As a German, I must shamefully admit that I have never heard of the tale of "The Twelve Huntsmen". And I would definitely remember it with its twelve identical hunters who don't really serve a purpose in the story or the kinda sexist talking lion. It's a tale of a prince who is already in love but has to marry a foreign princess to fulfill his father's last wish. But after a bit of crossdressing shenanigans and some mortal peril, he comes to the realization that he can't possibly marry anyone else than his beloved, and the foreign princess is thrown under the bus. Ry Herman decided to give a voice to this princess and enhanced the story, because let's be real, the original tale leaves much to be desired. Herman starts out by giving the foreign princess a name for once – Melilot – and creates a backstory set in a strange fairy tale kingdom full of silly magic. It's Melilot's job "to go on nonsensical quests and solve annoying puzzles", and to do basically anything her stepmother, the wicked sorceress queen, tells her to. Her sisters often come to her aid and while Melilot loves them fiercely, she can't help but feel like the least among them. Her sister Jonquil rides a dragon and is married to a bloodthirsty faerie warrior princess, and her sister Calla is friend to all animals (the kind that weaves clothing for you or that would join you in a musical number), while Melilot's most prominent magic is about making her hair grow really fast. She's also the only one who is married off to a foreign land, but there's really nothing she can do about that. So Melilot finds herself in a kingdom plagued by weird hybrid monsters that's ruled by a somewhat useless king whose first adviser is this talking lion that's always promoting his book about human nature. But stranger things have happened in this fairy tale world, where silliness awaits around every corner. Every other character has a strange affliction or weird magic, and the way this was so bluntly talked about cracked me up every time. Like of course Melilot can't use the spinning wheel when they are known to bring curses and death, and yes, Jonquil's father died from ripping himself into two pieces when someone guessed his name right, it happens. This book took common fairy tale themes and showed how ridiculous they often are, and it was such a fun time. Many fairy tales are referenced, some even retold at length. The overarching plotline was just ok, but the world and the characters really made up for it. Melilot was a no-nonsense character in an all-nonsense world, and I liked her a lot as a main character. It was great to see the strong bond she had with her sisters and their spouses, and the relationship with her stepmother was complex and not at all the basic evil-stepmother trope that's common in fairy tales. The little romance was cute too, but it's really not the focus of the story. It's more about Melilot finding her place in life and maybe saving the kingdom while she's at it. And yes, she slays more than one monster in the story, but I'm not a fan of the title of the book. Melilot is really not the warrior princess the title makes it sound like she is, but I hope it draws some well deserved attention to this book. The cover is incredible, though. Kudos to Alexis Flynn who designed it. So yeah, I can recommend this book without any reservations. For readers who like … fun, I guess.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House / Dial Press for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun fantasy adventure book! I had such a great time reading this. I loved the main characters and all of the side characters so much, the relationships were great, and the plot was pretty fast-paced. The mix of fairytale retellings and humour was so much fun, and I really hope that this author writes more books like this in the future! I would completely recommend this book :)

I really enjoyed this. It really drew me in and was a ton of fun! I loved the queer and trans representation. All the fairy tales written in this book were very unique and laugh out loud funny!

A wonderfully whimsical tale that features snippets of the best fairy tales. It started out so strangely to me, in how the story was told but I find myself swept away in the fantasy of it all. Loved the characters, loved the queer universe. A fantastic read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinions

I like parts of this, and I nearly expired laughing during the prologue. I've left it feeling tepid, but I can see other people having a better time than I did.

I know people LOVE fairytale retellings. Personally, I need something more. I'm a big fan, for example, of 'The Tenth Kingdom,' and this book initially seemed like it was going to have that energy. I wish that there had been less time spent squeezing in as many fairytale references as possible and more time on the characters and pacing. There's also a lot of stuff that happens off-page, and the characters will spend ages summarizing and recapping it, but there were large chunks of the story where surprisingly little happened. On top of that, there were two extended surreal sequences that didn't do the pacing any favors.

