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Midnight Comes
Once upon a time...
There was a sorceress, who cursed a prince to become as beastly as his pride
There was a daughter, who watched from her window and ached to see the world
There was a mermaid, who traded her voice in the hope of a soul
There was a stepmother, who saw beauty only in others, never in herself
And there was a boy, who forgot the warmth of love.
In five narrative poems exploring the darker, more human side of these classic fairytales, rediscover the characters as they are given a voice of their own.
There was a sorceress, who cursed a prince to become as beastly as his pride
There was a daughter, who watched from her window and ached to see the world
There was a mermaid, who traded her voice in the hope of a soul
There was a stepmother, who saw beauty only in others, never in herself
And there was a boy, who forgot the warmth of love.
In five narrative poems exploring the darker, more human side of these classic fairytales, rediscover the characters as they are given a voice of their own.
- GenresPoetryFantasyFairy Tales
48 pages, Paperback
Published July 18, 2018
About the author
S.J. Blasko
22 books46 followersSJ Blasko is a poet and fantasy writer from Massachusetts, USA. As an LGBTQ Christian, much of their work revolves around the intersection of faith, love, and identity. They have a deep appreciation for "weird" fiction, and love getting lost in worlds that are not our own.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 16, 2025
This was such a perfect poetry collection. It's a selection of several fairytales, told through verse in different ways. My favourite story was the one of Rapunzel. It was a little bit dark, very fun, and exactly what I wanted it to be. I think that the poetry in here was beautiful. I can't wait to read more from her.
July 20, 2023
Not my favorite work by this author but still good. It's interesting to see just because I can tell how much this author has grown between collections.
July 4, 2018
Review to come :)
July 22, 2018
I absolutely adore this book peoples. Sierra Blasko crafts her poetry in such a unique and stunning form that I just couldn’t help but fall in love with. She tells deeply emotional and thoughtful stories through her poems, and it’s honestly just amazing. I so so so so so recommend.
September 10, 2019
I received this book for free through Voracious Readers Only.
Midnight Comes by S.J. Blasko is a collection of six poems part and of the series Refractions: Fairytales Between the Lines. These poems cover the darker, more human side behind a number of classic fairytales, going into the psychology of the characters and giving new insights into the reality of their lives. Full of wonderful imagery and deep feeling, these poems will speak to anyone.
Thirteen illustrates the significance of the midnight hour in various fairytales. Its symbolical meaning of wiping the slate clean and starting a new day with new possibilities.
Beastly tells the origin story of the Beast, and how his pride was broken. A gloomy, dark tale with a beautiful black-and-white illustration to match.
Rapunzel, with love is written in the form of a letter from Rapunzel to her mother. I think it does a great job of depicting the creeping effects of loneliness.
Mermaid’s Soul tells the story of the Little Mermaid, and the naivety or foolishness of thinking being human would be in improvement over being a mermaid. It just shows the grass is never greener on the other side.
Mirror, Mirror, on the wall gives a voice to the self-proclaimed benevolent queen whose insecurities and jealousies lead her to feel she cannot rule her country properly if there is someone else with more beauty than herself. This poem too is accompanied by wonderful artwork.
Lost and Found is the story of a boy who was lost, cold and without love, and then found again, restored to his former self by his friend. As good a depiction of depression as I ever saw.
These poems are all free verse to an extent, and though the metre still flows pretty well there were a few jarring turns of phrase that did not quite fit. Still, I enjoyed reading these poems very much. The topics were really well thought out and the images the words evoked spoke to me. I can recommend this poetry bundle to anyone who likes fairytales, but with a slightly different spin.
Midnight Comes by S.J. Blasko is a collection of six poems part and of the series Refractions: Fairytales Between the Lines. These poems cover the darker, more human side behind a number of classic fairytales, going into the psychology of the characters and giving new insights into the reality of their lives. Full of wonderful imagery and deep feeling, these poems will speak to anyone.
