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.

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.

The Midnight Circus is a wonderful collection of short fiction from the legendary Jane Yolen. Each of the sixteen tales in the collection has a dark eerie feel and while not all of them have a happy ending, I found many of them to be very satisfying reads. It is rare to find a collection such as this where all the stories were so strong and memorable, usually I find one or two I love, a few that are good and some that are forgettable. Here every story packed a punch and earned their spot in the collection though I did have a couple of favourites, namely Wilding , Little Red and the Fisherman's Wife. . As the days grow colder and the nights get darker and longer, this is the perfect collection to dip into in preparation for spooky season.
I read and reviewed a copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This is a collection of short stories from the amazingly talented and legendary Jane Yolen. Two of the stories are co-written. Little Red is written with Adam Stemple and Requiem Antarctica was written with Robert J. Harris.

As with any collection, every single story may not appeal to you, but people will vary as to their favorites. My favorites (in order) were: Become A Warrior, Night Wolves, Requiem Antarctica. and Inscription. All of the stories are tinged with darkness, but some of them were too dark for me. However they are all exquisitely written.

If you love fairy tales, fantasy, the paranormal, horror, or history you will find a story that appeals to you in this collection.

I received a free copy of this book from Tachyon Publications via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

This book definitely gave me mixed feelings while reading. The Midnight Circus title itself was somewhat deceiving because there's hardly any touch or story in here that was circus related. The book is an anthology of short stories by Jane Yolen that on my part, captured a lot of dark themed tales. Some, were inspired by classic stories like her stories, Little Red or An Infestation of Angels.

As a whole, it me that same feels of sinking into a collection of Grimm brothers' stories, but The Midnight Circus has a lot of hit and misses. I only really enjoyed four to five out of the sixteen short stories. The rest just felt like fillers, or forgettable that, even if I try to recall some of the plots, my head is just coming up blank.

One thing I do like about through the book is the diversity in tales. There's different supernatural beings, retellings, and even historical fiction in the mix. I feel like this is a book that some might enjoy, and others would find weird/bizarre.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for giving me an E-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Welcome to The Midnight Circus! It showcases monsters and snatchers, witches and werewolves, selkies and sea-queens in every page. If you’re already familiar with Jane Yolen’s works, you'd know it is wise to enter the midnight circus at your own risk!

The Weaver of Tomorrow: A girl wanted to be able to know future and therefore was apprenticed to a weaver who can bestow upon her the ability, to which the girl later regretted.

The White Seal Maid - a lonely fisherman who was mysteriously called to the sea one night, met a seal who turned into a beautiful maiden (a selkie), married her and had seven sons. He never felt loved by them, and one day, they just left him and returned to the sea.

Wilding - Set in Central Park, NYC, Zena who went Wilding with her friends was almost killed but was saved by her will to survive. A very YA-like story.

Requiem Antartica - this one was dark and gruesome; about a man who was not a vampire but also not a man. It was based on the story of a famous north pole expedition by R. F. Scott. Lots of TW!!

The House of Seven Angels – About a boy who saw angels serving dinner to a Ukrainian rabbi in his village, until one day he saw an eight angel who didn’t look like the rest.

Night Wolves - A boy who overcame his own fear of ghosts and bears and wolves

Great Gray - boy who worshipped the great owl and had a very peculiar behavior.

Little Red (with Adam Stemple) – a retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood. This one had Red in an infirmary, who was overcoming her own demons and escaping the real world by creating her own.

Winter’s King - about a boy could hear the whispers of the wind and was always drawn to the cold.

Inscription- a girl who wasn’t about to be rejected by a man who impregnated her, decided to use magic to bring him back to her.

Dog Boy - half human half dog, who was doted by his mother, but treated like a dog by his father, who trained him to track and trail and used him for his own selfish, cruel deeds.

The Fisherman’s Wife - fisherman, John, found a sea-queen, her body a pale-green cast, on one of his walks to the market, ‘beached and gasping.’ When he left his mute wife for the sea-queen, she decided to get him back even if it meant diving deep into the sea.

Become A Warrior – this story reminded me a little bit of Mulan. This was about a girl who avenged her father’s death by pretending to be a boy.

An Infestation of Angels
In the land of lithe Gipts under the skies that rained frogs, a leader of the People had to come up with an idea to convince the faro to release her kind, to save them from being eaten by the angels.

Names
A girls was born to her mother calling out the death roll call names she remembered from the concentration camp her mother had been in, and it affected her deeply.

Overall, this is another strong collection of stories by Jane Yolen. I have quite a few that I really enjoyed. I loved the strong female characters in ‘Become a Warrior’ and ‘Wilding’ who didn’t let the society define them. I also loved ‘The Fisherman’s Wife’ who defied the odds to get back the man she loves, and the boy who fought his fear for monsters. True to Yolen’s style, these stories are dark and grim with a touch of magic and fantasy. One’s bound to have some stories that would speak to them more than others.

