Alix E. Harrow has done it again—The Knight and the Butcherbird is an absolute knockout. I was hooked from the very first line, swept away by Harrow’s lush, lyrical prose and the hauntingly powerful story she crafted. She has such a gift for blending the fantastical with the raw and emotional, and this novella is no exception. It’s fierce, mythic, and deeply moving.

There’s a sense of both brutality and beauty in these pages that lingered long after I finished. The themes of power, transformation, and self-determination are delivered with such intensity and heart. I loved every moment of it and I honestly think I’d read anything this author writes—her storytelling is just magic.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this early. A new favourite, without question.

A warming and clever short story from the ever imaginative and original Alix E Harrow.

This was a charmer, and notably well plotted for something that takes very little time to read. Harrow is so good at playing off of traditional Fantasy tropes and weaving them into something unique and nuanced.

If there’s a bit where this one doesn’t quite get where it needs to it is in the world building, which is of course incredibly difficult to fully realize in a short story. Fantasy in particular seems to not lend itself well to shorter format prose for exactly this reason, save for stories set in a world that readers are already familiar with from previous full length novels.

Still, Harrow gives us a good enough idea of where we are for this tale, and gets surprisingly good character depth and nuance for something that had to be contained in so few pages.

There was a lot packed into this short story. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook. This was a fascinating dystopian tale.

i love alix's writing so much, and i can tell that this is going to be really powerful, but this just keeps mentioning my only trigger as a reader... so i really can't go on. but i am wishing the author all the success with this one. and thank you so much for the opportunity. i will for sure tune in for whatever is next from them!

I love these short stories.
I love Alix's writing.
These are some of my favorite reads.
I really enjoyed this one and really enjoyed the characters.

This was an unexpected little novella that packed a lot of strong emotional evoking elements. Essentially the story is a dystopian fantasy world, post pandemic, with demons and knights protecting the people. What was really interesting is why there are demons, as I've loved through having a loved one go through ...."that" and I can relate but also dont appreciate the emotions it evoked it me. So its a love but not so love for this little novella.

Alix E. Harrow's The Knight and the Butcherbird is a hauntingly beautiful dystopian fairy tale. The story is set in the post-apocalyptic Appalachian community of Iron Hollow. In it we follow Shrike, a storyteller who is determined to protect her demon-turned wife from a legendary knight who is there to kill her. In this story we find themes of love, survival, and sacrafice. The richly detailed world and complex characters make this short story a standout in the fantasy genre. This is a short novella packed with beautiful writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for a ALC of The Knight and the Butcherbird in exchange of my honest opinion.

This is a lovely short story that packs so much in such a small number of pages! The allegories and deeper meaning of this post-apocalyptic world where demons are changed people blew my mind. Impeccable atmosphere that was perfectly conveyed in the audiobook!

Alix E. Harrow is swiftly becoming an author I am seeking out whenever I get the chance. After reading Starling House and picking up a few other works, I jumped at the chance to request this audio book when I saw it on Netgalley.

This story is both beautiful, brutal, and heartbreaking. Even in a few short pages, the author is able to weave a story of two characters, Shrike and the Knight, who seem to be on opposing sides of how to handle a demon. Shrike is determined to protect the demon as she has connections to the person they once were, while the Knight has been hired to remove the demon and protect the town. Since the story is short, it is hard to dive in much further without giving too many spoilers, but there are quite a lot of reveals within the short story and it is well worth the read.

it is also dystopia and we see a future where we have reach a peak of scientific and technologic innovation, for it all to have come crashing down and for the survivors to now live in small villages with remnants of toxic decay plaguing the land.

I love it and highly recommend this story in ebook or audiobook to anyone who loves the dark fairytale vibe.

Alix E. Harrow just released a new short story this week: The Knight and the Butcherbird. Set in a post-apocalyptic Appalachian community hundreds of years in the future, it reads like a fairy tale with demons and knights.

Why I Chose This Book:
Though I’ve only read two of her books so far, I’m always excited for more from Alix E. Harrow. The description for this short story sounded intriguing, despite its futuristic, dystopian setting.

What I Liked:
- The writing! Alix E. Harrow consistently has such beautiful and impactful writing. As always, that is on display here.
- Great world-building despite the short format. The author packs a lot into this story, and it feels full enough that it could easily be expanded into a full novel.

What Didn’t Work For Me:
- Futuristic, dystopian setting. This is not a slight towards the author in any way; I just rarely enjoy these kinds of settings. Real life is already stressful enough haha. I like the author’s other works (set in the present or past) and was willing to give this a try, but it’s just not my thing.

