There's a mysterious forest outside a cruel tyrant’s castle. While many hunt and gather in the south side of the forest, all the local villagers are taught from childhood not to go into the north side of the forest. It’s well known they’ll never return if they do. When the tyrant’s two children disappear in the forest, he calls on Veris Thorn, the only woman who has ever gone into the forbidden forest and returned. Monsters, both human and fantastical, haunt Veris’s journey.

The Butcher of the Forest is dark, fantastical, and deeply unsettling. Veris is about forty-years-old, remarkably sad, but content and determined. I adored her. I found the Tyrant’s children, Eleonor and Aram, incredibly refreshing. I’ve read plenty of children in fantasy literature, but none were as lovable as these. Veris, Eleonor, and Aram’s journey is intense, haunting, and monstrous.

The Butcher of the Forest is a murky, dark fantasy and reads like a forbidden fairytale. Premee Mohamed is one of the modern masters of speculative novellas, right up there with Adrian Tchaikovsky and Seanan McGuire. The Butcher of the Forest is a must-read for those who love dark fantasy and forbidden fairytales. If you're a fan of Servant Mage by Kate Elliot, you'll enjoy the tone and themes in The Butcher of the Forest.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Thanks to Tordotcom for an advanced copy of the book! All the above thoughts are my own.

** The post on Back Shelf Books (with additional commentary) is scheduled for 2/12/2024.

What a fun fast paced dark fairytale! The setting of the forest was claustrophobic and made the dangers lurking there even spookier. Veris was a likable mc, but I think we learned too much about her at the very end for the story to abruptly end.

On the edge of a village is a forest. This forest is a normal forest for the first few steps, until suddenly, and without any alarm, a different forest, the Elmever, takes over. Inside this Elmever, every single being uses trickery to try to capture whoever has crossed its bloodthirsty borders.
The villagers teach their children from the earliest age to never go near this border, as when a child ventures in, they never come back. Only once has a child ever returned. When the villages vicious tyrant loses his children to the forest, the one woman who was able to bring back a child is called upon to rescue the tyrant’s children. And failure is not an option for her or her family.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely loved Butcher of the Forest! This was very quick to read. Immediately immersive, with an all-encompassing atmosphere. The writing was beautiful and also so heartbreaking at times.
Even with how quick the story is, I found myself slowing down while I was reading it, to fully take in the eeriness.
I think I will definitely be looking into reading more from the author, Premee Mohamed, as well as more dark adult takes on fairy tales.

This was an enjoyable, fast-paced, dark- fairy-tale. The action starts immediately and keeps up. It's a very immersive experience and features some cool animals/creatures.
There's not a ton of character development in this novella, which is fine, but the little bit we do get is dumped on at the end...leading to mixed feelings about the conclusion. I won't mention more as to avoid potential spoilers.

Overall, great for fans of dark fantasy and world-building, who prefer detailed prose

This is a novella that really did manage to suck me in. It does quite a bit in a short amount of pages and it reminded me of creepy fairytales of the past.

Lost children in scary magical woods is a great premise to start off with and this one is well written and although I was kept at arm’s length from the main character Veris for the first part of it, I felt like I got to know her by the end.

There were some truly creepy bits that reminded me of a darker version of Alice in Wonderland combined with Pan’s Labyrinth. It’s the darkness of the story that makes for a almost claustrophobic atmosphere. Maybe this could have been pushed a little bit further? I felt like a little bit was missing at the end and I may have been a tiny bit disappointed.

However, the ending does lend itself perfectly for a sequel and I would be very happy to read it. In fact, I have no doubt I will be reading more from this author in the future. I enjoyed the writing and the story telling even if I did not quite from this what I may have wanted.

I definitely would recommend this one to people who enjoy shorter creepy fiction set in woods full of dark magic.

I really liked the concept of this book and the plot is well thought out, but the delivery is not so great. It’s one giant anxious stream of consciousness. The sentences were way too long and overall needs editing. I don’t understand why there’s no chapters. I found Veris telling her life story at the end to be somewhat obvious, though the sexual assault was unnecessary to the story. But if it must be included, please offer readers a trigger warning.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this e-arc. I look forward to reading more.

No one goes into the north woods and makes it back out. Except for one.

When The Tyrants children leave in the middle of the night to see what the woods are like, Veris knows the chances of getting them back out are low. However, she is the only person to have done it, and so, with her family being held hostage by The Tyrant goes into the woods to retrieve the children.

I enjoyed this novella so much! I loved the woods, and just how alive they are. I loved the depictions of the creatures (whoever knew a scarf could cause my heart to race?). Most of all, I loved Veris. She is a strong, capable woman, who just sets out to get things done. Not out of bravado, not even out of a sense of duty. Just love for her family. She showed incredible empathy and didn't whine about her situation. However, there is a bit of the story that almost made me quit the whole thing. I am not going to go into details, but to say that I do not care for authors who use sexual trauma as a plot point.

