Alix E Harrow can do no wrong. Her writing is enamoring and stuns me every time.
"Nothing grows on a grave while you're standing on it." wow what a punch. Seriously I cannot get enough of her.

what a fabulous short story filled with heart and emotion. this quick tale explores a post-apocalyptic world (that felt more like reality than fiction lol), and at its core, is a book about love. while it isn't romantic, it's grounded in painful truth, heartbreaking grief, and the uncomfortable weight of transformation. such a profound story told in a short amount of time. stunning!

Alix E. Harrow is a master of short fiction. Upon finishing The Knight and the Butcherbird, I was overwhelmed with gratitude that such stories exist, and that I have the privilege of reading them.

With a premise that is entirely captivating and manages to be familiar and novel all at once, enhanced by gorgeous storytelling and lush prose, The Knight and the Butcherbird is, at heart, a love story. As is Harrow’s The Six Deaths of the Saint. And much like that one, it isn’t romantic or sweet but heart-wrenching and steeped in truth. It explores humanity’s complex relationship with grief, what it feels like to mourn someone who isn’t quite dead but rather unrecognizable, a distortion of the person you once loved. And the longing, the unadulterated yearning, to be with them in this state even if it demands your own deterioration. I don’t know what love is. But when I read harrow’s work, I feel like I do.

In a post-apocalyptic world, a small Appalachian community known as Iron Hollow is being troubled by a demon. A legendary knight is called upon to rid them of the monster but the towns new oral historian, Shrike, isn’t about to let that happen. The demon was once Shrike‘a wife May and she is certain the some part of her still remains beneath the beast. Determined to keep her wife safe, Shrike stalks the knight and his hawk through the forest only to discover the knight has a secret of his own.

The Knight and the Butcherbird is a dystopian short story that packs a big punch. This was such an enjoyable read by an author whose novels I find very enjoyable. A book about loss, love, and the willingness to protect that love at any cost. This was definitely one of my favorite reads of the year and I highly recommend giving it a try…a must read for 2025!

Genuinely not sure how Alix E. Harrow can pack so much story and emotion into 30-something page stories - what kind of witchcraft is this??

The Knight and the Butcherbird is an atmospheric, lyrical, dystopian love story, with knights, demons, and, oh yeah, fever dream physical corruption of antlers and fangs and feathers. Much like the excellent The Six Deaths of the Saint, I would love to stay in this world for a much longer novel, but also like that little masterpiece, the pacing, characterizations, and emotional beats of this hit hard in a short amount of pages. The imagery is a standout - the story is so vivid!

Thank you to the publisher, Amazon Original Stories, and to NetGalley for the ARC.

A great post apocalyptic short story! The writing was wonderful, with an incredible setting. Hope we get more stories from this world.

"In this dystopian fairy tale from the New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, a small town's storyteller struggles to protect a local demon from the knight hired to kill it.

Hundreds of years after the end of the world, the Appalachian community of Iron Hollow finds itself beset by demons. Such horrors are common these days in the outlands, where most folks die young - if they don't turn into monsters first.

When a legendary knight is summoned to hunt down the latest unearthly beast to haunt their woods, the town's new oral historian, Shrike, has more reason than most to be concerned. Because that demon was her wife. And while Shrike is certain that May still recognizes her - that May is still herself, somewhere beneath it all - she can't prove it.

Determined to keep May safe, Shrike stalks the knight and his demon-hunting hawk through the recesses of the forest. But as they creep through toxic creeks and overgrown kudzu, Shrike realizes the knight has a secret of his own. And he'll do anything to protect it."

All dystopian and post-apocalyptic tales need kudzu.

The Knight and the Butcherbird comes with the description, “A dystopian fairy tale” and honestly I can’t beat that. And I am in awe of how much of a world is conjured up in just 36 pages!

The post-apocalyptic setting feels all-too bleak, with small communities scratching out a sort-of life in the wilds where radiation kills everyone one way or another. If you’re unlucky, the ‘other’ way is a sprouting of feathers, or horns, or scales – and being branded a ‘demon’ by your friends and family.

Elsewhere, there are Enclaves – places where technology still exists and society hasn’t quite collapsed. Part of the Enclave’s duties is to deal with the demons – to hunt them down without mercy. Which is a little bit of a problem for our main character, a girl called Shrike who knows in her heart that said demon still recognises her – still loves her.

Without wasting a word, we’re treated to just enough back story about Shrike, and about the Knight – both intriguing characters. Most of all, though, the story is about love and what people will do to protect it.

Absolutely worth your time, and I just wish there was going to be more in this world. However, this is also a perfect short story and I leave it well satisfied.

I really enjoyed this dystopian novella very much. I loved the way the author made it seem like the medieval times, when actually it was a story about the world after an apocalypse that happened sometime after covid.

A PERFECT novella!! This is another shining example to add to my quick read recs for people who discredit them.

The Knight and the Butcherbird is a dystopian fantasy about a village storyteller, Shrike, who is desperate to protect a demon that a knight has come to destroy. These demons are common phenomena in communities like hers, and the townspeople rely on the ruthless knights to hunt them down before they kill everyone around them. But what if those demons were once people and the people who love them can't let them go? Shrike is determined to stop the knight from finding this particular demon, and she needs to learn as much as she can about him in order to do this. Her hunt reveals there is more to the knight than the stony facade he shows the world and the two have more in common than they expected.

