A PERFECT novella!! This is another shining example to add to my quick read recs for people who discredit them.

The Knight and the Butcherbird is a dystopian fantasy about a village storyteller, Shrike, who is desperate to protect a demon that a knight has come to destroy. These demons are common phenomena in communities like hers, and the townspeople rely on the ruthless knights to hunt them down before they kill everyone around them. But what if those demons were once people and the people who love them can't let them go? Shrike is determined to stop the knight from finding this particular demon, and she needs to learn as much as she can about him in order to do this. Her hunt reveals there is more to the knight than the stony facade he shows the world and the two have more in common than they expected.

The connection between the main characters feels so natural and the author does a fantastic job or making the reader empathise with both despite only being given Shrike's POV. Shrike is tenacious and brave, and the knight is like an onion (layers) and I am stunned by how well his character was explored in so few pages. Their friendship was unexpected and quite wholesome despite the circumstances and I love the almost paternal themes that come out by the end.

This book explores love, grief, courage even to your own detriment, and the risks people in love will take to avoid their biggest fears. My heart ached from Shrike and the knight by the end of this book. I didn't know how the story would end, but the suspense is heavy because you know there's no perfect resolution coming.

This is the second book I've read by Alix E. Harrow and I was very disappointed by my first encounter wth this author, so I am over the moon that this exceeded my expectations. Fingers crossed I will find another gem in their works!

Alix E. Harrow blew me away with this dystopian fairytale, it was so unique and it broke my heart. Harrow‘s been on my TBR for ages but this was my first time reading something they‘d written. This dystopian fairytale is only thirty-six pages long but Harrow transports you into a post-apocalyptic world, makes your heart ache for the monsters, and ties everything up beautifully by the end. In a world where the poor are struggling to survive several centuries after a nuclear war, a knight arrives to kill the “demon” plaguing the village, and more than one love story unfolds amongst the horrors. The knight’s wearing recycled tires instead of the traditional armor, he’s accompanied by a hawk, and the “demons” are definitely not what you’re expecting. Shrike Secretary and Sir John were such complex characters and I felt for both of them, which is impressive, considering the story’s only thirty-six pages long. I went into this story completely blind and I don’t regret it. This is a quick read that’s perfect for anyone that enjoys warped fairytales, dystopian fiction, and even a little bit of a love story. I fully intend to read the rest of this author’s backlist. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

*Huge thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This is a post apocalyptic short story that takes place in the future. There is a strong fairytale element with monsters and knights. It was a quick and unique read. It had some really cool concepts and was well written. Ultimately, I wish it was longer. At only 36 pages, it just wasn't long enough for me. I wanted to know the characters and the world better. I also felt that the end was rather abrupt.

This short story packs a punch in just 30 pages. In dystopian Ohio, people are changing and demons stalk the land. A knight arrives at Iron Hollow to hunt one of these demons, and Shrike Secretary is going to stop him no matter the cost, because that demon? It was just her wife. As Shrike and the knight battle and prowl the woods looking for May, she realizes that he also has a secret, and both realize some things about the world around them.
The world that Harrow built in a story this short is one that I would very much like to return to, please. It was so textured and interesting, a blend of dystopian and supernatural horror. There was only the hints of the future between now and then and how the world became like this., and I want to know everything. Shrike was a great narrator to ride along with, half-feral and fully of her outlander world. Truly, Alix E Harrow does not disappoint.
Also, there was an Animorphs reference, so that rocked.

A story of a new world and what one wouldn’t do for their wife. Queer, beautiful, and haunting. Both devastating and hopeful.

The Knight and the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow is a haunting and beautifully crafted tale set in a rural community plagued by demons and strange transformations. Shrike, a seventeen-year-old oral historian, is living in a town where death and monstrosity are everyday threats. When her wife, May, becomes the latest demon to haunt the woods, Shrike is determined to save her, even if it means confronting a legendary knight and his hawk. As Shrike tracks them through the wild forest, she uncovers dark secrets about the knight and the terrifying forces at play. This story blends love, sacrifice, and eerie mystery in a way that’s both gripping and emotional—definitely a unique and captivating read.

This was my first time reading a short story and my first book by author Alix E. Harrow. The story is set in a post apocalyptic world shows how far one will go for love. I think this story worked as a short story it was all wrapped up nicely and the story flowed well. I liked the mention of things that happened in our world, such as COVID and that it was a quick read. However, I just think this tale was not for me, it was a good story I just did not fully connect with the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A post apocalyptic short story set 300 or so years after what i assume to be nuclear war. Society has collapsed and been divided between those who cling to the past way of life and life in cities with kings and some technology and the outlanders who live in smaller villages in radiation zones it seems and lead simpler lives but die young.
A Knight is sent to the village because demon creatures are plaguing the earth. The villages secretary know more about these demons than she originally let's on and together they go to track it down.
This is a whimsical short story written in a semi classic linguistic style to suit the story.
It is a tale about how far one would go for love.

Many thanks to Amazon who provided me with a copy to review via NetGalley.

Alix E. Harrow has mastered the art of the short story.

Coming hot after a reread of her “Six Deaths of the Saint” , this was the perfect follow-up for me.