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed

Four years ago, I wrote in a review of Premee Mohamed’s first book: “After reading this book, I will definitely pick up the next book by Premee Mohamed. This author has a great deal of potential and I look forward to seeing what else she writes.” I am so glad I stuck with this author because The Butcher of the Forest is beautiful, lyrical, hear-wrenching, and wonderful.

This is not the first book by Ms. Mohamed that I enjoyed - I liked The Annual Migration of Clouds a great deal and I am looking forward to the sequel coming out soon. But this book spoke to my heart.

This novella has a dark fairy tale vibe - a woman is called upon by an evil tyrant to venture into a haunted fey forest to retrieve his lost children. But that plot description doesn’t do this book justice. In a few paragraphs the author can capture a mood and paint a picture that entrances and ensnares the reader. The language in this book a gorgeous and brutal. The sense of dread is palpable. I am unable to put into words how enjoyable the act of reading this book was. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A dark and strange novella with a frenetic energy and some truly creepy moments. It is, unfortunately, only a novella, and detail is occasionally sacrificed for pacing.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group, for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a 160 pages long novella. Release date February the 27th.

Veris lives with her aunt and grandfather, in a small house. She is the only one who ever succeeded in bringing back a child from the forbidden forest. And that’s why one day the Tyrant ruler, orders her to go in there again and find his lost children.

The first third of this novella was pretty basic, shallow and predictable, if you have read any fantasy book involving a dark forest, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. After that, there are some scary (one of them even horrific and not for the faint of heart) more original scenes, a crazy and impressive twist near the end and the story just stays enjoyable the whole time. They go through a lot in the forest and we do at least get to know Veris a little better but the story did leave me with some unanswered questions and there was one possibly triggering moment that felt like too much inappropriate information being shared, to me. But that is probably a personal issue.

I flew through this and I enjoy stories about dark forests so I’m glad I got the chance to read this but if I’m honest, it’s a story I will easily forget apart from maybe 2 scenes.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Tordotcom. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Horror
Gore Level: Not to high
Format: Novella

THE BUTCHER OF THE FOREST has a bit of a Hansel and Gretel vibe. The tragedy of the woman's past comes out near the end of the story.

There are monsters and dark foreboding surrounding the northern forest. And on the outside of the forest is the Tyrant. In other words, there are monsters on both sides. I think that is the point of the story—see the monsters and do something about it.

I felt like the story started and stopped in the wrong places. Because of this, I think it must be deliberate. But why? Perhaps to emphasize that this is a slice in the main character's life. Perhaps to focus on the fairy tale aspects. I'd be interested to see what other people thought about this.

If you're ready for a short, dark fantasy, this is the book for you.

Happy reading!

Content warning: Rape is alluded to. Anything with rape as a plot device automatically drops a star for me.

A dark fairytale style story that wastes no time kicking things off. At the beginning we meet our main character Veris as she is taken from her home and tasked with rescuing the Tyrant's children from the dangerous and magical forest. There are many obstacles that not only stand in the way of her finding the children, but finding her way out of the forest before it claims her too.

Veris has a mysterious past as the only one to ever enter the forest and survive. This past is revealed and, although I'm not sure the reveals hit as hard as they could have, her past is undeniably tragic and I enjoyed going on this journey with her. I loved the moral conflict she faced, trying to separate the children from their father who has taken so much from her already. She faces her past traumas while remaining determined to protect what little was left of her family. I also enjoyed getting to know the children along the way and seeing how they faced the horrors of this forest and relied on Veris to hopefully get them out.

The world is bizarre, ever changing with magic. Nothing is ever what it seems and it was interesting to see the forest and the creatures within try to stop Veris from stealing what they believed to be theirs. The magic has rules while simultaneously feeling nonsensical at times. Although we learn some of these rules throughout the story, mostly with the magic Veris can use, the forest itself seems to make up its own rules, always trying to trick the humans to get what it wants.

Overall, I enjoyed seeing this story unfold. I was definitely invested in Veris's journey, and I liked that the ending left the possibility for more while still feeling like this particular story was complete.

To be honest this is one of those books where I'm like "this was a lot of fun, not many more thoughts"

I really wish I was more impressed with this one. While it was good and interesting and I loved the dark fairy tale of going into the woods and finding the kids that were whisked away to a world within the forest, I ended up wanting way more from this story.

The premise is excellent. I love a good dark fairy tale and this delivers in many ways. The enchanted woods that live in some alternate reality within the woods itself is always good. I loved the challenges they faced; the deals they needed to make in order to bargain their freedom. I loved the monsters and gods they come across. There's some brilliant bits and pieces in this story that made me really intrigued and wanted to know more.

