Christmas Kringle: Silent Night by Michael Anderle – Book Review
In the Christmas Kringle Series, Michael Anderle flips a beloved legend on its head and asks: What if Kris Kringle weren’t the jolly old man from childhood stories, but a retired mercenary who took up the mantle of St. Nicholas?
Christmas Kringle: Silent Night kicks off Michael Anderle’s Christmas Kringle Series, and if you think you know what to expect from a Santa story, think again. In this world, Kristian Kringle isn’t the jolly old man from childhood stories. Rather, Kris is a retired mercenary who took up the mantle of St. Nicholas to seek penance for past actions.
Now, his mission is to bring joy to children around the world with the help of magical elves and a smart Workshop similar to the Room of Requirement from the Harry Potter series. But when someone steals his brand-new sleigh—jeopardizing his mission and threatening millions of smiles—Kris snaps back into operative mode and promises that every child will wake up happy on Christmas morning.
Hardly a saint, this St. Nick delivers high-velocity lead to the bad guys before delivering presents to the children. To achieve his objective, the former mercenary dusts off his old skill set and takes down anyone standing in his way. Armed with far more than holiday cheer, Kris starts a globe-trotting manhunt that races from the North Pole to Miami, New York City, to retrieve his sleigh.
Speaking of the sleigh: This is another tongue-in-cheek aspect of the story, as the sleigh looks more like “a bird of prey or maybe a stealth ship out of a sci-fi film.”
An intriguing blend of genres
In Christmas Kringle: Silent Night, the contrast between holiday cheer and tactical fury is surprisingly charming. The story never takes itself too seriously, which makes the blend of violence, humor, and heart work better than expected.
This fast-paced Christmas action novella is filled with sharp humor, explosive action scenes, and one-liners reminiscent of the Die Hard movies. Anderle blends science fiction, fantasy, and military thriller into something wildly entertaining and delightfully unhinged. It’s violent, chaotic, and definitely not your cozy Hallmark holiday tale, and exactly what makes it such a fun ride.
If you enjoy action-heavy thrillers with a playful twist, or if you’re simply looking for something different to read during the holiday season, the Christmas Kringle Series is a splendid choice. And when you’re done with the six books (as of November 2025), you can read its Kringle’s Classified Ops spin-off.
5 Stars
