The Knight and the Butcherbird tells the story of its titular characters in a post-apocalyptic world where people transform, seemingly at random, into dangerous demons.

"...love is whatever you're willing to kill for."

While this story presents itself as Lovecraftian inspired horror akin to VanderMeer's Annihilation, at its heart this short story is a dark tale of love. Of how we express this love and what we would sacrifice for those we love. If you ever come across a being that doesn't understand what love is, let them read one of Harrow's short stories and they'll soon learn.

As I've come to expect from Harrow her writing is incredibly moving and memorable. I also adore how unapologetically queer this story is. The only thing I would have loved to see is some more expansion on the world and the setting. I would have loved for it to be a bit richer and unique. I had trouble grasping what kind of world this really took place in which messed with my feelings of immersion at times.

"She knew me then, at the beginning of ourselves, and she knew me now, here at the end, when she did not even know herself."

The Knight and the Butcherbird is a wonderful read for anyone that loves dark fantasy combined with not just one, but two inspiring love stories.

A story about love and loss which I read this in one sitting. Beautifully written and emotional, I really enjoyed this atmospheric dystopian short story. I just the way Alix. E Harrow writes.
Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars

This short story managed to create characters the reader cared about and have them develop in a way that did not feel quick or rushed. A poignant read for those who like the end of the world.

**Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!**

4/5 stars

A hauntingly beautiful story set in a post-apocalyptic world that makes you question whether you'd go to the same lengths as Shrike and the Knight for the ones you love. In under 40 pages, Alix E. Harrow delivers an emotional story with good world building and compelling characters that keeps you intrigued from the very beginning until the end. If you’re a fan of Harrow’s other works or enjoy dystopian fiction, I highly recommend this quick but unforgettable read.

This short story was really a trip. I love how Harrow creates these interesting worlds in her stories. An imaginative take on a post-apocalyptic theme, slightly creepy and scary but ultimately, a touching tale about love. 4.5⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy.

Alix E. Harrow happens to be one of my favourite gothic writers. Harrow always delivers a book that is on surface level one thing but is often much deeper, much more thought provoking. This short story is not any different. A bit dark, a lot gothic, and all sorts of fun to jump into!!

This story is about demons - not otherworldly from hell demons, but people becoming demons. Meaning they transform, fangs, antlers, loss of self awareness and a devolving to their base, carnal natures. But it is also about love, and what it is to lose someone to corruption and evil things and struggle with knowing that they should be destroyed but love will not allow it. A knight whose job is to kill all demons, a woman wanting to protect the demon who had once been her wife.

This is a short story - and yet the depth of it within only a few pages is astounding.

Simply another whin for Harrow who is the master of gothic, strange stories.

An amazing story of love, loss, and death.
“Nothing grows on a grave when you’re standing on it.”
Oral historian Shrike is on a mission to protect her wife turned demon from a demon slaying knight and his hawk in their post apocalypse world. Their journey is filled with discovery. Shrike is true to her namesake in how she fights for her wife.
The ending had me tearing up, I loved how full circle it was.

I'm so glad I live in the universe where Alix E Harrow is a writer.
The Knight and the Butcherbird is a marvel of post-apocalyptic fiction. Set in Appalachia, it feels both farfetched and yet entirely, painfully plausible. I found myself highlighting every other sentence. Some simply because the prose was beautiful, and others because they hit home in some way. And a few I highlighted because they made me chuckle, just a little, in the midst of such a solemn story.
Though it takes less than an hour to read, I believe this story will stick with readers for a very long time. It's full of such raw emotion, and people just trying to do their best under the circumstances.
I once said Alix E Harrow's works will one day be studied in high school English classes, and I stand by that. The Knight and the Butcherbird left me with the same wonder I felt when I first read stories such as The Yellow Wallpaper or The Lady or the Tiger. It's a work I believe everyone should read, and I know I'm bound to read it over and over.

Thank you to Amazon Originals and Netgalley for the ARC.

This is my second book by Alix E. Harrow, and it just keeps getting better! The writing is absolutely masterful, and I can hardly believe it was only 36 pages. The story, the mystery, and the world-building are so rich and compelling in such a short tale. It's a beautiful tale about monsters, love, sacrifice, and the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.

A big thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think writing a good short story is a VERY hard thing to do, probably harder than writing a longer form story, because you have to keep the whole thing so tight. There is no room for excess in a good short story, and characters and world and plot all have to be developed as well. Alix E. Harrow does that marvelously here. It's a post-apocalyptic Appalachian fairytale, and the way Harrow builds this world is incredibly clear. Her description of the knight's armor sets the tone so perfectly and I loved the way the demons were handled. There are some Tam Lin-like aspects here but it's not a direct take or retelling of that story. It also has one of those endings that perfectly fits the story. Extremely satisfying all around, and a wonderful little bite of a story.

5/5

In a post apocalyptic world the people who live in the outlands must contend not only with scarcity and harsh conditions, but also with demons: monsters that anyone can transform into. A legendary knight has come to Iron Hollow to defeat a demon, but Shrike, the town's young storyteller, is set on sabotaging him. After all, the monster is none other than her wife. But Shrike isn't the only one with a secret, the knight has something to hide, something that could change everything.

