Review on Butcher and Blackbird, Brynne Weaver

Stuck in a cage, tattered clothes stained with blood whilst waiting for the maggots to attack your still breathing body, the last thing you’d expect is for a bubbly dark-haired stranger to calmly save you upon walking into your ‘recently-murdering’ act. More so, you’d be even more surprised when that stranger happens to be a fellow sanguinary killer and a fan of your work, who also seems to be more interested in taking you out to a friendly dinner than turning you in to the police.

Such is the introduction of the two main characters of the romantic, serial killer comedy “Butcher & Blackbird” by author Brynne Weaver. The narration is starred by Sloan Sutherland, also known as the infamous serial killer The Orb Weaver, and Rowan Kane, the equally deranged Butcher of Boston. Upon their unconventional meeting (a twisted ‘Meet Cute’), they agree to participate in an annual killing competition which tests both their murder skills and their growing ‘more-than-friends’ bond. Thus, Weaver explores the ups and downs of two, slightly psychotic yet adorably loving, assassins through the lens of dark (bloody) humor and enthralling protagonists.

As assumed, this novel centers around the topic of death and murder, much of which is completely justified as their targets tend to be other serial killers rather than ‘innocent’ victims. So, this story features the following cliché tropes: a Dark Romantic Comedy, Slowburn friends-to-lovers, Forced Proximity, Reverse Grumpy-Sunshine, and He Falls First (and Harder). This book also has two mostly equally strong protagonists that thrive off witty banter and morbidly through-out killings. And, the author was good enough to grace us with both Rowan and Sloan's Point of Views.

However, something that is important to point out in this novel, as well as in any other book, is the rather extensive page of Trigger Warnings. For the sake of this article’s word limit (and it being officially regarded within our school’s academic Newspaper), I will only be delving into a few. There are mentions of excessively gory scenes, as well as descriptions of torture with sharp objects, skin ornaments, references to parental neglect and child abuse, and the famously regarded “accidental” and “not-so-accidental cannibalism”. Furthermore, this book does feature scenes for more mature audiences, so beware of such if the explicit killing scenes have not dissuaded you from reading this novel (NOTE: I am 18, yet will not discuss the day of my legality or my age when reading this novel). Nonetheless, although the Trigger Warnings appear lengthy (the complete list is featured in the author’s website https://www.brynneweaverbooks. com) part of the novel’s intrigue comes from its surprisingly relatable main characters.

Now, while I cannot professionally rate the book (as this genre of comedic romantic literature could not be wholly regarded as a Literary Masterpiece), I did personally give it a five out of five stars in my Goodreads. Having read it during a reading slump, after consuming either very complex yet exhausting world-building fantasy or simple ‘boy-meets-girl’ books, this novel provided the perfect balance of an enjoyable and entertaining plot that remained lighthearted considering its main themes. Brynne Weaver’s ability to turn gory scenes into humorous or amorously adorable made the story a page-turner.

Personally, I also heavily enjoy character-based stories, and although Butcher and Blackbird has a progressing Plot line, it is its complex yet still relatable characters that attract the reader. It was fun to read about a protagonist that was both incredibly shy and introverted, whose comments were both embarrassingly awarded yet real. Moreover, meeting a love interest that was adorably hyperactive whilst still being a ruthless killer was both attractive and life changing. His Irish tattooed exterior being contrasted by his Chef profession and warm personality managed to make his quotes fully swoon-worthy. Especially considering that the Reverse Grumpy-Sunshine was accurately exemplified and presented perfectly and lacked the communication access present to complicate the storyline.

Furthermore, especially when reading a murder-romance, not only do gory scenes tend to be cut off, but present a wholly unrealistic fight scene, followed by the female protagonist's consistent submission or kidnapping to a greater danger. In this instance, both protagonists are killers and thus, fully capable. Saving each other simultaneously on numerous occasions while proving that the ‘touch them, and I’ll kill you’ trope goes both ways. The fight scenes were easily understandable but also consisted of the protagonists getting thrown around and hurt by larger attackers, allowing them to present as human rather than psychotic overpowered beings.

Nonetheless, there are things the novel could improve on. There were consistent time jumps in the novel in order to justify their yearly competitions, meaning a part of their relationship was not shown to the audience. Those shy moments of flirting prior to their full-blown confessions meant the tension was at times not as present, thus limiting the excitement over their final coupling. In some ways, the ‘Insta-love’ trope could have been less present considering both characters' extensive trauma and initial reservations. Continuing, the author's target audience is clearly a younger demographic, as sometimes Rowan and Sloan's witty banter could be depicted as infantile. Finally, even if the aspect of killing was heavily realistically explored, the author never shows the protagonists facing large repercussions for the law, slightly minimizing how interesting and well-thought-out her initial universe appeared.

Overall, this is a book that should be enjoyed by thriller lovers that are seeking a break from gloomier stories and craving a bit of murdering light romance. The characters will make you laugh out loud (excuse my cringy phrasing) and will stay present in the back of your mind. Even if this is marketed as a dark romance (as it deals with morbid themes), it is not as heavy and sometimes concerning as other ‘dark romances’ are. So, I will leave you with a quote to hopefully convince you to make Butcher and Blackbird your next read.

For the romance lovers: “I would kill for you, and I have. I would do it again, every damn day. I’d turn myself inside out for you. I would die for you. I don’t just like you, Sloane, and you fucking know it.”

~ Rowan Kane

For the comedy lovers: “I didn’t gouge them out, Butcher. I plucked them. Delicately. Like a lady.”

~Sloan Sutherland

For the thriller enjoyers: “I press my scalpel into the void of split flesh on Michal Northman’s throat for a second, deeper cut, so I can access his vocal and ventricular folds. The suction machine gurgles as it sucks his blood through the control valve gripped in my free hand.”

~Sloan Sutherland