Rowan wants nothing more than to be a monster-hunter. Unfortunately, she's doomed to be Queen. What a bummer. But she steals away to follow her twin brother, the royal monster-hunter to be, on a quest to take down a gryphon and things spiral out of control from there.

A decent MG fantasy adventure, I think it would appeal to the target audience and as an 9(ish)-year old I would have loved it. I don't think it holds up quite as well to the older audience, or at least not to me, especially as I struggled to believe that 12-year kids were wielding swords and hunting monsters with the incredible maturity they seem to exhibit.

Kelley Armstrong’s first in a middle grade fantasy duology is full of beasts that most middle graders have read about before—unicorns, gryphons, and pegasi. Then she pull some new ones from lesser known mythology to keep 4-8 graders on the edge of their seats. Rowan and Rhydd are twins who were destined to be their country’s Queen and Monster Hunter, respectively. However, in their heart of hearts, each wants the other position. When a tragic twist of fate makes that happen, Rowan is sent on a quest to find a former monster hunter to train her, but she finds so much more. The action in this book only slows a few times to reveal characters’s emotions and motivations and then Armstrong throws another scary beast or villain into Rowan’s path. Along the way, she finds two human companions, Dain and Alainor, and several more unusual ones, but it will take book 2 to find out whether they will be a help or a hindrance. (Note: I read book 2 first and it is more exciting and beast-full than book 1!) Thanks for the dARC, NetGalley.

A princess set to inherit the throne who'd rather trade places with her twin brother to take on the role of Royal Monster Hunter faces off with a Griffin and begins a quest to prove herself worthy of taking up the mantle after her brother is injured. So many fun mythical creatures--jackalopes, unicorns, pegasus, etc--in this and I really enjoyed Rowan's voice. Definitely a very cute, fantasy middle grade!

TW for family member death a a bit of violence. Also a note that I didn't love some of the language and discussions around Rowan's brother's injury which felt pretty abelist.

Actual rating: 4.5/5</b

This was pretty darn awesome!

I loved reading about Rowan, a *very* strong willed, stubborn, hard headed tween, who also happens to be a Princess training to be Queen (at first), and can fight monsters. Rowan is not some damsel in distress, even if she admits she's scared, and still needs her twin brother Rhydd or her mother, Queen Mariela.

Rowan has a natural affinity with animals (very much a trait of her Clan, Clan Dacre - current ruling Clan of Tamarel). All animals. She is naturally very inquisitive, protective of those she loves, damn smart, quick-thinking, and incredibly kind.

Her again certainly shows (as it should!) in some situations, and on the flipside, so does her training in various subjects - being the Princess. Rowan also learns, and grows, as she learns more about herself, her abilities, and what it truly means to be not only the Princess, but the Royal Monster Hunter. And how being herself, 100%, is the best way to garner fealty.

I really liked how the future roles of the kingdom are not a matter of gender, but of birth order. And I love that Armstrong explored that even if one is set to become a certain role when they don't wish it, you can find a way to change your fate.

Even as a middle grade tale, Armstrong did a great job in covering topics such as; death of a loved one, grief, and how PTSD can manifest in someone as young as 12 due to a horrific experience. Due to this, if you may be sensitive to such content, please be warned before going in.

End note: In the back, there was Rowan's Field Guide of Monsters. Due to the ARC, I wasn't able to see much of the writings and drawn pictures. I plan on getting this for my niece, so I'll definitely check it out before I give it to her.

This is a great adventure story!

I loved the character of Rowan. She is a strong girl who fought for what she believed in. Even though she was destined to become a queen, she wanted to be a monster hunter. She then had to prove that she was up to the job.

Some parts of this story were a little slow paced. There were long battles between Rowan and the monsters. She also met some monsters over and over again, but it was nice to be reminded of these different beasts.

I really enjoyed this middle grade story!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying is an action packed first instalment in a new middle grade series by Canadian author, Kelley Armstrong. Featuring strong female characters, fast paced excitement, lots of mythical creatures, and an engaging storyline, this is one that will be enjoyed by Percy Jackson and Fantastic Beasts fans!

I received an ARC of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favourite authors and this book did not disappoint. I devoured it in 3 hours, I just couldn’t put it down. Yes I know it’s for middle grades but the story and the characters are just so good.
The world building was well done, the characters were amazing, the monsters and the information provided about them was amazing. The story was action packed, fast paced, and I enjoyed the humour that the Jackaloupe never failed to provide. Every time he jumped on Rowan’s head, I laughed.
In short, this is a story about a young princess, who instead of wanting to be queen, wants to and finds herself thrust into the role of the royal monster slayer. But because she’s 12, not fully trained and there seems to be some contention and manipulation of her uncle trying to usurp the throne, she embarks on a quest which is brave and dangerous. She makes some interesting friends along the way as well.
I loved this and I can’t wait for the second to come out!

