4 stars. The stories are not as creepy as I had hoped (based on the NetGalley advertising), but are nonetheless quite good; the first four are excellent. It’s kind of like expecting coffee (horror) with milk (humor) but getting milk with coffee. Still a lot of fun. A bonus: the stories are pretty clean. There is some gore, and occasional coarse language (including at least one instance of the F-word). Not for kids, but overall a much more comfortable read than some.

1. The Dauntless
Murder, Cthulhu and marshmallows! This was (probably) my favorite. I recently graduated from law school, and without giving spoilers, I can say I would LOVE to be an officer of this story’s court. The dualist moral system gave me pause, but the effective blend of creepy and lighthearted made The Dauntless great.

2. Tidings of the New Moon
An adorable twist on a familiar trope, this wonderful story was really not creepy at all (although the main character was terrified, and with good reason! From a human perspective, though, it was howl-arious [sorry, couldn’t resist]).

3. Movin’ On Up
The Screwtape Letters meets A Christmas Carol. The beginning and middle of the story were fantastic (and actually touched on some meatier issues than the first two). However, the ending was anti-climactic, failing to resolve some components of the story.

4. The Poetry of Snow and Stars
This was the first story to give us rich human characterization (and a super-sweet brother/sister relationship, to boot). Sam is a well-written character (except for one thing: it was quite difficult for me to believe that a pastor would encourage his kid nephew to investigate hauntings for fun!) Unlike the rest of the anthology, this story had relatively few “magical” or “supernatural” elements. Instead, it’s a bittersweet mystery.

5. Sleep, Sweet Khors
Stories 5 and 6 are not the best. Sleep, Sweet Khors had its good points: its thoughtful characterization of a grieving little girl, its terrifying portrayal of nature gone wrong, and its use of lesser-known Slavic myth. However, several aspects of the story feel forced. The plotting, especially in the little girl’s journey to fix her mistake, feel like paint-by-numbers. And slapping Christmas customs onto a pagan ritual was simply distracting.

6. Snow Angel
First of all, let me start by saying the prose was beautiful. The prose, and some of the imagery, were the chief good points of the story. In the anthology’s second take on A Christmas Carol, a major cliche leaves the plot limping. In addition, the main character’s motivations and character changes seem unbelievable.

Although the first two-thirds of the anthology are much stronger than the last third, the book as a whole is a quick, fun read, perfect for a snowy afternoon (or a blistering hot afternoon. Imaginary snow is better than no snow!).

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! The stories have a delightfully different sort of holiday charm. I was hooked from the very first page (lawyer elves at the North Pole!) and I will definitely be looking for other stories/books by these authors. I highly recommend this book!

I really enjoyed this book! A MIDNIGHT CLEAR is an anthology featuring six fantastical short stories with a Yuletide theme. But don't go into this thinking it will fill your heart with holiday cheer--you'll find mostly dark tidings here! Each story is written by a different author and the writing quality is excellent across the board. There's a good mix of strangeness, sadness, and humor to be found--and while each tale is separate and unique, they worked together to create a satisfying collection perfect for folks like me--who enjoy the dark and deeply weird--to usher in the holiday season.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions here are mine.*

What a darkly funny and unique collection, I loved the bizarre twists on these holiday stories!!! Each story & author had their own style/tone and I enjoyed all of them, I found myself giggling out loud. I will definitely keep an eye out for more works by each of them.

A series of short stories set around Solstice. The first was quite silly but some so deep they made me cry, enjoyable reads

A Midnight Clear has been my first winter holiday read of 2019 and overall I enjoyed it. Some of the stories I really enjoyed, others weren’t my cup of tea as is usually the case with short story collections. This is a fun exploration of darker themes and ideas within the winter solstice season.

The Dauntless – A bit silly but made me laugh all the same. Since we are a family associated with the legal process, I admit I got a bit rowdy when the skeevy elf prosecutor was pulling some dirty, definitely not acceptable shenaningans.