This is still a story about a knight. And love. But this time is set in the not-so-far future. The apocalypse has come and gone, humanity has picked up the pieces and moved on. The story starts when the town’s storyteller meets the knight who came to kill the demon. What follows next is a story of love, loss, transformation, and how survival can become resistance against oppression.

“The wheel turns, but so do we.”

Alix E. Harrow in her short story “The Knight and the Butcherbird” shows us her own approach to the topic of illness, especially cancer. In her own way she shows us how she copes with a demon of such nature.

As always she does it in a very descriptive writing that appeals to one's imagination. The whole story is a combination of sci-fi/dystopian genre with more medieval fantasy. Though I’m not usually a fan of such a setting it does work in shorter stories, as the world does not have to be complete there.

Can’t wait to read some longer novels by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this short story and provide a review.

Wow. I really enjoyed this short story. The characters were great, and the story was great. Really wished it was longer. Will be reading more from Alix E Harrow in future. #TheKnightandtheButcherbird #NetGalley

I was given an ARC of this story. I had just finished reading Alix E. Harrow's "January" book and the tonal shift here was incredible.

This is a post-apocalyptic love story about how we often have to change to survive.

I read this in one sitting, it was just... great

An evocative story set in a post-apocalyptic world that feels very in-line with the current cultural zeitgeist as the world feels the lasting ripples of the impact of climate change and religious fanaticism. Despite the somewhat bleak setting, this is a story of love, hope, and perseverance filled with Harrow's signature lyricism.

I really enjoyed the interactions that we got between Sir John and Shrike and the way that their stories unfold to give a sense of history repeating itself. I just had such a good time reading this!

This was incredible. No notes. I highlighted what felt like every other sentence; a beautiful story of love and what it means to change for those we love. I don't typically love apocalyptic stories but this one was so unbelievably beautiful. Whatever you do, do NOT skip this book.

Well folks, as usual, Alix Harrow delivers an incisive, bold, totally unique story and voice. I lost count of the number of times I had to stop and stare at the wall to try to grasp the layered metaphors - on change, personal evolution, outdated patriarchy, power dynamics, environmentalism, and more.
What did I just read?! How did she write something so impactful in only 36 pages?!

I've read 300+ page books with poorer world building than she managed in under 40. I'm not really sure I could place this in one genre - part sci-fi, part post-apocalyptic novel, part fantasy, part parable? It delivered a hefty dose of horror, which isn't my preference, and the only reason this one is hard for me to give 5 stars. But the gut feeling of dread permeates this book and packs an emotional punch. Beautifully done.

Safe to say Alix Harrow is an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you to the author and netgalley for the e-arc.

This is a great, packed dystopian fantasy short story that gave me very slight Witcher vibes but still did its own thing. I always love Harrow's writing so no surprise here that this is another well-written work. But I also admit I'm usually not a short story person - I often leave the story wanting for more because I'm just the kind of reader who loves to really delve into a long book, take my time with it, soak up all the details. But I really did enjoy my time with "The Knight and the Butcherbird" - the ideas in it are great, the world building intriguing and the characters as deep as a fantasy short story with so little pages can afford them. I loved how Harrow approaches the themes of the story, the body horror, the tragedy at its centre.
Would I have loved to see a longer story set in this world? Yes. But for what it is, this short story is an amazing little gem.

📚𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 📚
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙆𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙪𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙙 by Alix E. Harrow
𝙍𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚: 3/11/25
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: Fantasy horror
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: none
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨/𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩:
🪶Novella
🪶Post apocalyptic/dystopian world
🪶Two main couples
🪶Sapphic rep
🪶Demons (but not the kind you're thinking)
🪶Secret lives
🪶Standalone

This book gave me chills and I wanted to read it again right away as soon as I finished it. This short 36 page story was able to encompass a whole world and tell a sad tale with thought provoking moments. It was complex with world building that you didn't even know could be done in such a short time. I am in awe of how amazing this story was.

We were thrown into a dystopian fantasy world set in the future as a strange knight came to town to hunt and kill the demon that was haunting it. But as the story unravelled, nothing was as it seemed. The story had an undercurrent of faith and love while knowing when to transform into what we should become.

Alix wields her words like weapons and has been an insta read author for me from her very first book. I would read her shopping list if she would publish it lol. I cannot wait to see what else Alex's brilliant mind comes up with.

*********"*
An outlander doesn’t prove her love by dying young, but by living as long as she can. She eats berries grown in bad earth and licks the poison from her lips; she makes her wedding bed from barbed wire and cinder blocks; she falls in love at the end of the world. And when death comes for her— too soon, too fucking soon— she becomes something else. Something that survives.

The Knight and The Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow is a mesmerizing and beautifully written short story. While I'm not usually drawn to short stories, this one truly captivated me. Set in a dark, eerie world, it delves into theme of loss. Harrow’s prose creates an atmosphere that is both timeless and otherworldly, drawing the reader in.

I loved Starling House so I was really excited to see that this was available! Alix E Harrow has such a unique writing style and I love it. I really enjoyed this short story and I can’t wait to read her next release later this year!

3.75 - prefer six deaths of the saint but this was still a impactful quick read. I did guess one of the 'twists' (I did not in six deaths), and was slightly confused about the timing/setting, but there were some really poignant references to current world problems that were masterfully written.