Thirteen illustrates the significance of the midnight hour in various fairytales. Its symbolical meaning of wiping the slate clean and starting a new day with new possibilities.
Beastly tells the origin story of the Beast, and how his pride was broken. A gloomy, dark tale with a beautiful black-and-white illustration to match.
Rapunzel, with love is written in the form of a letter from Rapunzel to her mother. I think it does a great job of depicting the creeping effects of loneliness.
Mermaid’s Soul tells the story of the Little Mermaid, and the naivety or foolishness of thinking being human would be in improvement over being a mermaid. It just shows the grass is never greener on the other side.
Mirror, Mirror, on the wall gives a voice to the self-proclaimed benevolent queen whose insecurities and jealousies lead her to feel she cannot rule her country properly if there is someone else with more beauty than herself. This poem too is accompanied by wonderful artwork.
Lost and Found is the story of a boy who was lost, cold and without love, and then found again, restored to his former self by his friend. As good a depiction of depression as I ever saw.
These poems are all free verse to an extent, and though the metre still flows pretty well there were a few jarring turns of phrase that did not quite fit. Still, I enjoyed reading these poems very much. The topics were really well thought out and the images the words evoked spoke to me. I can recommend this poetry bundle to anyone who likes fairytales, but with a slightly different spin.
September 3, 2019
I never have really gotten into reading poetry that much but I read the summary of what, “Midnight Comes” is a kit and was really interested in giving poetry a try and I really e joyed this book! It has an interesting topic giving fairytales we all know and love a darker twist leaning more towards the Brother’s Grimm version. The poems all were connected In the very first poem by panicking of when midnight will come and what will happen, I think in this book of poems midnight is personified as a monster stalking its prey at night coming to attack once midnight strikes putting an end to the fate of a happily ever after we normally associate with the Disney version of these fairytales. In the poem “Beastly”, I really enjoyed the unique point of view and narration coming from the witch who curses the young prince for being too prideful, it was really nice to see this story told from a different perspective. I also really enjoyed the illustrations throughout the book they were really well down and added a deeper layer of completion to the poems. I would also like to thank the author and voracious Readers Only for giving me the chance to read this book !
December 11, 2018
I admit I haven't read much poetry, but this book makes me want to read more.
Midnight Comes is a collection of six colorful and artfully crafted poems. The majority, if not all of the poems are inspired by their origin fairytale. We visit the mind of the evil queen in Snow White, The Little Mermaid, and more. The poem "Thirteen" while it was one of my favorite poems in this collection; I wasn't able to pin point what fairytale it is based off.
My absolute favorite? I loved "Thirteen" and thought it was my favorite, but then I read the poem "Mermaids Soul" again and couldn't help but pick that tragic yet artfully woven poem as my favorite .
The author, does a beautiful job of creating a smooth woven narrative that pulls you in and gives you a poetic high. After reading this, it feels like you are walking around with a secret you can't share because nobody can share the emotions you feel after reading this work of art. Even if they read it, they would probably experience it in a different way. I highly recommend this collection of poems!
May 20, 2020
This is a collection of six poems based on well-known fairy tales. I generally don't read poetry, so it was a really nice change from normal.
The poems put a spin on the stories they are based on, presenting them from a slightly different POV, or in a slightly different light. So I would recommend it especially to those who are interested in fairy tales and all the different ways there are to tell them. But because these stories are so well-known that they are part of the collective consciousness, I suppose it will be fun for everyone.
My personal favorite was “Thirteen”, the first one, because that was the one that digressed the furthest from the fairy tales it referenced, and also, midnight is generally cool. But I also really liked the other ones.
As to the quality of the poetry, I honestly don't know enough to judge it.
The poems put a spin on the stories they are based on, presenting them from a slightly different POV, or in a slightly different light. So I would recommend it especially to those who are interested in fairy tales and all the different ways there are to tell them. But because these stories are so well-known that they are part of the collective consciousness, I suppose it will be fun for everyone.
