A Midnight Clear

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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 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

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.

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.*

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!

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.

Okay so this book had six very original Horror/Christmas stories. Each with its own theme and own feeling to it.
honestly, not all stories were that good but the overall was pretty great.
It had some fun and very interesting plots, and probably also something for very different tastes, which mean I can share this book with my husband and he will enjoy some of them too.
The book was a perfect start for the upcoming Holiday season, since it contains some Horror aspects that makes it perfect for Halloween. honestly only one of the stories had a true Christmas feeling to it - which I guess is great since there is a lot of people wanting Christmas books that aren't all romance and too ''Christmasy'' if that makes sense.

Six deliciously dark, twisted tales that are perfect for the holiday season. Six different authors gives a variance of style that keeps you glued. A quick, enjoyable read.

**Thank you to Black Spot Books, the authors, and Netgalley for providing an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

Written in the format of six short stories, all with a holiday theme or twist, A Midnight Clear brings six authors who reimagine the holiday season - sometimes in less than ideal ways. From Santa's elves to Satan's demons, human like wolves to a religious Solstice dilemma, A Midnight Clear questions what would happen if some of our fairy tales and traditions were turned upside down.

A Midnight Clear was a quick and easy read, likely because it was split into short stories. I certainly had my favorite of the stories and one's I did not like as much - but I won't bias you, dear reader, towards or against any. The writing in all short stories is well done, and the plots do make you think twice about the holiday season and what it all means. There was go cohesiveness to all the stories as well, which allowed the book to flow well through them.

As we move into the holiday season, anyone who likes to read holiday or Christmas inspired works should pick this up for a quick read.

This ain't your mama's holiday short story collection. Not by a long shot. A Midnight Clear gathers six horrifying holiday season tales. Every story is different and adds a delightfully creepy edge to the holiday festivities.

I loved every story in this collection! The tales are wickedly varied and fun. Demons, Werewolves, insane Elves, winter gods, curses and general Yuletide mayhem. My favorite story of the collection is Sam Hooker's The Dauntless. An elf is on trial for murder because he was part of the annual expedition to deliver holiday coal to Cthulhu in R'leyah. The trip did not end well. Other stories in the collection are provided by: Aley Leyva, Laura Morrison, Cassondra Windwalker, Dalena Storm and Seven Jane. This is my first experience with all of these writers, and I am definitely reading more by each and every one of them!

Usually with story anthologies, I find I like most of the tales, but find a few that just aren't for me. This time I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed each story. All are well-written, interesting and incredibly creative. A werewolf bitten by a human? A holiday murder in the Stanley Hotel? I didn't expect fun stuff like that! Dark humor. Creative horror. Madness all around! Happy holidays!

This is the one time I can say I happily read a Christmas theme book before Halloween. It fits right in with the season.

Lovely story collection! Full marks from me!! Not a bad tale in the bunch!

**I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book from Black Spot Books. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. No elder gods, monsters or demons were angered in the writing of this review. I hope.**

Six stories that combine two things I never knew could work so well together: Christmas time and horror. It is the perfect read for November, for all of those torn between their love for Halloween and Christmas, or still caught in their memories about the former and their yearning for the latter.

An elf-society on North Pole has to go through its first ever murder trial when one of their own goes crazy. As the opening story, it sets a nice tone between sweet, wholesome, smiley candy-land and gory crime story. However, it manages to still be more amusing and nice than truly grizzly. But the contrast works well. The second story introduces us to a wolfish society with many parallels to our own, in which one of the wolfs is struck by a mysterious illness. This I found to be a nice twist on the usual and well-known stories. The third story plays on the ideas of heaven and hell, good and bad deeds, and death and the afterlife in general. It was an obvious, but nicely done spin on A Christmas Carol. I found it a tad bit too long, but otherwise enjoyable. The fourth story was the only one that did not quite fit, as it was not really supernatural, just a crime story with a difficult moral question. Still, that too was well done (overall, I was surprised by this collection as it undermined my usual saying that collections / anthologies always have a few gems next to a few bad apples - here, it was all good apples). The fifth story was a nice exploration of old Gods and myths, as well as children's imagination and dealing with death or grief. It set the inevitability of death analogous to the changing of the seasons in a thrilling tale. And the last story rounded everything up nicely, when a Christmas-hater who may or may not control the weather with her frosty mood is moved from her realistic, hectic, chore-filled, stressful Christmas to be reminded about what Christmas time is actually about.