That said, this was still fun. I didn't actively dislike it, but I never got pulled into the story in an emotional sense. Herman clearly embraced the complete chaos that is fairytale logic, and while I found the constant need to include random Brothers Grimm references, I really enjoyed the ways in which the author played with expectations regarding those references. They also tease some magical concepts out to (or past) their logical conclusion, which made for some fun dialogue. I just never fully unearthed the emotional core of the story.

tl;dr: If you like fairytales, irreverent dialogue, and slightly offbeat humor, I would recommend giving this one a shot. I would also like to acknowledge that it is EXTREMELY POSSIBLE that my response has as much to do with current global events as it does with anything to do with this book. Humor has to work pretty hard to pull me in at the moment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel.

Although this book isn’t my typical genre, I did quite enjoy it. If you enjoyed the mini series The 10th Kingdom or any fairy tale retellings, you will certainly enjoy this book. It was witty and laugh out loud funny. I loved the queer and feminist vibes as well. The author’s note made the whole book more interesting too because they spoke of giving a voice to a fairy tale character who otherwise didn’t have a storyline. It was a good mix of well known fables and the more niche ones. I also loved that they mentioned the many women who originally told these famous tales but didn’t ever receive credit for it. Overall, the book was a good break from my norm and I would recommend it!

I got this book for free as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you for this ARC netgallery!!
I really love retellings and I'm surprised this one was about a fairytale that not many people know about. I really liked the book. It was hard to get into it at the beginning but it became better. I liked the humor but at the same time not so much. Sometimes I laughed, and sometimes it was just cringe, for example, whenever they break the fourth wall. I didn't find that funny or amusing. And the writing isn't perfect either. But I think I can say I liked it more than I hated it.

I liked this one a lot. I will never pass up a retelling and this one did a lot of fun things with many different fairytales. I mean there was 12 identical huntsmen, geese, spider wolfs, sorcery, enchanted spinning wheels. It was a mish mash of many different stories with a large and not completely well formed cast of characters. My main compliment would probably be that I wasn’t overly attached to anybody.

The synopsis sets up a love triangle that I don’t buy into but the love story that did happen was really cute and I was happy with the way it went!

Plus, the cover art is stunning and totally captures the vibe of the book, making it just as appealing to look at as it is to read. I’d totally recommend it to anyone in the mood for a funny cozy fantasy that dives into some interesting fairytale and family dynamics.

This Princess Kills Monsters is a fantasy retelling that is medium to fast paced with a good sense of humor and action. Can't wait to read more from this author.

Literally such a fun read! I loved how quirky and unique this story was and the fact that it was a rollicking good adventure was just icing on the cake. The formatting on kindle made it a little challenging to read but I might pick up a paperback to experience again. I really enjoyed the story and found the characters likable and relatable.

The cover was giving Kill the Farm Boy vibes, and the plot sounded fun. This is a fairytale-retelling story with a blended family and genderqueer characters. The main character is set up as the original princess behind a number of fairytale, most notably Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood; the fairytale bits that she hasn't experienced can be found in her step-sister and her half-sister.

Recommend to readers who liked The Halcyon Fairy Book. eARC from NetGalley.

THANK YOU to Netgalley for this ARC!

Bonus Points: LGBT+ rep :)

Loved, loved, loved this book so much!
So many unique moments where Herman chose a wholly original take on classic fairy tales.
This wasn't any sort of retelling or reimagining. This was a completely new fairy tale for a modern audience with humor (laugh out loud kind of humor) and romance, though that wasn't the focus like so many other fairy tales. A happy ending for everyone in such modern-thinking ways that any open-minded reader will absolutely love!

Definitely purchasing when it comes out!

This Princess Kills Monsters was great fun to read, and will be a hit with fans of lighthearted fantasy and Grimm's fairy tales. Melilot is sick of her stepmother sending her out on endless quests, and equally tired of having to be rescued by her much more magical sisters and their spouses, but the only time she fought back against her stepmom she was imprisoned in a tower for a year. So when her stepmother tells her she's betrothed to the new king of a far-off kingdom, she sets off to meet her future husband with only dubious powers and teeth-turned-guardsmen to protect her. But when her pumpkin carriage is attacked by spider wolves and she's saved by 6 handsome huntsmen with unusual talents, she finds herself caught up in a whole other tale full of dangerous monsters and assassination attempts. She disguises herself as a handmaiden to try and prevent further attempts on her life, and starts to fall for Sam, one of the dashing huntsmen, and her possible future husband's sister, which isn't ideal.

