This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman, when the book 1st starts we meet a couple who is very much in love but they’re interrupted when the prince is told his father is dying and he must leave to be by his side. He gives the princess a ring and says I will be back for you please wait for me and takes off. When he gets to his father‘s side the prince who we learn is Jarvis is devastated so his father says promise me one thing in the sun says anything, the father tells him please marry the princess from the kingdom of the West and Jarvis is so devastated he instantly agrees and then the king dies and Jarvis is like… Wait marry who? because the princess from the kingdom of the West isn’t his fiancé as a matter of fact he doesn’t even know her but a promise is a promise and Malia is sent for. when the princess is told her engagement is off due to his impending marriage to another she goes crazy loses her mind and breaks all of the royal pottery. Her father not knowing what else to do says my lovely daughter what can I do to ease your mind and make you stop this craziness? The princess tells her father I want 11 women who look exactly like me I want us all to wear pants and I want to go on an adventure and her father agrees. when Malia is on the way to Jarvis‘s Kingdom the only thing she knows about her upcoming home is there strange creatures in the woods and she doesn’t really think much about it until she gets closer and is confronted by a bunch of spider wolves… Yes wolves with their legs. In the middle of watching them eat her guards Huntsman dressed in green show up and save her life and she couldn’t be more thankful if only the one named Jack wouldn’t be suspicious of her. it doesn’t help that she tells them she is the wedding planner and not the princess and that her name is Clover and not Malia. on their way into the kingdom she really becomes close with one of the Huntsman’s despite they all look exactly alike his name is Sam but she is there to marry the king. Sam however will not be the only one she finds herself attracted to only the other one isn’t the king and there’s so many problems the last thing she needs to focus on is a relationship. she learned she was sent for because they need her magical ability to stop the attack by the strange creatures but unfortunately the only magical ability she has is to grow her hair quickly when under stress. I almost forgot the lion keeps telling the king the Huntsman are women and not men but the king knows that is preposterous because they’re wearing pants and women don’t wear pants. there’s so much I’m leaving out of this review about this great laugh out loud fall on the floor giggling story. It is just as interesting as it is funny and it is just as funny as it is action packed and there’s even a villain. This was an awesome awesome book I love adult fairytales and this was a great one. I would recommend this to anyone else who loves fairytales with laugh out loud moments and I mean that literally you will be laughing out loud whether at home or in public this book is so funny. #NetGalley,#RandomHouse, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #RyHerman, #ThisPrincessKillsMonsters,

This was a really fun story. It was a unique blend of fairytales told in a humorous way that made me laugh right from the first chapter. It follows a quite large group of characters, but at the center of it its princess Melilot who is sent by her stepmother to marry a king and along the way she meets a quirky group of huntsmen on their own mission. I liked all the characters but most of all and other than Melilot, her sisters and their partners where my favorites too, so funny and with different personalities that made for great interactions. There is a found family aspect to the story with magic, some romance and a bit of whimsy. I initially wanted to read this because someone compare it to A.K Caggiano's writing and if you have read her Villains & Virtues series I can totally see why, specially in the way humor is written in both stories. It's bit silly and campy in a very good way to me as someone who enjoys that comedic style. It also had a Princess Bride vibe to it. This is the first book I read from this author and am looking froward to reading more of their work. As an added note I love when books have named chapters, I think it gives the story more personality.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

"Once upon a time, a woman found herself trapped in the once upon a time."

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC!

This was such a fun cozy fantasy that somehow managed to not take itself too seriously while also being extremely entertaining and touching. The stakes are somewhat high but the book always maintained a level of endearing humour despite the action. There's so many fun references to classic Grimm brothers fairytales and twists in the well-known narratives that were so charming. I thought the writing was great, light but well-paced, perfect for the quirky pop fantasy vibe this book has. The characters are all so fun, and I loved Melilot's personality, her weird but lovable sisters, and all the supporting cast. I took off half a star because the end did feel a little more stretched out than it maybe needed to be, but it was a satisfying one all the same.

This book was just fun chapter after fun chapter, I can't remember the last time I genuinely had such a fun time with a fantasy book. If you liked movies like "A Knight's Tale", "The Princess Bride", or "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", you'll like this one.

ARC Review

Thank you to Ry Herman, Random House, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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Once I got into this book, I really enjoyed it. Melilot grew on me as I progressed further in the book. This book started very slowly for me and I struggled with all of the fairy tale references. My brain kept wanting this book to be a retelling of something I know and it's not! The fact that it is not a retelling is what makes this book enjoyable!