A nice collection overall, with very different interpretations of a shared theme, more or less spooky, more or less in a Christmas spirit. Certainly recommendable and something you can pick up time and time again.

A Midnight Clear has fun holiday stories that would probably be a lot of fun for readers who maybe aren't that big on Christmas or who think the Hallmark Christmas movies are too sweet. The stories in this collection can be funny and thought provoking, but in the end, this collection just wasn't for me.

A Midnight Clear is a new anthology of 6 winter holiday short stories. Released 5th Nov 2019 by Black Spot Books, it's 250 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. (For the release, the ebook format is on sale at a scandalously low price).

This is a varied and dark collection of (as far as I can ascertain) previously unpublished fiction. They are all very well written and poignant, humorously scary (Cthulu meets Santa's elves), and all around good stuff. I've always had a particular fondness for collections/anthologies because short fiction is spare and technically challenging, so you get a better feel for an author's expertise with the form. Short fiction is less of a time commitment as well, so if one story is not working for you, there's another piece readily available in a few pages. Anthologies are also a rich source for finding new authors so you can search out their other works. Most of the authors included here were familiar, but there were a couple who were new (to me).

It's unclear from the publishing info available online, but the eARC I received has a handy interactive table of contents. I hope the ebook release version does also. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. Presumably that feature will carry through to the final release version.

The stories varied between 3.5 and 5 stars for me with the average weighted toward the 4 star range. All were high quality and worth a read; nary a clunker in the lot.

Four solid stars. It would make a great holiday gift for your Christmas Book Flood recipients.

Christmas is seen as a time of cheer and joy, but not everyone enjoys the season. This collection of six short stories plays off the darker potential in the season, sometimes dipping into outright horror.

Santa's elves are faced with insanity in the Candy Court for the first time. The changing seasons determined by elder gods' exchange is interrupted by a young girl having a hard time understanding illness and death. A working wolf with anxiety is plagued with horrible dreams after being bitten. Demons of past, present, and future try to sway the choice for the afterlife. A woman disenchanted by the holidays hardens into ice.

My favorite tale by far is the opener. The idea of elves having the Candy Court is wonderful, and I laughed at the idea of meanie being the worst name an elf can call another. They're so sweet and hard-working, and taking on less than two jobs is a horrible thought. I don't want to spoil it, but it is a wonderful blend of the Santa mythos as well as that of unspeakable, unpronounceable and unnamed horrors that would drive creatures mad just by seeing a figure of it. (Horror fans likely will understand the reference just from that, and yes, I found it as horribly hilarious as it sounds.)

Our closer story is just as good, though it drags in the beginning because it's a Christmas story for our current times and very much a warning for us not to let consumerism take over our hearts.

Thank you to NetGalley and Black Spot Books for sending me a free advanced reader copy of this book for an honest review. A Midnight Clear debuted November 5th.

I’ve made a concerted effort this year to read more short fiction; the vast majority of my weekly Short Tuesday series focuses on dark genre fiction. So I was intrigued by this short story collection from Black Spot Books, which has a dark holiday focus. Like a lot of short story collections, this one was kind of all over the place. I’m going to give each story a mini review, since there’s only six of them.

“The Dauntless” by Sam Hooker was a strong start to the collection. Great prose, fun details, and a gripping premise: the ensuing legal fallout when a ship of Santa’s elves is sent to deliver Christmas joy to one of Lovecraft’s monsters. If you’re a Lovecraft fan, I could see picking up A Midnight Clear just for this story. 4 stars.

“Tidings of the New Moon” by Alcy Leyva was well-written, but didn’t grip me–more a me thing, I think, than anything else. I’m generally a fan of werewolves in fiction, but this story was maybe a bit too on-the-nose for me in terms of some of the details. Nevertheless, Leyva is clearly a talented writer. 3 stars.

“Movin’ On Up” by Laura Morrison was a fun one for me, since I’m letting a Hell-themed project percolate in my mind right now, and that’s what this was: a trio of three inhabitants of Hell trying to persuade a woman destined for Heaven to venture downstairs instead. I wish this story had been given more room for growth, by at least a few thousand more words; it felt rushed. Yet it was tons of fun overall. 4 stars.

