The Midnight Circus

A wonderful collection of short stories! Each one is it’s own self contained story that is just perfection. I really had a fun time reading them! Something about each of them felt magical and just a little haunting. Definitely go check out this collection!

This collection is filled with stories that a have an eerie sort of vibe. Think fables with a Night Gallery or Twilight Zone type tone. Just like with those shows there is a pretty big variety in the themes and genres that fall under the dark creepy mood. The range is impressive considering it is all from one author and has certainly lured to me to read more from Jane Yolen.

I enjoyed every story but Little Red and The Fisherman's Wife were my absolute favorite. I also thought the end with story notes and poetry added a personal touch to the collection. The poetry shouldn't be missed so make sure you read on after the stories. The story lengths also have a nice range, some really brief and others a touch longer, though all of them pack a full experience.

Great collection.

The cover had me intrigued and I I requested it. Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an e ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a lovely collection of short stories. Definitely worth reading. It was an engrossing and a wonderful collection of short stories.
It was perfectly magical and eerie. A fantastic compilation. Full of magical world.

My favorite was 1.The Night Wolves and 2.The Snatcher. If magical creatures are your thing, do not miss this wonderful book. Perfect Halloween or a cozy winter read, huddled in a blanket with a nice cup of hot chocolate.

I just love Jane Yolen so much. Her stories are beautiful and strange in the most wonderful ways. I have never read a Jane Yolen story I didn’t like, and the ones in this book are as good as ever. They pull you in with their mix of magic and heartbreak and people you feel like you’ve somehow met before. Please, Jane Yolen, never stop writing.

Holy shit! This was so atmospheric and interesting, a genuinely great collection of short stories. I love a book that gives off a seasonal vibe so I definitely would recommend this to anyone book shopping this autumn!

Jane Yolen has written and gathered this wonderful anthology of stories.She always manages to make stories fresh and interesting with all of the "once upon a time" allure of the classic fairy tale. A delightful read.

The Midnight Circus is a spooky and charming collection of short stories by Jane Yolen. Jane Yolen is such an incredible and prolific writer, especially when it comes to tales that we assume we already know. Drawing upon familiar elements in fantasy, Yolen presents a collection of short stories that are unique and encompassing. The collection is well-balanced, featuring themes of fantasy and horror. There is something in this collection for everyone, from selkies, shapeshifters, red caps, and vampires.

I love stories that relate to mythological sea creatures, so my favorite stories were about the selkies and mermaids. I did find myself completely engrossed by the story of legendary explorer Robert Scott. The story questions- what if Scott had a secret reason for adventuring to Antarctica? With poems and additional information provided about the creation process, the collection is very satisfying. I would highly recommend it for anyone who is a fan of short stories or fantasy. The Midnight Circus releases October 1, 2020. Thank you to Jane Yolen, Tachyon Publications, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This collection of short stories is rather peculiar and they are very dark stories that are thoroughly enjoyable. If you love Black Mirror, this book will be for you.
I think that it has some stories that feel very unique and others that seem like a retelling of something familiar. I thought the writing style was excellent and I would love to read more by Jane Yolen.

Thank you to Tachyon Publications and NetGalley for the eARC of this brilliant book in return for an honest review.

Do you like ghost stories? Sci-Fi stories? Do you like spooky campfire stories? Stories that give you goosebumps? Fables that teach important lessons? Then you need to get your hands on The Midnight Circus.

Short description from the publisher: "Welcome to the Midnight Circus - and watch your step. The dark imaginings of fantasy icon Jane Yolen are not for the faint of heart. In these sixteen brilliantly unnerving tales and poems, Central Park becomes a carnival where you can - but probably shouldn’t - transform into a wild beast. The Red Sea will be deadly to cross due to a plague of voracious angels. Meanwhile, the South Pole is no place for even a good man, regardless of whether he is living or dead. Wicked, solemn, and chilling, the circus is ready for your visit - just don’t arrive late."

This is exactly the kind of book I hope for and so seldom find. Jane Yolen's short story collection is like if Shirley Jackson, Aesop and Mother Goose had a baby and gave you all the dark fairytales you can handle. Highlights for me were:
• Little Red - a re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood but way, way darker.
• Wilding - a futuristic Twilight Zone style story with both Sci-Fi and thriller elements.
• The Fisherman’s Wife – mermaids, skeletons and TRUE LOVE..oh my!
• Become a Warrior – revenge is a dish best served with blood and lust.

The story notes and poetry at the end of the book really enhance the experience and I highly recommend reading them. This collection of stories ranges from legends to folklore, mythological to biblical. Yolen’s descriptive writing transports you straight into each tale like it is being told to you in front of a fireplace, cup of cocoa in hand.

I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book. The cover is perfection! I will be recommending this book to anyone who loves dark fairytales and beautiful writing.

A true spectacle of stories, Jane Yolen’s The Midnight Circus treats readers to a wide variety of acts, from the not-so-familiar-anymore Central Park to the desert of Antarctica. Toss in a few mermaids, wicked beasts, and questionable heroes, and it’s the perfect combination of magical and grim.

