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--Delightfully weird and queer fairytale subversion--

I have loved fairytales and mythology my whole life. They are whimsical, sometimes frightening and frequently...extremely weird.

So, it was absolutely no surprise that I *devoured* Ry Herman's "This Princess Fights Monsters" which embodies all of these traditional elements but with a delightfully chaotic, queer and subversive spin.

This book was laugh-out-loud funny on nearly every page. Ridiculous in the very best way (and in the close keeping with the spirit of the source material), Herman's wryly whimsical tone makes for extremely compelling reading.

They underpin this humour with well paced plot and driving action, perfectly tailored to counterbalance the relentless absurdity (again, in the very *best* way).

This novel certainly deserves a space next to my well loved copies of Dianna Wynne Jones and T. Kingfisher's best works.

You should read this book.

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The prologue was absolutely hilarious. Especially when the talking lion entered the story and then when the king goes on the hunt, what he said to the disguised huntsman made me actually laugh out loud so hard.
I absolutely adored this book. It was funny, it was sweet, it had some low stakes suspenseful moments. Fairytale retellings are some of my favorite things to read and the fact that this one contained SO many fairytales being retold and included LGBTQ characters was a real bonus. highly recommend picking this up to read!

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The Run-Down: This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman is a fun yet surface-level retelling of The Twelve Huntsman fairy tale.


Review:
This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman is a queer satirical retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale The Twelve Huntsman. We follow our protagonist, Melitot, a young sorceress who chafes under the iron rule of her stepmother and the shadow of her brilliant sorceress step-sisters. Melitot reluctantly agrees to an arranged marriage with the king of a distant land, Taillez, only to find a kingdom under duress: the woods are full of disfigured animals who have an apparent desire to terrorize the populace and pick off the successors to the throne. Melitot does not even reach the kingdom’s castle to meet her future husband before she is attacked by a vicious pack of wolf/spider mutants; she is saved by a group of twelve identical huntsmen who guard the king. Plenty of misunderstandings and perilous magical situations await our heroine as she navigates friendship, love, and adventure in this foreign land.

This book is billed as an adult fantasy book, but it could certainly be marketed toward a young adult audience. In fact, if it weren’t for a handful of instances of light sexual innuendo, I would have thought this book was meant for middle-grade readers. It’s a cheerfully straightforward fairy tale romp, replete with all manner of magical creatures and riddles one could hope for in such a story. The book’s self-awareness regarding the nonsensical nature of fairy tales is a source of much humor. There’s something refreshingly innocent about how this story doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not, but those looking for sharp social satire, complex characters, or deep thematic explorations should look elsewhere. There are few surprises to be had, and its predictability makes the middle and end portions of the book drag for anyone who can foresee where the plot is headed.

This book is perfect for a younger audience or adults wanting a wholesome and lighthearted fairy tale adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for allowing me access to an ARC through NetGalley.

I can’t remember who suggested this book to me, but after reading the premise I knew I had to request an ARC. The book was so much fun and so funny. I knew I was going to love the book because the prologue already had me laughing. The best way I can describe it was like a fairy tale spoof. The humor was silly without being cringy.

The cast of characters was unique and sold the book for me. I loved the absurdity of everyone’s magical gifts and how they were used during the story. Melilot was an engaging main character and I loved her growth throughout the book. Scenes with her sisters and their spouses were some of my favorites from the book.

The book was a perfect example of a cozy fantasy. The plot was well thought out and I enjoyed the pacing. I didn’t expect the plot twist (but I rarely do 😂).

Definitely read if you enjoy:
* Queer romance
* Fairytale references
* A feminist princess with medical knowledge
* A talking lion who is obsessed with gender norms for some reason
* Not so evil stepmothers

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This story wasn’t for me. In a way it was like Gilmore Girls meets fantasy but at a higher speed of banter. Many characters with not enough world-building or cohesion.

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This was SO, so, so fun. It was funny, heartwarming, badass, unique, romantic, and just a really good read. Our main characters were memorable, multidimensional and so well thought out; Ry Herman, I can tell you put in the effort! It was a feminist retelling, but it was the in-your-face-we-hate-men kind of retelling, and I loved that.

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I received an advanced copy of this ebook for review. All opinions are my own.