“The Poetry of Snow and Stars” by Cassondra Windwalker was a story that I unfortunately did not get along with. It has an adverb-soaked voice and tons of backstory that put me in mind of those romances you read where the author is trying to catch you up on all the previous characters in the series–I’ve never been a fan of that myself, and that sentiment counts doubly for a short story, where no word should be wasted. The maybe-murder-maybe-not plot didn’t catch me, and the Stanley Hotel setting felt wasted. 2 stars.

“Sleep, Sweet Khors” by Dalena Storm is actually the second work I’ve read by this author in 2019; I was introduced to her by her debut novel, The Hungry Ghost. Like Ghost, this story has a strong mythological spine, this time from the Slavic tradition. I didn’t like the mythology infodump in the middle of the story; I always prefer these kinds of details to get threaded through the narrative. As with Ghost, this author feels like she is currently developing her voice; she has some great ideas, and I’m digging the mythology threads she interweaves with her stories, but I’d like to see a bit more lyricism to her prose. 3 stars.

“Snow Angel” by Seven Jane was a weaker end to the collection, sadly. The prose felt overworked, and much of the narrative was spent in the main character’s head, which got tiresome for me as a reader because the MC was just bemoaning the holiday season the entire time–I didn’t want to spend any more time with her than need be! When we got to the big magical climax, I had a difficult time believing that all this was happening to the main character; was she really special enough to have all this magical attention lavished upon her? So this story and I sadly didn’t mesh. 2 stars.

In sum, this collection was a bit of a bumpy ride, but there were some fun, bright moments. If you’re looking for some Christmas-themed stories and you like your fiction with a dose of darkness, consider giving this a go.

***I received an e-ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
A Midnight Clear is the best Christmas book I've ever read. It is a horrifying anthology of sinister, seasonal short stories that I can't see anyone not loving. From a reverse-werewolf case to a deadly Christmas Carol retelling to a winter solstice gone wrong, these stories were simply the best of their kind. I absolutely adored reading them, and you will, too.

Unusual collection of 6 short stories set in fantasy/Science fiction genre. All are on the dark side. Sam Hooker; Alcy Leyva; Laura Morrison; Cassondra Windwalker; Dalena Storm; Seven Jane are the authors and this is the first I’ve read any of their work. Not your regular Christmas read. I received a copy of this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I don’t often read short story collections, but once in a while, a book catches my eye and I can’t resist. I found A Midnight Clear through NetGalley and though I am little late in posting about it (it was published early November 2019), this collection is perfect to read anytime October-January! Spooky, moving, and thoughtful, find the meaning behind the holidays here.

Centered around the holiday season, in the heart of winter, with soft snow falling to the ground, A Midnight Clear brings together unique perspectives about the holidays, addressing the good and the bad. Through their stories, the authors transport us to a world with characters that we can relate to and learn from.

The collection brought so many lessons to my mind’s forefront, while at the same time, taking me to magical places. I was enchanted, a little terrified but warmed by the company that I had in each of the protagonists.

You can read the stories in any order but I would recommend reading them all. Check out my takeaways from each of the stories on my blog, Armed with A Book. Special thanks to the authors, publisher and NetGalley for providing me the advanced reader copy.

This book is an anthology of Christmas themed stories that are perfect to read around Christmas. They are darker than most Christmas stories though.

I enjoyed all the stories. I liked the one with the elves at court and the story with the dark take of A Christmas Carol. All in all, all the stories were good.

Would recommend to read around Christmas time if you want something darker to read.

Whimsy! Whimsy! Whimsy!

I adored this collection of six short stories and they are a perfect read for the cold December months. I must be honest, I went into this book purely on its cover and the name and the fact that it was a collection of short stories which is always my favorite genre to read. And once I started the first story by Sam Hooker, I found myself genuinely surprised because it was so unlike any other type of fantasy I have ever read. It is story about the law and order situation in the Elf settlement at the North Pole. It surprised me further when instead of continuing in the fluffy and adorable manner that it started, it managed to take quite a dramatic turn into the sinister. That is the perfect kind of short story I think, which manages to pack in so much in such a compact form and yet manages to leave an impression on the person who is reading it.

The last story about a cynical wife wishing to get rid of Christmas because she no longer enjoys the season was a teeny bit of a letdown, but not by much. Would it be appropriate to say that it felt a bit too fantastical for a fantasy story? And the Christmas reminiscences continued a tad bit too long before we got to the actual meat of the story. Sounds ruthless, doesn’t it? But considering the holiday theme of the book, one mustn't really complain.

