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runehallow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
saf_k's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
kullymarkz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
I love fairytales. I mean, if you look at the books I've read you will notice that a lot of those books are fairytale retellings. So when I discovered this story collection I knew I had to have and read it. I was therefore incredibly happy that I found this book on Netgalley and that the publisher, Titan Books, approved my request for a review copy. And the nice thing about short stories? It's easy to fit one or two stories into the reading schedule every day.
What I loved most about these stories is the modern feel of most of them. The authors found the themes and messages of the original tales and wrote mostly contemporary stories containing all the important elements and the same messages and themes. That automatically added a lot of diversity to this collection. We meet characters with all kind of backgrounds, skin colors and sexual preferences and it never feels forced or out of place.
Like with every story collection I liked some stories more than others. Sometimes it's simply because I don't like the original fairytale to begin with (the originals are included, by the way, which is amazing!), which makes it hard to appreciate the retelling. In other cases it could be the writing style that didn't click or the tone of a story. However, that was all personal taste. All stories are of high quality and are unique and worth reading. I'm certain everyone will have other and personal favorites.
I personally missed the magic a little bit. I understand that the power of this book is how realistic the situations of the characters are, how the themes of the magical tales still work in the real world where we're stuck, but for me magic and fairytales are always a little bit connected. However, in a way this collection also reminded me a lot of Tell Me A Story, a tv series that had two seasons a few years back. And when I say that, I totally mean it as a compliment!
What I loved most about these stories is the modern feel of most of them. The authors found the themes and messages of the original tales and wrote mostly contemporary stories containing all the important elements and the same messages and themes. That automatically added a lot of diversity to this collection. We meet characters with all kind of backgrounds, skin colors and sexual preferences and it never feels forced or out of place.
Like with every story collection I liked some stories more than others. Sometimes it's simply because I don't like the original fairytale to begin with (the originals are included, by the way, which is amazing!), which makes it hard to appreciate the retelling. In other cases it could be the writing style that didn't click or the tone of a story. However, that was all personal taste. All stories are of high quality and are unique and worth reading. I'm certain everyone will have other and personal favorites.
I personally missed the magic a little bit. I understand that the power of this book is how realistic the situations of the characters are, how the themes of the magical tales still work in the real world where we're stuck, but for me magic and fairytales are always a little bit connected. However, in a way this collection also reminded me a lot of Tell Me A Story, a tv series that had two seasons a few years back. And when I say that, I totally mean it as a compliment!
annamickreads's review against another edition
4.0
In the past year, I've read a number of anthologies, and I have to say "At Midnight" ranks as one of my favorites of the year! Maybe it's the idea of a fairy tale retelling that I found so compelling, but I feel like fairy tale inspiration/retellings are one of those things where whatever the author decides to do (i.e. how true to the original the author chooses to stay vs a more loose interpretation) it always turns out thoughtful and gorgeous and interesting. Fairy tales allow authors to dig their hands into the well of creativity and play and I think that's really exciting for both the writer and the reader.
Honestly I put off this anthology for a bit because I knew fairy tale retellings would be inspiring, I was right!! This wave of fairytale retellings we've seen in the book realm has truly only begun and I hope that all of these authors consider writing more.
A few (but not all) of the stories I liked: "In the Forests of the Night" "Say My Name" "Coyote in High-Top Sneakers" "Once Bitten, Twice Shy," "The Emperor and the Eversong" and "A Story About a Girl"
Honestly I put off this anthology for a bit because I knew fairy tale retellings would be inspiring, I was right!! This wave of fairytale retellings we've seen in the book realm has truly only begun and I hope that all of these authors consider writing more.
A few (but not all) of the stories I liked: "In the Forests of the Night" "Say My Name" "Coyote in High-Top Sneakers" "Once Bitten, Twice Shy," "The Emperor and the Eversong" and "A Story About a Girl"
qace90's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
4.25
Audio is my cheat code to actually read and finish an anthology! I really enjoyed this overall though there were a couple I DNFed and I refuse to read Meredith Russo. Stacy Lee, Rebecca Podos, and Hafsah Faizal’s were my favorites and I fully intend to pick up more books from them.
jordanez's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Transphobia, Murder, Child death, Child abuse, Cannibalism, and Gore