This is a really fun and creative take on classic fairytales and some of the story elements common to them. There are lots of laughs to be had and the storytelling is definitely exciting and clever. There is a lot to enjoy within these pages, but unfortunately it was really not grabbing me or holding my attention. DNF at 28% but I think many people would absolutely eat up this fresh take on classic fairytales.

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR!!

Ry Herman is that author—bold, brilliant, and wildly creative. This book is like nothing else I’ve read: a queer, chaotic fairy tale mash-up that’s equal parts darkly magical and laugh-out-loud funny. Think: a moody bisexual princess with barely a spark of magic, tangled up in an arranged marriage she absolutely does not want… and a whole bunch of hijinks from there.

Let’s talk about the humor: this book is hysterical. Truly, I don’t remember the last time I laughed this much while reading. Ry Herman’s wit is unmatched, and the banter is pitch-perfect—sharp, snarky, and effortlessly charming. That alone makes it worth reading.

But it’s not just jokes and hijinks—the character work here is phenomenal. Every character is vividly drawn, with a range of identities and orientations that feel authentic, meaningful, and joyfully inclusive. The representation is thoughtful and never performative. These aren’t just characters you read about—they’re characters you root for, hard.

And yes, there’s a mystery! A delicious little thread of intrigue that keeps you flipping pages, wondering who Melilot will choose romantically and what the deeper game is behind the scenes. I did start to guess where it was headed, but it didn’t matter—the journey was so good, I didn’t want it to end.

This is the kind of book that feels like a gift: for queer readers, for fairy tale lovers, and for anyone who wants their stories smart, funny, and bursting with heart. It’s perfect for Pride Month—or any month, really. Go read it. You’ll thank me later.

This book was so delightful. I loved the humor, the reimagined fairy tales, the epic battle, and the characters. I LOVE self aware books like this. One critique I have is with the ending. The relationship between Melilot and her stepmother is complex and intriguing and there could have been some juicy character development for them both but instead Melilot just suddenly… understands her… It seemed too rushed and low stakes considering it was a significant conflict in the book.

Book review: 4.25/5 ⭐️
Genre: fantasy
Themes: fairytales, sorcery, queer romances
📖 Read if you like: The Princess Bride, Assistant to the Villain

This is a topsy turvy amalgamation of fairytales that at once pokes fun at the outlandish nature of fairytales with true love, sorcery and magic, while also being that itself. It had several laugh out loud moments with a quirkiness I would like to bottle up. It was smart and whimsical with a princess that is trying to find her way in a forced arrangement that lands herself in disguise. Adventuring in the woods, she finds herself in amour with an unexpected candidate. It explored gender identity, self worth and morality within stories that are often ridiculous if actively thought about. There were of course a requisite number of mad circumstances, but I would expect no less if one can turn themselves into a lake, or be accosted by giant boulders within a forest of monster hybrids.

The story marks the misadventure of Melilot. A princess by marriage with little talent and a domineering sorcerous step-mother, she is sent on an endless number of impossible quests that often require a rescue from her talented step/half sisters. When she is bidden to a foreign kingdom and commanded to marry a king she has never met, Melilot has little choice but to accept. When spider-wolves attack her pumpkin and teeth retinue on the road to this arranged future, she is rescued by a strange group of identical merry men who claim to be the king’s huntsmen. As attempts on her life continue, Melilot decides to don a disguise so she can discover the source of peril both to herself and the kingdom. Along the way several love interests who are not her betrothed pose the question of true love, and the cost of duty.

This was pure fun! It was an enchantied retelling of The Twelve Huntsmen with a welcome feminist spin and a whole host of cameos from basically every fairytale imagineable. There is a bit of romance, but the general level of sorcery just made this wildly imaginative. It was a packed adventure with several unexpected elements and a heroine that is clever and easy to like. It was a well constructed story that didn’t take itself too seriously.

