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Midnight and Moonshine
The gods are dead, but will not be forgotten.
When Mymnir flees the devastation of Ragnarok, she hopes to escape all that bound her to Ásgarðr — a heedless pantheon, a domineering brother, and her neglectful father-master, Óðinn. But the white raven, a being of memory and magic, should know that the past is not so easily left behind. No matter how far she flies, she cannot evade her family…
In planting seeds of the old world in the new, Mymnir becomes queen of a land with as many problems as the one she fled. Her long-lived Fae children ignite and fan feuds that span generations; lives are lost and loves won because of their tampering. Told in thirteen parts, Midnight and Moonshine follows the Beaufort and Laveaux families, part-human, part-Fae, as they battle, thrive and survive in Mymnir’s kingdom.
Midnight and Moonshine is a collection of interconnected tales with links between them as light and strong as spider-silk. From fire giants to whispering halls, disappearing children to evening-wolves, fairy hills to bewitched cypress trees, and talking heads to moonshiners of a special sort, Midnight and Moonshine takes readers on a journey from ninth century Vinland to America’s Deep South in the present day. Hannett and Slatter have created a mosaic novel of moments, story-tiles as strange as witchwood and withywindles.
Midnight and Moonshine is a rich tapestry of dark fantasy, fairy tale and speculation.
When Mymnir flees the devastation of Ragnarok, she hopes to escape all that bound her to Ásgarðr — a heedless pantheon, a domineering brother, and her neglectful father-master, Óðinn. But the white raven, a being of memory and magic, should know that the past is not so easily left behind. No matter how far she flies, she cannot evade her family…
In planting seeds of the old world in the new, Mymnir becomes queen of a land with as many problems as the one she fled. Her long-lived Fae children ignite and fan feuds that span generations; lives are lost and loves won because of their tampering. Told in thirteen parts, Midnight and Moonshine follows the Beaufort and Laveaux families, part-human, part-Fae, as they battle, thrive and survive in Mymnir’s kingdom.
Midnight and Moonshine is a collection of interconnected tales with links between them as light and strong as spider-silk. From fire giants to whispering halls, disappearing children to evening-wolves, fairy hills to bewitched cypress trees, and talking heads to moonshiners of a special sort, Midnight and Moonshine takes readers on a journey from ninth century Vinland to America’s Deep South in the present day. Hannett and Slatter have created a mosaic novel of moments, story-tiles as strange as witchwood and withywindles.
Midnight and Moonshine is a rich tapestry of dark fantasy, fairy tale and speculation.
319 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
5 people are currently reading
813 people want to read
About the author
Lisa L. Hannett
55 books79 followersLisa L. Hannett has had over 70 short stories appear in venues including Clarkesworld, Weird Tales, Apex, The Dark and Year’s Best anthologies in Australia, Canada and the US. She has won four Aurealis Awards, including Best Collection for her first book, Bluegrass Symphony, which was also nominated for a World Fantasy Award. Her first novel, Lament for the Afterlife, was published by CZP in 2015.
A new collection of short stories, Little Digs, is coming out in March 2020.
A new collection of short stories, Little Digs, is coming out in March 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 13, 2012
No comments on individual stories, as they are all eligible for the Aurealis Awards in 2012, and I am a judge on the horror panel. This comment is my own personal opinion, and has no reflection on my opinion as a judge.
That aside.
Go and buy this collection. Now.
Almost every story in this collection is amazing - which I would expect, given two such amazing authors. The interweaving of the stories just makes them even more amazing. I suspect this collection is going to be raking in some awards as a whole, and deservedly so.
Gorgeous cover, too. I pre-ordered the limited hardcover, and will be very, very happy to have it on my shelf.
That aside.
Go and buy this collection. Now.
Almost every story in this collection is amazing - which I would expect, given two such amazing authors. The interweaving of the stories just makes them even more amazing. I suspect this collection is going to be raking in some awards as a whole, and deservedly so.
Gorgeous cover, too. I pre-ordered the limited hardcover, and will be very, very happy to have it on my shelf.
February 25, 2013
AaaaaaaaaaaAgh!
AaaaaaaaaaaAgh!
