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.

The Butcher of the Forest goes back to the roots of how stories involving the fea used to be told. It is dark, unsettling and full of the old wisdom of never trust the fae and remember they can and will trick you to get what they want. Premee did a fantastic job building up the wicked, frightful and ominous feelings within the forest of Elmever. She managed to create these feelings of unknown and fear the more the story progressed, and the more it went on the more I had no idea what the outcome of the situation was going to be, which is fantastic because I don't want to be able to figure out the outcome before it happens.

This story is also very heavy on the descriptions and while it does work in its favor to help build the atmosphere there was at times where the story felt like it was starting to drag, but eventually it pulled out of that feeling. The characters are very well balanced and I feel Premee did a wonderful job capturing the personalities of two children raised by a Tyrant but also how they can and could still be rash due to their young age. One of the traits about Veris that I enjoyed was her constant habit of reminding herself to not hate these children as they are innocent to the world around them but also how she thought about how they would more than likely be in the process of being trained to be just like their father.

While the ending is tragic I am glad that Premee went in the direction that she chose, it fit perfectly for the story because I knew something was wrong, I'm trying to avoid spoilers but throughout the whole story we are given snippets of another situation that Veris was involved in and slowly we are shown the importance of it and so when the deals came around I knew what had happened wasn't correct or enough, what I didn't know was the consequences of Veris actions. The end brought on a wave of emotions for me as well some unanswered questions but I let that go.

If you are looking for a fae story that focuses on the evil roots of the fae than this is perfect for you, it is dark, chilling and emotional.

I will always be down for reading a novella from Mohamed. She always brings the sinister and insidious to her stories. Her characters too are always sharp and interesting. Whether it is by their choices or actions, you always want to follow where they are going, if only to see where it all leads and ends.

Veris is a the only person who ever ventured into the north woods and survived. When this peasant woman is summoned by the tyrant, she is forced to go back to the forest to retrieve his missing children.

This dark fairy tale is a full plate of suspense and tension. Ancient creatures, gods, bargains and sacrifice paint a tapestry of the brutality of an alternate reality, implanted in the characters whose background I wanted to read more.

For those wondering to escape into these enchanted woods, the challenges and horrors are anchored by sinister vibes. The relationship with the woods, a place alive with tales, is otherworldly. There's a discreet examination of grief, war and temptation, analyzing those who are innocent x the merciless ones.

As usually expected from novella, I desired a deeper dive into the characters - the foreign king, his children and ultimately, our main character. The engaging prose combined with fast pacing make this an one-sitting read.

One's inner demons will haunt even the most resilient minds. THE BUTCHER OF THE FOREST is an atmospheric tale that I enjoyed.

This creepy little fairy tale was a very interesting. For such a short novella the world building is surprisingly complex and rich. The character development was a bit shallow, but again the book is very short. I was definitely not something I would normally have read were it not for NetGalley, so thank you for that. While it is certainly fantasy, I think fans of horror might enjoy even more.

I enjoyed this novella so much. The dark forest of Elmever is dangerous and only Veris Thorn has ever been able to go inside and come back alive. So when the tyrants children disappear into the forest she is tasked with the job of retrieving them. This is a dark fairytale that is beautifully written with the worldbuilding happening so effortlessly that you are immersed in this haunting dark forest along with Veris and the children. The rules of Elmever, the courage of Veris, the lessons learned and the glimpses of the world within and outside the forest will stay with you long after the story has ended.

The Butcher of the Forest is a short story set in a cursed forest near the edge of the kingdom. The townsfolk know to stay away from the forest, but the Tyrant's children have not been given that warning in any harshness. Veris is the only known soul who has walked into the Elmever and returned, a trip that has haunted her after the child has returned home and stepped into yet another nightmare.

Premee Mohamed achieved a small epic journey within this short story. Mohamed gave us a setting that took root outside of the story. I felt like walking in the Elmever with her throughout the story.

I felt like I was comparing this story to some tales from an SCP, especially when it came to the cottage with the corpses. The use of the unknown was well done to build tension in the story.

The only reason I took one star away is I wanted more. It felt so quick that I felt like I was just pulled along for the ride instead of discovering things for myself.

If you liked Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher, you'll love this one too, although it's a little darker. This was a quick novella that I devoured! It's unsettling and gloomy, everything is against the MC. The chances of success are close to none but she keeps going.

The story is told in one long block, there are no chapters. I thought this alone would annoy me but the story was so captivating that I just kept reading and turning the pages.

Veris is the only person that ever went into the Northern woods and came back. No one ever came back and the Woods have kept numerous trespassers throughout the years. Their village is ruled by a Tyrant that's not from here and never learned about the Woods or to avoid it.

His children left for it in the middle of the night and he now needs Veris to go in and get them back... or he'll just burn her village. Veris knows she has less than 24 hours from the moment the children entered the woods to get them out. She has no hope of succeeding but she has to try for her village.

This book weaves in elements of horror, grimdark, and supernatural genres into a short fairytale novella. It is a dark story about a mysterious woods called Elmever. No one in history has ever entered the woods and returns alive, but Veris has done the impossible and survived. Due to this, the Tyrant orders her back into the tricky forest to find his two children.

I liked a lot of things about this novella, the setting, tone, and its dose of spooky yet whimsical nature. The thing I could not get past though was the writing style. I found it tedious to read because of the frequent run-on sentences. I would have to re-read entire sections to understand what the author really meant. I felt like the flow was off for me, which was a bummer.

I also don't understand why Veris lies. When truth is such a major theme, why dare? Seeing is believing in Elmever, but nothing is as it seems. To lie is to die. And I just found that contrary to her character and past experience.

If you love spooky fairytales then I highly recommend checking this book out. It was a super quick read and very immersive.

Veris is tasked with going into the forest to retrieve the Tyrant’s children. If she fails, her family will die as well as herself.

From the beginning, this novella kicks off with a bang. It doesn’t let up until the end and will keep you hooked. I really enjoyed the writing style and the details were beautifully done! I would definitely check trigger warnings before reading this one though. It has a lot of dark themes.

Premee Mohammed is no stranger to those who enjoy short speculative fiction, being one of the foremost voices in her field. Butcher of the Forest is one of her latest longform works, a dark fantasy novella that strikes all the notes of an ancient fairy tale. A land ruled by a tyrant, an enchanted forest of danger and monsters, and our heroine is Veris Thorn-the only person to ever rescue a child from the dark forest of Elmever and return alive.

Unfortunately for Veris, the tyrant’s children have gone missing in Elmever and she is faced with the impossible task to fetch them back, with her life forfeit if she fails. Forcing her to brave the dark woods and risk the horrors that lie within.

Mohammed’s prose is as lush as any dark wood. She chooses each word with delicate precision and builds tension and dread like an absolute master, evoking some of the most primal of emotions throughout her writing. Mohammed spends time on building Veris as a character- an older woman with no time for nonsense which is a refreshing rarity in fantasy.

This is no safe fairytale, though. “Butcher of the Forest” is full of horror of all sorts to go along with the dark atmosphere. The forest is full of mythical monsters and Mohammed writes them with an utter glee in the horror. If there is a flaw, it’s that the story is very fast paced with so much information to absorb for the reader.

An absolutely haunting and atmospheric tale, and a sure sign more greatness is in store from the writer.