Audiobook:
Aida Reluzco does a superb job of narrating The Knight and the Butcherbird. She makes the story so much more engrossing and hits the sarcastic and humorous beats flawlessly. I would love to hear more of her audiobooks!

Final Thoughts
The Knight and the Butcherbird is a well-crafted short story, and although it’s not my preferred genre, I think it will find the right readers to fully enjoy it. Its stunning prose and thoughtful characterization is enough to make new fans of Alix E. Harrow’s work. While this wasn’t my personal favorite from her, I will still be reading her other novels and short stories.

The Knight at the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow is, as are all of Harrow's works, a masterpiece. This short fiction story creates a whole world that I would love to return to 👀 immediately please! Thank you to Netgalley for an audiobook arc of this book!

4.5 stars

The Knight and the Butcherbird is a gritty and eerie story that blends love, secrets, and danger. It’s set in a small, troubled town where nothing is as it seems. The main character, Shrike, is determined to protect someone important to her, even if it means facing impossible odds. The book has a lot of suspense, with a dark atmosphere that kept me hooked. While the plot can feel a bit slow at times, the mystery and complex relationships really pull you in. If you're into stories with a lot of tension and a touch of the supernatural, this one might be worth checking out.

As always, Alix Harrow packs an incredible amount into the short story. With gorgeous prose, lush descriptions, and intriguing characters, the story captivated me right away. An exploration of humanity, grief, and love - like I said, a lot to do in so few pages! But she nailed it!

This story was a little bit more on the bizarre horror sode of my tastes, but seeing as it’s Alix E. Harrow, still ultimately a hit!

This is a post-apocalyptic story unlike any particular dystopian take I’ve read before: cancer has morphed over time to cause people to shift into what the world has labeled as “demons,” or really, just something that isn’t yet understood. We have a “knight,” who in this time period is more of an assassin demon hunter. He quickly finds himself at odds with our MC, but it turns out they both have something major to hide.

This begs a lot of questions for the reader, and really packs a punch in so few pages. It’s lyrical, evocative, lush in its writing style, and entirely unique. If you can get down with something a little horror and strange in your fantasy, I think you’ll enjoy this!

wowowowowow love this so much. alix e harrow KNOWS how to write a short story. this was fantastic - sad, epic, gorey and intriguing. loved it!

Thank you @brilliancepublishing #partner for the gifted copy of this audiobook!

Third day in a row I’m posting about Appalachian territory! This time however it’s long past the end of the world and filled with demons and monsters. A knight is brought in to hunt the latest beast that plagues the town. The unfortunate part is that beast (May) happens to be the town’s Oral Historians (Shrike) Wife. Shrike is convinced under all of the beastly behaviors deep down May is still in there. It then becomes and epic battle of Shrike trying to hunt down the knight…but the knight has other plans.

This was a unique and powerful short story about love. Alix does what Alix does best and that’s create such an atmospheric and beautiful story that was haunting, eerie and dark all wrapped into one. I did enjoy this short story even more because the audio was done so well. It really helped put me directly into this dark and gritty setting. I enjoyed this story but in true Bethany form (that’s me) I always want Novellas to be longer! That’s a me problem! I will absolutely continue to grab anything Alix writes. So far I have devoured each and every story I’ve read by her!

I really enjoyed the audio for this book. I think that the narrator delivered a fantastic performance and really did justice to the lyrical way in which the story was written.

This short story restored my faith in love. Corny? Maybe, but it definitely helped. Monsters/ demons are in the woods of Iron Hollow and a knight is sent to take care of it. However, the town's oral historian, 17-year-old Shrike follows him. This demon happens to be her wife. The knight, and many others are trying to find out the origin behind how this is happening. While this is a short story, it had me reeling about loving someone and how that love may change over time or circumstance. But the love is still there. Amazing story by Alix E. Harrow!

"The Knight and The Butcherbird" is a testament to the power of short-form storytelling. It's a haunting, thought-provoking tale that will resonate with anyone who's ever loved fiercely and unconditionally. If you're a fan of fantasy with a dark, emotional edge, this is one story you absolutely can't miss.

For those who prefer audiobooks, Aida Reluzco's narration is a treat. Her voice brings the characters to life, adding depth to the already atmospheric tale and making the emotional moments hit even harder.

Thank you, Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley, for my free book.

This was stuninggggggggg! I loved Harrow's Once and Future Witches, and thought Starling House was okay, but this short story merges the best of both works. This is one of the most interesting takes on dystopian society and demons that I've ever read. I desperately wanted it to be longer, not because it felt rushed, but because I was just so engrossed in this world. I can't more highly recommend this!

I have never before been able to listen to a narrated short story, and this was the way to do it. The narration perfectly captured the gritty and desperate setting.