Unholy Night

Seth Grahame-Smith

Apr 2012 · Sold by Grand Central Publishing

About this eBook

From the author of the New York Times bestselling Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, comes Unholy Night, the next evolution in dark historical revisionism.

They're an iconic part of history's most celebrated birth. But what do we really know about the Three Kings of the Nativity, besides the fact that they followed a star to Bethlehem bearing strange gifts? The Bible has little to say about this enigmatic trio. But 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 infamous thieves, led by the dark, murderous Balthazar. After a daring 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 an adventure that will see them fight the last magical creatures of the Old Testament; cross paths with biblical figures like Pontius Pilate and John the Baptist; and finally deliver them to Egypt. It may just be the greatest story never told.

Ratings and reviews

Balthazar, a.k.a. The Antioch Ghost, a prolific thief, has been captured by King Herod's men. On the day of his execution, he escapes, along with two other prisoners. On the run again, they make their way to Bethlehem where they spend the night in a stable occupied by a man, his young wife and newborn infant. They also learn of Herod's heinous plot to kill every infant under the age of two in order to nullify the prophecy of a Messiah destroying his kingdom. Balthazar and his friends help the family flee from Bethlehem and plan to escape to the safety of Egypt. However, Herod hasn't given up and enlists the aid of Augustus Caesar who sends his top military man, an eager up and comer named Pilate. While outwitting their pursuers, Balthazar finds himself plagued by dreams of an angel, and slowly undergoes a transformation of spirit. This is a wonderful what-if tale of the three wise men. There is something for everyone here: adventure, political chicanery, supernatural mystery, and a spiritual uplifting optimism when rooting for the underdog. The narrator does an excellent job of distinguishing voices and keeping the story relatively light-hearted. However, it is not all fun and there are horrific scenes at which I cringed. The tale is honest in its portrayal of the violence and the power hungry. Grahame-Smith's historical characters are so vividly described, from the disease-ridden, pedophile Herod to the mysterious Magus to the innocent Mary. The power and influence of God is heavily laced throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed this story set in a time and place so often written about but never fully understood.

This was a highly entertaining new twist on christian/jewish mythology that was surprisingly engaging. I haven't read the author's previous books, but I look forward to new tales from him in the future.

I very much enjoyed this. I read it twice so far. I love the way Mr. Grahame-Smith weaves fact and fiction. Though, with this book, it's very hard to tell the difference. I highly recommend this to anyone that likes "alternate realities".

About the author

Seth Grahame-Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. In addition to adapting the screenplay for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Seth also wrote Tim Burton's film Dark Shadows. He lives in Los Angeles.