Tragically, this book reminded me a bit of why I so often find novellas unsatisfying. There’s a lot of interesting worldbuilding, but it mostly doesn’t have room to breathe. Veris also feels thin as a character; we only find out a major motivating factor for her at the very end, and we never really learn how she knows the small magics that she has command of.

I got this from NetGalley as an ARC for my honest review so let’s get into it.

Why did I not think this book would be spooky??? Like did I just ignore the cover? I will say this was a lot darker then I expected but I really enjoyed it. If you enjoy the kind of story where your just a little bit confused and the wording matters so much you’ll like this. This has the trope where our main character has to be careful of what she says so nothing gets twisted by the people of the forest. This was a good little novella that people who enjoy dark fantasy will love.

The best part about this book is the cover. I didn’t feel like there was a lot of world building because you are thrown right into her being pulled in by the tyrant and tasked to find the kids. It moves fast from there because they only can spend one day in the forest or they have to stay there forever. But no reason is given why and that logic kind of makes the ending not make sense to me.. No time is really given to make you like the main character and root for her to be successful on getting the kids. I wish we got more of the lore regarding the forest and the creatures within it because they made the book more interesting. I could see the potential in this book though it just needed a little more

This book/novella was such a twisted dark fairytale! I truly enjoyed it!

It is fast paced and action packed! It gets pretty dark but it’s so whimsical at the same time?? It felt complex at times and there wasn’t a lot of world building, but the writing style and the plot helped a lot to make it entertaining to read!

The story itself was very interesting and different from any other fantasy I’ve read. I think it also had more of an horror/creepy side to it.

I wish there was a little more depth and background to the characters. We get some insight but I was hoping for more! There’s a lot of questions left unanswered.

Overall it was a good read and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in a fantasy novella with a hint of mystery to it!

TL;DR - This should have been a full length novel. There were too many characters, creatures, and elements in here and none of them received the depth and attention they deserved. My attention was too widespread and I finished with more questions than answers.

I am a huge character person and I was disappointed at the lack of depth there was to Veris. While we were shown the stakes of her journey should she fail, and slowly given her backstory throughout the journey, it never felt personal. We were given facts and details in a very detached manner and that prevented any emotional attachment towards her. There were very dark and tragic elements that came up as part of Veris's past but the lack of build up made them feel gratuitous. Additionally, Veris was supposedly a 40 year old woman, yet I never saw any signs of this in her thoughts and behaviors. She didn't display wisdom and maturity in her actions and regularly said or did things with too much impulse. Even the lie she told towards the end seemed out of character for someone of her age and experience with so much "Knowledge".

I would have possibly been ok with the lack of character development if the forest had been given more care and attention. However, I found this element to be disappointing, as well. Almost as soon are Veris enters Elmever, we experience a constant shifting of scenes. Different sections introduce different characters and creatures that feel as if they will be a pivotal part of the journey, but frequently played a small part in the overall plot. This prevented any substantial build up of tension or atmosphere.

I think this story had so much potential and could have been something incredible. I can't help but feel like it was simply underdeveloped. This felt like the result of an incredible brainstorming session - not a finished product. I'm so sad to be in the crowd that didn't connect with this story.

I enjoyed this creepy, forbidden forest short story. I love short stories. I thought this one was the perfect length. I think I wish we had gotten a little more about the characters but I understand there was limited space for that.

I enjoyed the creepy, grimdark vibes of this supernatural medieval fantasy. The world could easily be expanded, but this was the perfect length and amount of exposition for its purposes.

I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would!

I am generally not a big fan of novellas, as a lot of the time, they're not long enough to feel connected or attached to any of its elements or characters, but this definitely achieved that. Over the 160 or so pages of this book, I felt we got a very strong sense of atmosphere, worldbuilding, and character, particularly with the motivations and desire of our protagonist, Veris. In such a small amount of time, we get such a strong sense of Veris as a character that I feel like I've spent so much time with her than 160 pages, and I can't help but want perhaps just a bit more time with her to flesh her out even more.

I did not know this was horror going into this. Believe it or not, I'm also not much of a horror fan - it takes a lot for me to enjoy it. So not only did I really enjoy a novella, I really enjoyed a horror-based novella, which is such an achievement that I'm very surprised this random little tale managed to do it.

The best part of this book was the dark gothic fairytale aesthetic present throughout the entire book. Much like many fairytales, especially those from the Brothers Grimm, The Butcher of the Forest was fast-paced, with the action beginning on page 1, and never letting up, complete with two children lost in a haunted forest filled with monsters that want to "adopt" them, and an evil ruler who sends an unlikely hero in after them. The prose heighted the fairytale vibe even more, giving us a sense of urgency and tension that never lets up, given the 24-hour time limit Veris has to find and get the children out of the forest - before it never lets them go.

