This was a fun, adventurous novel that gave a feminist voice to a classic fairytale. Very cozy and had a good mix of stakes, a light romance, and a coming of age narrative with a full cast of interesting characters. I liked the references to different fairytales throughout and that it didn't take itself too seriously. Some parts could use a little more development, like Melilot's relationship with her stepmother, but overall very whimsical with lots of queer rep.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC.

This retelling of the lesser-known Grimms Brothers tale, The Twelve Huntsman, from the perspective of the spurned fiancee, is a hilarious and clever tribute to the fairy tale genre. Princess Melilot is the stepdaughter of a powerful sorceress queen and the least powerful sorceress of her family. When she's sent to marry a king of another land, she arrives to find the kingdom under siege by strange monsters and protected by twelve curiously-similar huntsmen, along with a king rather reluctant to marry her and a gender essentialist talking lion. Melilot is determined to face this dilemma alone without the help of her meddling sisters or her terrifying stepmother--a choice she might soon come to regret.

Ryman's absurd plot is eclipsed only by a delightful cast of characters who take the queer subtext of The Twelve Huntsman and make it text. This book is fun, smart, and hooks the reader from start to finish. Fans of Tamsyn Muir's Floralinda and the Forty Flight Tower or Hannah Nicole Maehrer's Assistant to the Villain will love this fairy tale romp.

Unfortunately, this is a book I had to DNF. I spent weeks trying to get myself to power through it and finish it but I just could not make it through. I love the Idea and the details for the book, but I just was not the biggest fan of the writing style which made it extremely difficult for me to continue reading.

This Princess Kills Monsters contains an entire universe within its 416 pages. I felt as though I’d been dropped into a world ruled by fairytale logic, where history had already been made long before I arrived and would continue to unfold long after I left. I personally think that the book has an unconventional structure, which really enhances the sense of lifelike immersion. It's split into nine parts, and while each has a clear arc and is structurally sound, the format also helps derailing the story from hitting the expected plot points at the expected time frames, resulting in quite the atypical pacing. And though I was glad to finish the book (which I’ll explain later), I still felt a strange pang of loss when I finally put it down—a reaction that rarely happens to me.

The narration is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. Had me giggling! I also want to note that the humor remained tasteful in every situation, which can honestly be a challenging feat to pull off so kudos to the author.

Another element I adored is how inspired this book is. It cleverly mixes and matches pieces of fairy tales and legends to create its own perfectly rational worldbuilding. Every detail, from the quirky characters to the lush environments, feels lovingly put together. Masterfully crafted.

What also stood out to me, further strengthening the fairytale theme, was how every bit of backstory is given by having the characters recite legends (with varying degrees of reliability). This helped so much with moving the story along while alleviating the boredom of the usual “plot recap” and “motivational speech” tropes. I just found this approach brilliant.

Now, while I’m here gushing with praise, I do need to mention that the book feel long. In my opinion, the pacing remains even but also consistently lingers in every scene too long. I can’t point to a specific part and say, “this needs tightening” or “not needed, cut 50 pages here,” but I definitely felt the weight of those 416 pages like I was reading a War and Peace-length epic fantasy.

Overall, I’d wholeheartedly recommend this book if you, like me, enjoy fairytale retellings and political intrigue! The romance isn’t the book’s strongest point, but I also wouldn't want it to be/don't think it was supposed to be the book's focus. Go in for the well-crafter storyline, worldbuilding and the easy ha-has, enjoy the ride!

The style of writing irked me, this book did not feel finished in its feel and detracted me from being invested in the plot.

This Princess Kills Monsters is an absolute delight. It’s a modern fairy tale retelling that effortlessly mixes humor, magic, and adventure in a way that keeps you hooked from start to finish. The tone is playful and irreverent, with plenty of clever fairy tale references that feel fresh and fun, rather than tired or predictable.

