns from vacation into a really scary nightmare scenario.

If you are squeamish, don't read this book. It could very well give you nightmares. But if you enjoy having the creeps, by all means, READ this book!

[Madison Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Twisty Christmas Advent Calendar

It was so fun to have something different for the Christmas season! All the different Christmas, true-horror stories gave me something more to look forward to everyday as my own lil Advent Calendar. It also got me into realizing how easy it is to read even just one chapter each day, regardless of how busy my life gets. Loved it, and probably will re-read it every year as my Advent Calendar! Merry, Twisty Christmas to all; and to all a good night!! 🖤🎅🏻🎁

[Michael Heidle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buckle up and hang on!! If you can!!

This is a thrill ride of ambient horror (aka Twilight Zone -eske, with a bit of gore and scare and lots of mind-bending; not the full-blown horror per se) in short stories (one brief story for each day of Advent) plus a more fully developed and twisted novella for Christmas! Buckle up and hang on ... If you dare!!!

[Thomas Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

24 short stories of 5 pages or less of christmas horror. Leading up to the final story Snowbirds. All stories are enticing but there was a few that stood out. For me a few included; Secret Santa and Questions.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advent is an excellent collection of holiday stories. They’re all short, so it’s easy to read one a day along with your regular reading. They were fun, creepy, and sometimes even sad. Lots of twists made for a very fun daily experience!

[Sara Rothery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great advent read

I did it traditionally of one read a day. It was just what I needed to split the sickly sweet Maria, and other candy cane Christmas nonsense. Great stories and id love the afterstory to be a full novel. I want to know more!!!

[Erin Sterett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read! I started off reading it like an advent calendar, and then just blew through the rest. Great short stories!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa!

I can't believe all the years of reading, all the books I've read.....that I never heard of this author! If I had to guess, I'd say this was a pseudonym for J A Konrath!!!! These stories were phenomenal!!!!!!

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really, really grim-fun! :D

[Olly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Some stories I loved more than others. BUT I would recommend this book, and I would re-read it. Thanks for the recommendation Sandra, and the signed copy!

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The short stories were quick and easy to read and the novella was a great read too.

I loved Liv and Connie her granny. They both evolved as characters.

My favourites of the short stories were: The Line, The Bear, Ornaments, White Christmas and Questions.

[Ashlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun twisted Christmas stories

[Aaron Eichler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloody Christmas

There is definitely something wrong with me, because I loved each story. The best part was the pictures at the end, they enbody, the story and they are creepy.

[Andy Krahling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting mix

Several of these stories were just fantastic, with shocking storylines and events that I didn't see coming. Like any collection, it is a mixed bag, but in this case, the good far outweighs the bad.

[Laurie C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advent 👍

Best short stories I've read in awhile. This is a bunch of stories that just get ahold of your interest and you can't stop reading. I wanted to savor these stories one at a time. I gave up and indulged in this great buffet. I couldn't not stop because each story, just grabbed my mind and took me for a ride into the dark, deep part of Christmas that has my eyes wide and dried wife open. That means I didn't blink, and my eyes were dry and such open. Seriously😵
Get some eye drops. I had to use mine☃️👀

[Jenny Coyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings about these stories. Horror can be subjective and the author approached it from many angles with these tales. I feel like there is something for everyone, but for me, I only enjoyed about 75% of the stories in this anthology. All of them tie into Christmas in some way, but two of them just made me sad. My favorite story was The Beard. Santa's a badass! The last story, number 25, is a novella. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would give it 4.5 stars on its own.

[Danielle Hennessy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so so much. The short stories were the perfect length to read one a day, even if you only have 5 minutes spare.

I really liked how it went full circle between the 1st story and the 24th. Very clever. Every story I read in between I enjoyed, too.

The final, slightly longer story was a fantastic finish. I liked the characters and the storyline was engaging and unique.

Seriously enjoyable book!

[Ash Gillette · Rating 5 out of 5]

holy christmas hell

All of the short stories in this book were great but the final story at the end is amazingly mindblowingly disturbing and beautifully written. I’ve never seen someone meld horror and Christmas together so well in a book. I’d give this 100 stars if I could.