Yolen also shared the background and idea behind each story and poem, which I really enjoyed reading. They made me appreciate her work even more.

And I absolutely adore the cover!

These stories are meant to be savored, a few at a time. A suggestion though: just don’t enter the circus at night. Oh no. You can't. This is the Midnight Circus. Sorry. Enter at your own risk then! Good luck!

Thank you NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for providing the free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

The Midnight Circus is the latest collection of Jane Yolen's works, and as such you just know that I had to read it. This is a collection of some (note: only some) of her fantasy works, many of which have a historical or darker edge.
Along with lots of work by Jane Yolen (sixteen, plus poetry towards the back), there's an introduction by Theodora Goss. Finally, to give credit where credit is due, two of the short stories had co-authors, Robert J. Harris, and Adam Stemple.
Below you'll find individual reviews for each short story in this collection. It's also worth nothing that about the last ten percent of The Midnight Circus contains notes and poetry, all of which relates to the stories that preceded them.

“In the end, with only a bit of sweat, we produced the book. You are now judge and jury of it all.”

The Weaver of Tomorrow
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
They say that you should be careful what you wish for. That may just be true in this tale. This is the story of a young woman with a rare gift. She could see the future of those around her, yet it still wasn't enough. She wanted to know it all.
“The true knowledge she desired was each tick of tomorrow, each fall and each failure, each heartache, and each pain, that would be the portion of every man.”
This was an intriguing tale, and an interesting start to this collection. I love the idea of a seer learning a greater craft, as she finds her place in the world – and it is not at all what she (or I) would have expected.

The White Seal Maid
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
We've all heard the tale of Selkies, how they can come to land, and how even when they do, they always crave the sea. This is Jane Yolen's take on the Selkies, and a love (perhaps) that formed from it.
“And as she sang, the water began to fill up with seals.”
I loved this short story. My only regret is that we weren't able to see both sides of the story – that would have been truly compelling, if you ask me. Still, I enjoyed this take very much, and would honestly love to see more like it. Then again, I've always enjoyed hearing about Selkies, so I might be biased here.

The Snatchers
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
This is a darker story, one that pulls details of real-life and history to make it feel even more real, and haunting. This is the story of what some Jewish people went through to avoid the draft.
“He was a kidnapper, a bounty hunter, a Jew against Jews.”
This is a dark tale, that can probably go without saying. Yolen really does have a talent for using fiction to explore the horrors and atrocities of her past. It's beautiful if also daunting at the same time. This is one of those stories.

Wilding
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Warnings: Assault
Sometimes even the most civilized of worlds need a reminder of the past. Need an excuse to blow off steam, and let loose from time to time. In this world, that little bit of allowance is called Wilding.
“Sweet sixteen
Powdered green
Out in the park
Well after dark,
Wilding!”
Wilding is one of my top two stories from this entire collection. It has a little bit of everything, from science fiction/fantasy elements, to a coming of age story, and even a little bit of a thriller. Plus all that commentary on society. This is a story I would have liked to see more, if given a chance.

Requiem Antarctica with Robert J. Harris
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
This is the story that one man has carried with him alone, right up to his deathbed. Now it's time to speak up, to speak of the horrors he learned of, while traveling to Antarctica. It is nothing like what you'll expect, with the horrors having followed him there.
“You'll need a drink if you are to hear me through to the end.”
Here's my other absolute favorite from this collection. I love the themes that ran through this short story, as well as all of the implications. Admittedly I'm a bit biased here, as I love tales about the exploration of Antarctica, as well as the other surprise that this story brings. But still, it was great fun to read!

Night Wolves
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
A haunting tale of the horrors that terrify a little girl once the lights go out, but with several surprising twists along the way. This is the tale of one girl learning the reasons to be brave.
“The wolves lived under my bed, the bear in my closet. They only came out at night.”
This was one of those stories that started out dark, but got pretty sweet towards the end. It has some dark implications, but otherwise is brilliant from start to finish.

The House of Seven Angels
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
A little boy is the only one to have witnessed what happens in one man's house. You see, Moishe has witnessed seven angels residing there, aiding the man. Until one day that all changed.
“And he was being served, Moishe said, by seven angels.”
This was an intriguing story. I love the way it was told, as it really gave it that classic folktale feel. I think that enhanced the story quite a bit in my mind, if I'm being honest.

Great Gray
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
The invasion has occurred, and with it, there are countless birds now to be found. Yet Donnal can't help but be fascinated with them, and every little detail they bring into his world.
“Donnal didn't know a great deal about birds, but the newspapers had been full of the invasion, as it was called.”
This was an intriguing story, though I'll admit that I found myself confused at times. Donnal's story is complex and slightly convoluted, with intention I have no doubt.

