While nothing more than an introduction, this immediately speaks to the imagination and paints a vivid picture, showing us winter on all kinds of different planets with different circumstances. It definitely fulfills its role as an intriguing prologue of what is to come, even though its incorporation of monsters is a little weaker.

Twelve Angels Weeping #1:
--- "Halfway into the Dark" by Dave Rudden

Plot:
On every planet, there is winter. And in every winter, there is a Christmas.

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

This is an anthology I've heard a lot about and I've also heard a lot of praise for Dave Rudden. Despite it not being Christmas (or anywhere near Winter for that matter) I've had a copy downloaded onto my computer for a while now so I decided that I'd just read it.

For a two page introduction, Halfway into the Dark is shockingly beautiful. Every sentence is so unbelievably packed with vivid description and glorious worldbuilding that it feels like ten different stories all condensed into a few paragraphs. Dave Rudden has an incredible voice for writing and I'm incredibly excited to see what he's written for the rest of this anthology, considering the things I've heard about it.

The only reason I don't rate this a ten is that it's only an introduction and I feel rating it a ten would be a little much for what is essentially a mood piece with no real impact on the rest of the book.

9/10

Pros:
+ Vividly and beautifully written and realised
+ Clear, concise and a fantastic introduction for what I'm sure is going to be a brilliant anthology
+ Full of dense worldbuilding

Cons:
- Only an introduction, which, despite its quality, makes it feel smaller than the stories yet to come

Twelve Angels Weeping | Ranked:
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1. Halfway into the Dark by Dave Rudden - 9/10

Overall - 9.0/10