We come from the land of the ice and snow
From the midnight sun
Where the hot springs flow
Hammer of the gods,
We'll drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde,
Singing and crying,
VALHALLA I AM COOMMMIIIIIING
This outstanding collection by two of my favourite Aussie writers gets five out of five longships for sheer brilliance.
AaaaaaaaaaaAgh!
We come from the land of the ice and snow
From the midnight sun
Where the hot springs flow
Hammer of the gods,
We'll drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde,
Singing and crying,
VALHALLA I AM COOMMMIIIIIING
This outstanding collection by two of my favourite Aussie writers gets five out of five longships for sheer brilliance.
July 26, 2017
Simply brilliant. Epic, clever, mythic and beautifully written. This is a mosaic novel, a collection of short stories with a variety of connections between them all. Slatter and Hannett have taken a mix of Norse and Fae mythology (admittedly two of my favourites) and blended them into a whole new mythology of staggering scope and truly eloquent style. A definite 5-star book.
February 28, 2015
Well, it took almost a year, but I finally finished it! The time it took is no indication of the quality of the writing, it must be said. I really enjoyed this book, though I suspect I was only getting maybe 10% of the references; my knowledge of Norse mythology is poor at best and Marvel Comics level at worst. My favourite story was "Prohibition Blues", and as I read it I wondered if it had been written for the ill-fated Speakeasy collection that I wrote a story for too ("You Ain't Heard Nothing Yet", which ended up an original in my collection), so was delighted to have my suspicions confirmed in the afterword. Midnight and Moonshine is a gloriously ambitious mosaic novel, and well worth a read!
February 11, 2014
This book. Oh, this book.
It took me a few months to read this collection, this mosaic novel. This is no reflection on the quality of the book. Well, actually it is, but not the way you might think. See, I'd read a story, and then I'd be forced to close the book, sigh, and stare into space in order to wallow in the beauty of the prose. And then I'd have to go read something else, because (like with me and Gwyneth Jones' Bold as Love series) sometimes too much beauty is painful and you need a break.
First off, look at that cover. Is she not glorious? are the colours not soothing and enticing? Created by the awesome Kathleen Jennings (who chronicles the saga of its production on her blog), I would absolutely have this on my wall. LOVE.
Angela Slatter and Lisa L Hannett created the contents. Writers who collaborate are even more of a mystery to me than authors who work alone, and to produce this sort of magic has to be just that - occult somehow. And they haven't been content to just a straightforward story. Instead, as suggested above, this could be seen as a collection or a mosaic novel. A collection because it is made up of short stories that can basically stand by themselves. You could take one and put it in an anthology and it would still work ok. However - and here's a metaphor I'm very pleased with - that's like taking a candle out of a chandelier. Yes, it still sheds light. But when you put it with its fellow candles and they're ringed with crystal, the whole effect is so much more just a few candles in one place. These thirteen stories, read together and in sequence (and wrapped in that art), are far more than the sum of their parts. Together, they create a history of an entire people: their origins, their interactions with humanity, their crises and triumphs, and the ongoing impact of a few families and their heirlooms. Thus, a mosaic novel - there is continuity, but it's thematic and genetic; there's only one character appears in or influences lots of the stories. I couldn't help but be reminded of Edward Rutherford (London, Sarum) and James A Michener (The Source) following multiple generations in one place in order to fictively illustrate local history. Slatter and Hannett do just that... with magic. And Norse gods. Same amount of revenge though.
The premise, as set out in "Seeds," is of Odin's raven Munin (memory, here called Mymnir) surviving Ragnarok and setting out for Vinland (thought to be somewhere on the north-eastern corner of North America) with a few followers. Once she gets there, she creates an enclave and peoples it with servants, and sets out to rule it I guess like she learned from the Aesir she's observed for however many centuries. Of course this does not go entirely well either for her or for her people. There's love and betrayal, selflessness and vindictiveness; people get beaten up, rescued, married off, wooed... and some people even manage to make their own destinies. My estimate is that the stories take place over roughly a millennium, but that's based entirely on the fact that that's about how long ago it's posited that Vikings did historically head off for Vinland and settle for a short span. The early stories take place in a sort of timeless, medieval-ish zone; from memory there are no dates in the first seven stories, and it feels like that sort of myth/fantasy where time itself is important but recording it is less so. Then, with "Midnight," suddenly the external world exists and thrusts itself onto this dreamy place. From then on, time is relentless, and within 5 or 6 stories it's the modern world. This development works mostly because although the stories do stand alone, there is continuity within families. Sometimes the names give them away, sometimes it's an heirloom appearing, occasionally a reference to a past event. This often means that rather than having to struggle for a new emotional connection every time, the reader can build on the investment already made in the character's family, from an earlier story. It's the same reason Rutherford and Michener's works can be successful.