Little Red with Adam Stemple
Rating: ⋆ ⋆
Warnings: Sexual abuse, cutting
This is the story of one young woman, and the imaginary world she delves into in order to escape the horrors of her real life.
“The forest is dark but I know the way. I have been here before.”
I'll admit I enjoy the concept of this world being pure imagination – I've seen it before, and done to great effect. However, the implications (see the warnings) are just a bit too dark for me.

Winter's King
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
There once was a baby who was brought to life by a stranger, only for all those around him to believe he was cursed by winter from that moment onward. He embraced the idea of becoming Winter's King.
“Then he shall be a Winter King, more than any of his kin or kind.”
This is a dark and twisted tale, which actually makes it perfect for this collection. I love the themes that run throughout this short story, and honestly almost would have liked to see more of it. Though it's also solid the way it is now.

Inscription
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Deathbed confessions are not a new thing. This is the story revealed by one mother, to her son, on the off chance that she doesn't survive what ails her. It's the story of the father he never met.
“It is a lie, you know, that inscription. From first to last.”
I love how this story unraveled. It didn't end at all as I expected. For that matter, none of this story went how I expected, and I loved that about it. This is classic Jane Yolen storytelling if ever I've seen it.

Dog Boy Remembers
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
This is the story of one boy trying to live up to the standards of his father, while missing the life his mother had worked so hard to give him. With a magical twist, naturally.
“When his father came to fetch him that first time, his mother wept.”
I really wanted to like this story more, but I struggled with it. Maybe it's the implications that were in it, but I'm not sure. It had an interesting core concept, which I respect. Likewise, I appreciate the creatures that were pulled into this tale.

The Fisherman's Wife
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
The legends of fishermen are not to be ignored. They have warnings in them, that must be heeded. That applies even to fishermen, who should know better than to tangle with creatures of the deep.
“But every fisherman knows that when you have dealings with the deep you leave something of yourself behind.”
This was another brilliant story by Jane Yolen. Here she's taken fishermen lore, mermaids, and a tale of love, and twisted it all together to create something new. I loved it, though I was blown away by the ending.

Become A Warrior
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Warnings: Death, gore
This is the tale of one little girl, and her journey to become a warrior. She once had a family, until the war took it all away. Now she's forced to find a new path in life.
“To become a warrior, forget the past.”
What an intriguing story. I'll be honest with you, I struggled to get into this one at first, but I'm so glad I stuck with it, because that ending makes it all totally worth it! Though I won't ruin the ending, I promise. I will say that is was a surprise, all while being highly satisfying.

An Infestation of Angels
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Once a contract has been signed, you must stay with it. Even when those contracts take advantage of an entire people.
“One who goes back on his signed word is no better than a thief.”
This was an interesting story, though to be honest, I wish it had been longer. I think having more time to develop would have helped this particular piece.

Names
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Warnings: Starvation, survivor's guilt
The past haunts us, especially those of us who have lived through the most harrowing events possible. Take Rachel's mother, who lists out those who did not survive as she did.
“But Rachel always knew that when the toll call was done, her mother would start the death-camp stories.”
This is a dark and disturbing tale, one made all the more so because of the use of real events in history. It was an interesting piece, though the ending made me want to run for cover (maybe that's a good thing though?).

3.5 stars

TW: Death, murder, mutilation, graphic depiction of suicide, rape, mental illness, abuse, self harm.

This is a collection of short stories that read like dark folktales. Although the title of the book led me to believe the stories would be about a circus, they weren't. And there also weren't any stories that had anything to do with the circus, but rather about various creatures, and legends. I enjoyed reading these stories, though some of them were uncomfortable for me to read. Below will be my ratings for each of the stories. The ones that don't have a rating are the ones I felt uncomfortable while reading them.

The Weaver of Tomorrow 5 stars
The White Seal Maid 2 stars
The Snatchers 4 stars
Wilding 1.5 stars
Requiem Antarctica 4 stars
Night Wolves 3.5 stars
The House of Seven Angels 3.5 stars
Great Grey 4 stars
Little Red (Didn't rate it)
Winter's King 3.5 stars
Inscription 4 stars
Dog Boy Remembers (Didn't rate it)
The Fisherman's Wife 3 stars
Become a Warrior 3 stars
An Infestation of Angels 5 stars
Names (Didn't rate it)

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an anthology of short stories written mostly by Jane Yolen (a few had cowriters). They were darker themed fairy tales, and there was a wide range of styles. Some were set in the future, some were set in the past, some were modern. Some were said in third person, some were said in first person. The change in styles was a little bit jarring, and I wasn't sure what they all had in common, except for the fact that they were all a little bit dark. I thought it was supposed to be YA, but apparently I was wrong.

A lot of them were beautifully told. It obviously shows how talented Yolen is. I just didn't understand what they had in common? Especially because the styles were so different. Most of the short stories have been published before, and this collection was pulled together from her other works. Of course I liked some stories more than others but I didn't really think the collection was very cohesive. But Yolen is an amazing storyteller and that was a delight to see.