Satires aren’t for everyone, but if you enjoy amusing retellings this one is for you. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. It was a riot with a pretty face!

There were several "gotcha" and finger point moments in this book when I realize what fairy tale Princess Melilot is mentioning, mostly briefly. I enjoyed it when these fairy tales have happened in the tale that is currently being told. Melilot is not a damsel in distress, though she can be stressed and in distress on several occasions-however, she stands up for herself. I love that romance does not take a front seat, but the main relationship is lovely. I enjoyed the relationship that Melilot has with her sibling, and the portrayal of her relationship with her stepmother. Overall, the characters are written as very human (unless they are ogres or fae). A very humorous read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC! This book was a hilariously witty tale about a Princess finding her place in the world. Princess Melilot was everything I have always needed in a princess, sarcastic, stubborn and a little unprepared for the chaos she is going to encounter. The representation without fanfare just fact was so refreshing. I cannot even describe the joy these characters gave me. Thank you Ry Herman for seeing people the way you do. Yes I will be telling everyone I know that this is the Princess book for them!

This Princess Kills Monsters is every bit the witty, fun adventure I was hoping for. Princess Melilot is a character worth rooting for; a princess determined to make her own way in the world and prove her worth, even if that means undertaking increasingly dangerous quest assignments from her evil stepmother, also known as the sorceress queen. Herman does an excellent job of breathing new life into fairy tales and adapting them for a modern, adult, audience. Herman isn't afraid to poke fun at some of the classic fairy tale tropes but doesn't allow the humor to make Melilot's story any less compelling. In an era of dark retellings, this book is an example of the sort of wit and fun I hope to see more of.

First of all, I have to mention how gorgeous the cover is. It instantly caught my attention and made me want to read this book. As for the story, this book is a satirical fairytale retelling. I loved Melilot as a main character. She is sassy and funny and queer. I enjoyed reading this book so much. It was very fast paced and delightfully chaotic. Did I mention how much fun it was? I laughed out loud while reading it. If you like humorous tones in your fantasy definitely pick this book up. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to netgalley and Random House for the galley! This was a very fun book that I ripped through so fast. Definitely will be recommending to others. I like that so many fairy tales were mentioned and intertwined together into the story.

A princess who would rather do anything than be married off to a prince finds herself on a dangerous mission where she is rescued by huntsmen and now she has to figure out what she wants to do and how she's going to get out of marrying this unknown prince... as well as her growing feelings for one of the huntsmen and her fiance's very attractive sister. I thought this was such a fun read, it's definitely unique but it plays into the fun commentary of fairytales with a unique queer spin. Honestly, this would make such a fun movie. I had fun reading it and would definitely recommend this for anyone who wants something a little different in their fairy tale stories!

Release Date: June 17, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This Princess Slays (not just monsters)

This was such a lovely, chaotic and fun read! I haven’t been reading much fantasy lately, because it felt a bit overwhelming, but this book was exactly the right amount of whimsical and fun and light-hearted. Princess Melilot is sent away to marry a king she’s never met, and upon her arrival, things are even stranger than expected, with unusual monsters roaming the forests of Tailiz, a court of noblemen dependent on the opinions of a gender-essentialist lion and twelve almost identical looking huntsmen.

I am a huge fan of retellings that follow characters that aren’t the main characters in the original story, because it leaves much more room for interpretation and is not the same thing over and over again. (That is not to say that retellings can’t be wonderful, just a personal preference :D) And there wasn’t just this one fairytale in this, there were so many little bits and pieces from different fairytales woven into the story, it was a delight to discover them all. The humour and the banter throughout also hit all the right spots and I loved that the romance was rather light. Another thing I really loved is that the author didn’t rush the ending. In a lot of fantasy books readers are kind of just left after the heroes win the final battle and maybe there’s an epilogue several years down the line but that’s it. I often find myself wishing for a bit more, and I am generally very interested in the aftermath of battles and revolutions. Ry Hermann actually took the time to let the readers witness a part of the ever after, which made the book feel all the more well-rounded.

