This Princess Kills Monsters is a book that weaves multiple fairytales together to create a book that is totally unique.

I love how this book didn’t take itself seriously. It made it such a fun and quick read.

I really liked Melilot. She’s a super complex character. Between her relationships with her step family and the journey she goes on, we see her go through a range of emotions and experiences. Throughout all of this she seemed like such a well rounded character.

The story also captivated me. It’s a retelling of The Twelve Huntsmen and it was done super well. I loved the LGBT representation and how other fairytales were woven in.

This was such an entertaining read! I appreciated how the book didn’t take itself too seriously, which made it a light and fun experience. The way the author wove together different fairy tale elements was clever and added a unique charm to the story.

While Merilot wasn’t my favorite main character—I found her a bit whiny at times, especially in her complaints about her sisters and stepmother—I did enjoy her overall journey. Her character arc brought her growth and resolution, which made her story satisfying in the end.

The LGBTQ representation was seamlessly integrated into the narrative, adding depth without feeling forced or detracting from the plot. It was lovely to see her and Sam end up together—it felt earned and genuine. Jack, on the other hand, was quite annoying, but I suppose every story needs its share of frustrating characters to keep things interesting!

All in all, it was a fun and whimsical ride. A great pick for fans of reimagined fairy tales who enjoy a little humor and romance mixed in.

I absolutely love a fairy tale turned on its head, and this has to be one of the best ones I've read. Absolutely enticing story, loved all the main characters, and it was delightfully queer.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc! I don’t normally love fairytale Retellings but I’m glad I gave this one a try!
I enjoyed the heroine and the pacing and the ragtag band of side characters. The setting was fun and interesting and made me chuckle as well as experience wonder.

I think fairy tale reimaginings are just not for me... Everything about this book *should* have drawn me in and refused to let go, yet somehow I was ambivalent while reading it and just never connected to the writing style. I love the cover. I love the concept. I love the sassy spunky eponymous princess. But I still struggled to connect with the story and find myself forcing page turns rather than eagerly engaging with the storyline. I'm WAY in the minority here, and given my previous challenges with reimaginings, I am pretty sure this is on me. Wrong book, wrong reader...

I liked it a lot. It's funny and doesn't takes itself too seriously, but still the story is well constructed and the writing is good.
I liked the many references to fairytales woven in to story, the light romance and the many adventures the MC goes through.
Unfortunately I didn't really connect with any of the characters. They felt unidimensional and not very likeable, except maybe for the sisters, which were my favourite.
Overall I had a good time but I felt like it really missed some character development.

Thank you Random House!

*an advanced digital copy was received from NetGalley in return for an honest review*

This book was an adventure to read, keeping me on my toes throughout. What stood out most was the quirky writing style, the vibrant characters, and the fresh twists on classic fairy tales.

This book follows Princess Melilot, the stepdaughter of her very powerful yet demanding sorceress stepmother. Tired of constant peril and relying on her magical stepsisters for rescue, Melilot embarks on a quest to save her betrothed’s kingdom—and herself. Along the way, she's joined by twelve identical masked strangers.

The main character, Princess Melilot, is quirky, down-to-earth, and relatable; she really makes the book amazing. From the beginning to the end, she shows a ton of personal growth and really grows into herself as a character. She meets a lot of interesting characters along the way, particularly twelve masked hunters, all of whom are identical except for one minor quirk that differentiates them. (Not only does she get confused with the characters, but the reader does, too.)

Something else that's really fun about this book is the world-building. It's set in the world of the Brothers Grimm stories, but it shows us some satirical different sides of those stories. There was a lot of humor attached to the classic stories. There are also some really unique monsters that Melilot and the rest have to fight with that make for a very exciting, action-packed story. While the pacing felt perfect for the bulk of the story, the initial setup dragged slightly as Melilot navigated the new kingdom.

Overall, this book was a refreshing and enjoyable read, blending action, adventure, humor, and romance seamlessly. I laughed out loud, empathized with Melilot’s struggles, and rooted for her triumphs. Perfect for fans of humorous fantasy, fairy tale retellings, and heroines who are determined to prove themselves!

Thank you again NetGalley for the ARC!

This Princess Kills Monsters

If you’re looking for a fun take on fairy tale stories, this is the book for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for letting me read this ARC. I really enjoyed this novel, and it’ll easily be in my top ten novels of the year.

5+1
Novels take so much work, so I try to give five positives when reviewing, but nothing is perfect, so I’ll also give one criticism.

Five positives:

1. This novel is hilarious. I’ve been searching for a novel to take me away from all the darkness in the world, and this came to me at the right time. I rarely laugh while reading, but multiple times in this story I laughed out loud. If nothing else, Herman’s use of voice, the absurd, and anachronistic language/humor were a blast. The dialogue is so good throughout!

2. Melilot. I liked Melilot a lot. She’s a classic middle child archetype, but Herman executes this perfectly. She isn’t all bitter and envious all the time, though these elements do exist within her. She is a complex person who is brave, funny, sassy, insecure, irreverent, stubborn, kind. Plus, she’s technically a princess, and a very loose Rapunzel retelling. Herman has a ton of fun playing with the Rapunzel story.