It's a story full of humor and adventure, with retellings of Grimm's fairy tales told by various characters throughout the story, working both as a way to explore the backstories of various characters and as cautionary tales. It's a great pick for readers who enjoy fairytale retellings, queer fantasy, and adventure stories laced with magic.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of This Princess Kills Monsters.

This was SO much fun! A retelling of the Twelve Huntsman with a twist. Our FMC is Melilot, a princess of Skalla, who is sent to marry an unknown King by her Evil Stepmother. On her journey to his kingdom, she is attacked by monsters and saved by the twelve huntsmen. She soon discovers that there are many monsters plaguing the king’s land and works with the huntsmen to stop the monsters before it’s too late.

This was very funny and I found myself laughing out loud - a lot. There are many familiar fairytale references woven throughout the story and they were fun to find. Melilot is a strong FMC and I enjoyed her journey as she set out to save herself and the King and find herself outside the shadow of her siblings. This was whimsical and cozy with a very sweet romance! I would definitely pick up this author again.

This Book Kills Reading Slumps

4.75/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this fantastic book. I was immediately drawn into the story right from the prologue, and the book just got better as I continued reading. Ry Herman writes with a very distinct voice that I found refreshing and extremely fun to read. The style did make me worry initially that the satire might be too heavy-handed, but I ended up really enjoying how it was worked in throughout the book. I really loved how casually fairy tales were referenced, with some well known stories mentioned as passing moments or side thoughts.

I am a big fan of “twisted” fairy tales, and this book was a very fun take on that. Although I was unfamiliar with the tale of the twelve huntsmen, this book caught my attention and inspired me to look up/read a couple different versions once I finished reading. Even without having known the story beforehand, I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling focusing on a minor character. Herman beautifully balanced traditional fairy tale elements with satirical self-awareness, which made this a very fun read.

When I picked up this book, I was in a reading slump. The fun story, interesting world, and diverse characters drew me in and helped me get back into the habit of reading every day. The short chapters made this book difficult to put down, and the “just one more chapter” struggle kept me up later than I should have been as I devoured the story.

Overall vibes I had while reading this book: cozy, warm, humorous, nostalgic for fairy tales

Refreshingly Funny

This book had a wonderful voice and design that is both a Fairy Tale Retelling and action Fantasy adventure that is playful and humorous.

I wanted to like this book, but have had to put it down and try to go back to it at least 2-3 times at this point so I am officially DNFing this book at 20%.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press Trade for the opportunity to read this book, but this one just isn’t for me. This started off OK as a love story about a prince forced to marry another woman and abandon the woman he truly loves. I was good finding out that our FMC was one of the jilted brides but once she starts her journey to meet her betrothed this plummeted downhill for me. I think the layering of fairytale stories into an against the grain fairytale was just too much for me and I just couldn’t get into this.

Legitimately funny, doesn't take itself too seriously, has a warm ooey-gooey heart at its center, and feels very much like a Princess Bride for the 2020s, This Princess Kills Monsters is one of the most fun fantasy books I've read in a really long time. It takes bits and pieces from many different Grimm's Fairy Tales and remixes them into something new and exciting, while still being familiar enough to be cozy and comforting.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this early copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fun, action-packed adventure. I loved all the references to the different fairytales. And the characters were ones to root for!

This author is incredibly clever, and the book is laugh out loud funny and just overall a grand time. Albeit, I think this is more of a wrong book wrong person one for me, or wrong time, I’m not sure, I overall think it was rather adorable and well written, fun, all the things, I think I just need a little less joking in my reads, so I’m not entirely sure what to rate this because: 1) I’ll definitely be recommending this book 2) it’s really fun 3( however i wanted a little more depth, So. With that being said I am somewhere between a 3-4 star for myself, but a 4+ recommendation for readers who love this trope. Pss I kinda love the whole Robin Hood men in tights joking theme I kept envisioning while reading.