And on top of all of this, the sheer beauty of the prose. I do not have the words to explain how delightful the words in this book are. It just all works.
Did I mention it's an Australian production? Produced by Ticonderoga, in Perth.
It took me a few months to read this collection, this mosaic novel. This is no reflection on the quality of the book. Well, actually it is, but not the way you might think. See, I'd read a story, and then I'd be forced to close the book, sigh, and stare into space in order to wallow in the beauty of the prose. And then I'd have to go read something else, because (like with me and Gwyneth Jones' Bold as Love series) sometimes too much beauty is painful and you need a break.
First off, look at that cover. Is she not glorious? are the colours not soothing and enticing? Created by the awesome Kathleen Jennings (who chronicles the saga of its production on her blog), I would absolutely have this on my wall. LOVE.
Angela Slatter and Lisa L Hannett created the contents. Writers who collaborate are even more of a mystery to me than authors who work alone, and to produce this sort of magic has to be just that - occult somehow. And they haven't been content to just a straightforward story. Instead, as suggested above, this could be seen as a collection or a mosaic novel. A collection because it is made up of short stories that can basically stand by themselves. You could take one and put it in an anthology and it would still work ok. However - and here's a metaphor I'm very pleased with - that's like taking a candle out of a chandelier. Yes, it still sheds light. But when you put it with its fellow candles and they're ringed with crystal, the whole effect is so much more just a few candles in one place. These thirteen stories, read together and in sequence (and wrapped in that art), are far more than the sum of their parts. Together, they create a history of an entire people: their origins, their interactions with humanity, their crises and triumphs, and the ongoing impact of a few families and their heirlooms. Thus, a mosaic novel - there is continuity, but it's thematic and genetic; there's only one character appears in or influences lots of the stories. I couldn't help but be reminded of Edward Rutherford (London, Sarum) and James A Michener (The Source) following multiple generations in one place in order to fictively illustrate local history. Slatter and Hannett do just that... with magic. And Norse gods. Same amount of revenge though.
The premise, as set out in "Seeds," is of Odin's raven Munin (memory, here called Mymnir) surviving Ragnarok and setting out for Vinland (thought to be somewhere on the north-eastern corner of North America) with a few followers. Once she gets there, she creates an enclave and peoples it with servants, and sets out to rule it I guess like she learned from the Aesir she's observed for however many centuries. Of course this does not go entirely well either for her or for her people. There's love and betrayal, selflessness and vindictiveness; people get beaten up, rescued, married off, wooed... and some people even manage to make their own destinies. My estimate is that the stories take place over roughly a millennium, but that's based entirely on the fact that that's about how long ago it's posited that Vikings did historically head off for Vinland and settle for a short span. The early stories take place in a sort of timeless, medieval-ish zone; from memory there are no dates in the first seven stories, and it feels like that sort of myth/fantasy where time itself is important but recording it is less so. Then, with "Midnight," suddenly the external world exists and thrusts itself onto this dreamy place. From then on, time is relentless, and within 5 or 6 stories it's the modern world. This development works mostly because although the stories do stand alone, there is continuity within families. Sometimes the names give them away, sometimes it's an heirloom appearing, occasionally a reference to a past event. This often means that rather than having to struggle for a new emotional connection every time, the reader can build on the investment already made in the character's family, from an earlier story. It's the same reason Rutherford and Michener's works can be successful.
And on top of all of this, the sheer beauty of the prose. I do not have the words to explain how delightful the words in this book are. It just all works.
Did I mention it's an Australian production? Produced by Ticonderoga, in Perth.
March 23, 2013
An incredible set of stories spanning over a thousand years, steeped in Norse mythology and New World fantasy. A wonderfully mythic, historical fantasy collection, with moments of paranormal fantasy.
