I forgot how much I love Harrow’s writing- her ability to have me in awe but also creeped out is unparalleled. I don’t typically enjoy short stories but this one was so expertly done I was sucked in immediately. Her ability to weave a world that was so vivid in such a short period of time was incredible. So many lessons here on the environment, society, government - I’ll let you read it for yourself.

Also- the Animorphs reference was clocked immediately, and appreciated.

Sometimes you wanna go a on short bizarre quest to conquer some demons and you should always just choose Alix Harrow for that.

This was great. It was atmospheric and weird and really hit the spot. It’s a novella and the perfect length to really get into the themes and the post apocalyptic world.

I loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon original stories for an eARC.

Another gorgeous short story that plays on post apocalyptic communities in the vein of the Giver, with some absolutely amazing naming conventions, and leaves me wanting more. (Luckily, she's got a lady knight book coming out later this year!!)

Sometimes (now) the world is too much and you need to leave, so you pick up a story or a book, thinking oh this will be a fine escape, and then a few pages later your chest is heaving and you can't breathe because you're sobbing at the glimpse of things you thought you had forgotten how to feel.

That's what Alix E. Harrow will do for you. This is a short story that reads like a novel, a whole world in a few pages, a whole heart lain bare while still beating. What a good thing to have read over Valentines. Thank you, Alix and Netgalley.

Like Ovid's 'Metamorphoses,' this is a beautiful allegory about the power of change. It's also an apt and timely cautionary tale about the danger of consolidating power with those who cling to the past and not look forward to the future. A beautiful and heartbreaking story that I will be thinking about for awhile.

This was such a great short story, I wanted more! Good intro into the author's writing style, and will certainly recommend to my audience.

I'm starting to think that Harrow should only write short stories from now on!
This is a story about forbidden love in a post apocalyptic world with knights and radioactivity. A story as sharp as it is lovely, and I can't wait to read more of these knight stories.

Harrow, a fantasy writer, wonderfully crafted a post-apocalyptic story with supernatural elements and romances that left me hungry for more. The idea of the Shrike mimics The Giver. This world has a society of cities somewhat like our own and outskirts that seem to echo primitive villages. Recalls to pop culture from recent decades thrilled me for cultures who lack records. I feel the whole work is in part a social commentary for what we are allowing our modern world to slowly morph into. Knowing this is only a short story and discovering what Harrow can do with a knight character has me even more amped than before for her novel that involves a knight releasing later this year.

Yes, hello, my brain chemistry has been altered and the trajectory of my life has been changed once again in a span of 40 pages by Alix Harrow.

At its core, The Knight and The Butcherbird asks you how far you’ll go for love. The horrors, actually, of how far you’ll go for love. It blends tragedy, horror, and fantasy so seamlessly in a post-apocalyptic setting while inserting a myriad of metaphors and allusions relevant to our current reality. Alix Harrow’s writing is truly beautiful—coming up with a thrilling and well-developed story is no small feat.

Thank you to Alix E. Harrow for the early copy! :>

A lovely short story set after the future apocalypse. Such an interesting world that Harrow managed to build in less than 40 pages - I was fully immersed immediately.

A great quick short story of demons, love and acceptance. I thought this was a fantastic read and enjoyed my time with it!

Thank you to Alix E. Harrow, NetGalley, and the publisher for the advanced copy!

This was such a beautiful love story. Alix has this incredible way of making us see beauty in the ugly, and this short story was a perfect example of that. She showed us how circumstances and people can change and evolve, but love will always remain. How it only takes one person to start changing peoples perspectives, and that just because something or someone is different, does not make them a monster.

The Knight and the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow is an incredible story for 35 pages. Its set in a post-apocalyptic world where we have demon hunting knights.

The story starts with a demon hunting knight comes to town to kill a demon. The demon in question is main character Shrike, the local historian, used to be wife before she turned.

I find the book very intriguing due to the world building and hints of life outside of the town. Also I feel you can read this short story for several parables or messages for stuff like cancer and how far you can go to love someone.

And I might pick up more Alix Harrows books after reading this as it was my first time reading a story from her. I had to read it twice to get the deeper understanding of the story.

I received a copy for review via NetGalley and Amazon Short Stories, all opinions are my own.

A quick and easy read that drew me in right from the beginning and I don't think I even took a breath until it was finished. I loved it

The reason this doesn't hit 5 stars is I have a loved one with terminal cancer and there's 2 paragraphs on page 15 which discuss cancer in a way I didn't appreciate. Now, it is just two paragraphs and I really don't think it was done intentionally. I just happen to be in a position where it was a little triggering.

On to the good stuff! This packs a ton into a little package! Surprisingly complex world building. The world feels like a fairy tale but backwards. It's the fairy tale world version of our world that the fae would describe for their kids.

*Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this story through NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own

I love Alix E Harrow and all of her work. For such a short story, the Knight and the Butcherbird had beautiful prose and fully fleshed out characters. The way she is able to tell a story in such a short number of pages and not only make it entertaining but leave you with lingering emotions is what makes her one of my favorite authors. I’ll continue to read anything she writes.

I love Alix E. Harrow's writing. I adore both her full-length stories and her short stories. One of her short stories, The Six Deaths of the Saint, remains one of my favorite things I've ever read. So, I was excited to dive into her latest short story which will be released in March.

The Knight and the Butcherbird is a post-apocalyptic and Dystopian story about a knight who is hunting a demon and a girl who wishes to protect the demon. Alix E. Harrow always manages to pack so much into her short stories. This story is less than 40 pages but still has so much heart, worldbuilding, and messages to absorb. The world it is set in is grim but the two romances (one queer!) at the center are the heart of the story. It reads like a dark and futuristic fairytale with mild horror elements. Mostly, it is a story about love, loss, changing to cope with difficult circumstances, and the power of stories.

This is a wonderful and quick read that will leave you thinking about it long after finishing.

Favorite Quote: She came to us as any apocalypse does: slowly at first, and then all at once.

Story Synopsis: In a post-apocalyptic USA, a young woman, aged beyond her years, confronts a demon-slaying knight to question why he’s a demon-slayer.

Why does this book beguile? I love a short story (read this in about 30 minutes) and Alix Harrow’s work. The Knight and the Butcherbird is a fabulous take on a fairytale but with a much darker twist. Not Grimm Brothers dark, but brooding, provocative, and questioning type of dark. The Knight and the Butcherbird will make you question what love is and the lengths you’re willing to go for love.

This was a beautiful post-apocalyptic short story about a world in which shape-shifting demons exist. There are themes of love, devotion, health and illness, and duty.

I adored the writing of this story. This built believable, tragic characters within in just a few pages. I could have followed Shrike and May’s story for so much longer, but thought the length was honestly perfect.

I broadly and highly recommend this to all readers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Short stories aren't always a medium that works for me but in Harrow's deft hands, this one really did! With themes of love, survival, and the need to evolve, The Knight and the Butcherbird is both engaging and thought provoking!