Once I was able to move past that block, I could appreciate the references to other fairy tales.

The cast of characters were witty and fun! I did not expect the villain and that was a fun twist!

This book releases June 17, 2025. If you like fairy tales and are looking for a twist, read this book!

This was such a fun read! Right from the prologue I knew it was going to be a unique read! It pulled me in and kept me entertained. I loved all the nods to other fairytales. I would definitely read more from this author in the future

This was a fun and sweet adventure that ultimately didn't do anything very special to me and felt like it was aggressively trying to tell me something instead of show me something.

This was one of those rare books that you love every single character and want books of each of their stories because simply no one got enough on page time.

Every character was a delight, even the stepmother who I had issues with for most of the story. It was so fun to have so many different story book elements thrown together and having a group of people from a land who are aware of magic and their overall weirdness and the other group being basically horrified by what the others call normal but also being strangely accepting.

I found myself breezing through this book and just having a good time

This book takes a unique approach to poking fun at fairy tales while also staying firmly rooted in a fairytale world. The opening chapters are creative, beginning with a fairy tale-style introduction to the plot, though the satirical tone didn’t always land as smoothly as it could have.

As the story unfolds, Melilot’s journey draws the reader in through engaging character interactions and intricate world building. However, at times the complexity of the setting and characters made it difficult to fully grasp certain relationships and dynamics, as some elements felt underdeveloped. Yet the author excelled in capturing the passage of time in ways that are both inventive and immersive to keep the reader turning pages!

While the novel successfully ties together many of its moving parts, the resolution leaves something to be desired and lacked the closure in some aspects that the story seemed to hint at building towards.

Overall, the book is definitely not a one-sitting read; rather it’s a book that invites the reader to pause and reflect on the complex web of relationships while appreciating what makes a good fairytale work.

This was a really fun read! Definitely pick this one up if you're in the mood for a queer, lighthearted fairy tale reimagining with lots of Easter eggs for fairy tale enthusiasts. I'm looking forward to the author's next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

This is definitely a fairytale reteling packed with a lot of humor. Initally, the cover stole my attention because it is so pretty and I can imagine it with beautifully sprayed edges on my bookshelf. The plot is unique and I chuckled when I read the initial synopsis, so I knew I would be buying this book once it's released. There are a lot of characters in this book, nit they are each so unique and memorable in their own way that it wasn't hard to keep track of them. I like the author's approach to inclusion and representation within this story as well. She does a good job of poking fun of the absurdity of traditional fairytale, especially their tendency towards biased traditional gender roles. Anyone who picks up this book saying that it isn't what they thought it would be probably didn't read the synopsis, which states exactly what this book is about. Meliot is an interesting character and I really enjoyed reading this complex but humorous adventure she's on while she's trying to survive and be her own person.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for an eARCmin exchange for an honest review,

This was a riot! Fun characters, with a plot both absurd and heartwarming!

And as a lover of fairy tale retellings, this really checked all the boxes for me

Fairy tales have always been a favorite of mine, whether they're originals, or retellings, or mash-ups that spin several well-known stories into something uniquely its own. This story follows Melilot, a sorceress (not a witch!) princess trying to find her own place in the world despite her stepmother's constant demands--the most recent being that she marry a king she's never met.

Ry Herman scribes a tale that is both humorous and a bit irreverent while at the same time full of heart and magic (though thankfully no ripped-out, still-beating hearts, as some fairy tales so enjoy). If you ever read The Princess Tales by Gail Carson Levine, well, I'd liken this novel to a somewhat more grown-up version, with a main character who is just as compelling and imperfect and who makes you cheer them on as they face trial after trial after trial in their search for their own happily ever after. Nothing comes easily for Melilot, but she never stops trying, and that is perhaps the most important lesson fairy tales can teach us--always keep going, even when all seems lost.

I especially loved how well-written the relationships with her sisters and her stepmother were, particularly the latter. Their final encounter near the end of the book made me smile, because it truly showed how much Melilot had grown since they were last face-to-face. No longer kneeling but standing tall as her own person, able to understand her stepmother a little bit better as she looked--really looked--at the woman who tried, in her own flawed way, to raise her as best she could. Melilot didn't condone her methods (I don't either), but I do admire the work involved in crafting such a complicated character.

I highly recommend this book for readers who love fairy tale retellings with strong female protagonists.

