A review by abditoryalive
The Knight and the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow

emotional fast-paced

4.75

I couldn’t stop smiling—the euphoric, hysteric smile of a woman who has been lying on her lover’s grave and has just felt the earth move beneath her.

(Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an eArc in exchange for a review, it was an absolute pleasure)

The Knight and the Butcherbird is a phenomenal dystopian novella set in a distant post apocalyptic wasteland of a future. It features a survivor, Shrike who is the towns oral historian, (which function similar to an ancient bard), and the infamous demon killing knight, who is hunting her possessed wife.

🐦‍⬛Dark and Dreamlike.  The Knight and the Butcherbird masterfully intertwines many of Harrow’s signature storytelling elements—emotionally rich lyrical prose, the blurred lines between myth and reality, with a touch of gothic allure  The Knight and the Butcherbird embraces the melancholic, where tragedy and romance intertwine like ivy on an nature-consumed ruin. 

 🐦‍⬛ There's a real aching pull of love against destiny in this novella -  basically everything I loved about Starling House in miniature. And, of course, every good fairy tale begins with Once upon a time—but not every fairy tale promises a picture perfect happy ending.

🐦‍⬛ Rich with Mythological References. Strikes' story is woven with echoes of ancient legends, forgotten gods. I enjoyed seeking out each individual one, like an easter egg hunt.  Each detail feels like a thread pulled from an overarching tapestry. 

Once upon a time there was a woman who became a tree to escape a hunter
 
🐦‍⬛ Short and Sweet. The Knight and the Butcherbird is a bite sized 36 pages, and I’d eagerly devour a full-length novel set in this world. I was left with wanting more.

🎭Singular Critique: During the worldbuilding, Shrike mentions the toils of being an outlander. "Did he think we didn't know how many people we love every year to flash floods heatwaves, COVID and cancer". Which gave me a bit of an ick. The modern reference to Covid 19 broke my immersion to the dystopian folkloric setting. A more generalised mention to plague or sickness may have done the same thing.

📖  Fans of early supernatural episodes (like the one where Bobby's wife is possessed), Fall out 4 brotherhood of steel, - and if you haven't read Starling House by Harrow but enjoyed this one, definitely pick up a copy. ( Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia may also be a good fit).