If you like spooky forests, dark fairytales, undead creatures, and a race against time, I highly recommend this book!

4/5 The Butcher Of The Forest

Veris, a middle aged village woman, is woken in the middle of the night and dragged before the kingdom's fearsome lord known only as the Tyrant. The Tyrant demands that Veris go into the north woods to find his missing children. To the villagers the northern woods hold a mystical land within its trees, Elmever, a land no one has returned from alive - except Veris.

The Butcher Of The Forest felt like a spiritual return to the original Grimm Fairy Tales. It was dark and gritty, additionally, in the vein of Grimm Fairy tales the more traditional myths and folklore surrounding fair folk or fairies was reintroduced which was incredibly refreshing. This novella was a fresh take on a well loved genre, an enjoyable read for any fan of dark fantasy.

The Butcher Of The Forest is short and poetic in its prose which made for a quick and easy read though the ending left a lot to be desired. It felt like this was more a prologue to a book, an introduction to the world and characters, than a standalone novel. I would love to see a lengthier sequel expanding on the characters and world building while wrapping up the story in a more satisfying and complete ending.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and the author Premee Mohamed for allowing me to read this as an ARC before the publication date of February 27th.

Do not read this book during lunch! It will make even the most reliable bean salads deeply unsettling. But otherwise, it's a very powerful, haunting story about a tale as old as time-two children are lost in the woods and a woman goes to find them.

But this forest, or at least the world within the forest, is seemingly older than time, and things are not as they seem.

This was really interesting, but the set up made it a little hard to follow. There were no chapters, just breaks in the text, which worked well enough. The end was really abrupt and I felt like it could have had more closure, but overall it was a good folk tale style story. Very dark and grim.

Varis has been sent into the Forest after the Tyrant's children who disappeared in the night. She's the only one to have ever made it back out alive, with a child in tow no less. As she searches for the children she encounters monsters both known and unknown. The way out, however, is far more than she bargained for, and begins to doubt their ability to escape.

4.5/5

A perfect book to read about a fierce FMC who ventures into a deadly forest that seems to come right out of a Grimm's Fairy Tale. Though she seems to be more experienced then most...

I'll be frank, I was in a reading slump for a minute and I thought the best course of action would be to get a few ARCs. I was incredibly lucky to stumble on a book that not only kept my interest, but I could also read in one sitting (one sitting being a few hours). Now I want to start off and say why this isn't a full 5 stars. It may be a bit of nitpicky reasons, but I always hold myself to post honest reviews. The only complaints were that I felt there should have been an extra added scene. Despite feeling that I knew the FMC, and I began to understand her morals, I just felt there should have been just <i>something</i> added. I can't say for certain what, but I thought I would mention it. The last thing is that I felt that I could have used a bit more detail about the world we find ourselves in. We are told about a pretty significant war for the FMC, but it seems that she doesn't or doesn't want to let the reader know just what it was about. Although the author doesn't reveal the outcome of the war involving Veris for plot reasons, I still desired a clear understanding of the war's purpose.

Other than that, I can say that I fully enjoyed myself. I found myself loving the personality of Veris and seeing myself in her. I especially enjoyed the feature of pagan and witchcraft practices that weren't deemed as evil or as a foil of some kind of Christian ideology. Veris herself is strong and confident, but isn't one to shamelessly boast or stubbornly refuse to admit when she was wrong in something. I enjoyed the journey overall, regardless of its length. I felt that the plot didn't overstay its welcome, and it was summed up rather nicely at the end with a minor cliffhanger. I finished this book satisfied and I am looking forward to what else Premee Mohamed comes out with.

I would like to thank Tor and Netgalley for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Veris is charged by the tyrant to find his two children, who have disappeared into a magical dark forest. She only has a short time to do so, or the tyrant will destroy her village and her family. The tyrant tells her to find his children, as Veris is the only person so far to make it in and out of the forest alive.

The book starts off on a strong note, as the action picks up right away. It has non-stop action and intrigue, and it had me at the edge of my seat the whole time that I was reading it. There are morally gray characters and fantasical creatures alike, and there is some magic used in the form of magical trinkets that Veris uses to help find her way. There are no chapters in this book, but I don't feel like it needs chapters, as it is a novella. It also doesn't feel repetitive or filled with running sentences, as some people might imagine chapterless books to be.

