Reading The Headsman is an atmospheric, immersive experience. It’s stunningly written; so much so that I’m desperate to re-read but this time with a highlighter in hand! The book is a selection of dark, fairytale-esque short stories, much more reminiscent of Grimm than of Disney. The stories are all a little bit twisted, and haunt you long after you finish reading the book.

📚Find this and more reviews on my blog!📚

All of the stories take place in the same village, with some characters appearing in multiple different stories. Although this is something I usually really enjoy, in this case it was the only drawback of the book as it was sometimes difficult to keep track of who was who, and how they all knew each other. However, I think this is something that on re-reads would make much more sense, and this book definitely lends itself to that!

What really struck me at the end was the way the author ties together the stories with discussion of justice: both what it is, and who gets to enforce it. She cites Terry Pratchett as one of her influences, and it’s clear to see that in the way fantastical fairytales are used to explore themes of humanity and philosophy. I’m very excited to see what she writes next!

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy for review. All opinions are my own.