Alix E. Harrow you have done it again, never stop writing short stories. It's like the more restrictions you give her the better her output. This very short story managed to develop not one but two believable love stories. With small short brushstrokes, she constructed the possibility of a bigger world outside Iron Hollow, enough for a perfect backdrop. The prose is strong and flowy, and the feelings abound. 10/10, no notes.

Excellent short story!! I enjoyed the worldbuilding and how well it was done in such a short space. Overall the story is intriguing and the ending was wonderful. Another excellent piece of writing from Alix Harrow!!

In The Knight and the Butcherbird Alix E. Harrow has created a fantastical dystopian future that feels oppressive but ultimately hopeful.

In this story we follow Shrike, a seventeen-year-old girl who serves in an integral role of her community as their storyteller. She is dealing with the loss of her wife but when a knight enters their village we discover that not everything is as it first seemed.

Shrike's actions and choices mystified me but Harrow managed to make me understand her and to root for both Shrike's and the Knight's happiness.

Some of the details of the world Harrow set the story in was unclear to me, whether it was supposed to be our world's future or a more fantastical alternate world to ours. Ultimately it didn't matter to me because Harrow is wonderful at creating an atmosphere that you can't help but be drawn into.

Todos esperamos ansiosamente la nueva novela de Alix E. Harrow, pero si mientras tanto podemos echarnos al coleto un relato tan deliciosamente retorcido como The Knight and the Butcherbird, la espera se nos hará mucho más corta.


De sobras es conocida la capacidad de la autora para los relatos, pero esta vez me ha sorprendido con una historia que puede considerarse ciencia ficción aunque tenga un entorno que parece fantástico, con caballeros que persiguen demonios en un mundo post apocalíptico. En apenas treinta páginas Harrow es capaz de mostrarnos las cosas que se pueden hacer por amor, alabar la cultura oral y sus enseñanzas y aderezarlo todo con body horror. Y no se nos debe pasar por alto el mensaje que lanza sobre abrazar el cambio y las adversidades para salir reforzados.

La narradora de esta historia reside en uno de los asentamientos de la frontera, en una zona peligrosa donde la muerte es una constante compañera, pero no solo por el acecho de los demonios si no porque la propia naturaleza se vuelve en contra de los humanos. Su labor como Secretaria es ser portadora de los conocimientos que habrán de pasar por generaciones, pero cuando un afamado caballero llega a su hogar para acabar con el demonio que ha aparecido, no todo será tan claro y sencillo como podríamos esperar de un cuento de hadas. Es un libro oscuro y como decía anteriormente, retorcido, pero no por ello menos atractivo y embaucador.

Un relato fascinante que sin duda, está destinado a copar las listas de lo mejor del año.

The Knight and the Butherbird by Alix E. Harrow was absolutely fantastic! I enjoyed every page of this short story. I'm not surprised because Alix E. Harrow is the best at conveying so much with so little. I loved it. I loved the characters and found it to be a very unique story. I cannot wait to continue to read whatever Alix E. Harrow publishes. This was great and I will be recommending it to everyone.

I know when I pick up a book by Alix E Harrow that I’m going to immediately fall in love and this was no exception. Even in her short stories she still entrances me and leaves me wanting more.

I'm not usually one for short stories -- I like longer books, usually, because you have time to sink into the setting, to get to know the characters, and all that. I mostly requested The Knight and the Butcherbird because I absolutely adore Alix E. Harrow's writing. This was fantastic. A nice little bite-sized piece of excellence, just like I suspected it would be.

The Knight and the Butcherbird takes place in what we assume to be an post-apocalyptic Appalachia. There's no real explanations at what caused said apocalypse, but there are hints enough to guess. Cancer and illness is everywhere -- people aren't expected to live past 40. But despite that, this story has an overwhelming feeling of hope.

"Demons" are the primary cause of fear in this little rural town that we're set in. A knight -- an older gentleman with fighting experience -- has come to town to deal with the demon that's plaguing Iron Hollow. The story takes on twist after twist, and gah. For being quite short, this is was just so well done. I would have read a whole length novel set in this world. Five stars.

Wow! I loved this! This is a short story set in our post-apocalyptic world where people turn into demons and knights are sent to kill them. It’s gritty, funny, heartfelt. It’s about love, identity, and what it takes to survive.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for an ARC. This comes out March 10th, 2025.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review!

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5 stars - she did it again, and I am left not so speechless seeing as I probably won’t shut up about this for a while

I’m gonna be honest, I barely even looked at the cover and description before picking this up, just kind of blindly trusting the author who wrote my favourite short story of all time. And I’m so glad, because that made every little detail hit so much harder (and funnier). The way I was gasping and laughing and clutching my heart!

The world we get introduced to is intriguing, harsh, heartbreaking and yet also fun. The characters are complicated and loveable. The writing style is perfect for the story that is being told.
This was exactly what I hoped for, and also so much more. I’m going to be thinking (and talking) about this a lot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I am quite new to short stories, though not new to some of Alix E. Harrow’s other works. I think so far, this might be my favourite of hers works that I have read.

This short story reads like a dystopian fairy tale with elements of horror and sci-fi, and I really loved it!

I commend the authors ability to build this world and characters as much as she did. I felt attached and invested to the characters and the world, as well as the story. The ending was particularly beautiful.