This is a short story set in an apocalyptic/dystopian future of the modern world. I was confused at first having gone into this story thinking it was set in a sort of fairytale medieval setting, especially since the synopsis spoke of a storyteller and knight, but quickly realized that wasn’t the case when things such as COVID and technology were mentioned. Overall Harrow was able to pack a lot into only 36 pages. A fun quick read for anyone to try.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this ARC!

The whole concept and worldbuilding around this was SO interested, I wanted more and more, and found myself sad that it wasn't a longer story.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the eARC in return for an honest review.

After thoroughly enjoying "Starling House" by Alix E. Harrow some time ago, I was very excited to see another work up!
"The Knight and the Butcherbird" is a short story (seriously, it's short, it's just 36 pages) packed full of information, worldbuilding and a plot that unfolds so beautifully.

We follow the towns historian who is protecting her wife who has turned "demon" and the knight that has beeen called in to "take care" of said demon. Through the story we learn quite a lot through a handful of pages about the post apocalyptic / dystopian world they live in.

The plot is pretty straightforward with wonderfully crafted prose around it. The naming of the characters after birds is a fun tidbit and gives a very human feel to the towns population.
I think there can be a valid debate on if the ending is a happy ending or not. I found that it provokes a lot of reflection and also introspection, similar to how Starling Hosue worked.

Definite recommendation for lovers of Harrow's work, and a good introduction for anyone wanting to try to dip their toes.

Six Deaths girlies I am happy to report this new short story has similar sad and soft vibes with a pinch of existencial dread, I will add this one to my monthly reread. Stunning short story, Alix did it again!

The Knight and the Butcherbird is a story about loss, change and power. I loved The Six Deaths of The Saint so much that I requested this one without even knowing what was about and was pleasantly surprised to find an apocalyptic fairy tale with so much packed behind that incredible prose. What would you do for love? Can one single person fight against power? How would the future look like in a world recovering from a climate crisis? Sometimes we hold onto what we know but maybe in order to survive we need to change.

Nothing grows on a grave while you're standing on it.

4.25/5

I love Harrow's short stories. I really enjoyed this dystopian dark fairytale. My only complaint is the setting- the references to the real world (Cincinnati, COVID, etc.) were distracting.

Thank you Alix E. Harrow and (Net Galley for the ARC!

What an emotional short story. While only less than 50 pages, it's full of raw emotions—what one would do when the person they love becomes something other, something dangerous; just how far would you go to save them? It's set in a bleak, dystopian future, one rife with demons and other monsters knights are meant to kill. I really enjoyed it, really felt for both the shrike and the knight. It's a splendid story and I'm intrigued to see if more comes out of it.

I loved the vibes of this story! For such a short piece, Alix Harrow really brought the world building. I loved the mix of old and new in the post apocalyptic world and that it felt fresh. I loved that we get a deeper story that centers on change, growth, loss, and the lengths one is willing to go to for those we love. This short story is a great example of why I love Harrow as an author!

Thank you to Tor for putting this on Read Now, and NetGalley for hosting!

It's truly a gift to be able to read so much in such a short novella, each page densely packed with information. With great turns on "monster", "secretary", and "knight", it puts excellent twists on love and change.

Quick-ish Thoughts Reviews

🎵 Thank you, @berkleyromance, for the free copy of The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest. This was my first time reading this author & I really enjoyed how strong of a connection the hero feels to the heroine, even years after their first meeting. He’s an R&B singer who feels put in a box by his label & wants his mom to accept all of him; she’s a single mom business executive who lost a husband she loved. This a soft story about people who take a chance—more than one, really—as they chase their happiness. 4 ⭐️, out now!

🥂 Etiquette for Lovers & Killers by Anna Fitzgerald Healy is a mystery set in a compelling 1960s setting with a heroine this side of dark. Billy McCadie is drawn to the recent victim of a murder investigation & pulled into a rich world she knows little about. Sprinkled with Billie’s linguistic explanations & her morbid explorations of the people who lost their lives, this book is unsettling in an entertaining kind of way.
4.33 ⭐️, out 07/01. (Thanks to publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

🗡️ The Knight & the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow. Harrow’s writing is beautifully violent—you feel the sharpness of her words. In this post apocalyptic short story, demons exist, & they’re people who were mysteriously mutated into something deadly. The protagonist Shrike’s wife is a demon, & that puts her in the path of a Knight sent to kill her demon-wife. The effect of this story is tremendous & cemented for me again how talented the author is. 5 ⭐️, out 03/11. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

🏴‍☠️ Any Duke in a Storm by Amalie Howard. What a delicious book! Whew!, it crackles with heat, verve, & passion. I love the queer rep, the unconventional leads, & the charming smuggler hero who gets hot for the pirate-smuggler baddie heroine. Sooo good! 5 ⭐️.