I haven't read anything like this in a while. I honestly can't immediately think of anything to compare this book to, but I've always loved a fairytale retelling, or the stories where we actually see the other side. I'd never heard of the Twelve Huntsmen fairytale before, but there are nods to a ton of other stories that I did recognize. Plus lots of storytelling and side characters and fairy tale fun.

Melilot's stepmother is a sorceress who sends her daughters on wild quests, until she decides it's time for Melilot to marry. On her way to the kingdom of her betrothed, she's waylaid by monsters and rescued by a dozen identical huntsmen. There's a talking lion with questionable ideas of gender, mistaken identity, a lake, and a tower with only one bedroll.

I enjoyed this book immensely! I'd say if you like the writing style of cozy fantasies but want a touch more violence (there are monsters and a big final battle) you'll enjoy this!

4.5/5

Thanks to Random House for the ARC!

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This is a respectable addition to the genre, but ultimately I didn’t feel super engaged and reading this stalled my other reading. Someone else will like this book more than me.

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This Princess Kills Monsters
by Ry Herman
Fantasy Cozy Retelling
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Jun 17, 2025
Random House
Ages: 14+

Melilot's stepmother keeps sending her and her step-sisters on quests, but unlike her sisters, Melilot isn't all that gifted. Her special powers are growing her hair and turning herself into a puddle. Her newest quest is to get married, but on her way to his kingdom, her carriage is attacked by spider-wolves.

Rescued by six huntsmen who look almost identical, she decides to keep her true identity hidden because it seems as if someone might be trying to kill her. But at the castle, it is a fate worse than death; according to their traditions, enforced by a talking lion, women of marrying age are to be sequestered to their own floor of the castle, only allowed to go outside by balcony but still hidden from sight.


Yeah, there wasn't much killing of Monsters in this story, and what action there was wasn't graphic or adventurous. It was a cozy story retelling a lot of different 'fairy tales', taking snippets of Snow White, Cinderella, and a few others, which I thought was very creative, but it doesn't have that much action or adventure. I can say there are a few funnies that help keep the story from being a complete bore.

Romance/falling in love is a big part of this, but it does not have explicit content. There is some violence, and other details that may offend younger/immature readers, but overall it's suitable for readers fourteen and older.

My biggest gripe with this is that the title didn't have much to do with the story. I was expecting a lot more adventure/hunting. Yes, there are monsters, and... spoilers, but... spoilers.

I would have given it one more star if there was more action/monster hunting, and the 'fairy tales' the characters told each other to explain this world's history had more descriptions instead of just telling the tale.

It wasn't bad, but wasn't great either.

2 Stars

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➺ only one country in the world has magic and witches, so when any of the country's citizens meet normal people, they sound clinically insane is the funniest concept of all time. i'm surprised i haven't seen anything with this premise before.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ premise .ᐟ fairytale satire. melilot, princess of skalla (rapunzel), has an arranged marriage with gervase, king of tailiz. when meli gets to tailiz, she finds that she's being hunted by monsters, so she pretends to be the princess's handmaiden in order to find the culprit. she also ends up falling in love with one of the king's identical twelve huntsmen.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ writing .ᐟ i love. best part of the book. the comedic timing is insane. i was laughing out loud at work. i didn't know it was going to be satire when i started reading, but i'm so glad it was.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ plot .ᐟ a series of ridiculous fairytale events, which, duh, this is satire. but i did stop being invested around the half-point mark. it's not that it's bad, but it's basically a sitcom. i read this over a week, i think, and i'd pause in the middle of a battle and simply go on with my day. never did i think "i wonder what's going on with melilot, let me go to the next chapter." mostly just a fun thing to read when i had time.

➺ okay, so i did pick this up thinking it would be lesbian, and it's not. it's still queer, the ml is a trans man, but i recommended it to three people as butchfemme, so i do feel buffoonish. and sad, kinda. but sam is lovely 🩷.

➺ also, the trope with the sister is my least favorite trope of all time. genuinely awful and misogynistic, and the whole feminism-women-are-allowed-to-go‐outside-now bit at the end did not make up for it. i don't want to specify more because it's a large part of story, but i think after it was revealed, my enjoyment of the book dipped by 60%. and it made me hate both gervase and jack, so there's that.