With the exception of the odd copy edit error (few, mind you), and a few stories that were ambitious in design, but didn't quite make the mark (for example, one story ('Of The Demon and the Drum') was written from the POV of an uneducated local, and yet the language-rich vocabulary of Slatter and Hannett crept rather bluntly through on occasion).
Well worth a read - in my view, one of the strongest fantasy collections coming out of Australia, EVER.
With the exception of the odd copy edit error (few, mind you), and a few stories that were ambitious in design, but didn't quite make the mark (for example, one story ('Of The Demon and the Drum') was written from the POV of an uneducated local, and yet the language-rich vocabulary of Slatter and Hannett crept rather bluntly through on occasion).
Well worth a read - in my view, one of the strongest fantasy collections coming out of Australia, EVER.
June 7, 2016
Sublime. Un fix-up espléndido. Ambientado en la mitología nórdica (y Hannet es estudiosa de esta mitología), los relatos hablan de generaciones de seres mitológicos y sus pinitos con humanos, desde la propia fundación de una aldea hasta nuestros tiempos. Impresionante uso del lenguaje y una imaginación desbordante. Le pondría más estrellas si pudiera.
January 22, 2017
This is a series of interconnected tales that span a length of time from a Norse-Fae inspired mythical past to increasingly more modern settings. The style of writing is redolent of horror and is still yet lightened by whimsy.
October 16, 2017
I don't usually buy books simply for their covers, but I couldn't resist Kathleen Jennings's beautiful art. Fortunately, Kathleen is very discerning about who she works for. Lisa L. Hannett and Angela Slatter have written a gorgeously lyrical collection in Midnight and Moonshine.
The thirteen stories that make up the book weave Nordic mythology with history, stitching it together with horror and fairytales. These are not light stories. Rather, as befits their influences, they are stories that dwell on grievances and vengeance. The characters destroy each others' lives down through the ages. But the multi-generational aspect of the book gives it an edge of hope--there are always those that survive, fall in love, make a family.
This book wasn't an easy read. The stories span a long stretch of time; it was often an effort to figure out roughly how much time had passed since the last story and what the current relationships were between the different parties. Physical characteristics help keep track of who belongs to which family, but I still found it confusing from time to time. I also found it difficult in the earlier stories to get a feel for the period of history in which they were supposed to be set. This isn't a problem, per se, but after their feeling of fairytale timelessness, it was a jolt to reach the middle of the book and find a story grounded in a very specific time and place in the real world. I suspect there were historical clues I missed picking up in the earlier stories--history isn't my forte.
The writing style is as beautiful as the cover. There's a gorgeous lyricism to the stories that adds to the fairytale feel of the earlier tales. It changes somewhat in the later tales, morphing into language appropriate to the time and place. For example, Of the Demon and the Drum is told in Cajun dialect. I'm generally not a fan of stories told solely in dialect, so I was surprised the story ended up being one of my favourites of the collection.
Each of the stories stands reasonably well on its own. However, the interlinked aspects give additional context that enriches the stories. I liked the way the fates of previous characters were revealed in the following story by their children--or often their children's rival or a completely unrelated character who becomes drawn into the web.
Overall, Midnight and Moonshine is a complex, layered work with interesting nuance and beautiful language. I'd definitely recommend it to lovers of dark fantasy.
This review first appeared on Earl Grey Editing.
The thirteen stories that make up the book weave Nordic mythology with history, stitching it together with horror and fairytales. These are not light stories. Rather, as befits their influences, they are stories that dwell on grievances and vengeance. The characters destroy each others' lives down through the ages. But the multi-generational aspect of the book gives it an edge of hope--there are always those that survive, fall in love, make a family.
This book wasn't an easy read. The stories span a long stretch of time; it was often an effort to figure out roughly how much time had passed since the last story and what the current relationships were between the different parties. Physical characteristics help keep track of who belongs to which family, but I still found it confusing from time to time. I also found it difficult in the earlier stories to get a feel for the period of history in which they were supposed to be set. This isn't a problem, per se, but after their feeling of fairytale timelessness, it was a jolt to reach the middle of the book and find a story grounded in a very specific time and place in the real world. I suspect there were historical clues I missed picking up in the earlier stories--history isn't my forte.
