I love these short stories.
I love Alix's writing.
These are some of my favorite reads.
I really enjoyed this one and really enjoyed the characters.

This was an unexpected little novella that packed a lot of strong emotional evoking elements. Essentially the story is a dystopian fantasy world, post pandemic, with demons and knights protecting the people. What was really interesting is why there are demons, as I've loved through having a loved one go through ...."that" and I can relate but also dont appreciate the emotions it evoked it me. So its a love but not so love for this little novella.

Alix E. Harrow's The Knight and the Butcherbird is a hauntingly beautiful dystopian fairy tale. The story is set in the post-apocalyptic Appalachian community of Iron Hollow. In it we follow Shrike, a storyteller who is determined to protect her demon-turned wife from a legendary knight who is there to kill her. In this story we find themes of love, survival, and sacrafice. The richly detailed world and complex characters make this short story a standout in the fantasy genre. This is a short novella packed with beautiful writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for a ALC of The Knight and the Butcherbird in exchange of my honest opinion.

This is a lovely short story that packs so much in such a small number of pages! The allegories and deeper meaning of this post-apocalyptic world where demons are changed people blew my mind. Impeccable atmosphere that was perfectly conveyed in the audiobook!

Alix E. Harrow is swiftly becoming an author I am seeking out whenever I get the chance. After reading Starling House and picking up a few other works, I jumped at the chance to request this audio book when I saw it on Netgalley.

This story is both beautiful, brutal, and heartbreaking. Even in a few short pages, the author is able to weave a story of two characters, Shrike and the Knight, who seem to be on opposing sides of how to handle a demon. Shrike is determined to protect the demon as she has connections to the person they once were, while the Knight has been hired to remove the demon and protect the town. Since the story is short, it is hard to dive in much further without giving too many spoilers, but there are quite a lot of reveals within the short story and it is well worth the read.

it is also dystopia and we see a future where we have reach a peak of scientific and technologic innovation, for it all to have come crashing down and for the survivors to now live in small villages with remnants of toxic decay plaguing the land.

I love it and highly recommend this story in ebook or audiobook to anyone who loves the dark fairytale vibe.

Alix E. Harrow just released a new short story this week: The Knight and the Butcherbird. Set in a post-apocalyptic Appalachian community hundreds of years in the future, it reads like a fairy tale with demons and knights.

Why I Chose This Book:
Though I’ve only read two of her books so far, I’m always excited for more from Alix E. Harrow. The description for this short story sounded intriguing, despite its futuristic, dystopian setting.

What I Liked:
- The writing! Alix E. Harrow consistently has such beautiful and impactful writing. As always, that is on display here.
- Great world-building despite the short format. The author packs a lot into this story, and it feels full enough that it could easily be expanded into a full novel.

What Didn’t Work For Me:
- Futuristic, dystopian setting. This is not a slight towards the author in any way; I just rarely enjoy these kinds of settings. Real life is already stressful enough haha. I like the author’s other works (set in the present or past) and was willing to give this a try, but it’s just not my thing.

Audiobook:
Aida Reluzco does a superb job of narrating The Knight and the Butcherbird. She makes the story so much more engrossing and hits the sarcastic and humorous beats flawlessly. I would love to hear more of her audiobooks!

Final Thoughts
The Knight and the Butcherbird is a well-crafted short story, and although it’s not my preferred genre, I think it will find the right readers to fully enjoy it. Its stunning prose and thoughtful characterization is enough to make new fans of Alix E. Harrow’s work. While this wasn’t my personal favorite from her, I will still be reading her other novels and short stories.

The Knight at the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow is, as are all of Harrow's works, a masterpiece. This short fiction story creates a whole world that I would love to return to 👀 immediately please! Thank you to Netgalley for an audiobook arc of this book!

4.5 stars

The Knight and the Butcherbird is a gritty and eerie story that blends love, secrets, and danger. It’s set in a small, troubled town where nothing is as it seems. The main character, Shrike, is determined to protect someone important to her, even if it means facing impossible odds. The book has a lot of suspense, with a dark atmosphere that kept me hooked. While the plot can feel a bit slow at times, the mystery and complex relationships really pull you in. If you're into stories with a lot of tension and a touch of the supernatural, this one might be worth checking out.

As always, Alix Harrow packs an incredible amount into the short story. With gorgeous prose, lush descriptions, and intriguing characters, the story captivated me right away. An exploration of humanity, grief, and love - like I said, a lot to do in so few pages! But she nailed it!

This story was a little bit more on the bizarre horror sode of my tastes, but seeing as it’s Alix E. Harrow, still ultimately a hit!

This is a post-apocalyptic story unlike any particular dystopian take I’ve read before: cancer has morphed over time to cause people to shift into what the world has labeled as “demons,” or really, just something that isn’t yet understood. We have a “knight,” who in this time period is more of an assassin demon hunter. He quickly finds himself at odds with our MC, but it turns out they both have something major to hide.

This begs a lot of questions for the reader, and really packs a punch in so few pages. It’s lyrical, evocative, lush in its writing style, and entirely unique. If you can get down with something a little horror and strange in your fantasy, I think you’ll enjoy this!

wowowowowow love this so much. alix e harrow KNOWS how to write a short story. this was fantastic - sad, epic, gorey and intriguing. loved it!

