I have been on a streak of absolutely amazing reads. I finished House of the Beast while sitting on a plane more than halfway through my flight. To keep me occupied the rest of the flight, I reached for the shortest book in my carry-on bag. That happened to be a novella that’s been sitting in my TBR pile for a few months. I had been looking forward to it, but hadn’t yet found the time. I’m so glad that I finally did because The Butcher of the Forest was wonderful.

Summary

Everyone in Veris’ village knows to stay out of the northern forest. While it may be safe to hunt and gather in the woods to the south, no one who has ever walked between the trees of the north has made it out again. That is, except for Veris herself, and the child she guided back home. After that single instance, she had no desire to ever make another attempt. However, when the tyrant king’s two children wander in oblivious to the danger, Veris is not given a choice. She will rescue his children before twenty-four hours have passed, or those she loves will be taken from her.

To survive and to complete her mission, Veris must pass test after test imposed by the spirits who dwell in the forest. Her body and mind will be pushed to every limit, but she must play their twisted games, and strictly follow every law of the woods. None of them are simple, especially those that seem to be.

My Thoughts:

I feel that I should preface this review by revealing that I grew up on German fairytales and Celtic folklore. Both instilled in me a deep respect of the forest and the danger that often resides there. I’ve always loved the way that those stories intertwine beauty and danger. Perhaps that’s why reading The Butcher of the Forest felt so much like a homecoming.

However, I wouldn’t call the experience a nostalgic one, because this is not a story for children. (Fun fact: as much as Brothers Grimm stories get a reputation for being dark, those were actually sanitized versions of the original tales that were specifically toned down for kids.) The protagonist has reached middle age. She thinks and behaves accordingly. If I had read this much younger, I do not think it would have resonated so thoroughly. It’s so refreshing to read main characters in this age range and older, and this title does it phenomenally. Being of similar age now myself, I really enjoyed watching her emotional and logical processing as she dealt with extreme challenges.

Although this novella is my first personal experience with Premee Mohamed’s writing, it is far from her first publication. She’s released several novellas and a novelette along with a short story collection and a few full-length novels. Many of these works have won or been shortlisted for some truly impressive awards. After devouring The Butcher of the Forest, I now know that I need to read every single one of them.

Content Warnings: Graphic Descriptions of Violence & Injuries, Death of Parent, Child Loss, Neglect (minor), Abandonment, Kidnapping, Animal Cruelty, Animal Death, Gore, Body Horror, Misogyny, War, Slut-Shaming, SA, Tyranny, Colonization, Trafficking

After I Finished The Butcher of the Forest

Once I was done with that one and back on land, I then dove into an ARC I received directly from the author. We’ve been following each other on TikTok for a while and I really enjoy her content. When I started seeing her post about the world and plot from her upcoming novel, I knew I wanted to get my hands on it. As soon as I knew she was ready for ARC readers, I reached out to volunteer. I’m so glad I did, and I just finished reading it earlier today.

My next review will be for Marked by Alyson Dawn.