Overdue

Ep 734 - Kidnapped by the Krampus, by Emily Shore

December 22, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The episode of *Overdue*, "Ep 734 - Kidnapped by the Krampus, by Emily Shore," is part of the explicit "Happy Horny Days" tradition where both hosts read the book, which features dark holiday romantasy elements like dubious consent and explicit sexual content. 
  • The discussion includes an extensive tangent on the folklore and modern resurgence of Krampus, noting historical elements like Krampus Karton postcards and the character's relationship with St. Nicholas. 
  • The book *Kidnapped by the Krampus* by Emily Shore is characterized by its heavy focus on explicit sexual content (a "sex sandwich" structure), confusing plot mechanics regarding curses and timelines, and the recurring motif of Krampus's prehensile tongue and eggnog-flavored bodily fluids. 
  • The climax of the story involves Santa Claus (Klaus) dying after Krampus destroys the soul tether, and the protagonist, Twyla, choosing to bind her soul to Krampus for immortality despite the physical and narrative consequences. 
  • The explicit sexual content of the book features extreme body horror elements, including Krampus's transforming fur and his large anatomy causing Twyla's bones to break, which is then mitigated by Krampus's magic. 
  • The hosts conclude that while the book was objectively goofy and unevenly paced (too much early sex followed by lore), they ultimately had fun reading it as part of the 'Horny Days' theme for *Overdue*. 

