Old fairytales are dark. We all know this. Old fairytales tell of consequences. Old fairytales remind us that the woods are not a safe place, but that men and nature alike can be monstrous. Friends, The Butcher of the Forest is, in all the best ways, like those old fairytales.

This is the story of a woman named Veris, the only person to have ever successfully rescued a child from the Elmever, a darkly enchanted forest. When the Tyrant's two children wander into the Elmever, he commands Veris to rescue them both; the price of failure will be her life and her village's lives as well. So into the woods she goes.

With rich prose and unsettlingly vivid imagery, Mohamed weaves a chilling and captivating tale in this novella. (Fun fact: there are no chapters in it, and I didn’t even mind.) On one level, this is a story about a haunted forest, with decaying animal Guardians, tricksy fae, and an evil unicorn. But on a deeper level, this is a story of lost innocence, and of grief, not just for individual lives (though those do abound), but for all the things which are lost at the hands of a conquering empire. As awful as Veris's time in the forest is, her narration is littered with memories of other horrors she and her village and others were subjected to when the Tyrant came to their lands. Those horrors plague her every time she looks at the children, knowing they might grow up to be the same as their father--but that, for now, they are just children, still innocent. Her emotional turmoil is a slow smothering of shadows to which the reader is subjected, a tale that may raise your hair a bit as you read (those Guardians are creepy as heck), but will ultimately leave you wondering why your heart feels so heavy. As it should.

Rep: possibly aro-coded MC
TW/CW: body horror, blood, animal corpses, kidnapping, war, child prostitution (mention), death of parent, death of child

You can judge this book by its gorgeous cover. It is an elegant atmospheric fairy tale. The story is familiar but unique - a dark enchanted forest, two lost children and a richly built world with strict rules.

The prose follows the cadence of a classic Grimm but adds richness and adventure. The world and its monsters are grotesque and composed of the fantastic and human.

I love the main character, Veris. First, she is not a child but a full adult with a robust backstory, fears, and motivations. She is brave and heroic but also vulnerable and realistic. She is sent to retrieve a Tyrant's children. The Tyrant is a bit of an abstract conquerer which is fine for a novella. The children are quintessential fairy tale children - perhaps real children - heading into a dangerous wood because they were told not to. However, they are allotted more personality than most fair tale children are allowed. The monsters are familiar but with a twist. It's a bit as if a fairy tale fell through the looking glass.

It struck the right chords and I will definitely keep this author on my radar.

I was so intrigued by this from the synopsis but it fell short for me. The Tyrant and his legacy of death and fear were the best part. The description of some of the forest while horrible and freaky didn't add much for me. The story was left with the potential for a second part but I'm not sure if there was one that I'd read it. The lack of chapters was also very off-putting.

For only being less than 100 pages long, this book felt like it was never going to end; though it's clearly supposed to be an adventure story, it was SO tedious. The language was overly flowery, and the story itself didn't really tread any new ground. It sounded so promising when I read the blurb, but in execution, it just...didn't do it for me. I wish I had more to say about it that might actually be helpful, but when it comes down to it, I felt like the author, and the book itself, both had loftier thoughts and opinions about what was being produced here. T. Kingfisher does infinitely better work at these short, twisted-fairytale novellas.

The Butcher of the Forest is a haunting dark fairy tale that will stay with you, very reminiscent of many childhood stories but with added depth and layers of metaphor wrapped into the story. Very cleverly highlighting grief and asking the questions about who is innocent and complicit when it comes to oppression.

"𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕: 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.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, such a great introduction to the author, Premee Mohamed who's past work I will be looking forward to catching up on.

Originally published at - sffinsiders.com

‘The Butcher of the Forest’ is quite a stunning, and equally dazzling entry into the world of novellas. Dark, richly atmospheric, and magical in more ways than one. Pretty much every aspect of the novella is executed to near perfection – be it the story, the main character, or the writing. I was invested right from the start, and the incredible prose kept me hooked and engrossed until the very end. I would certainly not hesitate one bit when deciding whether to grab it or not. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

simple and very effective. i like premee mohamed's writing style too, elegant and expressive with skill and precision. will seek out more

This was an absolutely stunning novella. The Butcher of the Forest tells the story of Veris, a villager under the rule of a cruel tyrant who lives near a wild forest called Elmever. While Elmever looks like a normal forest, it is really two forests - a magical one and a real one - layered upon one another. Anyone who enters Elmever crosses into the magical forest without realizing and never returns to the world outside of the forest. When the two young children of the tyrant go into the forest, Veris, the only person ever to escape Elmever, is commanded by the tyrant to rescue them, or suffer the deaths of everyone she knows.