The reason I’m giving the book four stars is because I had a hard time getting into the story at the beginning and because some parts felt a little too slowly paced. I also wish we would have gotten some more character development in some places, but overall, I really adored this book and I still recommend you pick it up if you’re willing to wait a little for the really good parts!

I also didn’t know that the love interest was a trans man before going into this, just that the romance was queer, so that was a sweet surprise!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. The book is out now wherever you get your books from!

Lots of Love,
Noah

This was a very fun book to read! A fairytale retelling, with a mix of tales and adventure, I had a lot of fun reading this!

This book follows Melilot, the stepdaughter of the sorceress queen of Skalla. She is the middle child of her sisters, and has grown up resenting her stepmother, as she and her sisters have been sent on various impossible adventures by their mother. After being rescued by her more magically-adept sisters from her latest quest, Melilot is sent by her mother to be wed to the new king of Tailliz. On her journey to Tailliz, she’s met by monstrous spider-wolves and is rescued by the 12 huntsmen of the king. Melilot then discovers her future home is beset by numerous monsters, and tries to discover what is actually happening in this kingdom.

This book was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the mix of storytelling that is used as backstory, and the references to other fairy tales adds to the world building throughout the book. Melilot felt very human in her own way, still grieving the loss of her parents and in her resentment towards her stepmother. The plot did start to drag for me near the middle, but picked up to be a satisfying ending. Overall, I really enjoyed this book!

I received an e-ARC of this book from Random House Publishing and NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

This Princess Kills Monsters leans into its campiness and fun-ness. It takes all the fairytales and tropes and themes and blends them together in a truly fun and fascinating world. It also leans into banter and sassiness—some of which can feel overplayed and predictable at times, but it's balanced out by the lushness of the world building, in my opinion. It's not a very high stakes book, it feels almost cozy at times with its focus on character dynamics and relationships—the relationships between Princess Melilot and everyone occasionally do run into trope-ification as well but I don't mind it in this instance because they're still treated like real relationships and the completion of them is not trope-ified and does feel rather earned in that aspect. Overall, if you're looking for a light-hearted read that's easy to get into and that's just an adventure from start to end, I think you'd like this.

A delightfully subversive fairy tale, This Princess Kills Monsters is sharp, witty, and wonderfully queer. Melilot is the kind of reluctant heroine you can’t help but root for as she fends off spider-wolves, sidesteps deadly royal politics, and grapples with the ridiculous gender expectations of her world. The absurd trials she faces, riddles from a talking lion, assassins in disguise, and a love triangle that’s anything but conventional, add humor and heart to a story that balances satire with sincerity. While the pacing occasionally stumbles under the weight of its many twists, this is a fresh and feminist romp full of magic, mayhem, and unexpected romance.

This was unbelievably silly, just utterly ridiculous, and in a very fun way.

My guess is, this will be a love it or hate it read for a lot of people, because the style--over the top, satirical, a thousand references to fairytales in very wink wink manners--will either feel very funny or very cringe. For me, I thought it was quite funny. Clever, not taking itself too seriously but also not exactly making fun of the fairytale sources either, with a lot of acknowledgement of the ridiculous nature. The idea that someone from a magic-heavy land wouldn't even be in the same room as a spinning wheel because of how easily they are cursed, for example, was hilarious and worked into the plot in a way that actually made sense, just for a little throwaway bit.

I also really liked the main romance. I wish it had been a little more central or a little more developed, but I was very happy to see those two characters end up together in the end.

What I didn't love was the action-y climax bit, where the villain enacts their end-game and then does the whole monologue portion. It was fine, but that whole 10-20% of the book was just chaotic and I didn't feel like it had a strong emotional line to the rest of the plot. I don't want to say too much, to avoid spoilers, but it just felt out of step with the tone and vibes of some of the rest of the book.

