“Solstice of Dawn” by SinfulWolf
This was sweet and sexy, and as imaginative as its predecessor. I was a little afraid it was going to end tragically (eg, Lydia burned at the stake for heresy, and Varia forced to watch), so I was glad when it didn't.
“A Most Peculiar Burglar” by Praetor
The dialogue is a little stiff (at times, Aiden sounds a bit like he’s reading from a textbook), but I can forgive a lot when there’s a hugely busty Santa-babe involved. :) And it seems I’m not the only one to have a character use the finger-by-the-side-of-the-nose exit. :)
"Christmas, Bloody Christmas" by tcr
Just the right amount of world building for a short story.
“She wanted to tell him where to go and how to get there” is wonderfully subtle.
I kind of saw the ending coming, but that didn't make it any less sad. One miracle gained, one lost.
“Santa’s Sleigh” by Desiderius Price
"This isn't even a real boy, Satan has already taken him" is a great line -- Father Jordan dehumanizing the victim to make killing him easier.
I liked the ending. “Sometimes the adults need Santa too.”
Nothing to Sneeze At, by BronxWench
This was very clever. Ben setting off Marc's allergies before we see Ben in dog form was great. And I thought Marc's "blushing too easily" problem was a nice touch. And "being the alpha meant he wasn't going to be an ass" lines up with what I've read about the behavior of actual alpha wolves: that they spend most of their energy protecting their pack, not fighting over dominance.
I really liked some of the lines. “My cock wanted to salute him” and "nodding like a damn dashboard ornament," made me chuckle. And "And that was nothing to sneeze at" is a great ending line.
Oh, but making me crave White Castle when there isn't one within five hundred miles of me is not cool. :)
Outreach, by InvidiaRed
Very creative. I liked Iteration Pi. And I liked the ending.
A Most Peculiar Burglar
Sometimes it’s nice to see some good old fashioned pornography – porno fantasy body proportions, sex with a delivery person, and lots of nice healthy pleasure. Fits the Christmas theme well, and the introductions do give us things to think about in the characters rather than just being a couple stick figures going at it. Using the Christmas night control over time to speed up the passing of the male refractory period feels original as hell – I’m sure I’ve never seen it for that anyway! Fun contribution there.
The author’s note mentions ‘Soldier's Silent Night’ but there’s a paraphrased quote that only appears in Clement Clarke Moore's poem A Visit from St. Nicholas I was wondering if that ought to have a citation too? I might be misunderstanding AFF’s citation FAQ however!
This was an interesting one for me to read, and if I'm honest not sure how I feel about it to be honest. There's a Hell of a tonal shift half way through into that silly campy porno style of sexing that some people enjoy (as evidenced by some of the other reviews here), but isn't my own cup of tea, so certainly will try to keep that in mind when writing this out.
But the opening of the story started plugging away at some heavy issues, many of which hit a little bit too close to home for me to be in the mood for a good silly fuck story.
I did learn some stuff though. Thought that Kabar knife was for Marines only (I was wrong), and didn't know the U.S. Army still had any kind of swords, especially for NCO's. Once again thought that was a marine thing. So that was pretty cool to learn some things.
And there was a bit of jargon scattered throughout. I've learned to be careful using that, especially with the acronyms (FOB, QRF, etc). Sure I know what they mean, but not all the readers do. Though it seems that might not have interefered with many people's enjoyment of this particular tale. Also, FOB really should be capitalized, and not lower case.
Last point, try to keep the reader aware of where the characters are. When they initially fell there was no mention of the couch until it started creaking and I had to back away to find where they'd ended up on the couch. So, either I missed it or it wasn't mentioned. Little things like that.
Like I said, the campy style of smut isn't really my cup of tea, but you did have that style going quite well for yourself, and it seems a fair amount of others enjoyed themselves. So well done, and good entry to the anthology overall.
A Most Peculiar Burglar by Praetor
My first impression of this was that it read a bit like a recruitment ad, though a well-written one. I'm not throwing shade. It's not a bad thing. It suits this character and reminds me of a lot of people I know, though not soldiers, farmers and oil workers in Saskatchewan have pretty much the same crotchety attitude and unwavering pride in their controversial livelihoods. So it was believable.
So it starts off with that serious political rant, and then it kinda devolves into this campy, flirty porno. It was a fun shift in mood, and I'm grateful for it. Nice little addition to the party, thank you. Have a great New Year.
What a wonderful debut! This is a refreshing take on Santa coming down the chimney, especially with the reactions for a combat veteran to any intrusion. But gift-giving is certainly a two-way street, and I so think they descovered how much more fun it is to give than to receive.
Thank you!
A Most Peculiar Burglar by Praetor
Enjoyable piece of PWP holiday smut, which is what I think you were going for. One strange thought I had while reading it.... what if she suffocated during the blow? Suppose that'd be a fun way to start a Halloween story.
Santa’s Sleigh – Des 2: Des Harder
I was like “This is dark... darker... darkest... whoa! Happy ending!” Father Jordan’s a really asshole though isn’t he? I mean, damn. It was an interesting look into what feels like a messed up world. I did prefer the first story, but this one was cool too.
A Visit From Shota Claus by GeorgeGlass
Cute, though obviously with Santa magic, Henry could be mentally much older than he seems.
Solstice of Dawn by Sinfulwulf
I have to admit I kinda felt cheated when the F/F faded to black, it was like...MORE, MORE! :) Otherwise, good, though I did have to refer to your halloween just to get reacquainted to what happened there for Lydia's context.