The Tidings of a New Moon – This one didn’t work for me, unfortunately, but it did make me think of the robot-only planet from Futurama that has robots terrified of humans (I do love Futurama). The story was well-written with an interesting approach, but I wasn’t as engaged as I was with the other stories.

Movin’ On Up – This was an enjoyable twist on the Ghost of Christmas idea. It spurred a bit of reflection in this reader which doesn’t usually happen. I am definitely curious after that cliff hanger.

The Poetry of Snow and Stars – I just finished an ARC of Preacher Sam before picking up this anthology and I can’t tell you how excited I was to get another dose of Sam. I wish it was longer and that it ended differently just because I want my man Sam to succeed and be happy. I can’t give spoilers but Windwalker you are RUINING ME! I am looking forward to my next dose of Sam and Co.

Snow Angel – In my notes, I had this tagged as “Mommy Grinch” to remind myself of the story when I went to write my review. Not like this is a forgettable story though, but my view of the holidays is so far from Crystal’s (MC) that I was a bit happy when something happened to her. That sounds awful, I know, but I’ve never been one to force myself trying to create the perfect Hallmark holiday for my family. That said, I love the twist on solstice folklore, the message, and of course the gorgeous writing that truly brought the chill for a bit even when I was reading outside.

Sleep, Sweet Kohrs – If someone was to ask me to pick one holiday story that wasn’t cheesy, this would be at the top of the list. This was the most difficult read out of all the stories. Beautifully written, Little Lisa and her distress over her dying uncle broke my heart. As a parent, I don’t know how I would breach the topic of death and arguments about the afterlife. It was unsettling to have a young girl traipsing through a horror-scape but it was excellently written. Honestly, this story would work perfectly in audio form/storytelling setting.

Overall, this short story collection is the perfect answer if you are looking for a bit of something different from your typical holiday cheer. Some are funny, some are gloomy, but all are well-written and thought out stories from some gifted authors.

**Shortened review posted to Goodreads and Bookbub
**Full review will be posted to Dream Come Review closer to release date
**Review will be posted to Amazon on release day

As with all story collections that employ multiple authors, this was a mixed bag and difficult to rate. I had mostly positive feelings toward the collection as a whole and was also swayed by two truly standout stories in my ultimate verdict on the collection.

The first two stories in the book were absolutely outstanding. Sam Hooker’s The Dauntless was a clever, creative look-in at the judicial process at the North Pole. Alcy Leyva’s Tidings of the New Moon was an excellent original take on the werewolf legend.

Movin’ on Up is a fun reimagining of A Christmas Carol, and Snow Angel was a well written, sort of Grinch-adjacent cautionary tale.

The other two stories included in the book were lesser animals. Sleep, Sweet Khors is beautifully written but drags and doesn’t really have much to do with Christmas. And while the atmosphere in The Poetry of Snow and Stars had great potential, it’s a blatant Murder on the Orient Express rip-off.

Though there are a few stories worth skipping, this collection was a fun read that I will likely come back to during the holiday season.

A Midnight Clear is a book of six short stories, all themed around the winter holidays. But these aren’t your “Hallmark” style of holiday stories. These are more likely to end up on Twilight Zone or Scary Stories.

Each author shares a darker tale centered around Christmas, or in one case, the Winter Solstice. Sam Hooker brings us The Dauntless, a twisted tale about the North Pole’s justice system. How does one try and punish a murderer, when that murderer is an elf? In Alcy Leyva’s Tidings of the New Moon, we get a look at the flip side of becoming a werewolf, when wolves rule, not humans, and human bites are to be feared.

Next up is Laura Morrison’s visit to the seven circles of hell in Movin’ on Up, where a woman set to die gets a chance at redemption. Or something more twisted. The Poetry of Snow and Stars is Cassondra Windwalker’s contribution, sharing a Sam Geisler short mystery set at the epic Stanley Hotel over the Christmas holiday. Dalena Storm’s Sleep, Sweet Khors is a tale of the winter solstice holiday for one family, and one little girl that simply doesn’t want to let Khors have his winter rest. Lastly Seven Jane gives us Snow Angel, which reminds us all to slow down and savor the holiday season. Don’t get wrapped up in the commercialism.