Veris enters Elmever and must contend not only with the monsters of the forest, but also the monsters of her own world. Are the children of a monster innocents?

The writing in this is just unbelievably good. I loved the tension between knowing the innocence of the children and the evil of their father. This was the best version of ~haunted magic forest~ I think I've ever read.

Thanks so much to Premee Mohamed and Tor Publishing Group for this ARC through NetGalley. The Butcher of the Forest is available now. Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed this one and continue to be impressed by Premee Mohamed's writing. This had a strong fairy tale vibe throughout, but was incredibly dark and horrifying in places, which I really appreciated. I thought Veris made a great protagonist and the notion of a forest within a forest was fascinating. The forest was filled with dangerous creatures and there was a real sense of dread throughout, which was most welcome. Also, the ending was unexpected. Overall, this was a great read and I would love to see more stories set in this world.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

"The Butcher of the Forest" by Premee Mohamed offers a promising premise with its tale of a forbidden forest filled with magic, traps, and ancient monsters. However, despite these intriguing elements, the story failed to fully engage me. One of the main issues lies in the pacing, which felt sluggish at times. Despite these shortcomings, Mohamed's writing style is competent, with moments of vivid description and imaginative world-building. With tighter pacing and more fully realized characters, "The Butcher of the Forest" could have been a much more engaging read. Overall, while the premise of "The Butcher of the Forest" holds promise,but the execution fell short for me.

This is a dark fairy tale with Pan’s Labyrinth-like creatures that are big and small. Not is all what it seems in the north woods called Elmever. Versus is asked to do the unthinkable: go back into Elmever to bring two lost children home before the forest claimed them for good. Nightmares are made in places like the north woods; especially for Veris.

I love the esthetics of this novella. The Grimm-esk tale was fast paced and thrilling. A perfect spooky read.

Imagine Over The Garden Wall, but horror. It's somehow both creepy and whimsical, like a Grimm's fairy tale. Unique story, evocative writing, and a great novella length.

i don't know if it's fair to rate this one because

1. i dnf'd it at 35%

2. i wouldn't say it's bad. but i don't think i'm the audience for it. it's less than 200 pages and i was reading it for a month, and dreaded coming back to it. maybe fantasy is just not my thing.

A big thanks to Netgalley and Tor for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Creepy? Fairy Tales? The only thing that wasn't in this book favors was it's length.

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed is a fantasy novel set in a world that perfectly mixes fantasy with horror. At the northern edge of a land ruled by a merciless foreign tyrant lies a wild, forbidden forest ruled by powerful magic. Veris Thorn—the only one to ever enter the forest and survive—is forced to go back inside to retrieve the tyrant's missing children. Inside await traps and trickery, ancient monsters, and hauntings of the past. One day is all Veris is afforded. One misstep will cost everything.

This book was sweepingly beautiful, with it's gorgeous prose and spooky atmosphere. I just kinda of wish it was a tad bit longer. Still I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a book off the beaten path of fairy tales.

"The Butcher of the Forest" is the book when you're looking for a complete but quick spooky faerie story. Author Premee Mohamed pulls your through the story with lyrical writing. It's as if a fae siren is singing you through a dark forest. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this digital ARC copy.

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed is like nothing I've read before.

The writing is so beautiful. Mohamed's prose is so fluid and well-written that it pushes the story forward constantly, ensuring that there is not a single dull moment. It does lean towards the flowery, which I think helped atmospherically build the forest setting. Every single page is filled with elements of cryptid fairytales and this uncanny kind of horror that puts your senses on constant alert. This novella is the complete opposite of cozy fantasy, and I loved every unsettling moment of it.

This is the perfect read for fall or winter. The atmosphere of the forest and all of the disturbing creatures lean towards the spooky. It has everything you need for a seasonal read: an enchanted forest where kids go in and never come out, magic, high stakes, a 24-hour deadline, and creepy (gross) mythical creatures. Despite this being such a short story, the world felt fully imagined and fleshed out. I could envision every section, place, and creature in this forest. The protagonist, Veris, is incredible. She is 40-something, damaged, and jaded, but holistically good despite her reluctance in her mission. I think the author excelled in giving us a character who you truly want to win.

