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A review by woodsybookworm
The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4/5 The Butcher Of The Forest
Veris, a middle aged village woman, is woken in the middle of the night and dragged before the kingdom's fearsome lord known only as the Tyrant. The Tyrant demands that Veris go into the north woods to find his missing children. To the villagers the northern woods hold a mystical land within its trees, Elmever, a land no one has returned from alive - except Veris.
The Butcher Of The Forest felt like a spiritual return to the original Grimm Fairy Tales. It was dark and gritty, additionally, in the vein of Grimm Fairy tales the more traditional myths and folklore surrounding fair folk or fairies was reintroduced which was incredibly refreshing. This novella was a fresh take on a well loved genre, an enjoyable read for any fan of dark fantasy.
The Butcher Of The Forest is short and poetic in its prose which made for a quick and easy read though the ending left a lot to be desired. It felt like this was more a prologue to a book, an introduction to the world and characters, than a standalone novel. I would love to see a lengthier sequel expanding on the characters and world building while wrapping up the story in a more satisfying and complete ending.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and the author Premee Mohamed for allowing me to read this as an ARC before the publication date of February 27th.
Veris, a middle aged village woman, is woken in the middle of the night and dragged before the kingdom's fearsome lord known only as the Tyrant. The Tyrant demands that Veris go into the north woods to find his missing children. To the villagers the northern woods hold a mystical land within its trees, Elmever, a land no one has returned from alive - except Veris.
The Butcher Of The Forest felt like a spiritual return to the original Grimm Fairy Tales. It was dark and gritty, additionally, in the vein of Grimm Fairy tales the more traditional myths and folklore surrounding fair folk or fairies was reintroduced which was incredibly refreshing. This novella was a fresh take on a well loved genre, an enjoyable read for any fan of dark fantasy.
The Butcher Of The Forest is short and poetic in its prose which made for a quick and easy read though the ending left a lot to be desired. It felt like this was more a prologue to a book, an introduction to the world and characters, than a standalone novel. I would love to see a lengthier sequel expanding on the characters and world building while wrapping up the story in a more satisfying and complete ending.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and the author Premee Mohamed for allowing me to read this as an ARC before the publication date of February 27th.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Blood, and Grief