All of the elements necessary for a solid team-up novel are present here: characters from different worlds , with vastly different perspectives, must find a way to work together for their survival. They initially hate each other but come to realize this is simply because they don't understand each other. Once they are able to recognize their biases they begin to learn from one another and find the ways their strengths compliment each other. The structure is a familiar one and doesn't deviate much from expected territory. There are underlying messages of the restrictions of societal expectation, environmentalism, and centrist politics. The characters are likeable though somewhat thinly portrayed. Given that this is the first in a planned series, there's plenty of room for growth here and I look forward to seeing the directions Armstrong takes it.

A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying is an action packed first instalment in a new middle grade series by Canadian author, Kelley Armstrong. Featuring strong female characters, fast paced excitement, lots of mythical creatures, and an engaging storyline, this is one that will be enjoyed by Percy Jackson and Fantastic Beasts fans!
I only gave this three stars because while I did enjoy it, I did find that as an adult reader it did leave me wanting a bit more (sometime a bit too much action and not enough story) but I think the target 9-12 audience will really enjoy this one.

"A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying" by Kelley Armstrong is an incredible book! I read this with my 10 year old son and he could not get enough of it. Every time we read he would ask for just one more chapter, just one more page, then oh please just the first sentence of what comes next.
The trials and tribulations that Rowan goes through makes for a fast-paced, hard to put down novel. We loved laughing together over the silly jackalope, and felt our skin crawl when in the tunnels of the Jba-fofi. We both highly recommend this novel, and cannot wait to read the next one in the series!

Kelley Armstrong has been one of my favorite authors for a very long time. She weaves her stories using layered characters and well defined communities and back stories to make reading her books an experience in excellent writing. She is definitely a master of her craft, using her skills to entertain her fans.
This is a new series in a new genre. I read the book quickly, the story of the royal twins who must earn the right to serve and protect the populace of their kingdoms from monsters that would attack and ruin livelihoods. The twins are surrounded by people and monsters who are supposed to help them but the results are not always what was expected. Ms Armstrong has built the back story so the characters should be with us for many more escapades, thank goodness. While the target age for this is young adult, I enjoyed it immensely.

"A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying" was a fast-paced adventure story that was also sweet and gentle. There's kidnapping, death, and treachery but also strong familial bonds, caring, loyalty, and compassion. Told from the point of view of Rowan, destined to be the next ruler, we get to know Rowan well, but not her twin, Rhydd. He's less well fleshed out than his sister, and their uncle Heward is a cardboard cliche.

Rowan and her twin Rhydd are bound by societal rules and expectations, to their dismay, but soon they learn about being careful about what you wish for. The book has gentle lessons about kindness, acceptance, compassion, expectations, girl power, and perseverance, but it's not a moralist story. Those themes are woven into grand adventures that are full of danger. Rowan was quick-witted, capable, impulsive, stubborn, and a blend of naivete and maturity, innocence and wisdom. She made mistakes and usually learned from them and grew. At times she seemed older and more mature than I expected for a twelve-year-old.

The "monsters", magical creatures really, were very well done and my favorite part of the story. Jacko the jackalope was fierce and adorable, and my heart bled for the warg, Malric. Armstrong took traditional mythological creatures, tweaked them a bit, and made them interesting. The back of the book has a mini field guide to magical creatures, with illustrations, as written by Rowan.

"A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying" was a fun, slightly improbable, but enjoyable fantasy with delightful illustrations.

This was pretty cute middle grade book. I liked the main character, although her interactions with some of the people she met in her journey seemed a bit awkward and stilted. I also liked all of the magical creatures in the book, especially Jacko the Jackalope. I liked that there was a focus on helping or relocating the creatures if possible and learning more about them rather than just running in and killing everything because they can. It was maybe a bit simplistic for me as an adult, but I think it would be very enjoyable for younger readers and I would possibly consider reading the next novel in the series.