The writing style is as beautiful as the cover. There's a gorgeous lyricism to the stories that adds to the fairytale feel of the earlier tales. It changes somewhat in the later tales, morphing into language appropriate to the time and place. For example, Of the Demon and the Drum is told in Cajun dialect. I'm generally not a fan of stories told solely in dialect, so I was surprised the story ended up being one of my favourites of the collection.
Each of the stories stands reasonably well on its own. However, the interlinked aspects give additional context that enriches the stories. I liked the way the fates of previous characters were revealed in the following story by their children--or often their children's rival or a completely unrelated character who becomes drawn into the web.
Overall, Midnight and Moonshine is a complex, layered work with interesting nuance and beautiful language. I'd definitely recommend it to lovers of dark fantasy.
This review first appeared on Earl Grey Editing.
May 20, 2022
Una muy bien estructurada e inteligente historia de fantasía construida a partir de relatos interconectados y una trama que se extiende a lo largo de siglos. Elude muchos de los lugares comunes que se suelen asociar con el género y tiene algunos pasajes de una belleza considerable. Pero, aunque reconozco que me gustó mucho la idea principal y la manera de estructurar el relato, se me hizo también una lectura muy difícil en la que sospecho que gran parte del disfrute dependerá de si el lector está familiarizado o al menos interesado en la mitología y la cultura nórdica. Si no es así me temo que el libro se pondrá muy cuesta arriba, ya que personalmente tuve que volver atrás varias veces para recuperar el hilo de una lectura algo monótona y a mi juicio menos interesante de lo que prometía.
January 21, 2023
I'm putting this book down for a while. The first few chapters stole my breath away, but I'm really losing steam about half way through. The interesting and magical things about this book is that each chapter can read like its own short story but each weave together an overall tapestry of a story that spans generations. And the Norse references have my heart. I can definitely feel the bite that comes with Angela Slatter's writing, of whom, I am an immense fan.
December 27, 2025
I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this one but as I got into it, the more I liked it. This is a series of short stories based around mythology but also woven together to form a whole. Something a bit different from my usual but on the whole still a nice easy read. Was happy as well to discover it was written by two Australian authors.
November 2, 2025
Clever reimaginings of Norse mythology set during the aftermath of Ragnarok up until our day and age centered upon Mymnir’s (Munin) escape and eventual rise as queen. There’s an interesting dichotomy running through the character of Mymnir: Ruthless but not heartless, beautiful yet terrifying. Fiercely brave albeit a runaway not devoid of fears.
The collection does a good job harkening the old saga and reshaping the mythology into something completely new.
-Seeds:
Munin (Mymnir in this collection) is chased across the sea by members of her family as she flees Ragnarok. We’re introduced to a beautiful but ruthless deity unwilling to fall like the others, including her brother Hugin who’s struck down by the captain of the boat in the hunt for her. She starts a new world at the end of this tale.
-Burning Seaweed for Salt:
A tale about jealousy, forbidden love, betrayal and a mother’s love.
Mymnir serves as a tyrant Queen while her musician and her partner have fallen in love. Mymnir does not take the news well: kills her partner and intends to burn her musician Aud.
-The Morning is Wiser than the Evening:
Aud has passed away but that she managed to escape the Queen, stay hidden & gave birth to a boy who is now grown. The story follows said son, Magnus, as he’s saved by a giant and stays in his castle. He soon falls in love with woman said to be a longtime guest of the giant only to later learn that she’s been kept prisoner and that he’ll have to fight the giant for her life and freedom.
-The Third Who Went With Us:
Mymnir eyes a chance to get her brother back from death. To that end, she’ll first have to get his remains up from the bottom of the sea and come to an agreement with the mermen who reign there, then she’ll have a long trek to an island to try to persuade phoenixes to help her.
-To That Man, My Bitter Counsel:
Magnus has risen through the ranks and become a lord in the years that have passed since we last saw him. The killing of the fire giant has led to some ripple effects and dire consequences await as the late giant’s wife (and current mistress to Magnus) schemes. Additionally, Mymnir is believed to have gone missing and it’s making Magnus turn his eyes towards her throne.