Each one of these stories was a fun, sometimes frightening, look at the holiday season. Some were definitely more lighthearted (even though a bit dark) than others, but all brought that good old Stephen King type of holiday magic. Just getting a taste of some of these writers was enough to make me want to read more of their work. Plus, the short story format is a nice way to get a little bit of reading in between wrapping gifts. If you’re looking for something unusual for the holiday season that doesn’t drip with sugar, this book is right on target.

This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com close to publication date.

Darkly entertaining holiday themed stories to entertain with a twisted play on classic themes. Get into the Halloween and Holiday spirit all at once.

I was not expecting this collection of festive tales to be so dark, so that was a pleasant surprise! As with any anthology, it’s a mixed bag and there will be stories and authors you won’t gel with. That said the standard was universally high. This is the perfect read for those long winter nights.

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!

This book was provided by Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be available on November fifth.

This collection of stories was full of dark humor, and more than a bit of creepiness, taking the usual Christmas cheer and turning it upside down. This collection would be as easily at home during Halloween as Christmas. Some of the stories hit the mark better than others, in my opinion. It’s a solid collection, but nothing to write home about.

There were two that stood out to me: The Dauntless, in which Snickerdoodle the elf has to defend Gumdrop (another elf) from murder charges. Yep, you read that right. It was odd and funny, and I couldn’t stop snickering every time I thought of a lawyer named “Snickerdoodle”.

My favorite story was The Poetry of Snow and Stars. I thought it highly entertaining that it takes place at the hotel from The Shining. The writing in this one was strong, and it was quite evident that the author, Cassondra Windwalker, was fully confident in her writing ability. There wasn’t a false step in her writing.

While obviously not written for everyone, this book would be a great Christmas gift for anyone who likes their holiday with a hint of the macabre.

The premise sounded promising but the execution felt short. I usually do like stories with satan, gods, demons, elves but the dialogue seemed choppy and unnatural, scenes jumped jarringly and the supernatural just not that interesting. At times, I felt like I was reading a comic. This just couldn't hold my interest unfortunately and became a DNF.

Thanks to Black Spot Books and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

An ok collection of horror and horror-ish stories set in late December. None of these seemed particularly great to me, but others might like them. There are elves and murder and Cthulhu and werehumans and kids dealing with winter gods and the Stanley Hotel.

I liked this unusual Christmas stories. They're well written, original and engrossing.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A Midnight Clear is a collection of 6 Christmases short stories that are not your typical festive read. From hell's demons, the hotel that inspired Steven King to write The Shining and Santa's elves arguing over mass murder in a Candy Court of Law, if you are a fan of speculative fiction or want something out of the box, this is the stocking filler for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Black Stop Books, for an advanced electronic readers copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I will be back a little closer to public date to leave full review!!

A collection of unique, wintry short stories that revolve around strange plots and even stranger characters. When I first began A Midnight Clear, I was very surprised by the contents of this book- it was unlike anything I have read before which I greatly appreciate. In a world where literature is rarely unique, A Midnight Clear's short stories stand out. Despite this, many of the stories felt incomplete and often had rocky beginnings. Maybe it's because I'm reading these winter stories in the summer, but something about this collection of short stories felt off.

I actually like this book very much. I always look for books about Christmas and the holidays. Most of them are just plain cheesy or corny. I love the theme of this. I like some stories better than others. As a whole I like them all. Thank you for letting me read an advanced coffee I will recommend this to my book club

I didn't particularly like this collection of stories. The first one was very interesting, I liked that it involved elves and took place in a court of law but I didn't really like the fact that the names were so difficult to grasp. It would have been easier for me as a reader if the names had been simpler. Granted, the names add a touch of authenticity to the story but I believe if it's a choice between the reader's attention and authenticity, the reader's attention will always take precedence.
I also liked the first two stories for the simple fact they featured non-human characters. This was a refreshing and a good break from the constant portrayal of human characters in today's literature.
Overall, I think this was a good book but I just didn't enjoy most of the stories.