Thank you @brilliancepublishing #partner for the gifted copy of this audiobook!

Third day in a row I’m posting about Appalachian territory! This time however it’s long past the end of the world and filled with demons and monsters. A knight is brought in to hunt the latest beast that plagues the town. The unfortunate part is that beast (May) happens to be the town’s Oral Historians (Shrike) Wife. Shrike is convinced under all of the beastly behaviors deep down May is still in there. It then becomes and epic battle of Shrike trying to hunt down the knight…but the knight has other plans.

This was a unique and powerful short story about love. Alix does what Alix does best and that’s create such an atmospheric and beautiful story that was haunting, eerie and dark all wrapped into one. I did enjoy this short story even more because the audio was done so well. It really helped put me directly into this dark and gritty setting. I enjoyed this story but in true Bethany form (that’s me) I always want Novellas to be longer! That’s a me problem! I will absolutely continue to grab anything Alix writes. So far I have devoured each and every story I’ve read by her!

I really enjoyed the audio for this book. I think that the narrator delivered a fantastic performance and really did justice to the lyrical way in which the story was written.

This short story restored my faith in love. Corny? Maybe, but it definitely helped. Monsters/ demons are in the woods of Iron Hollow and a knight is sent to take care of it. However, the town's oral historian, 17-year-old Shrike follows him. This demon happens to be her wife. The knight, and many others are trying to find out the origin behind how this is happening. While this is a short story, it had me reeling about loving someone and how that love may change over time or circumstance. But the love is still there. Amazing story by Alix E. Harrow!

"The Knight and The Butcherbird" is a testament to the power of short-form storytelling. It's a haunting, thought-provoking tale that will resonate with anyone who's ever loved fiercely and unconditionally. If you're a fan of fantasy with a dark, emotional edge, this is one story you absolutely can't miss.

For those who prefer audiobooks, Aida Reluzco's narration is a treat. Her voice brings the characters to life, adding depth to the already atmospheric tale and making the emotional moments hit even harder.

Thank you, Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley, for my free book.

This was stuninggggggggg! I loved Harrow's Once and Future Witches, and thought Starling House was okay, but this short story merges the best of both works. This is one of the most interesting takes on dystopian society and demons that I've ever read. I desperately wanted it to be longer, not because it felt rushed, but because I was just so engrossed in this world. I can't more highly recommend this!

I have never before been able to listen to a narrated short story, and this was the way to do it. The narration perfectly captured the gritty and desperate setting.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for a honest review

Alix has hit out of the park again. I have fallen in love with all of her books and this one is no different. If you liked The Six Deaths of the Saint you are going to adore this short story.

She can pack so much character depth, character growth, and plot into only a 36ish pages! The atmosphere hooks in within the first paragraph. This definitely has a haunting vibe to it.

This is a super short but super powerful dystopian fantasy that totally sucked me in. It's set in a world that's falling apart and is packed with shapeshifting monsters. The vibe is really creepy, but the storytelling is raw and emotional.

Even though it's quick, the story is full of awesome world-building and dives into love in all its crazy forms—love that sticks around even when everything's about to go down. Harrow’s writing is beautiful, and it’s seriously impressive how she creates an entire world and interesting characters in just a few pages.

It’s one of those stories that sticks with you long after you finish it. If you're into dark, poetic fantasy that hits you right in the feels, you definitely need to check this one out.

“Once upon a time, there was a brave knight who was set upon by a demon. In battle, he lost his left ear and his young wife. He vowed on her grave to rid the world of demons. He never again returned to his enclave, but scoured the lands ever after, a hawk on his arm and hate in his heart.”

This was an awesome little short story. I’ve been really loving novella length books recently and this one hit just the right mark. There’s a knack for writing a good short story—in a lot of ways it’s harder than writing a normal length novel because you have to add so much into such a short span.

Alix E. Harrow has done a fantastic job here, as peculiar as the story is. I will always love knights, and this takes that concept of a knight who is more of a modern day soldier mercenary. He has rubber armor, rusty saw blade pauldrons, and a band of bullets across his chest. Our narrator recounts his entrance into their town where he is hunting demons.

The thing is…people transforming into demons is becoming much more common. And he and our narrator both have secrets they’re desperate to hide.

It’s amazing how much you can pack into so short a story. It’s about love and dedication and desperation. What would you do to protect and save the ones you love? And how much can someone recognize you for love, even if they’ve entirely changed? The tie in with cancer creating demons from people is such a take. I love the absolute hypocrite our knight ends up becoming, saving his demon wife while out in the world hunting other demons. To find a cure, sure, but still hypocritical.

Amazing read. I really enjoyed it. I’m excited to read more from the author!

“I heard a strange cry and looked up. A pair of hawks circled above me. No, perhaps they were gulls or bats; angels or dragons or every beast that has herald the end of one world and the beginning of another.”

Alix e harrow never misses. This is an interesting little post apocalyptic short story about when a knight comes to town.

It’s a short exploration of community, faith and horror. We get to see a demon hunting knight and a town secretary who have her own motivations and aspirations.

It reminded me a bit of annihilation/ the southern reach quartet in its way to describe horror. I found it both unsettling and beautiful.