If I have one critique about the book though, it's that the ending felt a little rushed. It's a spoiler, so I won't reveal it. I do, however, love the open ending, which has me thinking about what could be next, in a good way.

Do I recommend this book? If you love dark, fairytale fantasies that are condensed into one short book, I'm saying a big yes!

This dark and atmospheric book definitely keeps things tense for the reader. I ended up wanting to like it more than I actually did though. I wanted to know more about the main character, the tyrant, and what was going on in this world when the book ended.

Veris Thorn is the only person to have returned from Elmever alive, so when the Tyrant’s children go missing, she’s tasked with entering the cursed woods once more and returning them. However, along the way, she must face the woods’ devious denizens while confronting her own traumatic past.

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed weaves a masterfully told, twisted fairy tale. It’s a darkly whimsical read that leans into horror territory. Here the woods are sentient and its trees shift and disorient travelers. There are creepy deer (and a unicorn), and the pages ooze with body horror and uncanny dread.

All in all, if you loved the mind-bending trippiness of the forest in The Ritual or the messed up bear from Annihilation, you'll probably love this novella as well.

Immersing myself in the eerie fantasy world of Premee Mohamed's novella, "The Butcher of the Forest," I found myself entranced by the chilling tale of a woman compelled to navigate a dark and magical forest to rescue the children of the man responsible for the devastation of her village and life during a brutal war. This novella proved to be adept at weaving vivid imagery and darker-than-expected themes into a haunting narrative that left a lasting impression.

Mohamed's skillful storytelling conjures a world that is both enchanting and foreboding. The dark and magical forest, depicted with vivid and atmospheric prose, serves as a compelling backdrop for the protagonist's harrowing journey. The author's ability to evoke a sense of unease and wonder simultaneously heightens the immersive experience, making every step into the unknown feel palpable.

The central theme of revenge and redemption, coupled with the exploration of trauma and the aftermath of war, adds a layer of depth to the narrative. The protagonist's quest to rescue the children of her tormentor is fraught with emotional turmoil, and Mohamed does not shy away from the darker aspects of the human psyche. The novella deftly balances the fantastical elements with these weighty themes, creating a story that resonates on both an emotional and intellectual level.

The unexpected ending is a masterstroke, defying conventional expectations and leaving a lingering sense of contemplation. Mohamed skillfully subverts the anticipated resolutions, adding a layer of complexity to the story and prompting reflection on the nature of closure.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

The was a creepy, dark, fairy-tale-esque little handful of a book. I loved the concept of this dark *forbidden* woods and wasn't sure quite what to expect, as this idea isn't really a new idea. But the CREATURES in these woods are so deliciously creepy, eerie, unnatural, disturbing, that I can't help but just be enamored by the creativity. While I'm not sure the characters themselves felt quite complete to me, I honestly didn't care because I really liked the world we were walking through. It gave me a sense of Seanan McGuire's "Wayward Children" series, the dark and twisty worlds that have no connection to the world as we know it, but the people just come to accept it as the way of things. More dark fairy tale worlds!

I read Premee Mohamed’s The Butcher of the Forest yesterday, and I’m pretty sure I’m not okay. It’s a fantastic novella, and that’s the problem. It’s too good, and now it’s done.

Veris lives in the valley that is ruled over by the Tyrant. She spends her days raising rabbits and helping her aunt and her grandfather with gardening and other tasks around the house. Most days, that would be more than enough, but today is not like most days.

Today, Veris was shaken out of bed by the Tyrant’s soldiers attempting to tear down her front door. Today, she was put into a carriage and taken to the Tyrant’s castle. Today might be the last day of her life. Last night, the Tyrant’s two children, Eleonor and Aram, vanished into the woods that lie north of the castle. Where the southern woods are often traveled by foragers and hunters, the northern woods are understood by the locals to be dangerous. No one who goes into the northern woods comes out again. Except, that is, for Veris.

Years ago, Veris ventured into those woods to rescue a child, and they both returned. Somehow, that information made its way to the ears of the Tyrant, and now he has had his soldiers drag her to the castle. Today, he has ordered her to find his children and bring them back home, or her life and those of her aunt and grandfather are forfeit. So it is with rapidly dwindling hope that Veris returns to her house to prepare. The northern woods are more dangerous than anyone other than her knows, and all she can do is try. Today, she will gather up her totems and supplies, and she will go to the woods. Today, she will risk everything she has in order to save it from the Tyrant’s whims. Today, she will try to save the children of a monster.

