The great thing about zombie authors is their dedication to the genre...just when I think they have reached the limits of the imagination, I stumble upon something that expands zombie fiction into other genres - engulfs them, really. NOM NOM NOM! While other genres add glitter to their monsters, one author has brought the zombie culture to the North Pole...and vampire snowmen -- a little something from various sub-genres of horror, mixed with suspense, without giving the little ones nightmares.
When I realized that I would be reading a story about vampire snowmen and zombie elves, I didn't know whether to laugh or beat myself with my laptop. After carefully noting in the intro that the author LOVES Christmas and the holiday season, I decided to approach this book with the same seriousness I would give to any fantasy tale. Keep in mind, this is young adult fiction, with the goal of appealing to both children and adults...so, not quite as dark as you might expect, and age appropriate for grade school & up. My 5yr old loved it & wants "the guy who made
Nightmare Before Christmas
(Tim Burton) to make the book into a movie."
There are Light Elves and Dark Elves; the Light Elves make the toys, and are enjoying a well-deserved night off at an enchanted amusement park. Laidenn realizes that they are about to be attacked by vampire snowman. This is where the author's talent for detail starts to show, when Laidenn prepares to fight with bags of salt. As Laidenn tries to make the other elves aware of the impending danger, we learn more about how the light and dark magic work at the North Pole. We also discover that there are actually two different breeds of vampires as well.
I laughed at the description of the horrible things that took place in Santa's workshop, for instance, Barbie heads with Ken bodies! (Not necessarily scary, but kids will understand how troublesome this can be.) Santa defends his workshop with the stealth and swiftness that would make Van Helsing proud. Don't let the fat, jolly appearance fool you - this Santa has the moves of a warrior. He also has command of zombie elves! This is the Santa I want at my house.
I appreciate that Alano doesn't slack off just because he's writing for a younger audience; too often, I read YA fiction that seems like the authors don't think they have to include as much detail. This is a great story for the whole family, especially if you're already fans of the classic monsters: vampires, zombies etc. I know Christmas will never be the same at our house again.
Happily, this is not the only YA tale from this author: check out
Hand Puppet Horror
.
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