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I hate to say it, but this one just didn’t do it for me. I thought the premise was interesting, and I think the book is well-written, but there was a spark missing for me. I was incredibly bored throughout the entirety of the book and really had to force myself to get through it. I don’t feel like the characters were very well developed (probably because there were so many), and I especially wasn’t fond of the stepmother’s redemption at the end - that in particular was unsatisfying and anticlimactic. I’m sure this will appeal to a lot of others, but unfortunately this one wasn’t for me, which is a shame since I love fairytale retellings.

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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman is a first person-POV fantasy remixing fairy tales, particularly The Twelve Huntsmen. Princess Melilot is ordered to marry a king she has never met and who is madly in love with a princess from a different land. But the woman the king loves has put on a pair of trousers and is coming to get her man while Melilot is caught in the middle.

I feel like ‘remix’ or ‘fractured’ is a better term for this than ‘retelling’ or ‘reimaging.’ A lot of fairy tales are blended together and then bent into new shapes in a humorous manner, such as the belief that all princesses are sensitive to peas and spindles being outlawed in Melilot’s homeland and all clothes are spun by elves or made by animals and are extremely fragile. A lot of stories about the characters’ pasts are told in a fairy tale style and the inspiration is obvious for a lot of them, such as Rapunzel and Snow White.

Melilot herself has an origin story very similar to Rapunzel and certain details that appear in some adaptations are poked at, such as Melilot’s stepfamily being a royal family living next to a poor family. I think that this works well because Ry Herman clearly has a lot of knowledge and love for fairy tales, but if you want fairy tales to be played straight and in an earnest manner, this is probably not for you. The characters themselves point out the more ridiculous bits, almost like small children when being told a bedtime story and there is something very charming about that.

Of all the characters, Melilot is the most like a straight man but even she is so deep in the nonsense that she can’t always see it. Reading her try to explain how her kingdom works but everyone in this new kingdom is nodding along in confusion helps to highlight this. Melilot has her own issues with her stepfamily and she seems aware of fairy tale tropes, which also makes this something of a meta. I think this sits in a very similar space to Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan where it’s funny, it’s self-aware, it pokes at things, but it’s a love letter instead of making a mockery of the genre.

I would recommend this to fans of fractured fairy tales and readers looking for a humorous take on fairy tales

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This book follows Princess Melilot, who has never really felt like she fit in. Since her father's death, she has been raised by her step-mother, who isn't evil but is certainly not sunshine and rainbows. Melilot is not as talented as her two half-sisters and is getting tired of going on seemingly pointless missions for her step-mother. When she is told she will be married to the King of Tailliz, she thinks maybe this could be a chance to start fresh, even if the circumstances are maybe not ideal. She is interrupted on her journey by an attack from strange creatures. But she is thankfully saved by a group of nearly-identical huntsman who happen to work for the king. She doesn't completely trust them, so she assumes a fake identity, and plans to deal with the details of her real identity if she makes it to the castle safely. But there are many secrets surrounding the Taillizan throne and nothing goes to plan. Does Melilot have what is takes to save a kingdom, and find a path forward that makes sense for her life?

This was a very fun read. The basis is the tale of the twelve huntsmen (of which I was not familiar) but it also references many other familiar stories, and puts a unique twist on many fairy tale conventions. There is lots of humor, and it fits in effortlessly and it never feels like they are working too hard for the joke. I laughed out loud several times. There's a lot of great queer representation as well. Definitely would recommend this one!

Thanks to The Dial Press and NetGalley for the eARC for review!

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1/5 stars: This is Herman's 2SLGBTQIA+ Fantasy Romance Retelling (The Twelve Huntsmen) stand-alone that follows a princess with a mostly useless magical talent who's commanded to marry the king of a distant land she’s never met. She soon finds herself facing near-constant attempts on her life, dealing up against a dozen identical masked heroes, a talking lion that sets bewildering gender tests and a king, the man she's supposed to marry, who can't recognize his true love. All while fighting her growing attraction to not only one of the huntsmen but her fiance’s extremely attractive sister. She'll have to work fast to unravel the mysteries and rescue herself from peril or kingdoms will fall. Worse, she could end up married to someone she doesn’t love. While Herman's writing and character work are well done with plenty of whimsical, humorous flare, I lost interest in this book; leading me to DNF it at 53%.

I received this eARC thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

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I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Dial Press!

Okay, this book was really fun lol. It was ridiculous in the best way because it made sense within the world. This isn't really a retelling, but it has bits and pieces from all these fairy tales incorporated into the story. I guess the basis for the story is The Twelve Huntsman, but as standard for me, I'm unfamiliar with that fairytale. Either way, it made sense for this and it worked.

