This was such an intriguing novella. It read like a very dark fairytale, with beautiful prose and truly horrifying elements. It tells the story of a woman, tasked by the tyrant conqueror of her country with rescuing his two children from the enchanted forest next to her village - a forest that many people have entered but only one has ever left alive again. That one being our protagonist Veris.

The world building surrounding the tyrant and his conquered nations is flimsy at best, but it's also not what this novella focuses on. This is about the horrors in these strange dark woods, the creatures lurking within and the consequences of humans going where they really should not go. The atmosphere captured by Premee Mohamed's (cleverly metaphorical) writing is phenomenal, the whole vibe is eerie and frightening and I was constantly on my toes. Add to that the high stakes of this mission (the tyrant will kill Veris's family if she doesn't succeed) and the strict time limit (if they stay in the forest for more than a day, they will be trapped forever), and this turned into a book you just have to devour in one sitting. I was stressed, I was fascinated, I was emotionally involved on each page, and the ending really packed a punch.

I did feel like the writing sometimes veered into very flowery territory which didn't quite fit the story it was telling, and I think I would have enjoyed this more as a slightly longer novel that fleshed out Veris and the world she lives in a little more. Also there is one reveal later on about our protagonist that I felt wasn't handled well at all. Without getting into spoilers, the way some things that happened to Veris in the past were revealed felt like they were added purely for shock value, and while I hope this isn't the case, it read like it and made me feel really uncomfortable. This book should come with trigger warnings.

All in all, this would have been a 4 star read if not for that aforementioned reveal, for now it's a 3,5 for me - still rounding up because I liked almost everything else.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for kindly approving this ARC.

A moment of silence for the gorgeous cover art because I cannot for the life of me get over it.

Do you like dark and grotesque fairytales with enchanted but eerie forests plagued with cunning creatures that would trick you into spending an eternity to their mercy? If so, this one is for you.

The people who lurk into the entrails of the Elmever are never seen again… Well, except for Veris, the first person to come in and out of the forest safe and sound (sort of). But that’s in the past, or is it? One day, Veris is summoned to the castle to an audience with the bloodthirsty Tyrant that rules in her country. He knows about her exploit and wants her to go back into the Elmever a second time. The instructions are clear: go and retrieve my children or I’ll murder you and your family, and then I’ll raze your village to the ground.

The Butcher of the Forest makes for an intriguing and tension-filled tale, full of dangers lurking in the shadows, sinister glamour and questions that raise discussions about themes such as inherited sins and hope. Are we the sins of our parents? Does someone raised into cruelty become cruel themselves? Can we escape that cycle of violence?

A haunting tale written with an exquisite and mesmerizing prose that highly contrast with the grotesqueness and decay of the Elmever forest.

It was too slow for me. I like some slow books, but everything was taking a long time to happen until I lost interest. I couldn't feel anything for the protagonists and didn't understand the urgency and fear towards the tyrant.

My first impression of this book was that it needed more. Perhaps just capturing a brief glimpse of a moment in time is what the author was going for, but I would've preferred it if there were more details about what happened outside of the forest. All the political drama with the Tyrant ended up being pointless, Veris' backstory didn't feel like much of a gut punch since we barely see her relationship to her family, and sadly, the book's name is irrelevant because no character ever does something to deserve a "butcher of the forest" title. 30 extra pages of content or so could've bumped this from "good" to "great" for me.

Fortunately, the parts of the story that did exist were fantastic. I loved the eerie, gothic vibes, and the mysterious feel of this story. Though it had a folkloric, mythic atmosphere, it was also wholly original and contained a lot of very surprising and unusual creatures. The writing was beautiful, and it was so perfectly paced that I meant to just read a few chapters before bed but read the whole thing in one sitting instead.

This was an odd read. Much different than what I would probably pick up off the bookshelf.

The whole description in itself is short:
“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.”

Yup, that’s pretty much it. That’s the entire story in a nut shell. What’s missing is the wild and crazy world of magic that lies within the forest that the children have gone missing in. It definitely has some “final boss” vibes at the end. For some reason, it oddly reminded me of The Warm Hands of Ghosts. If you read it, you might see the connection as well. Because it’s outside of my usual read, it’s personally a 3.5 stars out of 5. Though, I still wouldn’t not recommend this to others who would definitely find this book up their alley.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

⭐⭐⭐
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I have mixed feelings about this one.
The story is very well-developed and interesting but I had trouble getting into it. There were ups and downs in terms of action and I must say the action was more than I expected from a short story which I really liked but the downs were too slow for my liking. I believe if it was a full-grown novel I'd love it.
The Elmever forest is known to be dangerous and no one goes in there ever comes out. Except for Veris who walked in and rescued a child. So when the Tyrants children went missing he summoned Veris for the rescue. She had only a day to get the children while obeying the rules of the forest, no bargains, no bloodshed and not eating anything from the forest.
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I'm grateful to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an eARC in return for an honest review!

When a tyrant forces a woman to retrieve his children who have gone into the forbidden forest with a deadline that has her entire village's lives on the line, she'll have to outsmart monsters, gods, and pay a price. This is a mixture of a dark fairytale with elements of horror and Alice in Wonderland. The story follows Veris Thorn, the only person to have ever entered the forbidden forest that is ruled by powerful magic, and live. She is now forced to go back in and retrieve the tyrant's missing children and if she fails he'll kill her entire village. Once in the woods she'll be faced by her past demons as well as new gods and monsters who thwart her every attempt to rescue the children and escape. This was definitely an interesting dark fairytale and I appreciate the Alice in Wonderland Horror aspects to it. However, it just felt like it was missing something, I kind of wished it had a better flow and it kind of leaves you with some answered questions and then there was one very triggering moment towards the end that felt so unnecessary and really just threw me off. I kind of wish there was something memorable about this story but it kind of felt bland and I don't think I'll necessarily remember it after reading it. Overall, if you enjoy dark fairytales I think you'll like this and should give it a go.

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tordotcom for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

The Butcher of the Forest is a wonderful mix of dark fairy tales and horror. It kept me hooked from the first page and I just couldn't stop reading! Just as the Elmever refuses to give up its captives, the rich descriptions capture your imagination. 4.5 stars!

I didn’t realize this was a novella but it was still enjoyable and also quite tense. The forest was terrifying and I loved the main character, she wasn’t the usual “hero” but she was relatable.

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.