The Butcher of the Forest is quick and beautiful and painful as a knife through the ribs. Premee Mohamed has created a fairy tale to rival legends, with fae creatures and monsters and all the rules one must follow in order to survive. My utmost thanks to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for an eARC in exchange for a fair review. It’s available for purchase on February 27th, but if you can, preorder it through your favorite bookstore today. You’ll thank yourself.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2024/02/14/the-butcher-of-the-forest-a-review/

HIGHLIGHTS
~don’t trust the apples
~homey magics bring you home again (maybe)
~don’t lie to yourself or you’ll lie to the monsters

I will be honest: I didn’t actually enjoy The Butcher of the Forest. But I still think it’s objectively pretty decent, and I found a fair bit to appreciate in it.

The novella starts out strong, quickly introducing the reader to Veris and the Tyrant she and her people live under. I liked Veris immediately, and the Tyrant turned my stomach; the nightmare he’s put the people he’s conquered through is gotten across very efficiently and effectively. The quick glimpse we get of him when he orders Veris dragged into his presence was more than enough to make me thoroughly despise the man – and absolutely believe he’d carry out his threats if Veris didn’t go into the woods, or failed to come out of them.

The woods – the Elmever – is really where my problems with this novella began. Although Mohamed really nails the sense of urgency powering Veris’ mission – she has from dawn to dusk to get in and out, or she’ll never get out at all – the woods themselves never felt that eerie, frightening, or otherworldly to me. I’m not sure if I was expecting something more dramatic, but birds that occasionally talk and trees that move when you’re not looking? I want a lot more out of my otherworlds; I want the plants and earth and air to be strange and unique, whether creepy or beautiful or both. The fact that you can slip from our world to the world-inside-the-Elmever without noticing is supposed to be one of the things that makes it terrifying, which I don’t object to – but once you’re there, I’d have liked it to be a lot more obvious that this is not our world, you know? Give me bleeding trees and silver bees, squirrels with bat wings hanging upside-down from branches, grass that bruises when you step on it. Streams of blood and honey. Etc.

I had the same issue with the various beings Veris encounters in the woods: they didn’t strike me as alien enough, strange enough. Mohamed disdained to rehash the elven-esque Fae for her Elmever, and she gets points from me for that, but I didn’t really feel anything for or about the creatures she created instead. The house, the guardians, the game she has to play to get the kids back – for me, it was all very meh.

Mohamed did a lot more with Veris wondering if the Tyrant’s children even deserve to be rescued, especially with pointed little details like how the older one, the Tyrant’s heir, just takes Veris’ care and sacrifices for granted, because to her that’s what other people/servants are for.

A lot of the smaller details really did charm me; the way Veris’ aunt does everything in threes to try and give her, Veris, good luck for her quest; the small, humble objects Veris has as talismans to help her. There was this really lovely sense of domestic magic, un-fancy magic, along with a very clear awareness of how outclassed those small magics are by the power of the woods. That gives the whole story a bit of an underdog feel; as with the best fairytales, Veris has to be small and careful and quiet, because if she tries going head-to-head with the monsters, she’d be squashed like a bug. She’s not a hero in the usual sense, because everything depends on her being meek and going as unnoticed as possible, rather than going in big and loud and swinging a sword. I really liked that!

The horror, for me, wasn’t in the monsters and all – though hey, the story did deliver on the cover’s promises; we do get a unicorn! – it was in the moments when the Rules tighten like a noose around Veris’ throat, when the tension is wound to the breaking point and someone missteps, or doesn’t think. There’s a very intense dread in those moments, and a reflexive anger, when you really want to shake whichever character’s fucked up for being so gods’ damned stupid.

And the actual semi-ending, View Spoiler » is appropriately horrifying and wrenching and no no no!!!

But then that ending is undercut by the actual ending of the novella, which retroactively takes a lot of power out of those final moments in the forest. Which lost Butcher of the Forest quite a few stars from me.

I honestly don’t know who I’d recommend this to; it’s not scary enough for horror fans, not fantastical enough for fantasy, and I didn’t find the story itself a very satisfying one. Veris survives by being small and quiet (and clever), but Butcher of the Forest is too small, too quiet, and not clever enough for me.

A swing and (mostly) a miss, imo.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I REALLY enjoyed this. REALLY REALLY enjoyed this novella! It's dark and gritty, and honestly... I wanted more. I loved that the main character isn't "young", she's stubborn as heck, but also smart in her dealings with the beings of the forest. It's the dark side of fae, and I want more Veris. Or Eleonor. I'd love to see a follow up with what happens after the ending of this honestly.

For me, it definitely reads like a dark fairytale with lots of character. I couldn't put it down!