Honestly, it's hard to explain this because generally it's about a princess being sent off to be married and she ends up intertwined in this plot to kill the king but it's also sort of about ...finding what you're good at and establishing boundaries with your parents while trying to make them proud. Sort of. I don't know if this was meant to have a "deeper meaning" but that's what I took from it.

This book was super queer too which honestly made it more fun. It wasn't hammered in or overexaggerated, it just existed in the story again within the context of the fairytale world you're like yeah....I can see that lol.

I don't usually like humor, so I would say some of the dialogue fell flat for me because it was a little corny but overall reading this was fun and the world felt fleshed out. I can totally see this being turned into a tv show lol. So yeah, it was a good time and I'm happy I got an arc 😂

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This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman was just the book I needed to help get me out of my reading slump. It's been a while since I've read a book in a single day, something I used to do regularly, but this book was just so much fun I couldn't put it down.

Princess Melilot's stepmother, the queen of Skalla and a powerful sorceress, commands her to marry the king of the nearby kingdom of Tailliz. Melilot knows from past experience, that to disobey her stepmother is futile, so she agrees, but on her way she is attacked by spider wolves (not wolf spiders), and rescued by 6 huntsmen who look suspiciously alike.

A retelling of the Brothers Grimm's story of The Twelve Huntsman, this book is hilariously funny from beginning to end. But it's also adventurous, nerve-wracking, and romantic (but not overly so, so it doesn't take over the story). And although it's based on one fairytale, I think there are references to every fairytale I've ever read in this book.

Melilot has a difficult relationship with her stepmother, but unlike most fairytales, she has a wonderful relationship with her stepsisters, and they are very supportive of her.

This was just a wonderful read, if you're into fantasy retellings of your favourite fairytales, or just a lover of humourous fantasy, I think you'll enjoy this book. I'll be looking for more books from this author.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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This was a lot of fun (and funny)! I really enjoyed the characters and finding bits of fairy tales thrown in the mix. The queer representation was great (and NORMAL) and while present, it was not the focus of the story. There were sections that were a little slow, but I was able to put it down and pick it up and jump back in the story without a problem. I would love to see more of Melilot's story, although she's been through quite a lot so she deserves a rest!
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

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I originally picked up this book for the fantasy aspect. But the main character is fantastic! It really is nice to see a female main character that is kind of swash buckling. Super cute story.

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I am in awe of this story. I laughed, I cried, and I was judged by my wife every single time- not that I cared. I was enjoying the book too much.

Melilot seems very much like a real person, thanks to the way the author wrote her character. She has insecurities like everyone else, feels emotions so strongly that they seem to consume her at times, and she was irrational about her family in the way only a stepchild could be. (Having a stepfather with a big family, I fully understood where she was coming from... but as an outside perspective, you also get to see the other side of it.)

I think it's really cool that the author used misogynistic fairytales to take a feminist stance, and the queer rep was AMAZING. I love it when it's just considered completely normal in a book world for LGBTQ+ to have normal human rights, without the author going to extreme lengths to explain that this is the case. As a lesbian, that always stands out to me. It makes me want to read more of their stories in the future. I really, truly hope that they explore more of this world that they created. There are plenty of interesting characters that I think deserve a more detailed story!

I can't wait for the book to be available in physical form, because I want to read it over and over again.

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📖 Bookish Thoughts
This was absolutely adorable. I read it in one sitting! It’s cozy, hilarious, and completely unhinged in the best way. I laughed out loud more than once. There’s a sprinkle of magic, a dash of feminism, and queer joy that just exists without needing to be explained. Just queer characters living and loving.

This is a feminist and queer retelling of The Twelve Huntsmen. Princess Melilot is fierce, clever, and determined. She’s been tasked with marrying a king she’s never met. On the way there, she gets attacked by spider-wolves, rescued by twelve masked huntsmen, and people keep trying to kill her. It’s a lot.

The romance could have been a bit more developed, but it didn’t take away from the fun. Don’t take yourself or the book too seriously. Just enjoy the ride.

💖 What You Can Expect
• Queer fairy tale retelling
• Cozy fantasy vibes
• Talking Lion
• A kinda evil stepmom
• Magical quest

🗓 Pub Date: June 17, 2025
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

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