This Princess Kills Monsters: The Misadventures of a Fairy-Tale Stepsister: A Novel

An absolute delight to read. Strong female characters (even if many had to disguise themselves for much of the story) clueless prince, adorable and smart golem, plus interesting monsters. They all add up to make a very fine tale.

Thank you, NetGalley, Dial Press, and Ry Herman for providing me with an e-arc. All opinions are my own.This was a great time!A cozy fantasy where the stakes were medium and the humor was endless.While, This Princess Kills Monsters is a retelling of the Grimm brothers' The 12 Huntsmen, Herman managed to weave in so many other Fairytale references beautifully. I would personally say that it is like watching a movie marathon of all the Shrek movies, The Princess Bride, and Ella Enchanted. It's unserious (it does have serious topics) and laugh-out-loud, funny.I genuinely believe that this would make a great animated movie. It has fun characters and villains (relatable, yet flawed), magic creatures (a dragon for one), and a happy beginning. "It didn't feel like I was walking into happily ever after. Not exactly. Those are reserved for the ends of stories and this was just the beginning."Bonus... it's perfectly queer. We get princesses marrying other princesses, and a transgender love interest. Personally, I kind of want novels for Calla and Jonquil (Mellilot's, our bad ass princess/sorceress FMC, lovable meddling sisters who are equally bad ass)

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!

Such a fun book! I had an amazing time reading this, I enjoyed every second of it! I recommend it to anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings! By the way, the paperback is 8.25 inches tall, for anyone who's curious. The hight listed on this site is slightly shorter than the book actually is.

This is a very funny take on twisted fairy tales. In a world where magic exists, Melilot, a not very powerful sorceress, and a middle stepchild, must navigate her emotional response to her domineering stepmother and overly helpful (at least so Melilot thinks) half- and stepsisters, all the while fighting off monsters. Her straight-forward, yet sardonic response to fairy-tale tropes makes the reader laugh out loud. There ae bi- and queer characters, which in this world are completely accepted as normal. Hooray!