Official Review: Hammer and Sleigh Rise of the Crimson No...

[Christabel Uzoamaka]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Hammer and Sleigh Rise of the Crimson North" by D G Martin.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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This book sent me on a roller coaster of emotions. At the prologue, I was sure that it was a four-star novel. But as I read on, I wondered if I would just give it a one-star rating. However, as the events unfolded completely, I felt fulfilled and happy enough to award Hammer and Sleigh Rise of the Crimson North 3 out of 4 stars. This book is filled with profanity, violence, mentions of rape, and governmental oppression, so read with caution. Hammer and Sleigh Rise of the Crimson North is D. G. Martin’s first attempt at creative writing, and I must say that his alternative thoughts blew me away.

Santa Claus is a global symbol of happiness, joy, and the cheer of Christmas. He always keeps a record of who has been naughty and nice and grants gifts accordingly. But when his wife, Mrs. Cringle, dies, he is shaken to his core and turns from loving, jolly “Father Christmas” to disgustingly evil and depraved “Klaus,” leader of the elves at the North Pole. His plans have transformed from gifting nice folks to punishing people, dominating the world, and spreading evil amongst humans. The elven world is not left out of the drama. They are also being terrorized and have had their world turned into a communist, totalitarian state. How will salvation come for both man and elf when the very symbol of joy is not only corrupted but the corrupter?

The writer’s thought process took a route that many would not dream of traveling. I loved how original this piece is. I mean, who is thinking of Santa going “bad and evil?” The prologue was beautifully written and had me wanting more. Another thing I loved was the way the author tied the plot and ended the story. I was not expecting anything at all because this book was a very different experience for me, but the author did not disappoint me with where he decided to take the story. I also love how the events were very relatable. Just like humans in history, the elves discovered their power and what exactly to do with it.

In the description, Martin warned that he filled this book with gore and violence, so I prepared myself. But this book, while it’s filled with profanity and violence, was more of a political thriller than a gory book. The author drew inspiration from real societal problems of both communism and capitalism. I learned about Mao’s application of communism and many other history lessons that, though I didn’t sign up for, I enjoyed nevertheless. This inclusion of history and politics lessons was, however, a bit of a problem for me because, sometimes, the author seemed to veer off the story to teach politics and ideology. I would have preferred that the politics lessons be kept to a minimum.

I liked the major characters, like Sal, Bumble, and even Agnar, the evil elf. But there were many names that became difficult to keep up with; I could not remember who was who. I would advise readers to be patient after reading the prologue, as the story gets a bit confusing, with the prologue set at a time different from when the story begins. The confusion is cleared up when the action starts, and the elves begin to fight for their freedom. Overall, this piece is a worthy read, and I recommend it to people who like political dramas. People who subscribe to having capitalist or communist ideologies will like this piece too.

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Hammer and Sleigh Rise of the Crimson North
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[Atieno Magero]

Wonderful review! Your review has been helpful and provided me great insight about this book. I'm fascinated by the plot of this book. I think it's interesting that the author decided to write a dark tale about Santa Claus.

[NetMassimo]

This seems quite a unique book with a story that can be quite brutal but also contains insights about social and political topics. Thank you for your great review!

[Jennifer Aldo]

You sound like you really enjoyed the book, regardless of its minor errors. Great review.

[Ayora]

An interesting plot to build a story on. However, I'll pass on this one. Thanks for a detailed review.

[derialist]

I love how the author took the Santa and made a monster out of him. It's quite an interesting perspective, and it's one that I welcome. I'm going to love this. Nice review! Thank you.

[Eagles Researchers]

Nice review, it's like the reviewer wrote more than the author.