In The Butcher of the Forest, Veris is forced to enter a deadly forest to save the children of the tyrant who rules over her home. She is the only person to ever enter the forest and survive, and her only saving grace is her knowledge from her last trip inside. Monsters, tricks and traps await her, and she has one day to save the children before the forest claims them for itself. 

 

Premee Mohamed’s latest novella is an atmospheric and imaginative fairytale featuring a forty year old protagonist, creepy monsters, and discussions of colonialism and power. The tyrant’s wrath is quietly simmering in the background of the book—Veris knows that if she doesn’t return with the children then she dooms herself, her family and her village. The book explores power imbalances and discusses the injustice of life under tyranny, and the impact of tyranny on marginalized individuals. These themes are also explored through the monsters when they make bargains with Veris. Their prices are high and it made me think about how marginalized individuals are the ones who pay the cost of colonialism—we are the ones who bear the burden, and we are the ones who have to live with the injustices empires create. 

 

Through all of her heartbreak and grief, Veris grounds herself with tokens that remind her of home. She thinks about her aunt and grandfather, and fights to survive for them. Veris has to make difficult choices in impossible situations, and she spends the novella trying to survive but never really gets to live. Is this not what people are doing in Palestine and worldwide? So many of us spend our lives fighting to survive instead of being allowed to simply exist. I couldn’t help but see the parallels to current global injustices while reading about the fictional ones in this book. 🍉 This is what I couldn’t stop thinking about as Veris raced through the forest and constantly put her life on the line for someone who would never do the same for her. 

 

Overall this is a great addition to Premee Mohamed’s body of work. If you enjoy this novella I highly recommend checking out her short story collection No One Will Come Back For Us. I haven’t read all of her books yet but the short story collection is my favourite, and I think it’s a must read for fans of speculative fiction. 

This novella is out today! Thank you Tordotcom Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC to review.