My favorite aspect of fairy tales and folktales is that more traditional versions of these stories do not shy away from the gruesome parts of living. Neither do Yolen’s. In these tales, familiar characters find themselves reinvented into more twisted versions that cause the reader to question just how chilling life can be, and even the happiest stories have a tinge of warning laced throughout. Regardless of the story, each of the pieces included in this book draw the reader right in with Yolen’s vivid depictions and sense of character.

One of the most impressive facets of this book is the wide range of the stories within. Yolen has crafted a collection that spans a vast variety of folktale roots, real life inspiration, and settings. Because of this, I particularly liked the Notes section at the end of the collection, which detailed the writing journey behind each tale and a poem. I really enjoyed this book, and it was the perfect read for when I needed a touch of something short and enthralling.

***ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for my review.

Jane Yolen's career is based on the fairy tale, and there's a pretty big chance that if you're a reader of fantasy you've likely come across one of her 365 BOOKS. Literally, you could read one of her books every day for a year and not run out of material.  The Midnight Circus collects 16 stories from her writing that I wouldn't necessary call horror, but are most definitely on the dark end of the story spectrum.

The Midnight Circus features stories that are frankly, all brilliant (and I'm still mad about that. Yolen, how do you do it?).  They include a story teenagers who go to Central Park to thrill in temporarily becoming wild beasts, but one who almost doesn't make it out after trying to prove that they are stronger than safety precautions. It features a story of an abusive Red Cap and his son learning to fight back. It also features a story of how the Israelites may have fought off punishing angels much like a vicious mosquito or really large pest that they learned to use to their advantage. In short, even with 16 stories there is not a slouch between them. Be aware that these stories have previously been published in magazines and other collections, so if you have taken up my joke challenge about reading a different one of her books per day you'll probably see some familiar content.

The Midnight Circus is a great collection for readers who like their stories a little on the dark side of fairy tales, but with mostly satisfying endings.

Look for The Midnight Circus from Tachyon Publishing October 1, 2020.

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.

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’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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A magical and enthralling collection of short stories. All of them are well written, fascinating and I loved them.
Great storytelling and style of writing.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

If you’ve ever read a fantasy short story, you’ve most likely heard of Jane Yolen. She’s the kind of fabled writer whose bibliography would take up an entire bookshelf and is much beloved by readers everywhere. I’m consistently amazed at how many stories Yolen is able to tell, each of them filled with something special. Of her most recent collection of stories, The Midnight Circus, I can say that her storytelling ability remains stronger than ever. It’s a wonderful collection of little tales that both enchant and teach valuable lessons with each conclusion.

As a lover of fairy tales, my favorite feature of the storytelling style is how much meaning can be crammed into so few words. It doesn’t take long to teach a valuable lesson when you’re able to capture the reader’s imagination. Yolen doesn’t mess around with drawn out plots and extra sentences. She dives right into the characters and somehow paints a vivid picture while leaving out a lot of the descriptions. This method gives the reader a solid starting point before allowing them to form their own mental pictures as the stories unfold. There’s nothing better than taking over a story with your own imagination, and to have it be so well crafted is an exciting bonus.

The stories themselves feature all manner of settings and characters, ranging from your classic fairy tale with larger than life creatures and myths, to common legends told during the 20th century. We’re not sequestered to fairy lands but carted around between modern day and magic. There were a couple that I got lost in, almost forgetting that I was reading fiction instead of fact. It’s a great collection if you’re looking for a vivid explosion of imagination for a few minutes at a time.

My favorite story was the first in the collection, ‘The Weaver of Tomorrow.’ I loved this little story about a young woman who wants to know everything there is to know. It’s a great start to a book of fairy tales, charting the course for grandiose settings and fantastical beings that defy reality. It’s a journey teetering between excitement, wonder, and sorrow, all fit within a few pages.

Overall, I’m as impressed with The Midnight Circus as I expected to be. Seeing a writer continue to perfect their form is always exciting, and with Yolen, you know you’ll be thrust into worlds known and unknown, leaving the pages a little wiser and a bit further removed from the humdrum happenings of real life.

The introduction to this short story anthology is beautifully done. Jane Yolen shares a couple personal insights into this set of stories and directs everyone to take a look at the related poems (which make up the last half of this book) related to the stories themselves. Yolen truly is an endearing and lasting female SF/F author of her generation.

Story 1 - The Weaver of Tomorrow
Lovely little reminder that what you think you want may not be what you really crave. Love the use of time passing here to show the two inevitable pieces of life, birth and death.

Story 2 - The White Seal Maid
This story features a man and a selkie. It feels very similar to many stories I’ve read before, except it’s missing something. Perhaps it’s the desire to have an obvious moral at the end, or that our man is very one-dimensional, or that we never understand why the selkie chose to do what she does. Either way it wasn’t satisfying for me.

Story 3 - The Snatchers
Meh. Just okay.

