There’s just something about the holiday season that is so undeniably magical. We sit around searching for joy and whimsy… and we get it. Whether it be in the form of a few snowflakes falling on a windowsill, a roaring fire next to a slightly mismatched yet beautifully lit tree, a perfectly predictable Hallmark movie or a cozy, quirky romcom of a book.
I recently gave a recommendation list to a friend of my top five Christmas related reads for the month of December. Given the way I’m about to pontificate about this one, it should be of no surprise that The Nightmare before Kissmas by Sara Raasch has been holding strong at #1 since it was published last year.
Let me set up the premise for you. Our protagonist, Nicholas “Coal” Claus is the Prince and rightful heir of Christmas. Seriously, his father is the reigning Santa. Yes, that Santa. In a world where each holiday is treated like a monarchy with ruling territories, each royal family is responsible for their holiday’s related traditions and festivities. To be clear, the rest of the world is unaware that there are actual, genuine kingdoms for the holidays.
Turns out, these royal families are able to operate their magical powers (because of course they have magical powers for holiday related purposes) based on a sort of “joy” bank. Think of it as both a kind of currency and power source. This joy is directly generated by the feelings their holiday stirs up among the masses. Imagine if you will, Santa’s sleigh in the movie Elf, it can only fly at the end of the film through the power of sheer belief. This is conceptually like that. God, don’t you just love magic?
Anyway, Coal is a walking Public Relations nightmare for Christmas. He’s always in the tabloids up to some kind of tomfoolery and frankly lives to disappoint his father. He’s well-intentioned, but his one attempt at actually embracing his role led to a bit of a catastrophe so he doesn’t even try anymore.
Meanwhile, his poor sweet younger brother Kris (like Kris Kringle, get it?) is fighting for his life trying to keep the peace and crisis manage this walking disaster of a human being. Decidedly not a job for the faint of heart.
When Santa has finally had enough, he comes up with a marriage of convenience for his wayward eldest son. Coal is to marry his best friend and the Princess of Easter, Iris. Needless to say, neither is thrilled by the development. Coal, especially so, because Kris has had a not so secret crush on Iris since what feels like the beginning of time. (Leave him alone. God forbid a man takes the scenic route.)
Enter Hex Hallow, the Prince of Halloween, and as it just so happens, Coal’s dark alley behind a seedy bar drunken make out partner from a year and a half earlier. The very same man Coal hasn’t been able to stop thinking about after he disappeared that night. The very same man who is now challenging Coal for Iris’s hand in marriage.
Poor Iris would really just like to remove herself from this narrative.
The kicker is neither even actually want to marry Iris. Both of their holidays are just aiming for the political capital it’ll bring.
ADVERTISEMENT
Their fake marriage competition evolves into Hex staying in Christmas for the holiday season and taking part in their traditions, all while pretending that his interest doesn’t lie solely with Coal. As their “competition” progresses, the two grow closer and eventually give into their baser urges.
“Someone help me, please, because this guy makes me want to learn hymns but only recite them if I’m moaning and I think that might be sacrilege, but I’m okay with damnation if he’s the reason, I just want to know for sure which way is up.”
All while a conspiracy and political plot is underway. As Coal and his friends (including his kinda sorta rival/love interest, Hex) discover more about just why Christmas is the most joy filled holiday, they’re forced to give into some political machinations of their own. Coal is faced with a question – can he embrace his fate as the future Santa?
The thing about Coal is he tries so hard to just do his best regardless of how more often than not, his best is a bit of a mess. He’s so relatable. So human. He doesn’t believe in himself. His confidence and self esteem are horrific, but his heart is so huge and so undeniably good that you can’t help being charmed. At least I couldn’t, maybe y’all are stronger than me. Like come on, this is a man who isn’t afraid to acknowledge how ridiculous his existence is and own it.
Hex is my little emo goth boy whose magic manifests via Halloween novelties when he curses e.g. a random jack o lantern, fake spiders, magically generated ghosts, etc. Any other author would have made Hex the stereotypical “bad boy” and given into the cliched tropes, but Raasch creates a fleshed out character driven by his own guilt, grief and a heart that easily matches Coal’s in size. It’d be remiss of me not to mention his signature corset vests. Coal never stood a chance.
Genuinely, the only thing that could have made this book better is if we got Hex’s POV.
Coal and Hex’s journey is everything I love about a romcom. There’s awkward reluctant flirting (on Hex’s part, Coal is immediately all in) and the kind of banter that had me legitimately giggling and kicking my feet all while wearing a permanent, frankly terrifying grin. They manage to inspire each other in the kind of larger than life love that breeds hope and optimism for a better world. For change. In each other and in their holidays.
“Former human disaster has been thoroughly whipped by a walking contradiction of darkness and sunlight and morbidity and joy.”
It’s so unbelievably camp and had me feeling nostalgic for Red, White & Royal Blue and Rise of the Guardians. It’s the kind of book that makes you believe in magic and love and the guarantee of a happy ending. It’s unapologetically silly, in fact I think that just might be my favorite part. The number of Christmas related puns (“50 Shades of Sleighs”) and novelty sayings in the form of Kris’s shirts delighted me beyond belief. If Christmas had to run on the sheer amount of joy this book brings there’d be a surplus of magic for Coal and family.
If you’re looking for the most ridiculous, escapist, quirky, magical romance I promise you won’t regret picking this one up. And when you’re done, you might want to check out Kris’s story with the Prince of St. Patrick’s Day.