-Kveldúlfr:
The queen’s servant boy is talked into doing a dark and mysterious man a service; find a book containing a key. He’s ultimately successful at this but it comes at a steep cost and he learns he’s been fooled by no other than the trickster god himself.
-The Red Wedding:
Twin girls (perhaps the disappeared twins mentioned earlier) are about to be tied down to the same man; one as a wife and the other as a mistress. As per the title, a less than happy occasion is to be expected but the deceit is far more encompassing than one could foresee; Loki is back and aims to remind the groom of his forgotten identity (Odin)
-Midnight:
A story told two-fold: through a fable about the Queen having stolen Midnight’s lover, Moonshine, and the POV of a woman searching for her lover who went off on an expedition which she has yet to return from.
-Of the Demon and the Drum:
The witch Delphine Laveau & young Claude face a mystery in the bayou. Magical tree beings (cypress ladies) have disappeared against their own volition. Why? An unhinged/confused Huginn imagines himself Odinn & have called on them to make up to his ‘audience hall’.
-Warp and Weft:
Claude & Delphine made it to the north and had a son, Sten. This story deals with Sten, Susanna & their son Kalle in the new world. Struggling to settle into this kind of life, Susanna has begun hearing a discorporate voice which worries her. Furthermore, she has not shown the proper respects to the Norns. But, the Norns will have their due and do their job. Sidenote: Ari makes a reappearance
-Bella Beaufort Goes to War:*
2 girls learning to be witches and competing about more than just the craft. Jealousy, betrayal and curses. “The worst thing in the world is getting what we desire”
-Prohibition Blues:*
Prohibition era moonshine, a recap of what happened to rivals Eugenia & Bella of the previous story & two cousins trying to evade the law.
-Seven Sleepers:
Finn is the granddaughter of one of the women in the prior story and is a collector of sorts, specifically the keeper of ephemera related to the stories before this one. She’s not the only one; in fact, several keepers have lately been killed or gone missing. Oh, there’s also a suspicious number of birds kamikazing her store which might just be related to Mymnir’s latest project. Ragnarok is imagined like a wheel.
The collection does a good job harkening the old saga and reshaping the mythology into something completely new.
-Seeds:
Munin (Mymnir in this collection) is chased across the sea by members of her family as she flees Ragnarok. We’re introduced to a beautiful but ruthless deity unwilling to fall like the others, including her brother Hugin who’s struck down by the captain of the boat in the hunt for her. She starts a new world at the end of this tale.
-Burning Seaweed for Salt:
A tale about jealousy, forbidden love, betrayal and a mother’s love.
Mymnir serves as a tyrant Queen while her musician and her partner have fallen in love. Mymnir does not take the news well: kills her partner and intends to burn her musician Aud.
-The Morning is Wiser than the Evening:
Aud has passed away but that she managed to escape the Queen, stay hidden & gave birth to a boy who is now grown. The story follows said son, Magnus, as he’s saved by a giant and stays in his castle. He soon falls in love with woman said to be a longtime guest of the giant only to later learn that she’s been kept prisoner and that he’ll have to fight the giant for her life and freedom.
-The Third Who Went With Us:
Mymnir eyes a chance to get her brother back from death. To that end, she’ll first have to get his remains up from the bottom of the sea and come to an agreement with the mermen who reign there, then she’ll have a long trek to an island to try to persuade phoenixes to help her.
-To That Man, My Bitter Counsel:
Magnus has risen through the ranks and become a lord in the years that have passed since we last saw him. The killing of the fire giant has led to some ripple effects and dire consequences await as the late giant’s wife (and current mistress to Magnus) schemes. Additionally, Mymnir is believed to have gone missing and it’s making Magnus turn his eyes towards her throne.
-Kveldúlfr:
The queen’s servant boy is talked into doing a dark and mysterious man a service; find a book containing a key. He’s ultimately successful at this but it comes at a steep cost and he learns he’s been fooled by no other than the trickster god himself.
-The Red Wedding:
Twin girls (perhaps the disappeared twins mentioned earlier) are about to be tied down to the same man; one as a wife and the other as a mistress. As per the title, a less than happy occasion is to be expected but the deceit is far more encompassing than one could foresee; Loki is back and aims to remind the groom of his forgotten identity (Odin)
-Midnight:
A story told two-fold: through a fable about the Queen having stolen Midnight’s lover, Moonshine, and the POV of a woman searching for her lover who went off on an expedition which she has yet to return from.