Princess Melilot is a standout character. She’s witty, relatable, and her voice is so distinct that it instantly pulls you into the story. Her character arc, as she learns to embrace her power and figure out what she wants in a world that keeps telling her what to do, is both satisfying and realistic. Plus, she navigates all the chaos around her with a sharp sense of humor that makes her incredibly likable.

One of the book’s biggest strengths is its diverse and inclusive cast. From genderqueer huntsmen to a dragon-riding princess and her fairy wife, the characters are wonderfully varied and bring a lot of depth to the world. The LGBTQ+ representation feels natural and adds a layer of richness to the themes of breaking free from societal expectations and discovering your own path.

The only downside is that with so many characters, it can occasionally be hard to keep track of who’s who, especially during the action-packed scenes. But this is a minor issue, as the plot moves quickly and the world-building is creative enough to keep you engaged.

If you’re into fairy tale retellings that blend magic, humor, and personal growth, This Princess Kills Monsters is a must-read. It’s a fun, inclusive, and refreshing take on classic tales, with a protagonist you’ll root for and a story that’s both whimsical and heartfelt. Definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quirky, modern twist on a fairy tale adventure.

I really enjoyed this book! It’s a fun satire of fairy tales (the Grimm kind) with plenty of action and fun characters. I will definitely be recommending this one to my patrons who love stories with happy endings.

I loved This Princess Kills Monsters! It was fun, clever, empowering, and hilarious. I will be buying it for myself, likely several copies so I can give it as a gift. I hope there is a prequel or two for Jonquil and Calla in the works! The found the writing style refreshing, and the modern language use in a medieval setting made it more accessible for casual readers. The matter-of-fact treatment of the LGBTQ characters was also a pleasant surprise, and something that is desperately lacking in other attempts at LGBTQ representation. I would love to read more stories of this world!

The Princess Bride meets Shrek in this delightfully feminist fairytale full of thrilling quests, quirky characters, and lots of laughs. This Princess Kills Monsters turns familiar stories on their heads and invites readers on a magical adventure they'll never want to end. Seeing the world of the Grimm Brothers through Princess Melilot's eyes is the most fun I've ever had.

This book has an intriguing premise with a strong mix of fantasy and self-discovery. While the action is vivid and the world-building imaginative, I found that emotional moments don’t always resonate, making it a fun but somewhat shallow read. Overall, it’s an enjoyable light fantasy but not entirely in my normal range of story.

As my review is more reflective of the gap in my enjoyment than the quality, I will not be posting the review on social media.

What a whimsical adventure! 

I didn’t know what to expect from this, but when the author basically painted the narrative circle in which the Prince’s former intended being in identical disguises coupled with the story, Sam tells, I was a woman possessed. I went from liking the story to being unable to put it down.

Seriously, this is the best modern fairytale/fairy retelling I’ve had the joy of reading for a long time. I’m so happy there was so much nuance to the story rather than relying on a bundle of tropes! (The exception is the hilarious “One Bed/Bed Sharing” one. 11/10)

The Ogres were delightful
Gnoflwhogir is so much fun
Liam is so mysterious, sweet, and very VERY Wise
Calla and Jonquil are the best
Sam is wonderful
And Melilot is charming, brilliant, and relatable 

All of the characters’ relationships with each other feel so realistic, especially the ones that nearly had me tearing my hair out! (They were all fun!) 

Also, I pretty much teared up any time Melilot was reflecting on her relationship with her Stepmother. It was so complex, but in the end, when Melilot evaluates Angelique to her Stepmother and hears the story Melilot tells Sam? It’s nowhere near perfect, but you can tell they really do love each other. 

It's a crazy good blend of lightheartedness and high-stakes action. (I also happy cried a lot.)

Loved it.

Fairytales are a hard genre to write. However, this book took the most known fables and dumped them on their head. I loved the twists I saw and was so impressed by the flow of weaving the stories into the main story. Beautiful. I loved the ending and the characters were just a delight.

