Nothing in the Elmever was as it seemed; and many things were imitations of what they wished to be. And if she forgot that, she would never leave this place.

Blurb:

At the northern edge of a land ruled by a merciless foreign tyrant lies a wild, forbidden forest ruled by powerful magic.

Veris Thorn—the only one to ever enter the forest and survive—is forced to go back inside to retrieve the tyrant's missing children. Inside await traps and trickery, ancient monsters, and hauntings of the past.

One day is all Veris is afforded. One misstep will cost everything.

Review:

Since the turn of the year, ‘The Butcher of the Forest’ by Premee Mohamed was one of the most highly praised and talked about pieces of work that I kept hearing about. Needless to say, both the cover and the intriguing blurb made sure I added it to my TBR without any second guesses. And fortunately enough, I got the opportunity to read it in advance as a digital review copy, courtesy of NetGalley, and the publishers, Tor Books.

At some point, you took a step, and you were simply there, and you would not see the difference between it and the true woods, and you would never take another step that led you back home.

Veris Thorn – pushing forty; sold vegetables, rabbits, and someone who read and wrote letters for the village. To a foreign eye, she was just another villager going about her daily life. But to the common folk of the village, she was the only person ever to have ventured into the north woods… and returned back alive.

The valley she called her home was prone to constant invasions; always had been. But the latest conqueror who had laid eyes on their humble abode was no ordinary man…

…the Tyrant, the man with a thousand names and a thousand cities under his bootheel, he who had for no perceptible reason settled here in their land after grinding it into the dust and stamping his name upon it, bringer of death, lord of war, slaughterer of millions.

Speaking against the Tyrant, even the ill thought of his ruthless rule, was a violation that was punishable by the highest of orders. But as Veris would soon find out, even he had a weakness which every other man, or tyrant alike, seemed to have… family. Veris is hurriedly summoned to meet the Tyrant in person, who would ask her of a favor – to bring back his missing children, a boy and a girl, from the dreaded north woods under any circumstances, well and alive.

Veris has no other option but to accept the nigh on impossible task as the Tyrant leaves her with no choice – failure would mean death and destruction for the whole valley. Veris wastes no time gathering herself and beginning the journey, for she had done this before… once, under harrowing circumstances. She had promised herself of never venturing into those dark and mystical woods ever again. But it seems like fate had other plans…

Everyone in the village, everyone in the valley, even those several days’ ride from the north woods, knew not to go into them.

Veris knows that if she has any hope, even a tiny sliver, of finding and bringing back the young siblings alive, she must hurry and not panic… for panic was the enemy. Nothing in those woods was fair, and that was how it worked. No different without than within.

With precious help from her “tokens”, Veris sets out into the north woods… a place where the real world met with, and cascaded into something far more magical and deadly – the Elmever. There were rules to be followed once you had entered; vague as they were, but which should not be broken nonetheless.

Time is running out for Veris and the children. Less than a day is short enough in itself, but to add to that the mysteries hiding in those woods… hunting you with every step, Veris must use all the experience from her previous and only ordeal to brave the Elmever, against all odds…

…from here, below and above them, the woods still stretched, brimming and burning with magic like an invisible fire. If you did not believe in magic, a day here would teach you to believe, like it or no. You were surrounded by it, and must guard yourself against it, this thing you did not believe in.

The good:

• The writing is excellent! And although the vocabulary can get a tad bit difficult at times, the prose is really smooth and flows along beautifully.

• The character of Veris is really well-written, and her journey through the woods is not only memorable, but will stay with me for a good amount of time.

• The story is like a single, continuous fairy tale with no chapters and a dark undertone, infused with fantasy, horror, and mystery elements. It is set in an “older” time period where magic and witches are seemingly real, and guns are starting to newly emerge. I really loved it from page one, and enjoyed it throughout.

• The atmosphere within the woods is so well described! The magical, mystical nature of it all; the darkness which is right around every corner; and the fact that it all feels real, but is not! Honestly, it is so vividly and utterly well-written that it felt as if I was right alongside Veris in her every single step! The third person perspective does the trick incredibly well, must be said.

The “not so” good:

Seriously, I have no complaints whatsoever. It’s a damn near perfect novella in my honest opinion.

Note: There are mature themes present; not recommended for younger audiences.

The verdict:

‘The Butcher of the Forest’ is quite a stunning, and equally dazzling entry into the world of novellas. Dark, richly atmospheric, and magical in more ways than one. Pretty much every aspect of the novella is executed to near perfection – be it the story, the main character, or the writing. I was invested right from the start, and the incredible prose kept me hooked and engrossed until the very end. I would certainly not hesitate one bit when deciding whether to grab it or not. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!