-Of the Demon and the Drum:
The witch Delphine Laveau & young Claude face a mystery in the bayou. Magical tree beings (cypress ladies) have disappeared against their own volition. Why? An unhinged/confused Huginn imagines himself Odinn & have called on them to make up to his ‘audience hall’.
-Warp and Weft:
Claude & Delphine made it to the north and had a son, Sten. This story deals with Sten, Susanna & their son Kalle in the new world. Struggling to settle into this kind of life, Susanna has begun hearing a discorporate voice which worries her. Furthermore, she has not shown the proper respects to the Norns. But, the Norns will have their due and do their job. Sidenote: Ari makes a reappearance
-Bella Beaufort Goes to War:*
2 girls learning to be witches and competing about more than just the craft. Jealousy, betrayal and curses. “The worst thing in the world is getting what we desire”
-Prohibition Blues:*
Prohibition era moonshine, a recap of what happened to rivals Eugenia & Bella of the previous story & two cousins trying to evade the law.
-Seven Sleepers:
Finn is the granddaughter of one of the women in the prior story and is a collector of sorts, specifically the keeper of ephemera related to the stories before this one. She’s not the only one; in fact, several keepers have lately been killed or gone missing. Oh, there’s also a suspicious number of birds kamikazing her store which might just be related to Mymnir’s latest project. Ragnarok is imagined like a wheel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2013
A collection of stories linked together by Norse Mythology following Odinn’s raven of memory, Mymnir, as she flees Ragnarok and the families that spring from the world she created.
I loved how the stories shifted through time, traveling from ancient Norse mythology moving forward slowly to enjoy some renaissance France and some prohibition era in the bayou ultimately ending in a present day setting.
The stories aren’t perfectly linear (though they are somewhat), more like puzzle pieces where you can see a little more of the whole picture with each one you read.
The only story I didn’t enjoy was ‘Of The Demon and The Drum’ and I know exactly why. I’m not against accents in dialogue (though I know people who won’t even tolerate that) but I can’t really handle it in narrative, particularly when it’s third person narrative. It makes the reading slow for grammar Nazis like me. I probably would have liked the story otherwise. But if that’s my only real complaint about the book overall I think you can feel pretty confident that this is a great collection.
My favourite story was Prohibition Blues, I loved the characters and the fun playful storyline. It was interesting to learn that that was the first story they wrote together and what birthed the whole book in essence.
The earlier stories have a great fairy tale feel which I really enjoyed, but I'm biased because I'm really into fairy tale retellings and twists. Also the historical accuracy in many of the stories is impressive, a lot of research must have gone into costumes, daily activities, how one person regard and behaves around others. A lot of the facts I knew to be accurate from my own research, so assume that a lot of what I wasn't aware of was also true. I love to mix a little learning in with my reading.
The massive cast of characters can be a bit confusing, but it wasn’t too severe. Though with in a few stories (because of it not being perfectly linear) I wondered if that was the same Magnus or just two random giants who just happened to share names.
I recommend the book for fans of Norse mythology and lovers of the darker side of fairy tales. A great speculative fiction read with great history.
I loved how the stories shifted through time, traveling from ancient Norse mythology moving forward slowly to enjoy some renaissance France and some prohibition era in the bayou ultimately ending in a present day setting.
The stories aren’t perfectly linear (though they are somewhat), more like puzzle pieces where you can see a little more of the whole picture with each one you read.
The only story I didn’t enjoy was ‘Of The Demon and The Drum’ and I know exactly why. I’m not against accents in dialogue (though I know people who won’t even tolerate that) but I can’t really handle it in narrative, particularly when it’s third person narrative. It makes the reading slow for grammar Nazis like me. I probably would have liked the story otherwise. But if that’s my only real complaint about the book overall I think you can feel pretty confident that this is a great collection.
My favourite story was Prohibition Blues, I loved the characters and the fun playful storyline. It was interesting to learn that that was the first story they wrote together and what birthed the whole book in essence.