Segments

Mint Mobile Ad Read
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(00:00:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Mint Mobile is offering 50% off all unlimited plans for three, six, or twelve months at $15 per month.
  • Summary: Mint Mobile’s current promotion offers 50% off unlimited plans, equating to $15 per month for three, six, or twelve months of service. All plans include high-speed data, unlimited talk and text on the nation’s largest 5G network. Listeners can switch their current phone and number over without contracts.
Bookends Podcast Ad Read
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(00:02:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Matea Roach hosts the Bookends podcast, interviewing authors about their works and answering listener questions.
  • Summary: Matea Roach’s podcast, Bookends, features author interviews where she asks burning questions about their creative choices. Examples include inquiries about John Green’s recurring themes and Taylor Jenkins Reid’s narrative settings. The podcast is available on favorite podcast apps.
Overdue Introduction and Format Note
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(00:03:40)
  • Key Takeaway: The Overdue episode “Ep 734 - Kidnapped by the Krampus, by Emily Shore” is a rare format-breaking installment where both hosts read the book.
  • Summary: The hosts confirm this is an adult-themed episode for their “Happy Horny Days” tradition, necessitating both hosts reading the material for shared experience. The episode carries explicit content warnings, including cussing, genitalia mentions, sexual content, and dubious consent scenarios. The book being discussed is Kidnapped by the Krampus.
Author Emily Shore Background
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(00:06:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Author Emily Shore, who published Kidnapped by the Krampus in 2023, transitioned from YA fiction (like The Aviary) to adult dark fantasy romance around 2020/2021.
  • Summary: Emily Shore is Minnesota-based and previously wrote YA fiction, including the Uncaged series, which dealt with themes of kidnapping and trafficking. Her shift to adult fiction included writing monster romances and exploring themes of queer and polyamorous relationships. She also shared personal details, including her favorite film being The Princess Bride.
AI Imagery Controversy
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(00:09:47)
  • Key Takeaway: The book includes illustrations credited to Kate Seeger, which the hosts strongly suspect are AI-generated, raising concerns about supporting artists.
  • Summary: The hosts noted that the interior illustrations possess characteristics typical of AI generation, such as high detail but nonsensical elements. Kate Seeger, another author, reportedly uses AI for marketing and imagery, suggesting she may have prompted the images for this book. The hosts argue that using AI substitutes for hiring independent artists who are often in a similar economic position.
Krampus Folklore Deep Dive
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(00:17:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Krampus is historically linked to solstice rituals in Alpine communities, possibly as the son of the Norse goddess Hel, and operates as a dyad partner to St. Nicholas on December 5th.
  • Summary: Krampus runs (Krampus Lauf) are parades where costumed men scare children, and in the late 1800s, Krampus postcards (Krampus Karton) were popular until World War I. The modern resurgence in America is attributed to graphic artists and the internet, leading to holiday horror films. The appeal lies in connecting antiquity with contemporary, non-cheery Christmas alternatives.
Book Structure and Explicit Content
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(00:25:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Kidnapped by the Krampus is structured as a “sex sandwich,” opening and closing with extensive explicit sexual content surrounding a middle section dedicated to lore.
  • Summary: The book is noted for its immediate and overwhelming sexual content, which continues throughout the narrative, including descriptions of Krampus’s glowing anatomy. The hosts also highlighted the author’s use of invented Christmas-themed profanity, such as “Holy Hollyberries” and “Fuck my jingly balls.”
Plot Setup and Character Introduction
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(00:29:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Protagonist Twyla Ayers, a journalist, is assigned to cover Krampus World and is immediately kidnapped by Krampus, who she initially believes is wearing a highly realistic costume.
  • Summary: Twyla is established as a cynical media worker who enjoys monster smut and cosplay, leading her to Krampus World on assignment. Her initial interactions with Krampus involve him drugging her and engaging in sexual acts while she remains unconscious or believes his appearance is a costume. Krampus is under pressure due to a time-sensitive curse related to Santa/Klaus.
Krampus’s Curse and Klaus’s Role
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(00:34:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Krampus is controlled by Santa/Klaus via a soul tether obtained from the devil in exchange for immortality, forcing Krampus to feed off human emotions via his domain, Krampus Haven.
  • Summary: Klaus, who became tyrannical after making a deal in hell, uses the soul tether to control Krampus and maintain his own power structure involving undead minions. Krampus’s last chance involves finding a woman whose love can free him, as previous partners chose memory erasure over eternal demonic servitude.
Climax and Resolution
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(01:01:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Twyla breaks Klaus’s snow globe, revealing his tragic backstory, allowing Krampus to destroy the soul tether, kill Santa, and free himself, resulting in Mephisto taking over Christmas World.
  • Summary: During a final confrontation, Twyla retrieves the snow globe showing St. Nick’s descent into tyranny from Klaus’s chest, shattering it and freeing Krampus just as he was about to succumb to his own evil impulses. Krampus kills Santa, and Mephisto subsequently takes ownership of Christmas World, operating it as a subsidiary of the now-free Krampus Empire.
Klaus Death and Twyla’s Choice
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(01:02:41)
  • Key Takeaway: Klaus dies when Twyla snaps the soul tether, leading Twyla to face three afterlife choices, one of which is binding her soul to Krampus.
  • Summary: Smashing Klaus’s snow globe reveals the soul tether, which Krampus snaps after Twyla sacrifices herself to reach him, resulting in Klaus’s death. Twyla then faces three choices in the afterlife waiting room, including eternal life with love or binding her soul to Krampus to become immortal but still mortal in terms of sickness and injury.
Explicit Immortal Marriage Consummation
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(01:06:13)
  • Key Takeaway: The consummation of Twyla and Krampus’s immortal marriage involves extreme body horror, including fur tentacles and Krampus’s large anatomy breaking Twyla’s pelvis.
  • Summary: Twyla chooses the third option, binding her soul to Krampus, leading to a sexual encounter described with body horror, such as Krampus’s fur latching onto her like tentacles. His size causes her pelvis to break, though Krampus’s magic makes the experience feel good, acting like morphine.
Canine Anatomy and Childbearing
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(01:09:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Krampus lacks a canine knot (bulbous glandis), and his subsequent discussion of a ‘knot fading’ prompts Twyla to mention potential children, a topic never revisited.
  • Summary: The discussion shifts to canine anatomy when Twyla asks if Krampus has a knot, which is identified as the bulbous glandis, an erectile tissue structure that locks the male inside the female in canids. Krampus’s penis is also described as lighting up red through her skin, and the mention of his ‘knot’ leads to a brief, unresolved contemplation of having children.
Nativity Scene Epilogue
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(01:11:18)
  • Key Takeaway: The book concludes with Krampus showing Twyla a nativity scene, which prompts a discussion about the religious aspects of Christmas being avoided in Christmas smut.
  • Summary: The epilogue features Krampus showing Twyla a Charlie Brown-esque nativity scene, which makes Twyla happy as she carries the light of Christmas. The hosts note that Christmas smut often avoids explicitly mentioning the religious observation of Jesus Christ’s birth, despite Krampus offering a brief, speculative nod to Jesus’s potential miracles.
Goodreads Review Analysis
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(01:14:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Reviewers found the book objectively goofy, noted the uneven pacing between sex and lore, and appreciated that Krampus did not magically transform into a conventionally attractive male.
  • Summary: Goodreads reviews indicate that readers found the book’s content objectively wild, with one reviewer noting that the silliness is part of the point for this genre. Common critiques included the uneven structure, with too much sex early on, and a lack of character development outside of their physiology.
Show Wrap-up and Next Episode
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(01:21:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts conclude their discussion of Kidnapped by the Krampus, by Emily Shore by confirming Santa Claus is canonically dead and announcing the next episode will cover wholesome American Girl books.
  • Summary: The hosts wrap up by joking about Krampus’s potential PR issues following Santa’s death and the implications of his cum tasting like eggnog. They announce the next episode will be a change of pace, covering the American Girl books Meet Samantha and Meet Addie as a wholesome holiday feature.