It took me two tries to read this book. The first time I tried to read it, i was about to DNF, but I decided to wait a bit and try again, chalking it up to not being in the mood for that sort of book. However, when I picked it up this time, I still wanted to DNF it. I didn't find the stories particularly intriguing. Out of all of the stories, I enjoyed a few stories. I really liked the story of The White Seal Maid. I also liked that the author took inspiration from her family history to write The Snatchers.I really like how creative this author is with how she decides what to write about and taking inspiration from poems and other stories or events. That being said, I truly believe that while this book wasn't for me, I can see a lot of people really enjoying it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Jane, and Tachyon Publications for an advance copy of this fun collection of stories, perfect for October.

The Midnight Circus is a collection of sixteen stories, most of which where something is not quite what it seems. As is the case with all short story collections, I enjoyed some stories immensely and others not at all. Each story has a haunting slow-burn feel to it. There is a sinister feel throughout the story, sometimes it is presented right away and other times you don’t get it until the final sentence. I specifically enjoyed this aspect, as it keeps the stories from being too repetitive.

If I had to select a few stories that I really enjoyed (stories that I would rank 4-5 stars), they are the following:

The Weaver of Tomorrow, in which a little girl is desperate to know the future.
The White Seal Maid, in which a fisherman takes a seal as a wife and together they have seven sons.
Wilding, in which Central Park hosts an uncomfortable futuristic game where the players turn into wild animals.
Dog Boy Remembers, which explores the relationship between a father and his son.
Little Red, a retelling of the classic tale.
Overall, I give the collection three stars, but I really did enjoy the above stories. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who’s into exploring the darker side of storytelling.

Let’s go on an adventure to the dark universe of The Midnight Circus, where magic comes alive and evil lurks at every corner. Some follow you home, some live in your house, some reside within you. Darkness comes in many forms and this reimagining of fairy tales by Jane Yolen is one such collection. Spooky, creepy, sad, optimistic- there are so many stories to choose from. There’s Red Riding Hood, Red Cap gremlin, Moses and the Egyptians – all reimagined and nothing like what you’d expect.

I enjoyed the stories, some more than the others and hence it’s rather difficult to rate. I recommend this if you love reading short stories, especially, fairytales and folklore but I warn you, it gets dark.

Thank you Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for the e-ARC.

My problem with story collections is always the same: I like some, but not others. This is a solid collection, but I was disappointed in the story notes. I expected to get more origin info and mostly got publication dates. Slightly dark, but with a chipper tone.

I knew that this anthology would be exploring darker themes, but I didn’t realise how many of the stories would actually be horror. I’m not a huge fan of horror in fiction, because to really play on subconscious, universal fears, stories can very easily come across as biased. That’s not to say that I didn’t like several stories within this anthology, in fact I enjoyed most of them, but there were some vaguely misogynistic characters and scenarios that I didn’t enjoy, a few instances of child abuse that seemed gratuitous (though unless the aim of a story is to condemn abusive behaviour, I often feel that the inclusion of abuse is gratuitous, so keep that in mind), and a short story that could easily be read as a condemnation of non-traditional family structures. I prefer stories that are narratively satisfying, which is why I gravitate mostly to fantasy; whereas horror often aims to unsettle or disturb the reader, which I’m not always in the mood for. Once again, this is simply to provide context to my review, not to criticise The Midnight Circus (Is it ridiculous that I was a little disappointed that no actual circuses appeared in this book? Probably, but I was).
I appreciated the way Jane Yolen’s family background informed several stories, and I was interested in the way the lingering effects of genocide were explored in both Names and The Snatchers. I find that most fiction that explores dark times of history tends to recast it in an alternate world or place, maybe even far into the future. By refusing to shy away from the horrors that Jewish people experienced during the holocaust, Jane Yolen truly reminded the reader to remember. Nowhere is that more apparent than in Names. I appreciated the theme behind the story, but I did not enjoy the despair that seemed to be the message.
I didn’t like the presentation of several heroines within this anthology, most notably the girl who I believe is never named, from Become a Warrior who has severe ‘not like other girls’ vibes; Dog Boy’s mother from Dog Boy Remembers, again, I don’t believe she has a name, let alone fleshed out motivations beyond serving/motivating men; and the mother from Night Wolves, whose conflict is resolved by the mere reminder that even though she is shudder—divorced—she still has men to serve in her sons. I didn’t even realise until I wrote this list that none of the women have names, which may be a big part of why they felt less like characters, and more like a statement about women as a whole. My discomfort with this representation of women may be related to how old some of these stories are— feminism has come a long way since the 80s— or just the necessary restrictions on characterisation that the short story format demands (I mainly read novels, and my preferences in character building reflect this). Still, compared to some of the independent, more realistic women from the rest of the anthology, these nameless women seemed a little insultingly two dimensional.
My favourite stories from The Night Circus were hands down the fairytales. Mair from The Fisherman’s Wife is a badass, and I liked the way her disability was presented as just another part of who she was. Zena from Wilding was a true rarity in fiction—a believable teenaged character, with a realistic, entertaining character arc. The Weaver of Tomorrow opened the anthology with a bang, and I appreciated Vera’s ambition being used to further the story, and the ultimate moral lesson it delivered.
Inscription was another strong addition to the anthology, and I lived the folklore feel of this story, as well as Winter’s King and The White Seal Maid. I appreciated the creativity and humorous angle of An Infestation of Angels. While some parts of the story verged on fat-phobia, I’ll never get tired of ‘wily main character outsmarts amoral oppressors’. Requiem Antarctica was a departure in tone, but I thought the old-timey language and pacing of the story helped to sell the horrifying details woven throughout. The commentary on global warming at the end seemed a little out of place, but I appreciated it nonetheless.
One thing that really brought this collection of stories to life was the commentary at the end from Jane Yolen about when each story was published or written, with a poem as accompaniment. I almost wish these snippets had been included after each story, however, while the details were still fresh in my mind. Nevertheless, they were enjoyable, and it was fun to learn the inspiration behind each story.

