4 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Spot Books for an eARC.
‘A Midnight Clear’ is releaseod on 5th November 2019.
I loved this eclectic mix of darkly unsettling seasonal stories! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from each of them, due to the fact that as with most short story collections, they are all by different authors with different themes, but this was such an enjoyable read. From Cthulhu at Christmas to the Werewolves in Winter, this collection has a present for everyone! There was a full range of emotions from me whilst reading these stories, it was a rollercoaster of human emotion and I enjoyed it immensely. I’m going to do a little mini review of each story and my impressions of them, rather than just talk about the collection as a whole because they all offer something unique.
THE DAUNTLESS
This was such a good start! I loved the setting, and the idea of a candy court for judging bad elf behaviour. I also thought the juxtaposition between Cthulhu and Christmas elves was such a unique idea, I’ve never seen anything like it and it worked so well. The characters all really added something to the story, and there were so many fun little flourishes in their characterisation, especially in the presentation of Santa. I enjoyed the conversation about good vs evil and philosophical aspects, but most of all enjoyed the court and legal aspects of the story. It reminded me of early pulp detective fiction which I really loved about it.
TIDINGS OF THE NEW MOON
Really fun twist on the werewolf story. I really enjoyed the nightmare scenes in this, as they were silly, almost tongue in cheek and enjoyable. It was really refreshing to read a story from the wolf’s perspective, and I feel like although I’ve seen it before it’s still such a new take and felt really fresh. Glenn’s dad was a really interesting addition and helped with the world building of wolves as civilised whilst also adding more humour and a touch of melancholy at once.
MOVIN’ ON UP
This one was yet another twist on a classic. A Christmas Carol meets Demons from Hell! The demons were brilliant, and I enjoyed their interactions with Cindi a lot. The idea of what makes you a good person was explored nicely, and the cliffhanger ending made me want to know more!
THE POETRY OF SNOW AND STARS
This was my favourite, I think, but all of the stories are fantastic.
This was entirely not what I thought it was going to be, and was haunting in a way that was entirely unexpected. It was a really intense story full of mystery and intrigue set at the Stanley Hotel, made famous by Stephen King’s ‘The Shining’.It was so gripping, and I didn’t want to stop reading so I could find out what was going on, but I also didn’t want it to end. This one has definitely stayed with me, and I keep wondering what happened to the characters after the tale ended. I wish I could have more of them.
SLEEP, SWEET KHORS
This story genuinely made me cry. It focuses on a young girl and the Slavic Sun God Khors. It has a beautiful and melancholy feel as it explores the cycle of life and death, grieving and letting go. The endless cycle of the rebirth of gods juxtaposed with our mortality made for emotional reading. Iris was a beautiful main character, and I connected with her on a level that I’m sure anyone who has dealt with grief as a child will be able to.
SNOW ANGEL
This was yet another story that went in an unexpected direction. I really thought I knew where it was headed, and was expecting ‘A Christmas Carol’ type scenario but with Santa. Instead I got a beautiful, compelling story with some stunning imagery. It contained the meaning of Christmas, but told in a way that followed the life cycles of the year, and left me feeling like I had experienced something very special.
I am very much looking forward to reading something else from all of these authors and this was a really fun and thoughtful read for me. Fantastic writing!
Eldritch Fae 