‘The Butcher in the Forest’ by Premee Mohamed is a dark fairy tale where there is probably no happy ending.

Veris Thorn braved the woods of Elmever once and is the only known survivor. When a local tyrant’s children disappear into the forest, he threatens Veris into returning. The problem is that those who remain in the forest for more than a day are doomed to remain there in some form or another. Another problem are the traps and riddles that the woods hold and the bargains she will have to make once she finds the children. Failing to rescue these two children will mean death for her village.

I liked this dark fable and its dark main character. There is interesting worldbuilding in the creation of these doomed woods and I really enjoyed this one.

Why did I wait so long to read this?

A perfect, quick read just in time for spooky season.
Our heroine Veris is ripped from her home in the middle of the night and brought to the Tyrant. He demands she go into the north woods and fetch his children who got lost that evening. If she fails - he will destroy her entire family and village. The problem - the north woods are not just any woods and have their own rules. Even though Veris is the only person to have ever survived the woods, she will need all her wits and meager magic to survive this time.

I love the writing style - it is a little different than I'm used to (lots of semi-colons) but it works. The world building is not complex but done well, sprinked throughout the story in ways that make sense. I love the sentient/mysterious forests and feel this one is done particularly well.

Highly recommend!

this is exactly my type of eldritch nightmarescape, but I wished for more of this story. the ending could have been the start of a second half!

I really enjoyed reading this book. It has dark fantasy, and some twisted elements that will keep you craving for more while turning the pages. The plot is pretty interesting and alluring, creating a narrative with a beautiful prose and magnificent terrifying situations.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it.

Ugh, so gorgeously perfect. I just finished rereading my purchase copy and came on to see I had not left a NetGalley review. If you can, go into this one without any prior knowledge! You'll want to eat it in one delicious gulp.

A Haunting Masterpiece: "The Butcher of the Forest"

In the depths of the Elmever woods, where darkness reigns and terror lurks, lies a tale that will leave you breathless and unsettled. This mesmerizing novella masterfully weaves dark fantasy, cosmic horror, and grimdark elements, crafting a narrative that's both beautiful and terrifying.

Premee Mohamed has created a world that's as eerie as it is enchanting. The lush prose, though sometimes lengthy, perfectly captures the fever-dreamlike atmosphere of Veris' perilous quest. Our protagonist, a wise and resilient 40-year-old woman with a haunted past, is a refreshing change from the usual romanticized heroes. As Veris ventures into the heart of the forest, the lines between reality and nightmare blur. The Butcher of the Forest becomes a metaphorical exploration of confronting inner demons, transcending the literal tale of monsters and terror.

While this novella may not be for the faint of heart – trigger warnings include body horror, gore, violence, child sex abuse, and loss – its artistic depth and unsettling beauty make it a must-read for fans of dark fantasy and cosmic horror.

To fully immerse yourself in this world, I recommend devouring this novella in one to four sessions. Don't expect cosy fantasy feel-good vibes; instead, prepare for a deeply unsettling, thought-provoking experience.


Rating: 5/5 stars


Recommendation: For fans of dark fantasy, cosmic horror, and grimdark fiction. If you enjoy authors like Jeff VanderMeer, Caitlin R. Kiernan, or Joe Abercrombie, this novella is a must-read.


Final Thoughts: "The Butcher of the Forest" is a masterful blend of genres, crafting a haunting tale that will linger long after you finish reading. Embrace the darkness, and let this novella consume you.

Thank you both NetGalley and Tor publishing group for this amazing ARC. It was a wonderful experience.

In this dark fairy tale, a woman living under a tyrannical ruler is forced to return to the dangerous, supernatural forest she ventured into once before. Only Veris has survived going into the forest, Veris and the child she brought back with her. But Veris doesn't like to think about what happened to the child. Now, the Tyrant promises to kill everyone she loves if she doesn't somehow retrieve his two young children from the forest. Even if the children have somehow survived, Veris knows none of them will return unchanged.

Premee Mohamed can write a wonderfully creepy tale full of all the things you worry might lurk in the forest. It's dark and horrifying in the way all real fairy tales should be.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Clever and a unique twist on the classic fairytale style story! I know it’s been out for a while, but I hope readers are enjoying it!

Here’s the thing:

There are too many books and not enough time in the world. My ADD is outrageous, and if you can’t grip me in 2 chapters, I will lose the plot I fear. Now here we are still waiting for a review. Well, here is what I have right now. Even if I were to “choose not to review” it counts that ratio so let’s chat about it.

This was sadly a DNF for me. I could never get into the story. I’ve read others in the series but this one just lost my interest and couldn’t get back into it.

Is it too high fantasy? No. Did I dare dream of how book 1 was? Possibly. If I return I will provide additional updates and thoughts.

