Title: A Very Uncanny Christmas – A Jack Hansard Short Story
Author: Georgina Jeffery
Publisher:
Publication Date: December 18, 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Holiday, Contemporary
Length: 74 pages
Source: I received a free copy from the author
Rating: 3 Stars
Blurb:
When Jack Hansard, Purveyor of Occult Goods, takes a break from hawking dodgy potions and broken magic charms to go home for Christmas, he expects to suffer through a painfully normal family reunion. However, it soon become obvious his family is under some kind of Christmas everybody is being too nice.
Then there’s the freak snow, and the weird knitted jumpers, and the elf that little Nicky swears he saw poisoning the mince pies. Whatever’s going on, it’s something that lurks beyond the ordinary.
Jack must face sinister singalongs, enchanted toys, and possibly even Santa Claus himself to get to the bottom of the mystery and save Christmas . . .
. . . Or at least, save his family from Christmas.
Funny urban fantasy with a magic(ish) salesman, a Welsh coblyn, and a misguided Christmas spirit. A Very Uncanny Christmas is a standalone short story in The Jack Hansard Series that can be read on its own.
Review:
There’s something to be said for being a good sport about things one doesn’t quite understand, but there’s also something to be said for being honest.
Jack’s grumpy attitude and vivid descriptions of the things that irritated him amused me. Honestly, I agreed with the many of the points he made about subjects like the commercialization of the holidays or how much pressure can be placed upon someone, whether purposefully or inadvertently, to pretend to enjoy traditions that they at best don’t personally glean any meaning or joy from and at worst might even be a little painful for them for various reasons. He had the freedom to voice these complaints openly and straightforwardly without anyone trying to silence him which I was intrigued by as this often hasn’t been my experience as a woman in similar situations. This is not to say I think that being grumpy is generally the best course of action, only that it was interesting to meet a character who could so plainly say what he truly thought.
I would have liked to see more time spent on resolving the main conflict in this novella. So many pages were used to build up the tension that I felt a little let down by how it was wrapped up in the end due to how quickly it happened and how many questions I still had about the characters and how magic worked in this universe. While this was still very much a standalone read, I would have happily gone with a higher rating if the conflict had been given more even pacing.
There was a subplot quietly weaving its way through this tale that piqued my interest. As it gradually grew louder, I appreciated the deeper levels of meaning that could be found in a house that was decorated a little too cheerfully and in stacks of presents that overwhelmed the protagonist. Not everyone’s experience of the holidays is the same, so what appears perfectly normal to one family may have a completely different meaning to another. I’m dancing around this topic because I think it’s best for other readers to pick up on the clues for themselves, but I liked the way the author used common Christmas tropes to get his point across.
A Very Uncanny Christmas was full of surprises.