I wish I could say more about the plot, but trust me, you'll want to experience it for yourself. All I can say is that this book left me hungry for more from Mohamed. If there is ever another book in this world, I will be first in line.

This one was a little bit of a miss for me.

I loved the cover, the writing itself was beautiful and descriptive. I enjoyed the story, for the most part. I felt like this novella maybe should have been a full novel. Some of the descriptions got in the way of such a short story. I would have been able to get some background and enjoyed the details more if this were a longer book.

I enjoyed the MC, Veris was great, bad ass and broken. You could feel her pain in the book, and I felt so bad for her. I didn't enjoy the child SA part of the book, even the small flash that it was. I felt like it was used and it didn't need to be the woman had already been through so much.

I enjoyed the book, and would read a novel by this author. Her writing is beautiful.

After reading The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed, I feel breathless at the eloquent imagery and effortless beauty. The tale is one of a common person confronting eldritch monsters in an otherworld full of subtle and brutal magic. As Veris enters this uncanny world, we are treated to the complexities of her life amidst a conqueror and war. The novella delves into war and grief with ease, the brutal reality of life twined in eloquent lyrical language. It is reminiscent of Patricia A McKillip in how Premee Mohamed tackles language and concepts.
The story blends the modern cold reality with the classic fairy elements in a new and unique way that grabs your heart and holds on. She infuses fantasy into horror with ease. And nothing is resolved as you would expect which just makes the story that much better and that much more heartbreakingly beautiful.
If you love fantasy infused horror that is breathtakingly beautiful and eloquent imagery that will evoke horror and beauty in the same vision, this novella is for you. It blends classic fantasy with eldritch horror and I loved the fast paced story that also has such lyrical language and characters full of compassion and empathy.

4 Stars

If you’re looking for a light adventuresome quasi-fairy tale, then this is not it.

The world that Mohamed has created is far from kind or picturesque. It is a world whose lands have been conquered with brutal force by the Tyrant, and what he wills, goes without argument or hesitation. To resist means death to you and all you hold dear.

So, when Veris is tasked to find the Tyrant’s children who have wandered into the dangerous wood Elmever, the chances of her success are pretty much zero, but she must venture forth to have a miniscule shot at saving not only herself, but also her family and ultimately, her village from the retribution if she fails.

What Mohamed reveals is a dark sinister place within the forest, full of all sorts of horror ready to trap and bind or pounce and consume. Beware unseemly gore, menacing creatures beneath a benign facade, and an oppressive feeling of inevitable doom for all those who have never made it out.

Here, Veris is another heroine to root for. She’s brave, steadfast, and with an iron will to continue on in the face of failure and hopelessness. On the surface, this is a quest in an alternate fantasy realm, but it also seems an outlet for a contrasting commentary on what’s left behind war’s conquering annihilation. What Veris and her people have suffered shows the tragic inhumanity and the justified compartmentalization of evil that is doled out and the evil that is endured.

Overall, despite this book’s grim atmosphere, the ending is impactful with its not so neat, imperfect unidealistic ending. It shows that there is triumph in survival and though at times nebulous, the drop of hope given represents a balm to possibly start healing.

Thank you to the author and Tordotcom via NetGalley for a copy in exchange for a honest review

4.5. Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for the ARC of The Butcher of the Forest.

What a wild ride. Beautiful and dark. Like the Brothers Grim doing weird fiction. It's been a while since I was that sucked into a novella like that. Right from the get-go, you feel for Veris and her village. You are quickly thrown into a world that is all too easy to see and feel in both good and not so good ways. A couple of bits, especially the Tyrant, were a bit cliche, but it worked, and you're quickly wisked off to an enchanted, mystical, demented forest. Full of reality bending rules, and selfish, hungry creatures all ready to bargain, game, cheat, and steal for what they want. It's like a worst-case scenario of bumping into every fairytale villain while on a stroll through the woods. I really enjoyed the pacing and certain scenes (the field before the cottage and the Fox Man in particular) will stick in my brain forever. It is pretty dark, but the world is weird and beautiful. There is just enough hope to get by and some devastating moments. Honestly, the .5 off the stars is because I wanted to be even more devastated, but I'm insane. If you like dark fantasy, I can not recommend this book enough and will be getting my hands on a physical copy asap.