HallowReads: Midian Unmade by Various

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Midian has been a part of my life since I first read Clive Barkers story Cabal. Midan is the home of the Nightbreed. The Nightbreed are the things that go bump in the night, the creature under the bed, the monsters of myth and magic. The coming of Boone destroys Midian but leaves the hope of a new home for the Nightbreed. 

Midian Unmade are the stories of the scattered Nightbreed. These stories are new reader friendly, but in order to maximize your enjoyment of this book I recommend you watch the movie. The writers in this anthology are very diverse yet familiar with the overall themes of  Clive Barker's world.

Seanan McGuire gets us started with The Moon Inside  a story of Babette, one of the most memorable characters from the movie.

The Nightbreed have settled in Seattle and though any location outside the protection of Midian is unsafe for the Breed, they settle well into the darkness of the town. They wait for word of Boone their destroyer and savior. They wait for word of where they will next settle. For Babette however the isolation is maddening. She sneaks out and tries to find her way in the world. It doesn't go well. Seanan is always a joy to read. She gave many new nuances to Babette's experiences that draw the reader into the story.

The Night Ray Bradbury Died by Kevin J. Wetmore was my favorite story in this anthology. Not all Nightbreed stayed together after Midian's fall. Iblis is a walker. He has walked from the ruins of Midian to Los Angeles. Iblis is a mute, his wolf like facial features don't allow for talking, but he speaks to the world through rhythm. Iblis is a Drummer. He beats out the rhythm of his heart on the tombstones of local cemeteries in the dead of night. It is here Drummer meets some fellow musicians and becomes part of a costumed rock band. Yet still Drummer wanders and he comes across a young woman in distress who shows him that not all humans are monsters and that all Nightbreed fear them.

I loved the emotions evoked in this story. As a lover of books and authors I could really connect with the female character and her grief over the loss of one of her favorite authors. I'm really looking forward to reading more by this author.

Button Button is a dark twist of a tale about humans making the transitions to monsters. A bullied young boy discovers a Nightbreed an feels that he has at last found a friend. Elliot is a frail boy who doesn't connect well with his hard working single mother, or his classmates at school.  

The Nightbreed Simon becomes very close to Elliot, yet he senses a darkness in him. When Elliott's bully escalates his abuse, a choice of light over darkness is made and a new nightbreed is released.

A really nice blend of stories. It was wonderful to revisit the world o the Nightbreed once again.

•