The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed

The Butcher of the Forest
by Premee Mohamed

Fantasy | Horror | Novella
160 Pages
Released February 2024

Rating: ★★★
Goodreads
Content Warnings

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I was in the mood for something short and folklore-y so when I heard about this book, I decided to pick it up.

This book follows Veris who, one early morning, unceremoniously summoned by the ruthless king of her land. He commands Veris to enter the sinister North Woods to retrieve his lost children, having heard that Veris was the only one to have done so before. The forest is not just a forest, but instead a dangerous land filled with folktale horror. All others who have gone in have never returned. Having no choice, Veris does what she is told. What follows is Veris’s harrowing journey through the wood as she goes in search of the two lost children.

This book definitely was both enjoyable and disappointing at the same time. I really liked the folklore tied into the forest and was often reminded of Pan’s Labyrinth or a more sinister version of Alice in Wonderland. There are definitely horror elements present throughout the story but it felt oddly low-stakes throughout much of the book. I think this is in large part, that the reader is quickly moved from one peril to the next. The dangers that Veris encountered were harrowing, but she quickly finds a clever solution which resulted in this weird sort of tension building and quick deflation.

I was also not a big fan of the ending but as this is a spoiler-free review, I will not be going into more detail on that.

Overall it was a good story, reminiscent of older type of fairy tales where everything isn’t always wrapped up in a neat little bow. If you are a fan of folkloreseque horror, I recommend checking this one out.