I’ve read one of this author’s YA books and wasn’t a fan. This sounded like a cute palate cleanser so I thought I’d give it a go. I’m glad I did. I sped through this book in one sitting because it was wonderful light read. The characters are relatable and you want them to succeed. I think I also liked that there were relationships without romance. YA stories get bogged down by the romance; it’s refreshing to read an adventure story that’s just adventure and friendship. It was easy to forgot that these were preteens. This is the start a new series so the story has been left a bit open ended to continue in the next book; no cliffhangers though.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so great!! I originally picked it up because of the author, Kelley Armstrong. I've read several of her adult and young adult novels and loved them, so I was excited to see a junior fiction book and a fantasy one no less! I was not disappointed. The pacing is quick, no lags at all, it is easy and fast to read. I really enjoyed the main character, Rowan and all the interesting monsters and friends she makes along the way. This is a fabulous first entry into what I hope is a multiple book series, it certainly seems to be setting it up that way. I would highly recommend this to anyone, especially mom's with fierce and fabulous daughters that want to read books about strong, independent girls like themselves. I plan on reading it to my daughter soon. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me have a copy to read and review!

A Royal Guide to Moster Slaying is a lovely middle-grade fantasy book. We see a young girl, Rowan, trapped by societies rules as she wants to be more than a princess. She wants to be a monster hunter, her brother is expected to be one. The story reminds me of the Song of the Lioness in a way, as both siblings feel trapped. The book has enjoyable lessons about kindness, acceptance, and perseverance. Those who like magical beasts will love this book and all the creatures in it. I was surprised to see Kelly Armstrong as the author. I hope to see more from her in the Juvenile Collection.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced copy of this book.

4.5/ 5 stars

I loved this book. This is the first book in a new middle grade fantasy series by one of my favorite authors!

The narrator is 12 year old Rowan (1st person POV). She is a princess and is supposed to be the next Queen. Her twin brother Rhydd will be the next Royal Monster Hunter. But she desperately wants that job.

This was such an enjoyable book. What a cute story! It was filled with unicorns and monsters. And was such a great read. I knew that I loved this author (I've read and loved so many of her adult and Young Adult books). But I was not sure how much I would like a book geared towards teens and tweens. I originally got the book to read with my 10 year old niece. But that did not end up happening. I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I loved this book. It kept my interest. I was not bored. Rowan was such a great heroine. She might have been only 12 years old, but I loved her. This was such a charming book. I absolutely cannot wait to continue this series.

I've heard so many fantastic things about Kelley Armstrong but have never had the time to check out any of her books, I was so happy to see this available on Netgalley and I was not disappointed at all.

First of all, the cover art is so cute and such a joy to see! It's so rare to see a fantasy novel where the main character is a person of color especially a young black girl so that is a delight.

Reading this I was instantly engrossed. Meet Princess Rowan, she's a courageous, stubborn, and hardcore 12 year old. She is next in line to the throne but after the untimely death of her monster slaying aunt she finds herself as the successor as the royal monster. BUT and of course there's always a but, that's only possible if she kills the dreaded gryphon that plagues her kingdom and killed both her father and aunt. She's on a quest! And she of course meets all kinds of danger along the way but she also befriends both monsters and humans alike.

I cannot rave about this book enough. It was so sweet and enjoyable and I was on pins and needles the entire time. The characters were hilarious and the creatures seemed sweet and scary. Kelly Armstrong usually writes more adult fiction novels but she's also seemed to find her niche in middle grade and it's fantastic.

By being born first, Princess Rowan is destined for the throne. But she'd rather be studying monsters and practicing her sword skills. Alas, the position of Royal Monster Hunter shall go to her twin brother, Rhydd, per tradition. Never mind that he'd be way better for the throne than she'd be, tradition is tradition. Until things go horribly wrong, and a gryphon attack leaves her aunt dead and Rhydd injured, and now Rowan is taking up the ebony sword...

Well. She will be. Once she's done with her training. With her aunt's warg and an orphaned jackalope by her side, Rowan is off on an adventure to fulfill her destiny, geek out over monsters, and be the most ferocious princess in all the land.

An amazing middle grade novel, "A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying" is a great beginning to Rowan's journey as she goes from Princess to Monster Hunter. Along the way, she makes mistakes, learns from them, takes charge, and makes some new friends. As much as her journey is physical and will involve a lot of learning, a great part of her journey is psychological. She has to make tough decisions at the age of 12, some that determine whether she lives or dies, but also she has to deal with some pretty heavy mental baggage. She watched her aunt die and blames herself, and as a result has Post-Traumatic Stress nightmares. She doubts she'll be as good of a leader as her parents and aunt. But Rowan's got a big heart and a love for the monsters that she protects her people from (sometimes, being a Monster Hunter means really being a Monster-Trapper-and-Relocater; killing the monsters is a last-ditch plan). Rowan is a fantastic, realistic character, and I can't wait for her next adventure!

*I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I devoured this book. It was so amazing!!!! I really want my own Jackalope now. The characters were well written and the story was just so much fun. I really hope this turns into a series because I want more!