And Tidings of a new Moon was bizarre at another level altogether. Its about werewolves. Who live in cities. Who have jobs. Who are essentially humans of our world.

Sleep, Sweet Khors was a sweet story of a young child finding about loss and dealing with it in a way that ends of causing a lot of chaos all around her. Another story reaffirming what I have learnt over and over ever since I had a kid of my own – be careful what you say to your kids, cause you have no idea how they will interpret it and then, worse, act on their misguided beliefs. But I didn’t blame the kid in this story at all – she did what she thought she had to do.

Movin’ on Up is another kind of crazy and certainly a bit too morbid for a Christmas anthology. It makes sense in its execution but I could not understand why the editors chose this volume to include this story. Halloween may have had a better target audience for this little gem. My ratings for this book went down for this book thanks to this one story that shook me up a bit – not to say that the story isn’t well-written because it is.

The poetry of Snow and stars is a mystery. It was alright, although certainly atmospheric.

This book will make a lovely Christmas gift for young adults as well as old adults who like a bit of fantasy and do not mind a bit of morbid humor. I certainly enjoyed it.

A Midnight Clear is a collection of six varied stories of dark yuletide cheer. This was a very diverse mix of holiday-themed stories perfect for the season. While they varied in personal ratings, each was well written and matched my desire for a great wintery read. Short story collections are so much fun because the tones and themes can vary greatly from author to author. This perfectly fantastical group of stories did not disappoint!

The Dauntless by Sam Hooker
This one was definitely unexpected. A puzzling story of courtroom justice in...the North Pole? Yes, you read that right. There's a submarine, some elvish killings, and a coal delivery to a Lovecraftian being sleeping away obvious to its Christmas stocking filling up. I probably struggled the most with this one, but Lovecraft has never been my thing. 3 paws up!

Tidings of a New Moon by Alca Leyva
What happens when werewolves are the civilized ones and human bites are to be feared? This was a fun read. I enjoyed seeing the tables flipped. 4 paws up!

Movin' on Up by Laura Morrison
In a Dante ordered hell, three inhabitants are given the opportunity for improving their circumstances (or put in time in the gladiator pits). They crawl back up from Hell in a sort of twisted Christmas Carol to show a heaven-bound human the error of her ways in attempting to show that her good deeds actually sent others on their paths downstairs. 3.5 paws up!

The Poetry of Snow and Stars by Cassondra Windwalker
Here we revisit the Stanley hotel and have a murder mystery to go along with it. I enjoyed the main character but it seemed a little too neatly wrapped up to me. There wasn't a lot of mystery, just an ah-ha moment and some romantic pining that felted a little immature. It was just ok for me. 3 paws up!

Sleep, Sweet Khors by Dalena Storm
One of my favorites out of the bunch! Ripe with Slavic mythology, Lisa is devastated at the forthcoming death of her favorite uncle. In an attempt to keep death from coming, she creates a horrible world where death doesn't come and life is stuck in a sort of half death. Its grotesque symbolism about life and death and the inability to halt the progression was well done. It's also a great anecdote on children and explaining death. 5 paws up!

Snow Angel by Seven Jane
Haven't we all tired of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season? This one follows a wife and mother that is disenchanted by all the errands and to-dos of the season and for whom Christmas has lost its glow. It's a bit heavy and morose but I enjoyed the prose of Snow Angel. It's beautifully written and has wonderful imagery. 4 paws up!

I came into the book with no expectations and was thrilled the first story was about Cthulhu!

Elves delivering coal to Cthulhu, a werewolf story, a little Christmas in hell, a mystery happens to some people staying at the infamous Stanley Hotel, some Christmas mythology, and Christmas spirit tree fighting.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the majority of stories. The last two weren't really my cup of tea but I enjoyed them regardless.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC and Merry Christmas

A Midnight Clear is a collection of six ‘not-so-merry’ Christmas tales by various writers. As in any collection, I liked some better than others. My favourite is the title story by Sam Hooker which combines a cute portrait of Santa’s North Pole, a mad elf brought up before an elf court, and the horror of HP Lovecraft’s R’yleh. This story, alone, makes the book worth getting. But all of the stories were entertaining and a whole lot of fun to read. If books are part of your Christmas traditions and you are looking for something different or you have a horror fan on your list, I highly recommend this anthology.