I received an ARC ebook version via NetGalley. Thank you!

I am normally not a fan of short stories. I like a consistent plot. However, I like Jane Yolen and I was intrigued by the title, so I gave this a try. I enjoyed it for the most part. The short stories are based on myths or historical events but given a twist of fantasy. They are all dark, some more so than others. I love mythology and twisted fairy tales so I liked most of the stories.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this short story collection eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

I have always loved reading Jane Yolen's novels but as I have gotten older I have loved her short stories just as much.  I have read all four of the Tachyon Publications of Jane Yolen's works and I love them.  This fifth one deals with dark themes though the book is set up along the lines of her previous collection, the emerald circus, which dealt with fairytales.

This collection has 16 varied tales.  Like any collection, I liked some better than others.  I also very much enjoyed Yolen's "Story Notes and Poems" at the end of the book which gives background on the short stories in the collection.

I don't want to spoil the magic of the stories and can't really do them justice with me own paltry words but I will try to give ye an idea of the bare bones of the stories:

"The Weaver of Tomorrow" - I loved this tale of a girl who wants to know the future and  her wish is answered in an unexpected way.  The ending was perfect.

"The White Seal Maid" - As the title suggests, this is a story concerning a selkie.  I loved how the story is told from the viewpoint of the husband but the wife ultimately wins.

"The Snatchers" - This was a spooky ghost story with a twist involving the Holocaust.  So very atmospheric.

"Wilding" - The setting for this is Central Park in NYC and is an odd and creepy take on the future.  It had a fun hopeful ending though.  Love the references to "where the wild things are."

"Requiem Antarctica" - Ever hear of the failed 1912 Robert Falcon Scott expedition?  I hadn't.  I had a lot of fun learning the sad history of the trek and then learning the "real" story as a deathbed confession.  Hope this version doesn't end up being true.

"Night Wolves" - The creatures under the bed are real and a boy has to confront his fear for a bigger cause.  The lego bear trap made me smile as did the ending.

"The House of Seven Angels" - This very short tale was about a rabbi, a child, and the angel of death.  It was well-written but I didn't love it.

"Great Gray" - This features the thoughts of a pedophile.  Though not graphic is was too disturbing and I didn't like it at all.  I wanted to scrub my brain.

"Little Red" - This was another disturbing piece combining Little Red Riding Hood and child abuse.  Can't say I liked this one another though the imagery is well drawn.

"Winter's King" - This felt like an old-fashioned fairy tale where the child is born into the wrong world.  I rather liked it.

"Inscription" - I loved this tale of warning from a dying mom to her son.  What she was warning him about was awesome.

"Dog Boy" - The boy of this tale has one rough life.  Nobody wants a father like his.

"The Fisherman's Wife" - In this tale, a woman fights to win her husband back from the sea.  It was bittersweet and yet lovely.

"Become a Warrior" - A father dead on a battlefield and the girl who doesn't follow a traditional woman's path until fate deals her a blow.  I loved this one.

"An Infestation of Angels" - This was a strange story of plagues and angels.  Gross angels.