Oh this was a fun read! Loved all the fairytale drama! Fantastic in every possible way and I do read a lot of fairytale retellings. Ooooh itching to read it again!

This is a fantastic twist on a classic fairy tale by the brothers Grimm with a lot of subtle, and not so subtle, references to other fairy tales. At times this feels almost like reading a fever dream, with all the magical monsters and tooth themed quests, but isn’t that the level of whimsy and wonder that you are looking for when you pick up a book about fairy tales?! This is definitely a book I wish I had read when I was growing up. Ry Herman did a wonderful job bringing a classic tale to the modern progressive age and frankly made the characters more relatable. The themes of blended families, understanding one's sexuality, and overcoming both familial and societal pressures and “norms” made this book a thrilling read, not to mention all the magical monsters that needed to be defeated. I highly recommend giving this book a read.

My rating: 4.5 stars

I’d like to thank NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this ARC.

rating 4 ⭐️

oh my god this was so funny. if you like the vibe of assistant to the villian THIS ONE RIGHT HERE IS ONE FOR YOU TO READ. from the plot to the story references to the romance side plot i loved this. so seriously enjoyable and funny.

the main character too is such a breath of fresh air. this story was just so unique from start to end. just wow i loved it:)

3.5 stars rounded down

Very Princess Bride meets Shrek, this was a whimsical and humorous read that stayed nice and light throughout. This Princess Kills Monsters is a retelling of the 12 Huntsmen with quite a few twists. I enjoyed the satirical take on fairy tales and the references made to various stories and their tropes.

There is a very diverse cast of characters with Melilot being a likable FMC. She was easy to root for and her self awareness about being part of a fairy tale world was very amusing. The one other character I liked was Melilot's stepmother - she seemed interesting and had a complex relationship with Melilot, but I wished she was explored more beyond the 'evil' stepmother trope.

The one thing that did fall flat for me was the romance. I didn't care for either love interest and felt the romantic subplot was underdeveloped. At one point the two characters were 'flirting,' but I didn't realize it until a side character told them to 'stop flirting.' I also think the book could've benefited from a shorter length - some parts seemed to drag until the story picked up again.

Overall, this was still an enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone who likes a light and sarcastic, but not mean-spirited, take on fairy tales.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc!

The cover of this book is what pulled me in and why I requested an arc. I didn’t know what to expect honestly based on the synopsis. Was is going to be serious or cozy?

Turns out, this was a cozy tale that didn’t take itself seriously at all in the best way possible. I’d say Shrek, The Princess Bride, and Assistant to the Villain all mixed together. It gives that sort of vibe.

Our tale follows Melilot and her (mis?)adventures as she finds her true potential and true love.

I enjoyed all the references to various fairy tales through the story. A lot of the humor was derived from these references.

So much girl power!!!

This was fun and I never knew what was going to happen next. Thank you NetGalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review.

Herman starts with the little known Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale <i>The Twelve Huntsmen</i>, teasing out the short, plot-hole filled fairy tale into a full novel bursting with plots and characters from all the classic fairy tales, powered by feminist rage, and letting everyone let their freak flag fly high.

And, in the end, it all comes down to the Millennial fantasy of a parental apology. Tellingly, the apology is not forth-coming, with our heroine having to settle for a "I did my best" that so many other grown children have to deal with.

4.5. I was able to get an advanced copy from NetGalley, so thank you NetGalley! I found this book to be delightfully queer. I would describe it as being a comedy, maybe more of a satire. Sometimes the vocabulary or tone can be a be a bit juvenile, but it really works with the main character, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I’m excited for when it comes out in June, because I would love to hear a narrator’s interpretation of it! All in all, it’s just a really good time.

The story was funny and light with just enough darkness to keep it interesting as well. The prince was bafflingly oblivious throughout the story, minimum bi curious haha. I loved the sisters relationship even though they were step siblings they really seemed to value her and love her.

It was a weird thing with the identical huntsmen and the other princess though. Still little confused what was going on there.