But then it kind of falls short. There's too many things being introduced here that I wish were fleshed out more. I wanted to know more about the tyrant king. I wanted to know about the daughter's feelings on being heir and learning that her father isn't the smartest man she knows. I wanted to know more about Veris and her life that only becomes a plot device in the story. I wanted to know more about the god of the woods. There were so many little things introduced that really excited me, but kind of left hanging.

I will probably read more from Premee Mohamed because her writing was truly riveting and the fever dream of a story kept me intrigued. I just wish there was more here. And I know with novellas that it's not going to give you the full picture, but these stories either get the bigger plot within the story down in a short amount of time or dive deeply into the characters and their motivations. I felt like this lacked in both areas.

This dark fairytale is Hansel and Gretal meets tales of the old fae.

Veris is the only one to have ever gone into Elmever and returned alive. The North Forest is dangerous, full of dangers meant to trap you forever. Don't eat any of the food. Don't make bargains with the those who dwell in the forest. Be very, very quiet. But most importantly--don't go inside at all.

Veris hoped to never go into the forest again, to continue to live her quiet life in the village. Until the Tyrant's children go missing, having run off into the enchanted forest in the middle of the night. Being the only person who has gone in and returned, the Tyrant sends her on a quest to retrieve his children. If she fails? The penalty is death for her and her family. Facing no other option, Veris heads into the forest--but will she return? And will she be able to rescue the children before time runs out?

I really enjoyed this dark fairy tale retelling--it was a very fast read and definitely kept me engaged. The entire book was tense and dark, as though you were in this terrible situation with her. However, I do feel that it was TOO short (less than 200 pages!) and there is potential for SO MUCH more to be done here, particularly at the ending. It felt very abrupt and incomplete. Things were resolved, there was ambiguity as to the background of characters, but it still worked, and then the end opens the door for another 200+ pages of story that aren't there. I would have loved to see the story continue on!

If you're looking for a shorter fantasy read that feels similar to The Cruel Prince, enjoy twists on old fairytales, and want a darker story--this is for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a review!

If I had realized this was a novella prior to requesting, I probably wouldn’t have requested it – novellas usually just feel like something is missing, and that rang true for me in this story as well. Definitely dark, with the beginnings of a rich setting, but we really don’t get much expansion on anything. At times, the pacing felt odd, with some scenes feeling unnecessarily long. I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love it.

This is an atmospheric read that I was able to get through very quickly. It’s dark and immersive, but I wish we got to learn more about the forest. I also found it a little hard to relate to the main character, and she is a very guarded and matter of fact person. This made sense once you learn more about her, but personally it also made it hard to connect and sympathize with her. Sometimes she felt a bit robotic on her mission to save the children from the forest, and I would have liked some instances where she was humanized a little more. But overall I liked this one, and I think the book cover is absolutely stunning!

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

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

<i>Butcher of the Forest</i> isn't a tromp through your typical fairyland--no, it's a hardscrabble scramble through a nightmare. Veris is a middle-aged woman summoned to the court of the Tyrant, the man whose ruthless rule cost Veris the lives of her own parents and thousands more across the realm. He tasks her with an impossible quest into the nearby woods, where his two curious children have gone exploring, and where no one but Veris has returned. These woods are a place where undead animals hunger, games are deadly, and the food anchors people there forever. If Veris doesn't return with the Tyrant's children within the day, her own surviving family and friends will be slaughtered.

Hooo boy. This book is dark. Dark, dark, dark. Mohamed can sure write, as the prose is eloquent, the tension high, and the mission feels impossible. It's a novella, at least, so I wasn't kept in suspense through a never-ending tome. The end feels... right yet not right at the same time.

This novella was pretty solid. The writing style felt sophisticated yet not overly poetic to the point of not understanding what was happening. The descriptive aspects were great, making it easy for the reader to picture what was happening and the environment. My only struggle with this story was the pacing. I felt like it advanced too slowly for my tastes. I was hoping for a more engaging plot line. Overall, a really good novella for someone who is looking to explore a new world.

This novella was so great. It’s a dark fairy tale/folklore/fantasy story and a quick read. A tyrant’s children are lost in a mysterious wood that no one ever returns from. Usually. He forces the one person to ever make it back alive to go in and bring them home safe. The rules of the wood mean that she has 24 hours or they’re lost forever.

The writing is descriptive and puts you right in the setting. You’re pulled into the story with a sense of urgency. There are fun touches- I like that she can talk to birds in the woods. But overall there’s an overarching sense of danger as she navigates this perilous place to find the kids. She brings with her the emotional and physical scars from the war when the tyrant invaded and also her previous time in the woods.

I loved this book. Five stars all the way. It was the first one I’ve read by this author, and now I want to read more! It comes out February 27. Thank you to Tordotcom and Netgalley for the eARC.