"Names" - A harrowing story about the child of a Holocaust survivor and how her mother's tales influence her life.

I have to admit that I did enjoy the emerald circus better than this one but I will certainly read another collection of Jane Yolen's work, especially if published by Tachyon.  Arrrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you Tachyon Publications!

This collection of dark tales from Jane Yolen - ranging from pleasantly spooky to downright horrific - will delight and frighten readers. This is the perfect Halloween or autumnal read for fans of fairytales and short stories.

I have been a huge fan of Jane Yolen's work for decades and have thoroughly enjoyed these recent collections. I enjoy the blend of old favorites with new (to me) works. I've said it before and will say it again - Yolen is a treasure.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

For some while now, I have made an effort to read a short story or two as a sort of palate cleanser between novels. The Midnight Circus had me devouring short stories and poems as though they were popcorn kernels. However, this is not all light fare. The stories jump from fairy tales, to teenage rebellion, to classical vampires, to heartbreaking generational trauma in the wake of the Holocaust. So, there’s a lot going on and some serious emotions to wade through.

The stories (* marks a favorite):

*The Weaver of Tomorrow - “Once, on the far side of yesterday, there lived a girl who wanted to know the future.” A very poetic little fairy tale about a girl named Vera, who is apprentice to the woman who weaves the future. Told in a very traditional fairy tale style, this story offers a quick glimpse into a well-woven world.

*The White Seal Maid - a selkie story, tragic as all selkie stories are, but with a surprising undercurrent of agency and hope.

The Snatchers - Tsar Nicholas I began drafting Jewish boys into a 25 year military service. This story begins at generally heartbreaking, and becomes more personal as it continues.

Wilding - a bit of shapeshifting and teenage rebellion in Central Park. It’s not a good or safe idea. The story has a bit of a Ray Bradbury vibe.

Requiem Antarctica (with Robert J. Harris) - A vicar is having a crisis of faith when he is called to the bedside of a dying man ego wants to tell him a story. This is a vampire story that somehow felt a little inspired by Frankenstein.

Night Wolves - “The wolves lived under my bed, the bear in my closet. They only came out at night.” A story about what bravery means to a child whose nightmares encroach upon his waking life.

The House of Seven Angels - a relatively unreligious village has a very religious rabbi. This one was a little weird—it felt like it has a moral that flew far above my head.

Great Gray - I didn’t like this one. Donnal is a reprehensibly disgusting human who revels in morbidity.

Little Red (with Adam Stemple) - “blood isn’t red until it touches the air” This one was a deeply unsettling look into mental illness and self harm, with a messed up mental healthcare system. It flawlessly uses imagery from the classic little red riding hood story, but also demonizes mental illness in a way I didn’t feel comfortable with.

*Winter’s King - A fairy tale about the life of a stillborn babe. A truly haunting read.

*Inscription - I think this was the best of the batch. Set in a Irish village in the 1500s, a young girl falls in lust with a traveler. The boy is a useless flirt, but she wants the life she imagines they could have. She wants that life more than love. This dark little story runs past magic and hits upon something else.

*Dog Boy Remembers - Heavily inspired by redcap folklore, this horror story is going to haunt me for some time to come.

*The Fisherman’s Wife - ok, look, the mermaid story here? Excellent. The fisherman? Garbage. Throw the whole man away. His wife is deaf, and for some inexplicable reason, he thinks it appropriate to describe sign language as her “finger fantasies” as if he doesn’t believe she is capable of communicating any rational thought. Mair, the wife, is amazing and strong and deserves far better than a whinny ableist husband.

Become a Warrior - Avery tough little girl survives a massacre at her father’s fortress, and goes off into the woods to become a feral warrior. Also, it has an interesting commentary on the logistics of that fairytale trope of the king or prince who finds a speechless woman in a forest and falls in love at first sight.

An Infestation of Angels - this story opens with a sentence I never could have predicted: “The angels came again today, filthy things, dropping golden-hard wing feathers and turds as big and brown as camel dung.” As if they were gigantic pigeon-y pests. Except also violent. This story is about a biblically-adjacent series of plagues in a vaguely Egyptian alternate world.

Names - This was a really tough read. Another look into generational trauma, from the perspective of the daughter of a holocaust survivor.

Content warnings:
Requiem Antarctica - fairly graphic attempted suicide
Great Gray- implied pedophilia
Little Red - graphic self harm, abuse
Dog Boy Remembers - domestic abuse, dehumanization, isolation
Become a Warrior - Gore, implied rape
An Infestation of Angels - implied cannibalism
Names - severe eating disorder

Thank you to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for approving my request for a review copy of this book!

