This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman

Book Synopsis

A princess with a mostly useless magical talent takes on horrible monsters, a dozen identical masked heroes, and a talking lion in a quest to save a kingdom—and herself—in this affectionate satire of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale The Twelve Huntsmen.

Someone wants to murder Princess Melilot. This is sadly normal.

Melilot is sick of being ordered to go on dangerous quests by her domineering stepmother. Especially since she always winds up needing to be rescued by her more magically talented stepsisters. And now, she’s been commanded to marry a king she’s never met.

When hideous spider-wolves attack her on the journey to meet her husband-to-be, she is once again rescued—but this time, by twelve eerily similar-looking masked huntsmen. Soon, she has to contend with near-constant attempts on her life, a talking lion that sets bewildering gender tests, and a king who can’t recognize his true love when she puts on a pair of trousers. And all the while, she has to fight her growing attraction to not only one of the huntsmen, but also her fiancé’s extremely attractive sister.

If Melilot can’t unravel the mysteries and rescue herself from peril, kingdoms will fall. Worse, she could end up married to someone she doesn’t love.

Overall Rating

4/5

Quick Take

This Princess Kills Monster by Ry Herman is an ingenious take on lesser-known fairytales paired with queer themes and characters. Reading this novel swept me away in an explosive of emotions – discomfort, whimsey, and so much more.

Tell Me More

This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman is a queer fairytale lover’s dream. Herman touched on so many subtleties of lesser known fairytales, while presenting the reader with queer themes and a main character who – quite frankly- kicks ass. This novel is a testament to a love of fairytales and the foundation they have built, while also being a power anthem for queer readers in the fantasy realm. I’m so excited share with you the interview I had with Ry Herman, and I hope you enjoy their first book in this story as much as I did! I’m ecstatic for the sequel.

*Thank you, as always, to The Dial Press and Katy Nishimoto for the copy

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Sage Nestler, MSW
Sage Nestler, MSW (Sage Moon/S. Moon) Pronouns: He/They – is a mental health specialist, bibliotherapist, professional book reviewer, EIC of Pride with a Bite, and horror enthusiast. He is neurodivergent and the survivor of multiple mental and physical illnesses. They have dedicated their life to educating others on mental health and illness, as well as providing resources to those who may experience barriers when seeking help. He is also the author of three novels, and their horror poems and short stories have been published in various anthologies.
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