3. This novel is a love letter to fans of fairy tales. There are innumerable references to popular fairy tales within this story from Little Red Riding Hood to Snow White. Just seeing the ways that Herman twists these stories to fit this world was such a delight. It’s also full of actual fairy tale retellings that are truncated, abridged, or retold in comical ways.

4. Progressive story. Slight spoilers ahead – Melilot is an out Bi main character, there are multiple trans characters, there is a prominent Sapphic relationship, and all of this makes sense within the context of the story. The role of women in a quasi-medieval world is explored at length, and it was one of the highlights of the story.

5. Villain. I think the Villain(s) were excellent choices and they really challenged Melilot on multiple levels. Both villains weren’t people she could just defeat with some magical MacGuffin. And I liked that even after Melilot overcame them, they had a lasting effect on Melilot that changed her and the world forever.

One negative:

1. I thought there were some issues with the pacing. It’s good, but I felt we spent about a third of the book fighting monsters (the title is about monsters, so I get it), but I wish we’d spent a bit more time developing Melilot’s romance and dealing with Melilot’s stepmother. I also thought that Melilot’s magical abilities improved a bit too rapidly. I understand it’s magic, so it doesn’t have to make a ton of sense, but to me it felt like we rushed a bit to Melilot’s endgame power.

One of the greatest compliments I can give this book is that by the time I finished, I had a constant smile on my face. I loved this story, and I look forward to checking out Herman’s other work.

This Princess Kills Monsters
By Ry Herman

This books was equal parts absolutely ridiculous, as well as hilarious and fun. The author tackles a lesser known and rather odd brother’s Grimm fairy tale from the perspective of the character with the least amount written about her. Throughout we have sprinkles of tales we recognize which I sometimes thought was a bit much, but mostly enjoyed.

Our MC had some depth to her and there was a lot about her relationship with her stepmother and her step- and half- siblings which I thought made her a more rounded character.

That being said, don’t go into this book looking for a ton of depth. But you’ll have a rollicking good time.

Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This Princess Kills Monsters is a delightful retelling of the classic Grimm fairytale, The Twelve Huntsmen, and flips the story where we get the perspective of the neighboring princess, Princess Melilot, sent to marry the newly-crowned king Gervase of Tailliz. On the journey to Talliz, Princess Melilot is attacked by spider-wolves, only to be saved by a group of masked huntsmen in the king's service. While she was saved, she finds herself bristling against the traditions of Tailliz and particularly puzzled by the adviser to the king, a lion who seems to know everything there is to know about humans.

I really appreciated the re-telling and especially introducing (or emphasizing) all of the queerness to the story. Herman does a lovely job pushing Melilot's development and seeing her come into herself as a sorceress and whole person was a great adventure. The character exploration in general was so fun to see everyone (even the Lion) get some redemption as the story continues. I also really enjoyed the different references and easter eggs to other fairytale lore.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and RandomHouse for the advanced copy.

Absolutely Amazing!

A queer retelling of the tale <i>The Twelve Huntsmen</i> that has quickly become one of my top books of the year, and a highly anticipated release for 2025.

Princess Melliot has spent her life under the shadows of her magically talented stepsisters and at odds with her exceedingly powerful sorceress step-mother. Constantly being sent on quests and challenges, she now faces the most difficult one yet - Marrying a king in a neighbouring kingdom. As with the other challenges, things are definitely not simple, and Melliot finds herself constantly tested and in near death situations.

I love this book so much! All the characters are well designed, Melliot has a very well rounded character arc. The talking lion is absolutely hilarious (practically a comedic villain), probably my favourite side character just for how ridiculous he is. As a retelling of the <i>Twelve Huntsmen</i> it also includes so many references to other fairy-tales and, seeing how they are all connected, makes it even more enjoyable.

This is a feel good, light hearted, comedic novel - an amazing retelling of a classic fairy tale, and I cannot acclaim, extol and applaud it enough.



Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.



#indigoemployee

This book was absolutely delightful and the perfect lighthearted romp. I expected humour, wit, and that classic fairytale vibe and that's exactly what I got.

I love how fun each character is to follow, and how much love and joy is woven throughout the story. There's a lot of heart and humanity that kept me smiling while I read. It feels like a love letter to fairy tales, and while some aspects feel a bit simple and unexciting, that deep rooted love for all things magical adds a lot to the story as a whole.

It's also worth noting that I love seeing a queer-normative fantasy. It's always so refreshing to step into a story and feel safe and valued while reading, and this book felt like a safe place to land no matter how perilous the story gets. We need more books that feel like this.

