Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review!
5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This Princess Kills Monsters was such a magically quirky mashup of varying fairytales, folklores, and myths similar to the formula of Shrek but with the magical vibe of Alice in Wonderland. It was an absolutely adorable and flawlessly inclusive YA read, and a fantastic palette cleanser! I can't wait for it to be published.

This novel! This novel is amazing! First of all, the writing. The writing was delightful right from the first pages and kept going for the rest of the novel. It is always something a little special to me, when the writing itself (aside from whatever content is being written about) is outstanding and special and makes me laugh out loud. This is one of my new favorite novels and I would recommend it to everyone.

The story is also wonderful, creative, and a delightfully original mash-up of every fairytale and fairytale-adjacent story you have ever heard. It was full of surprises, a delightful adventure, and contained several surprisingly well-done plotlines about love, relationships, and family dynamics.

I don’t even know what else to say about this novel. There is a lot going on, and I wont spoil anything, so just do yourself a favor and go and read it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.

This Princess Kills Monsters was such a breath of fresh air. It was so funny, to the point where I laughed at loud multiple times, but it still kept the charm and "lesson" of fairytales of old. I really enjoyed these characters, and the book was fast-paced but still understandable. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants something new that still feels familiar.

Very enjoyable read. "This princess kills monsters" is funny, well constructed, well written (and researched!) and plays gleefully with various fairy tales while drawing its main inspiration from "The twelve huntsman". Without taking itself seriously, it manages to still reflect on relationships, family, belongings and taking the reins in your life, as well as societal norms.

I tend to struggle with female main characters. I am not proud of it and I am working on it, too. Nevertheless, in this case, I didn't struggle at all. Same goes for the first pov narration, which I like less that a close third pov. It is well done here, usefull to the story and entertaining. Melilot is funny, dry sometimes, with enough confidence in herself despite all her insecurities. I really liked how the author plays with Melilot unreliability sometimes.

The romance is cute and heartwarming. Not a big fuss is made about it and yet, it is still very present without overshadowing the rest of the plot, who takes the front seat. Like saving a kindgdom from weird creatures is clearly the main focus of the story.

Speaking of weird creature, this book has a lot of magic. And a dragon. The magic is very fairy tale like, wild and weird, nonsensical while still holding on a sort of logic. I deeply enoy this kind of magic, who tend to be the best at creating a sense of wonder, asking for a great deal of suspension of disbelief.

Let's not forget about the secondary characters, who manages to be memorable in their own way, even when they don't spend that much time on page. And of course, our villain. They are well constructed, multifaceted, and still honouring the fairy tales inspirations.

Added bonus: it's queer! I need more queer stories like this one, please. And of course, the beautiful cover, fitting so well with the story.

So yes, amazing read, I'll definitely grab a copy once it's out and deeply recommend everyone enjoying fan fairytales to read it.

Fantastic book, I loved how it was a retelling of so many different stories but it kept to its own plot. i first went into this thinking the main relationship was sapphic but i was happily surprised that it was a queer-hetero ship! the 'reveal' of sam being trans was so sweet since melilot was so quick to just continue as she was, using the same pronouns because to her, he never changed. they were adorable and the entire story was so good i read it in under a week to destress between exams!

This Princess Kills Monsters follows Princess Melilot, who has been tasked by her step-mother to go marry the king of a neighboring kingdom. While Princess Melilot is not a fan of this task, she has been asked to do many wild and crazy taskes by her sorcerer of a step-mother, and knows there is no way out of it. However, not all is at it seems when she arrives to her betroths kingdom, because not only does she need to figure out what is going on but also not die in the process. To make matters more complicated, there are 12 nearly identical huntsmen that are suspicious of her.

This story is told entirely from the point of view of Melilot and she is entirely enteraitingin to ride a long with. She is funny, resourceful, and strong willed. The book is riddled with references to classic fairytales. I caught many of them but there were a few times that I could tell something was being hinted at but I had no idea what. I imagine that fans of the Grimm Fairytales would get a kick out of all of the references and easter eggs. I had not previously known the tale of the 12 Huntsmen, but this was a fun retelling.

This book had nice LGBTQ representation, which is a big part of the reason I picked it up in the first place. Overall, I enjoyed this book and the quick witted and humorous writing. I would recommend this for fans of retellings and/or witty fantasy books.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Ngl, I requested this on Netgalley because of that GORGEOUS cover, but right off the bat, I was taken with the Princess Bride-esque meta-narrative about fairy tale tropes. That said, this is a lot less meta and more grounded in the whimsy (I know how that sounds, but trust me, it applies) of the world-building. Think more a long the lines of Sarah Rees Brennan's works. There is so much to love here, and it all comes so hard and fast at you that it may be my only criticism -- that it's so action-packed, that your mileage may vary in terms of how gripping it is for you. I really enjoyed the gentle subversion of all the tropes being so well integrated into a story that actually has a lot of heart and warmth. The complex family dynamics of three different kinds of families, the hilarious gender subversions, the extremely vivid and absolutely thrilling take of established canon fairy tales -- take your pick, there's something for everyone here. If nothing else, read for a certain stabby fairy sister-in-law, and all the hilarious interruptions by everyone during all the storytelling chapters. Overall, I couldn't be more delighted with this and hope a lot more fantasy authors take chance with this when it's out in the world next summer. And fingers crossed, movie adaptation, please? Who doesn't want hijinks with a politically conservative talking lion, twelve genderqueer huntsmen, a dragon riding sorceress and her giant stabby fairy wife. And that is just the peripheral characters!