My personal favorite was “Thirteen”, the first one, because that was the one that digressed the furthest from the fairy tales it referenced, and also, midnight is generally cool. But I also really liked the other ones.
As to the quality of the poetry, I honestly don't know enough to judge it.
September 6, 2021
4 / 5 Stars
I think my favourit poem had to be 'Mirror, Mirror, on the wall'. But that's probably because of personal taste and the little mini-plot twist at the end.
I'm really bad at reviewing poetry sometimes, because if I like something all I can manage to say is: Yeah. It was good.
So here is my review: Yeah, it was good.
All of the poems were written really well, - at least, in my subjective opinion. And some of the ryhmes and word-play, was really smart. All the characters that the collection writes about really feel like their own people. Like you're really listening and reading about their story. Combined with some small variantions in style and rhyme, this collection manages to be a really great read and an amazing debut-poetry-novel.
I think my favourit poem had to be 'Mirror, Mirror, on the wall'. But that's probably because of personal taste and the little mini-plot twist at the end.
I'm really bad at reviewing poetry sometimes, because if I like something all I can manage to say is: Yeah. It was good.
So here is my review: Yeah, it was good.
All of the poems were written really well, - at least, in my subjective opinion. And some of the ryhmes and word-play, was really smart. All the characters that the collection writes about really feel like their own people. Like you're really listening and reading about their story. Combined with some small variantions in style and rhyme, this collection manages to be a really great read and an amazing debut-poetry-novel.
October 16, 2019
Midnight Comes by S.J Blasko is a refreshing compilation of poems that addresses the darker side of fairy-tales. From a look into the Little Mermaid’s despair, to Cinderella’s depression at the impending stroke of midnight, Blakso rips the shroud of bliss from our conception of happily ever after.
I would recommend this collection to anyone who likes the macabre. Midnight Comes is a short piece of about 50 pages, making it the perfect Saturday afternoon read.
I would recommend this collection to anyone who likes the macabre. Midnight Comes is a short piece of about 50 pages, making it the perfect Saturday afternoon read.
October 24, 2019
Excellent short read. Poems written from the point of view of popular characters wasn't something I knew I needed until I found this book. The author has a lovely voice and even though the poems are short I was immediately immersed in each one. They're not particularly dark unless you compare them to the normal telling of Disney fairytales. Highly recommend this work. I look forward to reading more from this author.
October 6, 2019
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only. This is a short yet refreshing take on aspects of familiar fairytales that I've never considered before. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for something quick to read or anyone venturing into poetry for the first time.
September 8, 2019
I received a copy of this book through Voracious Readers and it wasn't bad. I mean it retold a couple of tales such as Rapunzel but overall I feel like I've read the versions before.
October 21, 2019
This was a really quick read. If you love fairy tales and poetry then this is the book for you. Simple read and Was defiantly interesting to read a retelling of favorite fairy tales in poetry form.
May 24, 2022
It was a lovely book. I adore anything fairytale related.
December 28, 2023
A bit slow in some places, and in need of polishing. The thing about poetry is that it leans on so much imagery and variety of language, and both felt stilted here. A fair effort.
November 18, 2019
This collection of poetry was a wonderful read and I will definitely be adding it to my hard copy collection (as I read in electronically). Each poem had a different voice and style, but they all flowed beautifully! Each poem gives a different perspective on familiar stories and characters as well as shows the author's knowledge of the original fair tales. I greatly enjoyed reading them and I know you will to.
September 26, 2019
Charming poetry with beautiful imagery
Sierra’s words pulled me into her world and imagination, and it was a delightful journey!
If you adore all things fairytale, like I do, you will enjoy these visions.
Sierra’s words pulled me into her world and imagination, and it was a delightful journey!
If you adore all things fairytale, like I do, you will enjoy these visions.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews