We all love a dark, twisted fairytale, but this was much more unnerving than usual. One part dark fantasy fairytale novella, one part cosmic horror, with a good pinch of gruesome grimdark, this macabre novella juxtaposed with lush beautiful prose combines a few of my favourite elements. Set in a deep, dark forest, where nightmarish fantastical forces lurk, the Elmever woods are full of the uncanny and ominous. In this twisted realm, nothing is as it appears, and venturing too far might mean never coming back.

Unfortunately, our main character Veris, is tasked with retrieving the Tyrant's wayward children who ventured too far into this perturbing forest, under the threat that everyone Veris loves will die if she fails. Right from the beginning the author builds up a sense of dread, doom and tension, blurring the lines between the familiar and unfamiliar on the protagonist’s fever-dreamlike quest. I also really liked Veris’ character, a wise, 40-year-old, no-nonsense, and resilient woman with a haunted past (and especially appreciate her character after reading many romantasies this year).

If I have any critique, it's that the sentences can be lengthy and the prose can lean towards flowery, but in this case, it worked for the world-forest-building and it worked for me. It might not work for others depending on how you prefer your prose.

🚨If you intend to read this novella, it’s best to avert your eyes from the rest of this review due to the mild spoilers + trigger warnings below:

The Butcher of the Forest transcends a literal tale, delving into metaphorical layers that go beyond physical monsters versus confronting one’s inner demons, which I thought was quite artistic. There are a few trigger warnings to be mindful of including: Body horror, gore, violence, child sex abuse and the death/s of a loved one.

-End of mild spoilers-

NGL, I think I liked this, but I have been travelling a lot so didn’t get to immerse myself in this world in longer stints as I would’ve preferred. I would recommend reading this novella in one to four sessions to get maximum enjoyment, not in many short sessions, as I did.

All in all, I definitely recommend this one if you’re into deeply unsettling cosmic horror grimdark fairytale fantasy (sorry I’m not sure how to classify it, but I had a go). If you’re looking for cosy fantasy feel-good vibes, I would stay away!

My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group and author Premee Mohamed for the opportunity to read this work in exchange for an honest review.

The Butcher of the Forest is a great read if you:
- like enchanted forests filled with horrific beasts
- want to consume a read in one sitting
- are looking for middle aged main characters
- want to be immediately swept up into a different world
- don't mind gore and violence
- like Canadian authors

Overall I personally found this novella fascinating and I couldn't put it down once I started. However, it was too scary for me at times. If anything, I now want to explore more of Mohamed's work!

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy.

We follow Veris, a woman from a village conquered by invaders many times over, as she is forced to search the mysterious and dangerous Elmever forest for the children of their current monarch. She must find the children and get out before time runs out, and they are all trapped in the forest’s grasp forever.
The story was brilliantly written, with descriptions that give everything an air of eeriness that prompts thoughts of danger at every step. The ‘rules’ of interaction with the forest that Veris has seems to indicate that the forest is perhaps some sort of Faerie realm. And with each passing creature we meet, the lines between monstrous and humanity are blurred.
I thoroughly enjoyed the strange and sinister journey through the dark fairytale forest this story took me.

At the northern edge of the land there is a wild forest that people can enter, but never escape. All except Veris, the only person who’s escapes. So, when the Tyrant’s two young children go missing, Veris is commanded to enter the forest to get them out. If she fails, Tyrant will kill her, and if she stays longer than a day, she will be trapped. Will she be able to survive?

This was an interesting and immersive novella about a haunted forest. Because this is a novella, it is pretty fast paced, and we are taken right to the action. I wish that we would have had a little more time to get some of Veris’s back story, there was just a lot that could have been done. This book has dark fairytale vibes, and it has some pretty dark elements. I enjoyed them and felt that they worked well with the story and helped build the atmosphere that the author seemingly wanted to portray. Veris is an unlikeable main character, but with the vibes it worked. I didn’t really dislike anything about this one, but just wish I could have had more overall. I loved the writing style and would read more from this author in the future.

If you are looking for a book about a dark and enchanted forest, then I suggest you check this one out.

Thank you so much to Tordotcom @tordotcompub and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a whirlwind of fantastical horror and suspense. I really branched put of my comfort zone with this book, but I enjoyed it. There were parts that had me squirming with discomfort and fear right along with the characters. But I was wrapped up in the suspense of it all and invested in whether the MC would make it put of the forest. Some of the creatures she encountered were terrifying, and the author did such a good job of describing the strangeness of them. Although this isn't my usual kind of read, I'm giving it 5 stars because Premee was such a good storyteller.

TW of Note: mention of SA towards the end of the book.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was excellent--a lush dark fairy tale with gorgeous prose. I devoured this novella in one sitting and wish I could read it for the first time all over again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

This book feels very much like a dark fairy tale in the best way possible. It's one of those stories that's going to stay with me a long time after I've put the book down. At no point was I sure what would happen next, and I loved that!

A fast paced, dark fantasy that immediately pulls you in!

Veris, an unlikely heroine, is the only person who has successfully entered the deadly forest and not only returned alive, but also retrieved someone else. This information reaches the ruling tyrant’s ears, compelling him to force her back into the forest once more. This time, her mission is to retrieve his own children, who have run away. Throughout her journey to accomplish this near impossible task, she encounters deliciously twisted creatures who will stop at nothing to prevent her from succeeding.

At only 160 pages, this story is incredibly unique and will leave you wanting more. If you enjoy nail biting dark fantasy, with horror elements, this book is for you!

Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stunningly written dark fairytale. This small but mighty package packs a punch with engaging plot, magic, and well developed characters. I absolutely love dark fairytales and horror novellas so this was a perfect match for me. Only critique is world building is a little lacking, but completely acceptable and understandable when confined to the page length of a novella. I just wanted more of the world, Veris, and everything! Thank you NetGalley and Premee Mohamed for this ARC.

Premee Mohamed's "The Butcher of the Forest" presents a dark fairytale wrapped in stunningly beautiful prose and an immersive atmosphere. Set against the backdrop of the Elmever, a wild forest notorious for consuming those who enter, the novella follows Veris Thorn, a seasoned woman forced into a perilous mission to rescue the tyrant's missing children.

This short yet intense narrative unfolds with a mix of fantasy and horror, featuring an enchanted forest where children vanish, mythical creatures, challenging decisions, magic, high stakes, and a time limit of 24 hours for the daring rescue operation. The story is more somber than expected, creating a sense of anxiety throughout, which adds to the overall tension and intrigue.

Despite its brevity, the characters, particularly the wise Veris, are well-drawn, and their connections to a tyrannical ruler enhance the depth of the narrative. The pacing is relentless, thrusting readers into the action without respite, maintaining a constant sense of urgency. Mohamed's mastery in creating an enticing world, rich in magic and dark themes, is evident, making readers yearn for more.

The novella masterfully blends elements of fantasy and horror, exploring themes of tyranny, imperialism, and the blurred lines between the outside world and the mysterious Elmever. Veris's journey unfolds with cosmic horror, presenting inescapable foes and a sense of powerlessness that heightens the suspense.

While "The Butcher of the Forest" concludes leaving some threads unexplored, it aligns with the thematic undercurrents of the story. The narrative keeps readers on edge, challenging expectations and presenting a macabre tale that lingers in the mind. Mohamed's skillful storytelling and the atmospheric blend of fantasy and horror make this dark fairytale a compelling read for those who enjoy stories that defy traditional boundaries.

A very finely written little fairy-tale. Extremely anxiety-inducing (in a good way!). I thought that the ending would be sadder than it was, and I was relieved not to have the ending I was anticipating, haha. The actual ending is quite good, and I appreciate the almost-but-not-quite uplifting note, which I feel is a hallmark of Mohamed's work.

I did feel like there were a few seeds planted that ended up not being seeds: namely the reasons why Eleonor, Aram, and earlier Ingrahid went into the Elmever in the first place. (There was a reason given for Eleonor and Aram, but I found it so unsatisfying that I assumed there was another, realer reason further on.)

I read this in half a day! I liked it a lot! I would recommend it!

This review was made possible via an ARC through NetGalley.

Butcher in the Forest by Premee Mohamed has a dark atmosphere, gorgeous prose, vivid descriptions, and a real sense of being a fairy tale for adults.

Veris is a forty-ish year old woman who doesn’t have much but she has done the impossible: brought a child back from the dark forest that nobody else has ever escaped from. This leads the Tyrant to send her after his two children after they went into the forest themselves.

It reads a lot like a longer, more fleshed out Grimm’s fairy tale but it’s also its own thing. I very much recommend this novella to fans of fairy tales and darker fantasy.

This fast paced story blends fantasy and horror. Veris has been forced by a tyrannical ruler to rescue his kids from the Elmever forest, which all locals know to stay far away from. Veris knows this better than anyone, having been the only person to enter and escape the forest alive. Veris has to use her knowledge of the forest, and her cunning to do the impossible once more.

I was interested in this book because I love the premise of a sinister, dark fairy tale forest with creepy creatures and ancient magic, and it was everything I could have asked for.

The writing style is unique and immersive, and a bit disorienting at times. It's written to seem like Veris' train-of-thought as she embarks on her quest, which wonderfully captures the fear and mystery of the whole situation.

I liked that Veris described the horrors of the forest from the perspective of having seen and dealt with them before. She knows the dangers lurking and knows to walk on eggshells around them, and one wrong move can end her journey. It lent an ominous and fragile feeling to the atmosphere. Adding the children to the peril only increased that, with their undisciplined tendency to act on their own whims. This, combined with a 24 time limit on their lives, and the disturbing and otherworldly descriptions of the guardians of the forest all made for a dark and anxiety-inducing reading experience.

I also liked the world-weary attitude of Veris. She can take on these nightmarish creatures because she's already lived through the worst nightmare imaginable. Nothing in the forest can harm her more than the events of her past. It doesn't make her careless or eager to throw her own life away, she only has a sense of duty and redemption to carry out this task successfully.

The story is short and I found the ending to be a little abrupt. We also start the story in the middle of the main character's life. Veris already has gone through so much prior to this novel. I'd have liked to get a clearer picture of her life. I'm left with many questions about both the background and future of the characters and setting. I really think the author could have expanded on the world a little more. I can see this becoming a series. I can't complain about a quick read though, and it was impressive how much was included in so little pages.

I am impressed 👏🏻

I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this short story, which can be hard to accomplish a meaningful and thought provoking story in limited pages but this delivered. I really enjoyed the way Premee story told, it was so easy to follow and made me feel invested in these characters with minimal backstory. Honestly, I would read an entire novel/series about this story. It was so creative, and dark in ways I wasn’t expecting.

I like when books/movies/shows don’t follow the traditional “everyone lives happily ever after” because those stories leave you feeling haunted when not everything works out the way it “should” and keeps you thinking about it for days after.

Highly recommend this short and will definitely be purchasing the physical when it releases! Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this ARC ❤️

A dark fairytale that blends fantasy and horror, The Butcher of the Forest follows a woman who is forced into a harrowing journey into dangerously magical woods to rescue the children of a ruler. While inside (for the second time in her life) she encounters strange and disturbing creatures, tricksters, and things that want to kill her and the children or keep them there forever. It's evocative and a really effective, contained story that will never let you think about unicorns the same way. Content warnings include body horror, gore, violence, peril, references to child sex abuse (past). I received a copy of this book for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Brisk and atmospheric, it does a wonderfully creepy job of reimagining the trope of fairy woods and fae creatures. My only complaint was that I'd like to read more honestly; the worldbuilding was great and could definitely flesh out more stories. The cover is also stunning.

Premee Mohamed excels at creating an atmosphere of cosmic horror: inescapable, malicious, all-consuming foes that can only be survived, never defeated. Instead of near-future sci-fi like her Beneath the Rising novel series, The Butcher of the Forest is a fairy-tale fantasy novella, and this genre change only increases the suffocating powerlessness.