📖 have you read any of these or are any on your TBR?

The Knight and the Butcherbird is an amazing dystopian fairytale that focuses on the transformation of humans. So much is packed into the short story, it’s dark, impactful and overall beautiful. I am unsure how so much emotion is created in so few pages, but the writing is lyrical and flowing, which always helps. I loved the story, the characters and the romance. Definitely a winner of a short story.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Thank you so much to Alix E. Harrow and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book!

Actual rating : 5/5

This was amazing!!! I loved all the characters and how they show their love through sacrificing. Such an emotional, beautiful, intriguing story.

Also appreciated the bit of goriness and weirdness as usual. Truly amazed how much of a punch this carried even tho it's so short!

Overall I loved it and would easily read a full length novel based on this story! Can't wait to read more of Alix E. Harrow's works.

I love a short story that packs a big punch, and The Knight and the Butcherbird did just that! Incredibly profound, deeply reminiscent of current events, and emotionally jarring, this short story is a MUST! It built an incredible but terrifying world, brave but flawed characters, and a satisfying conclusion all in 36 pages! I wish this was a full length book because I am hooked on this idea. The overall message behind it with change and survival was so impactful and I’ll be thinking about it for a long time!

This devastatingly beautiful short story is set in a near-future, post-apocalyptic Earth. It’s a tale of love and grief and change set under a poisoned sky. A knight rides into town, here to slay a demon that threatens the outlanders. A girl, raw with grief, is waiting for him.

I don’t want to spoil the plot, so all I’ll say is that I experienced what felt like a lifetime’s worth of emotions in just 40 pages. No one writes short stories like Alix E. Harrow writes short stories.

What a strange, beautiful story. A dystopian fairytale laced with commentary about the current state of our world and what it's like to chase freedom, peace, and love. A cautionary tale about complacency. A rebellious tale.

4.5/5 stars.

No notes! When a knight comes to town to kill a shapeshifting demon, Shrike the town secretary and historian makes it her mission to drive him out of town. This is the story of the lengths we go to for love. I adored this like every other Alix E. Harrow book and it's amazing what she does with so few pages!

I forgot how much I love Harrow’s writing- her ability to have me in awe but also creeped out is unparalleled. I don’t typically enjoy short stories but this one was so expertly done I was sucked in immediately. Her ability to weave a world that was so vivid in such a short period of time was incredible. So many lessons here on the environment, society, government - I’ll let you read it for yourself.

Also- the Animorphs reference was clocked immediately, and appreciated.

Sometimes you wanna go a on short bizarre quest to conquer some demons and you should always just choose Alix Harrow for that.

This was great. It was atmospheric and weird and really hit the spot. It’s a novella and the perfect length to really get into the themes and the post apocalyptic world.

I loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon original stories for an eARC.

Another gorgeous short story that plays on post apocalyptic communities in the vein of the Giver, with some absolutely amazing naming conventions, and leaves me wanting more. (Luckily, she's got a lady knight book coming out later this year!!)

Sometimes (now) the world is too much and you need to leave, so you pick up a story or a book, thinking oh this will be a fine escape, and then a few pages later your chest is heaving and you can't breathe because you're sobbing at the glimpse of things you thought you had forgotten how to feel.

That's what Alix E. Harrow will do for you. This is a short story that reads like a novel, a whole world in a few pages, a whole heart lain bare while still beating. What a good thing to have read over Valentines. Thank you, Alix and Netgalley.

Like Ovid's 'Metamorphoses,' this is a beautiful allegory about the power of change. It's also an apt and timely cautionary tale about the danger of consolidating power with those who cling to the past and not look forward to the future. A beautiful and heartbreaking story that I will be thinking about for awhile.