Nick Reviews: Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith

Unholy Night

By Seth Grahame-Smith
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Format: Hardback, 307 pages
* Note: This is Adult Fiction and is written by the same author as Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.


What the inside flap has to say:

It's one of the most iconic images in history: three men on camel back, arriving at a manger, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. An impossibly bright star in the vast desert sky above. A moment of serenity and grace. A holy night.
   But who were the Three Wise Men? The Bible has almost nothing to say about them. Not even their names are mentioned. The historical record is vague at best. How do we know they were three kings from the East? What if they were petty, murderous thieves- on the run, escaping through Judea under cover of night? Leave it to Seth Grahame-Smith, the brilliant and twisted mind behind Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, to take a little mystery, bend a little history, and weave an epic tale.
   In Grahame-Smith's telling, the so-called "Three Wise Men" are led by the dark, murderous Balthazar- the infamous "Antioch Ghost." After a brutal escape from Herod's prison, they stumble upon the famous manger and its newborn king. The last thing Balthazar needs is to be slowed down by young Joseph, Mary, and their infant. But when Herod's men begin to slaughter the first born in Judea, he has no choice but to help them escape to Egypt.
   It's the beginning of a dark and Savage tale that will see them cross paths with biblical figures like Pontius Pilate and John the Baptist, as the magic of old times gives way to the vicious empire of man.

Likes:
Practically everything in this book I loved. I felt that the pacing was perfect. The authors writing style was great. It never seemed like there was a dull moment in the book. The fight scenes, while a little graphic at times, were a lot of fun to read and they were written very well. The main character, Balthazar, was the bad boy you just had to cheer for despite him being a thief. In fact, all the characters were all well done. I kept telling my wife over and over that I was so happy to Mary have some sass to her character. One of my favorite things while reading this book was you sort of got a history lesson while reading along with fiction. I could literally go on and on about how I enjoyed this book but then this blog would be completely filled and my wife would not be pleased about that. Out of all 3 of the authors books, despite only having read just 2 of them, I really honestly believe this book would make a better movie choice out of the 3. I'm sure it would be just as fun to watch as it was to read.

P.S.  Did I mention I loved this book? Even the paper that the book jacket is made from is awesome.

Dislikes:
It ended. I really didn't want it to end. I enjoyed it that much.

Who I would recommend this to:
I would recommend this to anyone who wants a fun read and has an open mind. The book does not slander any part of the Bible in anyway.