Overall, a fun and clever read that showed a lot of skill from the author. I would definitely pick up their next book.

This Princess Kills Monsters was such a fun, queer take on fairy tales. I loved Mellilot's character and her relationship with her sisters and their spouses. Once Mellilot goes on her own adventure I really enjoyed reading about her experience a culture that was more archaic than the one she was used to. My only true issue I had while reading the book was how many references to fairytales there were and that sometimes it felt forced. However, once I read the author's note at the end I understood why the references were included a lot better. Overall a super solid book that I will happily recommend to people who enjoy queer joy or fairytale retellings

I really loved this book! It’s a funny mashed up retelling of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, with the 12 Huntsmen being the primary focus. It’s definitely more enjoyable if you know at least some of the original stories. However, at its heart, it’s about a girl that feels like she’s not good enough to fit in with her family. Melilot doesn’t have as much magic as her sisters and usually fails when her stepmother sends her on quests. She’s sent to marry a king in a far off land, and is determined to do it without needing to be saved by her family. This story is about her gaining confidence in herself. The writing is really clever and I lol’d many times.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book reads like The Princess Bride watches.The prologue was so funny and so tongue-in-cheek satirical that I read it aloud to my best friend. While the entire book wasn't quite so comedic, it all maintained a consistent through-line of not taking itself seriously and using silly goofy twists on Fairytale elements. If you've ever wished that Rapunzel was sisters with Cinderella and Snow White and that they all had cool magic powers handed down by their evil queen mother/wicked stepmother, look no further. If you've ever wished that fairytales could all be a little more queer (both in oddity and in gay), also look no further.

This book was certainly a good time! I don't think it'll stick with me forever, but I do think that what I'll remember about this book is that it made me laugh.

Utterly charming, quirky, hilarious and an absolute delight to read! This book is part cozy fantasy, part action/adventure and part, well, every fairytale. Immensely enjoyable characters that had so much whimsical eccentricity they practically leapt out the book. Fantabulous lgbtq rep among the pages. Highly recommend for anyone who likes satirical fairytales, the princess bride or the color of magic.

Came for the cover, stayed for the vibes. This is cozy fantasy at its finest. It isn’t just a retelling of Grimm’s The Four Huntsman; it pulls from ALL of the fairy tales. Like every single one. Ry Herman undoubtedly has their own magic, because somehow they weave all of these stories together into something totally fresh and new.

Melilot is a princess in a world full of silly magic and quirky characters, whose job it is “to go on nonsensical quests and solve annoying puzzles” (her words). Her sisters often end up coming to her aid, and while she loves them fiercely, she is also left consistently feeling one-upped by them. Their magical abilities prove to be much more useful than hers, because there isn’t much benefit to having hair that grows unnaturally fast. Everything is staying sillily the same, until Melilot’s sorceress stepmother marries her off to a foreign king. What follows is a whimsical and completely ridiculous (I mean this in the highest praise) queer fairy tale full of wonderfully strange magic, monsters, and romance.

This book had my cackling to the point I was in tears and my husband had to ask if I was okay. Every character seems to have some odd magic or malady, and the blunt, nonchalant delivery of this information just gave me life. And the LGBTQ+ rep! It is bursting with queer joy and acceptance, complete with a trans love interest who I just adored.

I will give a disclaimer that the title doesn’t exactly capture what this novel is, and honestly it’s nothing like I had anticipated (it was better). I was expecting elaborate monster-killing quests, and instead I got spider-wolves and a grumpy enchanted mirror. I think this is a book where readers will either be fully in the “I am obsessed” camp, or the “this is not for me” camp. I’m clearly in the former, and have already ordered a physical copy, aka shelf trophy. Read this book if you need a lighthearted laugh, or just want to be swept up into a silly fantastical world that’s much more delightful than the one we’re currently in!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the gifted eARC!