Veris is a middle-aged woman who lives with the remains of her family in a village under the rule of the Tyrant. She is the only person who has entered the the forest within the forest, the Elemever, and returned. She is ordered to do it again. She must rescue the Tyrant's children, or her own family is forfeit.

The Elmever is a place of magic, not logic. Its inhabitants are willing to lie and trick and steal to get their way, which darkens their interactions beyond the typical rule-bounded stories of fae. Every time Mohamed lulls the reader into a false sense of security, which I fell for constantly despite myself, danger is not far behind (and sometimes is a unicorn).

The Butcher of the Forest was fast-paced and left me a little bit unsatisfied at the end, but in a way that felt right for the story. There are heavy thematic parallels between tyranny and imperalism and borders from the outside world and to the Elmever, and Veris struggles with the innocence and responsibility of children throughout.

I did have one plot question (big spoiler): Since the day limit has elapsed by months by the end of the book, shouldn't Eleonor know that Aram is unrescuable? Why does Veris think she can rescue the other captured children? Is it only the rescuer who must leave by the end of the day?

Recommended for fans of Nettle & Bone (but this is much less cozy), Beneath the Rising, and dark fantasy retellings.

A quickly paced dark fairytale, but one that is not without hope.

A woman named Veris Thorn is summoned to the castle of the Tyrant, a cruel and merciless ruler, and told that she must save his children from the forest into which they have wandered, or her life, the lives of her remaining family, and the lives of everyone in her village are forfeit. The reason that Veris has been summoned: she is the only person known to have entered that forest and left with her life. And so, of course, she must go.

This is a briskly paced novella – it is exactly as long as it needs to be to tell the story it wishes to tell. It wastes no time in getting the story going, instead slowly giving us the pertinent details of the past as the story goes on, when those details matter, be they worldbuilding or character building. We learn about Veris and her family, and the history of the area that lead to the Tyrant being in the position that he’s in, but only when it’s needed.

I particularly enjoyed that this story is from the perspective of an older character – Veris is in her forties, and is unmarried with no wish to be, but still, she has people she loves, and a life she does not wish to lose to the whims of a heartless king. I also enjoyed the writing, and the setting – the forest is horrifying, but beautifully written, in its details sweeping and small.

I wasn’t as keen on the strong conclusion – it felt too resolute in its ending for my taste, as the rest of the novella had left a little more mystery to the story. As I’d rather enjoyed that mystery. I expected far less certainty in its ending.

Thanks to Tor, NetGalley, and Premee Mohamed for the early access to this story!

A macabre novella for fans of dark fantasy. It's dark and beautiful and strange. Since it's so short, the action starts immediately and I was invested until the end! I love a quick spooky read.

I went into this book blind, not having read any previous titles from the author, but was intrigued by its description. The Butcher of the Forest is labeled as a fantasy novel, but I would argue this book is equal parts horror.

The plot is quite straightforward - a woman enters a magic forest to find two lost children. The titular forest is both setting and main character. It's labyrinthine depths hide every new trial that must be faced, and it is populated with fairy tale creatures portrayed as disturbing eldritch beings. It is governed by laws separate from the human realm, and the author does a great job of revealing the rules of the forest without explicitly listing them. Every encounter is wrought with tension, as the narrator - Veris - tries to barter with creatures that function in a world beyond human understanding. I rarely scare easily when reading, but the oppressive nature of the forest and its inhabitants had me feeling uneasy more than a few times.

Veris is a very reasonable narrator who weighs her options in a fair and intelligent manner, while still realistically second guessing the choices she makes over the course of the story. Despite there being very few additional characters, the author manages to create an interesting dynamic between them as Veris is both the child’s savior and a victim of their tyrant father. This presents an interesting dilemma - are the children truly innocent of their father's sins, or are they inherently complicit? What is she risking her life for?

I really enjoyed The Butcher of the Forest. I think it would be great for both fantasy readers and fans of horror and speculative fiction. I don't often like to draw comparisons to other novels in reviews, but this book managed to evoke the same feelings in me as when I first read Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer, and that is one of my all-time favorites.