Story 4 - Wilding
This is such a cool concept and the use of Central Park is just brilliant. I want so much more! It reads like the tease you'd send to a publisher to try and get them to endorse a full story being written. So very unsatisfying in length and content but really cool concept.

Story 5 - Requiem Antarctica
First, I want to sincerely thank Yolen for writing this. I did not know the history of the race to the South Pole. As I read this, and realized it is an alternate history, I immediately went and read pages on the events. If you read the Wikipedia page that will be enough to realize Yolen did a brilliant job of combining fact with fiction.
This is a jewel of a story. It's creative, briliant, contextually relevant, and an interesting way to learn about history. Absolutely amazing!

Story 6 - Night Wolves
I wish I’d read this story as a child or teen. Then perhaps I’d be a little less intimidated by the dark.
A clever manifestation of a certain kind of loss and grief. Very well done

Story 7 - The House of Seven Angels
Alternate origin story for Moses during his youth. Meh.

Story 8 - Great Grey
This one is creepy... like serial killer creepy but totally not that. Kind of clever. Wasn't perfect but a very solid read.

Story 9 - Little Red
I dunno what it is about little red riding hood but I can’t get tired of retelling or spins on her story. Wonderful rendition with a twist.

Story 10 - Winter’s King
As someone who lives in a cold place (and hates the heat; give me -30C over +30C any day of the week or year) this had a nice dose of melancholy for me.

Story 11 - Inscription
Interesting method of story telling used.

Story 12 - Dog Boy Remembers
Where’s the rest of the story?! This feels like a preview to a larger novel. Really interesting and well done but I want sooo much more. Does dog boy ever succeed in his desired revenge, what is the symbolism of the cap, and so much more. This should definitely be a full book to explore all the interesting nuances dog boy has."

Story 13 - The Fisherman’s Wife
Love the description of the mermaid as alien (not beautiful) and the use of communication (or lack thereof). A wonderful little tale.

Story 14 - Become a Warrior
A story about how women can become as strong and cunning as men. Although ultimately a revenge story which I often struggle with. Revenge feels so petty to me most times.

Story 15 - An Infestation of Angels
The Gipt in this story must be Hutts (Star Wars) as that was immediately what I imagined them as (lol). Clever little trick to make one think that a deity is watching over and not just biology at work.

Story 16 - Names
I didn’t really get this one to be honest...

Overall
Definitely some real gems in here. I'm giving it five stars overall if only because the Antartica story and Dog boy are easily shining stars that make this whole anthology worth reading. None of these are poorly written (It's Yolen and she keeps her high standard in place) or so bad that I didn't want to finish the story. Given how difficult it can be to find good, consistent anthologies this one is easily a step above most.
Yolen is an absolute champion of the writing world and each year that goes by, as I get older and so does she, I worry about the day she won’t be here anymore. With over 350+ stories out there published you’d think there is enough of Yolen in the word; but I do not. Please keep it coming!

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

To say that Jane Yolen is a legend is putting it lightly. Ms. Yolen has won just about every Science Fiction award available, and has such a prolific body of work that it is almost too daunting.

When I was given the opportunity to preview The Midnight Circus, I jumped at it. Made largely of previously published short stories along with the notes and poems that inspired each of the sixteen stories, The Midnight Circus is a collection of pure magic. The ease with which Ms. Yolen weaves such masterful tales and builds such amazing worlds is nigh sickening. Be it a twisted retelling of the Red Riding Hood tale, or stories of mermaids and wild princesses, Ms. Yolen transitions and build upon each short story in a way that captures the full attention of the reader and leaves them wanting just a bit more.

The most impressive thing to me, however, was he wide variety of cultures represented in this anthology. Everything from a retelling of the Exodus story to Scottish folklore to stories about Russian Jews is represented here. Each and every one with a unique character and character stance authentic to their settings.

Jane Yolen truly is a Queen of storytelling.

A gorgeous collection of short stories, tied by an undercurrent of darkness. I’ve read a lot of Yolen’s works and she never ceases to surprise and delight.

If you’ve read Jane Yolen, you love her writing. It is always lyrical and full of beautiful imagery. Midnight Circus shares those qualities. The anthology, while darker than anything I’ve read in per picture books, is haunting in a much more literal sense. Still, it does not lack what makes her an expert wordsmith. Each entry is beautifully rendered even if every entry is not equally enjoyable. All in all, it’s consummate Yolen.

I was given this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It is well written and the characters are described well. Her writing style will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first page.This short story collection is great. It is in stores now for $16.95 (USD).

I've read a previous Jane Yolen short story collection and loved it, so I was very excited to read this one too! The author has such a beautiful way of crafting stories and each tale has something unique and special. It's impossible to pick a favorite particular story, as they are all so good, so I won't, but I will say this is definitely a title and author everyone should read!

First of all, Jane Yolen is a treasure, and if you're not reading her, WHY NOT? She leans fully into creepiness here, with all the dreadful & delicious things that you might find at a Midnight Circus. There are ghosts and poems here. Buy the ticket.