📣 a LOL fantasy with some light romance too!

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 what are you reading today? I’m listening to the second Crescent City book & reading No Ordinary Duchess & The Pick-Up on my Kindle!

This Princess is funny, brave, & quite capable of rescuing herself, thank you very much.

From the beginning of this book my insides were delighting in the narration. The adventures of Princess Melilot are absurd in the best of ways, as she journeys to meet her betrothed, a prince who happens to be in love with someone else.

On the way, she encounters the prince’s huntsmen & various monsters, all the while fighting against her history of being rescued by her sisters.

This Princess Kills Monsters is stuffed full of fairy tale allusions & characters who are not always as they seem. Someone is murderous, someone is more powerful than they think, someone cares more than it might seem, & at least one person is falling…

With a fantastic plot & a lead who is all-too-easy to root for, this is an escapist read that left me smiling, a lovely treat for those craving fantasy.

5 ⭐️. Out 06/17.

CWs: attempted murder, betrayal, murder.

[ID: Jess wears a cream button-up sweater dress & stands on a porch.]

This Princess Kills Monsters had me laughing out loud. It is a hilarious retelling of The Twelve Huntsmen and whole bunch of other fairy tales. I loved the feminist aspect of it, and the discussion of gender in fairy tales.. while still being first and foremost just a fun romp through classic stories. If you have ever wondered about the parts of fairy tales that don't make sense, this one is for you!

Thanks to NetGalley, Ry Herman, and Random House Publishing for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own!

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback books for this ARC for review. Well, that was super fun!! This book is loosely based on Grimm’s the 12 Huntsman fairytale, but as you read it, you will notice there a more a mashup of other fairytales mixed in as well, like rapunzel. The princess in this story goes through it and fights back!! I love reimagining of fairytales and this was fantastic!!

I am an absolute sucker for a good fairy tale, and this book was no exception. “This Princess Kills Monsters” is a retelling of the Brothers Grimm story “The Twelve Huntsmen”. There’s obviously some differences, otherwise, what would be the point?! Melilot has an extremely overbearing stepmother that she can’t really stand. She’s always sending her off on useless quests, and she doesn’t treat Melilot as well as she treats her other children.

The latest adventure she’s set to go on isn’t very adventurous, or so she thinks. Melilot is being sent off to a distant kingdom, and she’s set to marry the king. Towards the end of her monthlong journey, she’s attacked by spiderwolves…not wolf spiders, but spiderwolves. (You’ll understand when you read it!) She’s saved by the huntsman, but she’s not sure if she can trust them or not. I won’t say any more regarding the plot, but this was just a really fun read. The characters were extremely endearing. The dialogue was snappy. And it was very witty and funny, with some great callbacks to all kinds of classic fairytales. I also loved that there were entire chapters of characters telling their own fairy tale origin stories in their own words.

Can’t recommend this one enough! Thank you to the NetGalley and Random House for the eARC of this wonderful story

This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman is such a unique story! I loved seeing fairytales get revitalized in such a creative way. This is the story of Princess Melilot, who would normally be an unnamed side character in a fairytale, but is given her voice today.

I loved the characters and how they played into the story (obviously, there is an ancient talking lion who is overly misogynistic like any good fairytale). There is also tons of queer representation that integrates seamlessly with the original fairytales.

If you liked Once Upon a Broken Heart or Assistant to the Villian, you'll like this book! It has the quirky acceptance of fairytale truths and a good sense of humor. 5/5 would recommend!

3.5*

This Princess Kills Monsters follows Melitot as she navigates feelings of inadequacy in front of her sisters and sorceress queen stepmother. When her stepmother arranges a marriage for her with a foreign king, she feels that she has no choice but to go along with it. While travelling to meet her betrothed, she is attacked by freakish monsters and is rescued by 12 identical masked huntsmen. There's something peculiar about these huntsmen...

I liked the sprinkling of fairy tale references throughout this novel, as well as the confidence we get to see Melitot gain over the course of the book. I also really liked how the stories within this book were told, and I actually wish that the rest of the book had been written in the same kind of humorous manner.

I think what this book suffered from was how long it was. Typically when I think of humorous books riffing off of known fairy tales I would expect them to be 200-300 pages at most. This book is over 400. As such it really felt like it dragged at parts, and by the end I had to skim through the battle scenes because my eyes were glazing over. If those scenes had been reduced and we had gotten more time for resolution with Melitot's stepmother, I think I would have been happier with the ending. Also, Jack was just insufferable.