Jane Yolen’s newest collection of short stories comes at the PERFECT time for spooky season reading. I’m an absolute sucker for short stories and this was right up my alley. Ask me any day and I’ll tell you I’m not into thrillers, I’m too chicken for horror--this was the perfect balance of growing horror and sudden gasps. The stories are pithy, sharp and tight. By that I mean each story exists solely in its own universe and each character's voice is distinct--an important quality in a collection of short stories. Narrators range from a young child afraid of the wolves & bears under his bed & in his closet to an 1800’s vampire. My favorite story is Wildings, an imagination of future New York City and teenagers who “go wild” in its borders to blow off steam and lose control. It recalls Where the Wild Things Are and the New York City jogger case of the 90s. Every single story is good--there’s literally not a single dud. I also enjoyed the notes in the back, including original poetry and the origin of each story. There are several stories involving Jewish characters, Jewish history and second-generation Holocaust survivors. The final story, Names, broke my heart.

If you’re not a horror fan but you do enjoy the dark, the macabre, the well-written than you cannot miss The Midnight Circus. This is my first Yolen book but I guarantee that it is not my last.

Thank you Tachyon Publishing for giving me a free ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my personal and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

There were only two stories I really liked, and the rest were either just okay to me or I actively disliked them and wanted to DNF at multiple times. Of course the ones I didn't like were the longer ones, so this book just ended up feeling like an endless slog for me. I expected, from the title and the cover, more of a circus/carnival theme, and there's really not one at all.

The Midnight Circus is a decadent collection of immersive fairytales from a seasoned American author.

This collection was my introduction to Yolen’s work. As a new reader, I found the preface and the story notations to be a pseudo-conversation with the author. I learned so much from her in such a short time, and got a personalized insight into her thought processes and inspiration. There’s also kind words from authors Theodora Goss and Alethea Kontis before and after the stories.

There are 16 stories in total, some from years ago and others relatively new. The themes are wildly imaginative, dark and somber, and filled with whimsy notions of angels, mermaids, & winter people. Yolen draws subject matter from her Jewish heritage to powerful effect in Names and The Snatchers. The Weaver of Tomorrow is a heartbreakingly beautiful explanation to the “whys” of life and death. I could go on but there’s so much to make note of, as each story is a brilliant fairy tale with a rhyme and reason.

I can’t call this horror (despite the wonderfully eerie cover art), but rather short stories that are tinted different shades of dark. Some are clear-cut speculative fiction and others are certainly soul crushing. As a whole, this collection of a career’s worth of successes is a celebration of an American author that is often times called a modern Hans Christian Andersen. Frankly, I think Yolen reaches far beyond tragic girls and their macabre endings.

The Midnight Circus is a collection of short fiction, poetry, and commentary by Jane Yolen. Due out on 1st Oct 2020 from Tachyon, it's 256 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately
I enjoyed every single story in this collection; there were no weak ones. All of these have been published previously and date from the last several decades. Many of the stories are quite difficult to find and several were new to me in any form. One reason I prefer collections and anthologies is that short fiction is really challenging. It's spare and the author doesn't have a wealth of wordage to develop characters or the plotting. Well written short fiction is a delight. I also love collections because if one story doesn't really grab me, there's another story just a few pages away. I can only recall a few times where I've read a collection (or anthology) straight through from cover to cover. This one I did. I even re-read the stories which I had read before.

In fact, one story, The Snatchers, was one which I'd read in F&SF years ago and couldn't ever *find* again and when I would try to figure out where I'd read it (I knew it wasn't a figment of my fevered imagination, I can't imagine that creatively and well), it didn't ring any bells with anyone. This collection made me so happy to finally find the story again. It was, incidentally, even -better- than I remembered it being.

I'm not normally a huge reader of poetry but the included poems (they're interspersed with the story notes) were lyrical and beautifully written and engaging and so precisely put together that it was a pleasure.

A worthwhile collection for Yolen fans, readers of fantasy and speculative fiction, and folks who just appreciate well written fiction. She's a master writer with a prodigious oeuvre and these are some of her best dark stories.

Five stars. Gorgeous.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Welcome ladies and gentlemen, welcome to 'the midnight Circus', step inside... soulless acts of deadly defiance await.