I love the cover, the concept, and will likely pick this book back up if I see it in a physical store, but the writing style was not my favorite, especially for reading on an ereader with this one. I think I potentially have simply been reading one too many fantasy books recently and need a bit of a mood reader break. In other words, this book is great, it’s just not for me at this moment.

Thank you for the eARC copy! I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback.

This book was a fun and whimsical read, though it took some time for me to get into it. The playful mix of fairy tale elements, from masked huntsmen to a talking lion, added plenty of charm, and the queer representation felt refreshingly natural. While Melilot’s personality sometimes grated on me, her romance with Sam was sweet and well-developed. Overall, this wasn’t quite my perfect read, but it will appeal to fans of lighthearted retellings with a healthy dose of humor and heart. Great for lovers of Assistant to the Villain.

This was a fun book, and I enjoyed it. I found the beginning a little bit too frenetic and silly and wasn't sure if I could stay with that pace for an entire book, but once Melilot arrived in Tailliz and I got to know her character a bit more and see the developing relationships, it was a lot of fun. I appreciated all the different fairy tale elements woven throughout, and the way Melilot and her sisters were in so many of the stories. I also enjoyed how storytelling was part of the story, with different characters telling each other stories. It reminded me of Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson, or Fractured Fairytales.

I really appreciated the queer and trans representation. It felt so refreshing and joyful to have such a queernormative, silly, playful world to immerse myself in while the actual world around me is increasingly terrifying.

The romance with Sam was delightful, too.

CW: Mild gore (wounds)

Herman’s novel was a superb retelling of The Twelve Huntsmen, but also brimming with humor that often made me chuckle. Main character Melilot is a clever, fun protagonist; Sam and the other 11 huntsmen are (mostly) endearing; and Melilot’s sisters and their spouses are great supporting characters. Herman purposefully builds their narrative to embrace the absurdity only too common in fairy tales – while also pointing out the absurdity of traditional gender roles and gender essentialism espoused by an out-of-touch magical talking lion. Yet, they are sympathetic to those caught in said gender roles and how to overcome or to effect true change, those systematically victimized must be directly helped to integrate into new societies. Herman also plays with the power of stories in offering multiple points of views and interpretations of events well. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings.

I really, really wanted to like this book. I loved the concept, and I believe the author is incredibly talented. However, I wasn’t able to finish it.

The main reason I struggled is that the author frequently went off on side tangents whenever new characters were introduced. The overwhelming amount of information made it difficult to stay engaged with the actual plot. On top of that, the character names were unusually long, hard to imagine being pronounced in real life, and ultimately not memorable.

While I truly believe this author has an amazing gift for storytelling, I found it challenging to follow the narrative and stay connected to the book’s direction. I hope that one day I can revisit it when I’m in a different mindset, and perhaps it will resonate with me more.

For now, though, it just wasn’t the right fit for me. I’ll still give it a fair rating because the writing itself shows promise — it just wasn’t my speed.

Was immediately pulled in by this beautiful cover but to my pleasant surprise the story is just as wonderful!!

I can tell this is going to be a story that a lot of people love! Very reminiscent of the princess bride and the Brothers Grimm. Melilot is such a relatable endearing character that had me giggling and kicking my feet! A lovely feminist retelling with queer representation and a main character that will charm your pants off!

Wacky. Unabashedly queer. A wild romp of fairy tale parody, memey humour and some wisdoms about prejudice, tradition and how family is complicated. Fun but kinda forgettable.

Recommended for fans of humorous fantasy and satire of tropes, like Dreadful, Long Live Evil, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon and similar.

Bonus points for queer rep including trans love interest and lesbian side characters.

Unfortunately this has the same weaknesses as many other comedic fantasies: inevitably the characters feel like 2-dimensional caricatures and the plot feels like a theme park ride ticking off attractions (tropes) from a list. But since I managed to finish it without quitting of cringe, I'm giving it a 4 for effort.

I seriously hoped Angelique would redeem herself, Gervase would abdicate and everyone would feast on a roasted lion in the end, but alas, this isn't that kind of book. Maybe I should just go watch Cinderella with Camila Cabello instead for some wacky fairy tale twist.

The cover is stunning though and enchantingly rainbowy, as suitable for a very queer book.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group: Dial Press Trade Paperback for the ARC!

Extremely funny. Even though this is a retelling, it’s managed to craft a unique story all on its own. The romance and LGBTQ+ representation is outstanding. This book took me away into a new world, that I wish I was a part of!