Overall, I thought it was a cute read and I would recommend this for anyone who loves fairy tales, especially the tale of the 12 huntsmen.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This one... is just... pure joy! You know, the cover is just drop-dead beautiful, and I basically requested it on a whim. I didn't expect it to be a Fairytales Remix! 🤣Love the feminism and the many references to different fairytales in this book. The opening already had me giggled and LOLed, so I set my expectations high. And the rest of the story didn't disappoint me at all. Somehow I really enjoyed this one. It's so fresh & creative to me, a nice retelling, hilarious indeed, thank you Ry Herman.
This is just *chef's kiss*
Many thanks to NetGalley and The Dial Press for the arc! What a treat!

This Princess Kills Monsters was a fun, quirky, and adventurous read. It is a feminist, queer, satirical retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ The Twelve Huntsmen, but combines many elements and cheeky remarks of other fairy tales. Herman’s humour is perfectly witty and sarcastic while being cozy at the same time.

Princess Melilot’s sorceress queen stepmother orders her to marry a new king. Chaos ensues; twelve identical masked huntsmen with different magical powers (toads hop out of one’s mouth whenever they talk), spiderwolves, rude talking mirrors, and a pretentious gender-essentialist lion. What can go wrong? The characters were so amusing and I found myself giggling out loud. I especially liked Melilot’s older step-sister Jonquil and her green fairy princess, sword-wielding wife Gnoflwhogir. I would love to read a book about them next.

This story by Ry Herman, is a refreshing fairytale retailing that reminds me a bit of Snow White and the huntsmen.

Growing up I’ve always loved retelling of fairytales especially from the grim brothers. This was one of those story where I was able to breeze right through it since I was so easy to follow and cozy up to.

I would categorize this as of those cozy fantasy. If you love a book that has good banter and can make you laugh, this is the books for you. There were so many times where I would say to myself only a few more pages and boom I’m half way through it fully immersed in the fantasy. It’s great !

The main character is so spunky and a breath of fresh air, she is so fun, brave and all the same time stubborn/ thick headed for sure!

The favorite character in this book happens to be the villain ! Chefs kiss to a good villain !


I would like to thank net gallery and the publisher random house for giving me the opportunity to enjoy such a cute cozy fantasy that I can read over and over again !

I thought this book was great! It was well-plotted with a great heroine and had just enough irreverence in the telling to be fun rather than annoying.

This Princess Kills Monsters is the tale of Princess Melilot, stepdaughter of a sorceress queen. Melilot is sent by her stepmother to marry a prince, but on her way there her carriage is attacked by spider-wolf creatures, and she is saved by six identical hunters in masks. Adopting a false identity, Melilot soon discovers that her betrothed’s kingdom is under attack by an unknown enemy, and must do what she can to save it.

Melilot was a fantastically funny character with a unique voice. Her growth (both of hair and of mind) is fantastic and was wonderful to read! I also loved the way that different fairytales were interwoven with the plot of This Princess Kills Monsters. They were recognizable for what they were, but they didn’t dominate the story.

Overall, this was a great book and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a fun, light-hearted read!

this book was okay. It had a very slow and dull plot, but i did like that it was the opposite of a fairy tale, where its not a princess waiting to be rescued, but instead a kickass princess who is doing all that herself and saving others. that part was good!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

fun voice but ultimately slow plot wise. At 40% not much had happened! I still enjoyed the humor and the jokes - definitely charming

This story — and the stories within the story — is just … fun. Melilot suffers less from the fairy tale nonsense of having to save the prince, fight an evil sorcerer, learn fearsome magic (though she does all those things) than she does suffering from her relationship with her mother.

Being the step daughter of the evil queen isn’t easy, especially when the two of them seem to speak a different language. The queen wants something from Melilot, who refuses to give it to her, so much so that when Melilot is struggling, drowning and dying, she still won’t give in. The queen herself isn’t an evil queen or a wicked stepmother — well,not really, but not-not really — as much as she is a powerful woman who struggles to be likable. She expects to be treated like a parent because she married Melilot’s father; when Melilot says they’re not related, the queen had a child with Melilot’s father so that they were now bound by blood, and still doesn’t understand how that didn’t make Melilot rush to embrace her.

But really, there’s a lot ol things going on between all of this. Monstrous hybrids that are very not fairy tale are attacking the castle of Melilot’s husband-to-be; Melilot falling in love with a mysterious masked man who is most certainly not her husband-to-be; Melilot unleashing her magic in a way that turns everyone against her, Melilot performing battlefield surgery — her parents were physicians, and she’s better at that than she is magic — and Melilot growing her hair.

Honestly, this book is fun … but for me it’s right on the line between a four and a five. It has some wonderful takes on some lesser known fairy tales, and some self-aware takes on fairy tale tropes, but for all of that, I would have liked just a little more of a character arc from Melilot. While she has the expected adventure and discovery of powers, personality wise she is the same at the beginning of the book as she is at the end, only in the end she’s riding off with her one true love.

If you want magic and adventure, a friends to lovers, a dragon, all with strong writing and a strong pace, you’’ll probably enjoy this book. Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.