The connection between the main characters feels so natural and the author does a fantastic job or making the reader empathise with both despite only being given Shrike's POV. Shrike is tenacious and brave, and the knight is like an onion (layers) and I am stunned by how well his character was explored in so few pages. Their friendship was unexpected and quite wholesome despite the circumstances and I love the almost paternal themes that come out by the end.

This book explores love, grief, courage even to your own detriment, and the risks people in love will take to avoid their biggest fears. My heart ached from Shrike and the knight by the end of this book. I didn't know how the story would end, but the suspense is heavy because you know there's no perfect resolution coming.

This is the second book I've read by Alix E. Harrow and I was very disappointed by my first encounter wth this author, so I am over the moon that this exceeded my expectations. Fingers crossed I will find another gem in their works!

Alix E. Harrow blew me away with this dystopian fairytale, it was so unique and it broke my heart. Harrow‘s been on my TBR for ages but this was my first time reading something they‘d written. This dystopian fairytale is only thirty-six pages long but Harrow transports you into a post-apocalyptic world, makes your heart ache for the monsters, and ties everything up beautifully by the end. In a world where the poor are struggling to survive several centuries after a nuclear war, a knight arrives to kill the “demon” plaguing the village, and more than one love story unfolds amongst the horrors. The knight’s wearing recycled tires instead of the traditional armor, he’s accompanied by a hawk, and the “demons” are definitely not what you’re expecting. Shrike Secretary and Sir John were such complex characters and I felt for both of them, which is impressive, considering the story’s only thirty-six pages long. I went into this story completely blind and I don’t regret it. This is a quick read that’s perfect for anyone that enjoys warped fairytales, dystopian fiction, and even a little bit of a love story. I fully intend to read the rest of this author’s backlist. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

*Huge thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This is a post apocalyptic short story that takes place in the future. There is a strong fairytale element with monsters and knights. It was a quick and unique read. It had some really cool concepts and was well written. Ultimately, I wish it was longer. At only 36 pages, it just wasn't long enough for me. I wanted to know the characters and the world better. I also felt that the end was rather abrupt.

This short story packs a punch in just 30 pages. In dystopian Ohio, people are changing and demons stalk the land. A knight arrives at Iron Hollow to hunt one of these demons, and Shrike Secretary is going to stop him no matter the cost, because that demon? It was just her wife. As Shrike and the knight battle and prowl the woods looking for May, she realizes that he also has a secret, and both realize some things about the world around them.
The world that Harrow built in a story this short is one that I would very much like to return to, please. It was so textured and interesting, a blend of dystopian and supernatural horror. There was only the hints of the future between now and then and how the world became like this., and I want to know everything. Shrike was a great narrator to ride along with, half-feral and fully of her outlander world. Truly, Alix E Harrow does not disappoint.
Also, there was an Animorphs reference, so that rocked.

A story of a new world and what one wouldn’t do for their wife. Queer, beautiful, and haunting. Both devastating and hopeful.

The Knight and the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow is a haunting and beautifully crafted tale set in a rural community plagued by demons and strange transformations. Shrike, a seventeen-year-old oral historian, is living in a town where death and monstrosity are everyday threats. When her wife, May, becomes the latest demon to haunt the woods, Shrike is determined to save her, even if it means confronting a legendary knight and his hawk. As Shrike tracks them through the wild forest, she uncovers dark secrets about the knight and the terrifying forces at play. This story blends love, sacrifice, and eerie mystery in a way that’s both gripping and emotional—definitely a unique and captivating read.

This was my first time reading a short story and my first book by author Alix E. Harrow. The story is set in a post apocalyptic world shows how far one will go for love. I think this story worked as a short story it was all wrapped up nicely and the story flowed well. I liked the mention of things that happened in our world, such as COVID and that it was a quick read. However, I just think this tale was not for me, it was a good story I just did not fully connect with the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A post apocalyptic short story set 300 or so years after what i assume to be nuclear war. Society has collapsed and been divided between those who cling to the past way of life and life in cities with kings and some technology and the outlanders who live in smaller villages in radiation zones it seems and lead simpler lives but die young.
A Knight is sent to the village because demon creatures are plaguing the earth. The villages secretary know more about these demons than she originally let's on and together they go to track it down.
This is a whimsical short story written in a semi classic linguistic style to suit the story.
It is a tale about how far one would go for love.

Many thanks to Amazon who provided me with a copy to review via NetGalley.

Alix E. Harrow has mastered the art of the short story.

Coming hot after a reread of her “Six Deaths of the Saint” , this was the perfect follow-up for me.

This is still a story about a knight. And love. But this time is set in the not-so-far future. The apocalypse has come and gone, humanity has picked up the pieces and moved on. The story starts when the town’s storyteller meets the knight who came to kill the demon. What follows next is a story of love, loss, transformation, and how survival can become resistance against oppression.

“The wheel turns, but so do we.”

Alix E. Harrow in her short story “The Knight and the Butcherbird” shows us her own approach to the topic of illness, especially cancer. In her own way she shows us how she copes with a demon of such nature.

As always she does it in a very descriptive writing that appeals to one's imagination. The whole story is a combination of sci-fi/dystopian genre with more medieval fantasy. Though I’m not usually a fan of such a setting it does work in shorter stories, as the world does not have to be complete there.

Can’t wait to read some longer novels by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this short story and provide a review.

Wow. I really enjoyed this short story. The characters were great, and the story was great. Really wished it was longer. Will be reading more from Alix E Harrow in future. #TheKnightandtheButcherbird #NetGalley