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

Author: Ry Herman

Narrator: Kristen Sieh, Ry Herman

Unabridged: 11 hr 26 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/17/2025

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 feminist fairy tale satire.

“The Princess Bride meets Shrek.”—Susie Dumond, author of Bed and Breakup

“Exactly the sort of queer fairy tale for grown-ups that I have yearned to read.”—Ryka Aoki, author of Light from Uncommon Stars

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK: Autostraddle, Fangirlish, Reactor, Book Riot, Reading Glasses Podcast, Denver Public Library

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.

About The Author

Born in the US, Ry Herman is now a permanent Scottish resident, and has been writing theatrical plays for most of their life. Ry is bisexual and genderqueer. Their hobbies include baking bread, playing tabletop roleplaying games, and reading as many books as humanly possible. They’ve published two supernatural romantic comedies, Love Bites and Bleeding Hearts, in the UK. This Princess Kills Monsters is their US debut.

Reviews

Goodreads review by jenny reads a lot on June 26, 2025

That was a phenomenally good time! This is what I mean when I say I enjoy cozy fantasy. The stakes were medium, the humor was endless, and the fairy tale vibes were perfection. I’d give it a million stars if I could. While This Princess Kills Monsters is a retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ The Twelv......more

Goodreads review by Sunny on June 27, 2025

What a hilarious delight of a queer fairytale retelling mashup! I loved and adored Princess Melilot and all of her siblings. I haven’t had this much fun with a fantasy in a long time. Would recommend this to enjoyers of Alix E. Harrow’s Fractured Fables series and Brandon Sanderson’s Tress of the Em......more

Goodreads review by Krissi on June 17, 2025

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Go into this book expecting a silly, sarcastic , fun ride, and you won't be disappointed! I had a great time while reading this. The story was funny, fast-paced, had fairy tales woven th......more

Quotes

“Madcap, monster-packed, and swoon-worthy, This Princess Kills Monsters is a romp through deftly reimagined fairy-tale terrain. Melilot is a princess with humor and heart amid a cast of characters who are likewise uproarious and sparkling, yet grounded in real emotion.”—Julia Seales, nationally bestselling author of A Most Agreeable Murder

“Queer readers and fairytale anarchists, this one’s your anthem. A must-read for fans of Gideon the Ninth meets Sleeping Beauty if she woke up swinging.”—Fully Booked, “These New Fantasy Books Are Making Waves This Summer”

“A satire of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale The Twelve Huntsmen, this novel follows a princess as she, well, kills monsters. The book features queer and trans characters and will surely appeal to fans of queer fairytale reimaginings.”—Autostraddle, “Our Most Anticipated Queer Books for June 2025”

“I laughed so much while reading this book. Such a fun and adventurous story of a retelling of a Grimm fairy tale . . . an absolute wild ride with hilarity, romance, and adventure!”—The Nonbinary Librarian

“This Princess Kills Monsters shines because of its scrappy, snarky heroine, its openly queer vibes, and its subversive treatment of the idea of telling stories in the first place. Hilarious and fun.”—Paste

“The stakes were medium, the humor was endless, and the fairy-tale vibes were perfection.”—Hits 96

“Hilarity and swoons ensue in this feminist Grimm retelling. One of the best if you like a wonderfully narrated audiobook you’ll laugh along with while listening.”—In Between Drafts

“The Princess Bride meets Shrek in this delightfully feminist fairy tale full of thrilling quests, quirky characters, and lots of laughs.”—Susie Dumond, author of Queerly Beloved

“This Princess Kills Monsters is exactly the sort of queer fairy tale for grown-ups that I have yearned to read. Ry Herman’s story is thrilling, irreverent, wondrous—yet unswervingly true to the hearts of those too wise to be honest and too wounded to believe.”—Ryka Aoki, author of Light from Uncommon Stars

“Equal parts loving adaptation and wry satire of fairy tales both familiar and lesser known, This Princess Kills Monsters will charm readers from its first page to its final. Herman’s characters are eminently memorable, their prose witty and their world vivid—a playful, thoughtful, and deeply unique book.”—KT Hoffman, author of The Prospects

“[A] charming, comic take on the Brothers Grimm [that] takes readers on an irreverent tour of fairy tale tropes through the eyes of a wonderfully snarky princess.”—Publishers Weekly

“Herman’s (Bleeding Hearts) delightful secondary characters and humorous tone bring this subversive, queer fairy tale retelling to life.”—Library Journal

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