A dark descent into a circus of twisted transformations, thrilling 'performances' of daring devilry and trickery. Weaving magical tales of timely prophecy and a taste of sweet vengeance or two, you can be certain of one thing and one thing only... a flickering of life snuffed out within a moment or two. Trust no one, not even yourself, for your mind maybe entranced or even bewitched by the wicked, even your soul may drift yonder. Please cover your necks and keep a priest close, for you never known when death may visit on swift wings, WATCH OUT for these are no angels! You might perish in the fiery acts of the devil but all is not lost, you may spot a gallant hero or two!

A thrilling series of short stories that are easy to devour but no so easy to swallow. They may haunt you at night and a peaceful slumber may not come.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed 'Welcome to the Midnight Circus', award winning author Jane Yolen has written a series of poignant tales of chilling wisdom that had me entranced and truthfully I found it hard to put the book down. What a perfect time to read, with Halloween upon us.

However, please make sure you are of age to read this, as there is some disturbing content. Trigger warnings for rape, mental illness and suicide.

I’ve read a few story collections by the author and some of her longer work and am quite a fan. I was looking forward to getting lost in this new collection of dark tales. These stories all touch on the supernatural in some way, some darker than others. I liked the fact the stories were all quite different despite dealing with similar themes / same genre. No two stories were alike. In most story collections I’ve read there tends to be one or two stories that don’t quite fit or work. That’s not the case with The Midnight Circus. Every story is excellent. I didn’t want to stop reading. The best stories were Wildling, The House of Seven Angels, Inscription and An Infestation of Angels.

Excellent stories, as expected from Jane Yolen, but most of the ones in this collection just didn’t captivate me all that much; I much preferred "The Emerald Circus" collection to this one.

"The Midnight Circus" focuses on horror and dark fantasy retellings of legends and fairy tales, or inspired by them. Horror in short form like this can be very hit or miss for me, so I wasn’t surprised that I didn’t enjoy many of these as much as I wanted to. That isn’t to say they were poorly written or didn’t have unique twists on tales, because they definitely did! Just not in a way that really enthralled me, for the most part. There were also a few stories in particular that simply didn’t seem to fit a horror/dark/uncanny retelling, they were just… folk tales? ("The Weaver of Tomorrow" and "Becomes a Warrior" specifically pop to mind. The latter was also probably supposed to be empowering, but came across as almost the exact opposite to me.)

That being said, I did enjoy some of these enough to warrant mini-reviewing them here!

5 stars:
"Requiem Antarctica" is one of the stories mentioned in the blurb, and was about 75% of the reason for me requesting this. This was by far my most favorite story in the collection–polar horror is always good, plus it’s an excellent twist on history and ties into legitimate real world horrors of what might emerge when permafrost and ice melts due to global warming.

4 stars:
"The Fisherman’s Wife" was beautifully told and vividly rendered.
"An Infestation of Angels" was incredibly unique in its retelling and I probably wouldn’t have cared much for it if I hadn’t immediately pictured the characters and setting as a Surrealist painting (Carrington or Varo, specifically).

3 stars/Honorable Mentions: "Wilding", "Great Gray", and "Winter’s King".

Definitely not what I was expecting in terms of story offerings within, but still a great collection.

I have had my eye on The Midnight Circus for months and months and I was so excited to get a digital ARC copy. I read and reviewed both The Emerald Circus and How to Fracture a Fairy Tale when they first came out and I enjoyed them both. I do believe that The Midnight Circus is my favorite of the three. Probably because I always enjoy a good dark fairy tale.

Jane Yolen is the queen of the fairy tale genre and this collection of her previously published stories had everything I have come to expect from a master storyteller. Each of these stories had a level of spookiness that I relished. There was one story in particular that unsettled me enough to get up and check on the kiddos in bed to make sure that the Redcap hadn’t stolen them away.

One of my favorite parts of these books is the collection of notes and poems that accompany each story. I loved reading how and why Jane came up with each story. It helped enrich each tale even more. The book is just all around fantastic.

I would definitely recommend this dark, heartfelt, whimsical, and fantastic short story collection. My favorite story being is, "Become a Warrior". All of the short stories have powerful messages.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC. All opinions included in this review are my own.

The Midnight Circus by Jane Yolen is a delightful collection of short stories, poems, and fairy tales. There are dark retellings of classic fairy tales, such as Red Riding Hood, and interesting stories of the Holocaust.

While not every story hit for me, which I think is true of many collections such as this, the ones that worked more than made up for it. Stand out stories included Wilding- a wonderful story of shapeshifting and influenced by a love Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, The Snatchers- a tale inspired by Jewish history, and The White Seal Maid- based on selchie folk tales from Scotland.

With such a wide variety of stories included, this is a great book to pick up in between other books, or when you only have a short time to read.