This book was lyrical and magical and super unique. I enjoyed this quite a bit and I think Premee Mohamed has a very unique writing style. Thank you for the opportunity!

The Year of Evil Forests continues!!!!!!!!!! This time, I had lots of fun with the breathless run-on prose, the evocatively described malevolent forest with its tricks and tests and bargains, and the sense of evil lurking both within the woods and without.

But there just isn't quite *enough* to carry everything else I think it’s trying to do, and things unravel a bit at the end. To start with, our protagonist Veris, who has been a very distant, practical character throughout, suddenly reveals a large amount of tragic backstory in a tiny amount of page time, including her mother and father dying, sexual exploitation by soldiers as a child, and the death of her daughter.

What’s also a bit wonky is that she shares a memory that she knows is not her worst memory in a situation where she is aware that she has to share her worst memory in order to save everyone. She is then devastated by what happens because of her failure, and there’s no real exploration of why she did what she did. Then, at the very end of the story, she does decide to tell her real worst memory to the conqueror-dictator who has been depicted as a figure of one-dimensional evil throughout, and he is persuaded to spare her life because of it.

With all of these elements, I feel like some additional thoughts from Veris about her decision-making and some more robust character moments throughout could have made it a bit less strange, but as it stands in the text, it just all feels a bit sudden and awkward.

I see the bones of a story about the generational legacies of violence and loss and tyranny and the ways that children grow up too quickly into adults who are oppressors or survivors, but this was too short and action-packed for me to really feel like I was able to sink my teeth into any of that. It’s still definitely a very cool, interesting novella, and I definitely say that anyone else looking for Evil Forest books should add it to the list.

The Butcher of the Forest is an amazing tale. I can’t believe it just…ended. Dear Author, please let us know what happens to Veris, Leo, and Aram. Magnificent writing. Like plunging into a pool of clear water.

Veris Thorn had my attention from the very beginning of this short - yet long - read. There was an eerie beckoning that persisted even when I had to back-track to try and find lost bits only to not find them. When it happens over and over, a short read becomes long. This reader was lost in the fog often, I must admit.

Having issued that admission, I still claim the ability to wave the 3-star flag - having read and re-read and feel confident that I wrapped my head around at least the gist of this dark, fairytale-ish account of a tragic, heroic woman who repeatedly put her own life (head, body, existence) up as collateral in exchange for other creatures not able to save themselves. Even ones who didn't appear to be on her side of things, or any other side - random lost souls caught in the same kind of enslavement she felt in her own life outside the Forbidden Forest. (She's been sent on a Find-My-Kids-or-All-Your-People-Die quest by a villainous Tyrant who has the power to do so.)

Confusion is not my friend, and has been known to throw a book out of my hands and send me off to the library in search of new reads. So, in spite of the confusion I felt with this read, the writing kept me in. . .often there were observations that evoked an uncanny familiarity with my not-at-all-in-a-fairytale life. Here's my favorite - Veris' thoughts as she looks at the woebegone faces of some of the creatures in the thrall of her enemies:

Monsters, the children of monsters. But innocent. You do not inherit what you are born to; and you do not inherit your own theft. Their innocence will not save them from harm. And it has not. Still it must be remembered.

Nice, eh? Doesn't that rise up your backbone and make your hair stand a little, thinking of darkest actions arising from your own dna (ya don't get to choose your ancestors, do ya?). . .it did me that way. . . whether it was 500 years ago or 50. . .hmm.

Bottomline, 3 stars, and I'll stay open-minded on this author, or any other third-party persuasions.

*A sincere thank you to Premee Mohamed, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

Not what I was expecting based on the title.

Some sections of the Forest was overly descriptive where I would have appreciated more time with the characters.

Interesting (hopeful?) ending. Curious enough to pique my interest to return if it were ever fleshed out to a full novel.

What a beautiful story! A fairy tale made complete with a dark wood, monsters of wood and bone, magic and missing children. You must know the rules and keep your wits to make it out again. #editionsbookstore #premeemohammed

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

So I really wanted to like this book. The premise sounded so good and I thought it would be so entertaining, but I was completely wrong. There are no chapters in this book. That’s right, just one long chapter. For someone with ADHD that is a bad combination. It was so hard to get myself to want to pick up the book and I felt like I had to force myself to finish it. I just wasn’t drawn to the book and I probably should have just DNF it. I know there are so many people that have enjoyed this book and consider it to be a dark fairy tale but for me it just unfortunately fell flat.

The Butcher of the Forest grabs your attention from the beginning. The premise follows a woman who is the only survivor of a cursed forest. She has been tasked with finding the cruel emperor's children after they disappear from their castle. I was deeply invested in the characters and desperate to find out what happened next.

Premee Mohammad writes with such a sense of wonder. I will keep searching out work from this author. Highly recommend.