The earlier stories have a great fairy tale feel which I really enjoyed, but I'm biased because I'm really into fairy tale retellings and twists. Also the historical accuracy in many of the stories is impressive, a lot of research must have gone into costumes, daily activities, how one person regard and behaves around others. A lot of the facts I knew to be accurate from my own research, so assume that a lot of what I wasn't aware of was also true. I love to mix a little learning in with my reading.
The massive cast of characters can be a bit confusing, but it wasn’t too severe. Though with in a few stories (because of it not being perfectly linear) I wondered if that was the same Magnus or just two random giants who just happened to share names.
I recommend the book for fans of Norse mythology and lovers of the darker side of fairy tales. A great speculative fiction read with great history.
July 11, 2015
Midnight and Moonshine begins with the evocative and bloody story of the flight of Mymnir, one of Allfather Odin’s ravens, escaping from Asgard as Ragnarök destroys the gods. In Hannett’s and Slatter’s mosaic of short stories, Mymnir is the white raven, a creature of magic and memory, who flees the wreckage of her old world, re-making herself as a woman and a queen on the shores of the new world. She brings splinters of Asgard with her, creating a new people – the Fae – and a new realm for herself.
As time passes, some Fae break free of Mymnir’s power, and the magical Fae blood mingles with human blood through the ages: they mix with the skraelings of the new world, they marry into human families, but their magic and otherness remains, even if it is diluted.
Hannett and Slatter’s writing is entrancing and evocative, their tales shifting between brutal and enigmatic, frightening and enchanting, dark and light. The stories follow Mymnir and the Fae through the ages, from the distant past into our own time, and towards the end of the book, the white raven, the Fae queen – lost for many years – appears in our present day and brings new destruction down upon the world, as some of her Fae descendents try to stop her.
Midnight and Moonshine is a fantastic read, a highly recommended collection of uniquely imagined fantasy tales, with prose that is a joy to read.
As time passes, some Fae break free of Mymnir’s power, and the magical Fae blood mingles with human blood through the ages: they mix with the skraelings of the new world, they marry into human families, but their magic and otherness remains, even if it is diluted.
Hannett and Slatter’s writing is entrancing and evocative, their tales shifting between brutal and enigmatic, frightening and enchanting, dark and light. The stories follow Mymnir and the Fae through the ages, from the distant past into our own time, and towards the end of the book, the white raven, the Fae queen – lost for many years – appears in our present day and brings new destruction down upon the world, as some of her Fae descendents try to stop her.
Midnight and Moonshine is a fantastic read, a highly recommended collection of uniquely imagined fantasy tales, with prose that is a joy to read.
July 31, 2013
I just received this book for my birthday from my dad, as soon as I picked it up and started to read the very first page I have to say that I haven't been able to put the book down! I loved the intricate stories with all of there twists and turns and how they all blend together into a perfect book filled with unique stories of Norse Mythology from the past to the future. My favorite story is Of the Demon and the Drum, just that one sticks with me even though I love them all. Lisa I enjoyed the ravens seeds & small things and Angela I loved the stories! I hope that you both know I will continue to know I will be one of your biggest fans!
February 23, 2013
Katharine is a judge for the Aurealis Awards. This review is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.
To be safe, I won't be recording my review here until after the AA are over.
To be safe, I won't be recording my review here until after the AA are over.
July 22, 2013
An amazing tapestry of words, imagery and characters. Non-linear narratives are my favourite and I have no doubt that I'll revise this up to a five star rating on the second read when I can fully appreciate the subtle interconnectivity between all the characters and their stories.
Bravo Lisa and Angela!
Bravo Lisa and Angela!
August 3, 2015
I took my time reading this, like savouring a dessert you do not want to end. Two writers who the terms delicious and luscious apply to with their use of language. A mosaic novel that is worth the time to read.
June 10, 2015
This is a perfect example of what a mosaic novel can be; each story stands solidly on its own feet, while complementing each other and building a canon reminiscent of poetic religious texts. Utterly gorgeous.
May 14, 2013
Standard Ticonderoga Disclaimer: We published this book because we loved it.
September 15, 2015
Stunningly beautiful writing. Rich and intelligent. A unique collection that deserves its accolades.
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