Brom, author of the acclaimed illustrated novel THE CHILD THIEF, returns with a retelling of the story of Krampus, aka Black Peter, the dark enemy of Santa Claus. Where do you go after a twisted, dark retelling of Peter Pan Why, the mythologies surrounding Santa Claus, of course! When a failed songwriter witnesses a strange encounter on Christmas Eve- seven figures cloaked in black beating up a man in a red Santa suit and a sleigh. When Jesse steps in, all of the strange denizens disappear, leaving only a large sack. He soon discovers that Santa (the interloper) has stolen the magical bag of Krampus, the ancient trickster demon who punishes evildoers, and by picking it up, now he has become one of Krampus's followers. And the former Yule Lord will stop at nothing to reclaim his holiday, and return wild magic to the desperately poor denizens of Boone County. But in every fairytale, a strange gift always has a price-and soon Jesse's pulled into a dark, wild adventure that will span the globe, from the beginnings of Krampus himself to his own search to save his daughter and his own broken dreams.
Santa Claus, my dear old friend, you are a thief, a traitor, a slanderer, a murderer, a liar, but worst of all you are a mockery of everything for which I stood. You have sung your last ho, ho, ho, for I am coming for your head. . . . I am coming to take back what is mine, to take back Yuletide . . .
-from Krampus
The author and artist of The Child Thief returns with a modern fabulist tale of Krampus, the Lord of Yule and the dark enemy of Santa Claus
One Christmas Eve in a small hollow in Boone County, West Virginia, struggling songwriter Jesse Walker witnesses a strange spectacle: seven devilish figures chasing a man in a red suit toward a sleigh and eight reindeer. When the reindeer leap skyward, taking the sleigh, devil men, and Santa into the clouds, screams follow. Moments later, a large sack plummets back to earth, a magical sack that thrusts the down-on-his-luck singer into the clutches of the terrifying Yule Lord, Krampus. But the lines between good and evil become blurred as Jesse's new master reveals many dark secrets about the cherry-cheeked Santa Claus, including how half a millennium ago the jolly old saint imprisoned Krampus and usurped his magic.
Now Santa's time is running short, for the Yule Lord is determined to have his retribution and reclaim Yuletide. If Jesse can survive this ancient feud, he might have the chance to redeem himself in his family's eyes, to save his own broken dreams, . . . and to help bring the magic of Yule to the impoverished folk of Boone County.
Industry Reviews
"The creator of The Child Thief, is back - and this time he's taking on the Christmas Devil. Are you ready for a studly, Nordic Santa Claus, and his scary/sexy wife?" -- Charlie Jane Anders, io9.com "Brom is that rare breed: a person who is skilled in more than one area of artistic expression. Here's hoping that he will continue to share his dark and often beautiful dreams with us for many years to come." -- Christopher Paolini, bestelling author of Eragon on KRAMPUS "This illustrated horror novel by acclaimed gothic fantasy artist, illustrator, and novelist Brom (The Child Thief) is perfect for anyone who disdains a cozy, sentimental holiday story." -- Library Journal "Terrific. A wild ride--the idea sounded like a stretch and I'm not sure how many guys could have really pulled it off, but Brom sure has. I loved it. It hooked me and I couldn't put it down. Plus, the illustrations are amazing." -- Mike Mignola, creator of Hellboy on KRAMPUS "Filled with action, fans will wonder whether Jesse joined the wrong side as increasingly it appears to him that Santa is evil. Fans will relish the Yule Lord 'is coming to town.'" -- SFRevu on KRAMPUS "[A] rollicking, non-stop, action-filled, violent and yet touching story." -- Examiner.com on KRAMPUS