<i>Thanks to Negalley and Black Spot Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

This collection contains six fantasy stories with a seasonal theme – perfect for a little light reading as the cold nights draw in.

Each story is by a different author and has a completely different tone and content. ‘The Dauntless’ crosses Santa’s elves – all candycanes and sprinkles – with Lovecraftian eldritch horrors. ‘Tidings of New Moon’ turns the werewolf legend upside down, as man-wolf Glenn gets bitten by a human and begins… changing. ‘Movin’ On Up’ explores negotiations in Hell, as a group of damned souls fight to drag Cindi down with them. ‘The Poetry of Snow and Stars’ features an unusual death among a group of tourists at a certain ‘Shining’ hotel. ‘Sleep, Sweet Khors’ goes old-school and old gods, as an innocent child attempts to halt death but accidentally halts the changing season instead. Finally, cold-hearted, bitter Crystal is reminded of the true meaning of Christmas in ‘Snow Angel’, as she experiences a lesson that would make Scrooge shiver.

With the variety of stories here, there is a little something for every festive-fantasy taste: some funny moments, some scary moments, some touching moments and even some teaching moments. Each story is well-written and brings something entertaining and creative to the Yuletide table.

So, curl up with a mulled wine, a mince pie and a warm blanket, and enjoy a selection of short, winter-dark treats!


Review by Steph Warren for Bookshine and Readbows blog

An amazing book of short stories for the holiday season. These stories are a little twisted, some may find them very twisted! Very different from the regular cookie cutter Christmas stories. There's six in all and once I started reading, I didn't stop until I'd finished them all. An all nighter which I don't regret!
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
All opinions are my own.

Spooky yuletide stories, with varied supernatural and fantasy creature appearances? Yes please! With anthologies, obviously some will strike the reader better than others, but you'll find all of the stories at least enjoyable i hope!

A Midnight Clear has that dark holiday spirit that adds just a little bit extra with its unique take on the holiday season.

We have six fantastic stories that take a nod from Holiday traditions and adds a special twist. We have a Winter solstice tradition that teaches a little girl the meaning of passing over, a North Pole Lovecraftian Christmas, a housewife/mother finding the true spirit of Christmas, a holiday at the Stanley Hotel, a twisted Christmas Carol and a twist on a wolf legend. Five individual stories that totally knock the socks off of anyone reading them and a few extra nods and surprises to keep the reader entertained.

This book is a bit of a rarity when it comes to anthologies. What you normally get is a mixed bag which you have a few bum notes hit within a collection but this is not what A Midnight Clear stays away from. Every story a winner, every writer is so very much respected and we have a Christmas anthology that should become an eternal holiday treat each and every year which should find its rightful place between Twas The Night Before Christmas and A Christmas Carol.

Each story is done in a delicious bite size story full of depth, emotion and nuisance and you are left more satisfied than a Christmas dinner. I am personally will be buying my own copy and I am looking forward to re-reading every holiday season. When there is something as magic as this book put together lovingly with excellent stories and writers, there is no way any holiday season can go wrong. Pure satisfied winner.

A very irregular anthology of stories somewhat related to the Winter Holidays.
The works were very different from one another and I think this adds to the heterogeneity of the collection, making it difficult to "grade", but I have decided to give it four stars because the stories I liked I loved, these being the first one, by Sam Hooker (a very clever and funny take on what would happen if you mixed the dark cosmology of Lovecraft with the merry existence of Santa's elves) and the one by Cassondra Windwalker (a short detective-esque story that includes characters that seem to be featured in more works by the author, which left me wanting to know more about them).

All in all, an anthology that takes risks, which is always a good thing kinda irrespective of the results.

This short story collection includes six stories of not-so-merry Yuletide whimsy. A woman so cold she hardens to ice on a winter’s eve. Risen from his grave before his time, a winter god alters the balance between seasons. A wolf’s holiday season is interrupted by a strange curse. From a murder at the Stanley Hotel to demons of Christmas past, present, and future, and a mad elf and Santa’s Candy Court, these authors share their love for winter holidays in this collection of dark winter tales, destined to chill your bones and warm your heart for the Yuletide season.
This was a great switch from the standard holiday romance anthologies that come out for Christmas reads. It was different and I felt different about each story but overall I really liked it. I recommend for anyone looking for something different.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book