It’s not often you get two books in a series or duology within months each other such as Craig DiLouie‘s Slasher Season duology. It did make reading each tale even that much more immersive when the first, Summer Fun Massacre during the Summer months, and now The Yule Day Slaughter as we approach the holiday season. With a fun concept and eerie folk horror, DiLouie delivers a story with a unique perspective and cinematic feel.
Three years have passed since the undead killer known as the Hungry Hare massacred the counselors at Camp Summer Fun. Each night, Sheriff Tom Bailey stands guard, ever watchful for its return.
As winter blows across the High Plains, most are ready to move on from the tragedy and enjoy the holidays. But then the night once again fills with screams. A family slaughtered in their home. A crime scene that looks horrifyingly familiar. And the killings have only begun…
Tom will need every ally he can call on to fight the Hare―most important of all Deputy Laura Turner, Summer Fun’s only survivor. Together, Sheriff and Final Girl must find a way to destroy the monster haunting Cross County. Because the Hungry Hare is coming to exact final vengeance on the town that made it. This time, it wants them all…
After finishing Summer Fun Massacre, which I enjoyed, I didn’t know how quickly I would jump into The Yule Day Slaughter when it became time, solely based on the stack of books I need/want to read. However, I felt it was fitting timing to read this conclusion to the duology and am glad I did. With the Slasher Season series, DiLouie does what he is best at and takes familiar tropes and plots and gives them his own touch such as telling this story from a more intelligent law enforcement side of things, not your typical baffling idiot police.
The Yule Day Slaughter was even that much more enjoyable because the story doesn’t take place immediately after the final page of Summer Fun Massacre, but three years later and again, during the holiday season. There is always something that draws me to the juxtaposition of horror and holidays where the blood is spilled in what is expected to be such a joyous time of year. Putting this story years in the future and taking place during the Christmas season sold it even more for me.
The first of the duology is terrifying and suspenseful, but what DiLouie crafts here is much more chilling. It’s a fast-paced story with plenty of dead bodies. The Hungry Hare, our monster in the woods, definitely takes more lives and allows for a fear factor to rise. The suspense, fear, and tension are felt on each and every quick moving page.
Planning out multiple books that have a great beginning, middle, and end to each story while also carrying the tale from book to book is not an easy feat and while I enjoyed this conclusion to the duology, it did feel a bit rushed. Not to say that we needed this to be longer in the number of books released, but maybe could’ve benefitted from that. Either way, the first book felt good and this conclusion did its job as well.
The Yule Day Slaughter caps off Craig DiLouie’s Summer Slasher duology in a chilling and satisfying fashion. DiLouie delivers a fast-paced story from unique perspectives that makes this slasher story feel fresh. The Yule Day Slaughter is a blood-soaked holiday tale filled with the thrills of a classic slasher with the terrifying atmosphere of folk horror.
The Yule Day Slaughter hits bookstores everywhere on November 17, 2026 from Run for It. The audiobook, narrated by Garrett Michael Brown & Elizabeth Cappuccino, is available via Libro.fm!
