I thought this had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from this type of book. I enjoyed how good the world continued in this plot and had that fairy tale element that I was looking for and was glad it was so well done. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the way the world was set up. Alix E. Harrow has a strong writing style and I'm glad I was able to read this.

Alix E. Harrow has once again cast a spell I didn’t want to break.

The Butcher and the Blackbird is a gothic, romantic, witchy masterpiece—dark and decadent like a blood-red velvet cake eaten under a thunderstorm. It’s a story that crackles with magic, simmers with slow-burn tension, and aches with longing and loneliness in equal measure.
What makes Harrow’s writing so addictive is her signature blend of lyrical prose and rich, folklore-soaked world building. Every sentence feels carefully crafted and yet effortlessly immersive. The book is both funny and brutal, tender and terrifying.

Just as Alix did with Six Deaths of the Saint, she has beautifully explored—and tested—the boundaries of love in The Knight and the Butcherbird. Her approach felt unique and honest, and I am, again, impressed with just how much she’s able to fit into such a short read.

Beautifully written and achingly heart wrenching, these distinct characters left a lasting mark…as did the author. Highly recommend.

THE KNIGHT AND THE BUTCHERBIRD is short and sweet, but it highlights Alix E. Harrow's beautiful and powerful writing to perfection. Set in an apocalyptic future where there is no United States of America, life is brutal. Kingdoms, former major cities, exist, but just as many people are living outside of those kingdoms. Outside is also where the number of monsters is growing. As Shrike works to prevent Sir John from hunting those monsters, what we learn is both clever and chilling. More importantly, there is a beautiful message of hope as well, one that slightly lessens the horror of it all. THE KNIGHT AND THE BUTCHERBIRD by Ms. Harrow is thirty-six of the most impactful pages I have ever read.

A post-apocalyptic fantasy story that reads as heavily inspired by the Animorphs books and <i>Ladyhawke.</i> It could have been better, but it was entertaining enough for a lunchbreak read and didn't overstay its welcome.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this. It was a nice quick read, set in an intriguing post-apocalyptic world, and I liked the two main characters and their similar motivations. I'm a sucker for forbidden romance, and this was done really well, while also briefly considering what makes us human/how far can we change and still call ourselves human. I'd love to see more in this world, but I'd be happy if it was just left with this story as well.

A quick and interesting read! I love Harrow’s writing and this one was great. I plan to recommend this novella to everyone! Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

I am not a short story lover. I never feel like a get enough character development or enough time to become immersed in a story but I saw this was by one of new favorite authors and figured I would give it a shot. I am SOO glad that I did. I don't care that this was less than 40 pages, this story packed a punch. It was haunting and atmospheric, even without full back stories of the characters I felt like I knew their stories, their struggles and their hopes. I love the story of demons and demon hunters but with twists.
It was a story that I never really heard before but still almost felt like a dark fairy tale that I knew. I truly fell into the world and was basically on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen. So good and highly recommend. Would be an amazing dark and stormy afternoon read.

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Didn't wow me as much as Alix E. Harrow's first short story but it still was really good. Harrow has an incredible ability to fit twists into less than 30 pages and make you feel connected to characters in barely any time.

It’s so short it almost feels like cheating counting this as a book, but the story left me aching for more. How you can fit so much in so little pages leaves me wondering…hauntingly beautiful!

The Knight and the Butcherbird is a weird little dystopian horror novella. I don‘t know how but Alix E. Harrow managed to create such an immersive and full read in just 36 pages. She is amazing at creating an unsettling atmosphere, both the characters and the world felt so weird and eerie. I can only recommend going into this story blindly, I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in the atmosphere and puzzling out what is going on in this world.
This is a story about change and love and survival! 4 stars.

Alix Harrow moved up to an autobuy author for me fairly quickly and this book did not let me down. While I'm not a huge fan of short stories, I found these to be absolutely perfect with pacing and length. She truly gives crawling up your spine a whole new meaning!

Harrow instantly draws you into a new world with this short story. A quick but impactful read! I would definitely read something else with these characters if the author ever wanted to do more!

Queer, post-apocalyptic, sometimes funny, and romantic in the most devastating kind of way. And most importantly, despairingly relevant.

4.5 stars
The Knight and the Butcherbird is a dystopian near future short story with fantastical elements that I loved. A knight comes to the Appalachian town of Iron Hollow to kill the demon tormenting their town but runs into the town storyteller who is willing to risk everything to protect said demon. This is a dark & haunting tale with an atmospheric setting I loved. The author's incorporation of modern day elements into the dystopian world she built worked so well for me. She managed to cram a well formed tale into just a few pages of short story. Definitely worth the read!

Excellent! Great world building in such a short piece. It would make a great novel! Combining dystopia and myth, great writing made this story work for me.

"She knew me then, at the beginning of ourselves, and she knew me now, here at the end, when she did not even know herself."

HOW did Alix E. Harrow write such a fantastic, complex story in 36 pages? I am stunned. I am not surprised, though, because she also wrote another one of, if not my actual top favorite, novella ever with The Six Deaths of the Saint. This work is short but something so soul-churning, it's been on my mind since I read it, and I know I will not easily forget it.

The Knight and the Butcherbird is a dark, dystopian fantasy novella that feels like a classic fairytale. This is set in a post-apocalyptic world where knights slay demons that were previously humans, descending into strange creatures that can be feathered or furred and have sharp teeth and claws. In a small town where a demon is lurking, a legendary Knight has been hired to eliminate it--and trailing behind in secret is the local storyteller with her own goals to keep that same demon safe.

What I really appreciate about this story is the exploration of grief in losing people you love so horrifically and how you can fight back for those people and honor them. It is a story of perseverance and loyalty and what lengths we will go to for the people we love. I also loved the slow unveiling of the secrets of the two main characters and their conclusions.

While this is definitely a horror, there are elements of romance and kinship that I really thought was lovely. The ending is just superb. Truly a masterpiece of short fiction. I highly recommend it and cannot wait to see what Harrow writes next. 5 stars!!!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing, and Alix E. Harrow for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wasn’t sure what to think going in, because I have tried some of Harrow’s longer works, but I absolutely loved this. There was so much packed into such a short story, that it made it feel like a full length novel. The world building was there, the emotion, the connection to the characters. After such a short amount of time with Shrike and the knight, I felt so much for them. I agonized with them as they made their decisions. It’s a heartbreaking, yet beautiful tale of love and loss.

I definitely need to check out Harrow’s other shorter works.

A very weird—but good—dystopian horror short story. This was my first time reading Alix Harrow, and while it’s only a small sample of her writing, I can see why she’s a genre favorite. The way she wove a complete story—with emotional depth, social commentary, romance, and grief—into just 36 pages is astounding.