This Princess Kills Monsters is a fun, feminist retelling of The Twelve Huntsmen with a fresh, humorous twist. The characters are quirky and engaging, and the book is packed with magic, adventure, and witty fairy tale references. While the romance and pacing can feel rushed at times, the overall story is an enjoyable, heartwarming journey through a fantastical world.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This Princess Kills Monsters is a fairytale retelling from the perspective of a smaller character in the story, Melilot. I wouldn’t say it’s by definition a cozy fantasy as there’s a good amount of battle in the book, but it’s definitely a gentle and heartwarming fantasy. The writing was witty and clever — I loved the fairy tale references sprinkled in throughout, and I always appreciate fun chapter titles. From the Author’s Note, you can tell how much care and effort went into these aspects. The book starts with the fairytale it’s based on so you can see the mystery outlined, and I found most of the closures to the plot satisfying. The story is adventurous, which I loved, and action packed, which I think I have to accept just really isn’t my thing. I found the world well crafted — there were a lot of details to both the world and the magic system, but I found it all easily digestible without there being a bunch of info dumping at the beginning. The idea of retelling a story from the “side character’s” perspective led to conversations on appreciating mundane things, feeling “enough,” and making heroes out of parent/guardian figures. I loved this themes but I wished we dived deeper into them as a lot of what the book touches on with these conversations felt surface level. Melilot was a wonderful and complex main character, which really brought all the action and plot points together. She was strong and heroic, but we also got to see her insecurities. Seeing her character growth was heart warming and inspirational. Additionally, I LOVED the strong sisterhood, queer themes and acceptance, the descriptions in the lake scene, and the main romance subplot.

In This Princess Kills Monsters, Ry Herman rewrites a less familiar fairy tale--that of the twelve huntsmen--from the perspective of Melilot, a woman who travels to the neighboring kingdom to marry its king, despite the fact that he loves someone else. As in the original tale, Herman's version includes cross-dressing, a talking lion, and a fairy tale ending, but it adds in elements from other fairy tales and tropes as well. Melilot has a magical stepmother directing her fate, her own sorcery (which mostly extends to growing out her hair), and a deep distrust of spinning wheels. I loved the parts of this book that explored her relationship with the huntsmen and her stepsisters, each with their own magical powers, and the story definitely grew on me over time. That said, the beginning of This Princess Kills Monsters felt like slow going, despite all the things that happen (monsters, ogres, and sphinxes all make an appearance in the first 50 pages). As in classic fairy tales, the narrative is more focused on plot than character, and most of what we learn about Melilot and her family comes from description and her own thinking, rather than from dialogue. That said, what dialogue does exist is snappy, and Melilot is an engaging narrator. For lovers of retold fairy tales, This Princess Kills Monsters is a worthwhile read.

A feminist retelling of The Twelve Huntsmen, this delightfully reimagined twist of a fairy tale hits all the right notes. This is for fans of Elsa and Honeymaren, or anyone who shipped Tiana and Charlotte. It nods to several other Grimm fairytales without following the current trend of turning every Disney-esque story into a sordid dark romance. This was truly so much fun, and I can't wait to see the beautiful cover hit shelves.

That was a phenomenally good time!

This is what I mean when I say I enjoy cozy fantasy. The stakes were medium, the humor was endless, and the fairy tale vibes were perfection. I’d give it a million stars if I could.

While This Princess Kills Monsters is a retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ The Twelve Huntsmen, it’s also full of so many other fairy tale references. It’s wildly unserious (and I mean that as the highest praise) and laugh out loud funny.

I finished this book with sore cheeks from all the smiling and laughing it provoked.

I desperately need an artist to create the hair filling the tower scene! STAT!

What I loved…
- every single character, even the villains were totally fun to read
- speaking of characters they were relatable and flawed
- dragons, and various other totally crazy magical creatures
- feminist af
- perfectly queer (princesses get to marry princesses, a transgender love interest, and tons of queer joy and acceptance - I want to live inside this book!)
- family forward story that will have you calling your sister to tell her how much you love her!
- honestly if I wrote everything I loved about this book in list format the list would be about a 100 pages long - and I really think some of this is better experienced with no prior knowledge.

I really just need you to go read this book now, it’s phenomenal and fun and you won’t regret it!

Thank you NetGalley and The Dial for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

I thought this was a fun, quirky read, packed full of magic and fairy tale references. I enjoyed the writing style and found myself laughing out loud at some points. I loved Melilot’s inner voice. I liked that I actually cared about all the character and not just the main ones. This was a great blend of adventure, humor and fantasy that kept me entertained and engaged from start to finish. A pleasure to read!

This Princess Kills Monsters is a fantasy filled feminist retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ The Twelve Huntsmen. And almost every other fairytale story combined!

Lots of references are easy to pick up on but others were more obscure. The Lord of the Rings included reference was a personal favorite.

There is a lot of magic! From evil sorceresses, a grumpy magic mirror, and of course a cursed spinning wheel! Dragons, a talking lion, and almost every fairytale creature you can imagine!

Some parts of this book felt like a love letter to classic fairytales. But once the scene changed the writing became sluggish and drawn out. Not until 50% do we get more details of her past. Their insta-love romance wasn’t my favorite. I would have preferred more backstory scenes and magical sorcery.
I found the villain to be a disappointment and also the moving plot.
But all of that said, this is definitely a read if you want a feminist fairytale with humor.