The Butcher of the Forest

October 30, 2023
Mohamed (the Void trilogy) turns from cosmic horror to dark fantasy in an enchanting, bite-size adventure that will put readers in mind of Robert Holdstock’s classic Mythago Wood. Legend has it that an otherworldly realm full of mysterious humanoid creatures exists deep within Elmever forest, but no one who’s gone into the woods has ever returned to confirm or deny these rumors—save for Veris Thorn, who, before the start of the novel, saved a child from the forest, though it was more a feat of luck than skill. When Eleonor and Aram, the children of a cruel emperor referred to only as the Tyrant, disappear into the woods, the Tyrant gives Vern 24 hours to bring them back. If she fails, the Tyrant will kill her family and raze her village. This tense quest through the eerie and atmospheric forest propels the story forward at a breakneck pace. Though the page count doesn’t leave much room for character development, lending the cast a flat, fairy tale-like quality, it’s easy to buy into the high stakes. Readers will be rapt.

December 22, 2023
The versatile and prolific Mohamed's new novella (after the collection No One Will Come Back for Us, 2023) is a dark fairy tale. The story revolves around a Tyrant who lives in a wild forest, the Elmever, and whose children have gone missing. Veris is the only one ever to have rescued someone from the forest, so she is ordered to find the children on pain of death. Veris struggles with having to do something good for someone bad. She goes through unimaginable hurdles to get to the Tyrant's children. Veris knows that escape to safety is not going to be easy, and she has to take care of the children in a terrifying environment with forces out to get her that won't let up. Just as she fights through one barrier, an even worse one comes up, until she has an unthinkable decision forced upon her and then must face its aftermath. A well told story, The Butcher of the Forest will appeal to fantasy readers who enjoy grimdark tales like the works of Teresa Frohock and Brent Weeks.

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