The Knight and the Butcherbird: A Short Story by Alix E. HarrowMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
This is a strange little book set in a small Appalachian town, where demons infest the wild lands and knights are summoned to hunt them down. Information is no longer passed down electronically, but via storytellers, the current storyteller is Shrike who knows more about the town's current demon than anyone as it was once her wife May. The knight also knows much about demons but he longs to know the secret of their creation for like Shrike, his wife was also turned into a demon. Shrike is determined to keep May safe and prevent the knight from harming her. He is surprised by the history lesson given by the storyteller, but knowing what he knows about the toxic lands and the science and medicine available in the cities it all makes sense.
I really enjoyed this short story. The author packs alot of information into only about 40 pages. It is rare that I find a short story that feels complete and while the author could probably write and entire novel about this world, I think it is perfect as is. Harrow's work to date has been hit or miss for me, but this was a real hit! I loved the push and pull between Shrike and the Knight, they both have secrets and personal motivations. They both want to protect their loved ones and took their vows seriously. This also has commentary on the environment, technology, healthcare, societal collapse, religion, etc. It certainly made me think.
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