Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Maren Wiederhold
Categories
Fantasy

THIS PRINCESS KILLS MONSTERS

Ry Herman

The Misadventures of a Fairy-Tale Stepsister

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 kingdomand herselfin 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 rescuedbut 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.

Ry Herman (they/them) was born in the US but now calls Scotland home. Their two previous novels, paranormal rom-coms LOVE BITES and BLEEDING HEARTS, were published by Jo Fletcher Books.

Available products
Book Published 2025-06-17 by Dial Press

Comments

French: De Saxus/Eilean Books

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 snark princess . Herman zeroes in on the hilarious absurdities of fairy tales writ large while crafting a queer heroine full of heart and self-confidence. Readers are sure to be won over by the cleverly deployed archetypes, snappy prose, and rollicking adventure.

An irreverent, feminist exploration of fairytale tropes that's technically a comic retelling of the Brothers Grimm's 'The Twelve Huntsmen', 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.

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 amidst a cast of characters who are likewise uproarious and sparkling, yet grounded in real emotion. This delightful adventure is as enchanting as it is hilarious.

Herman's (Bleeding Hearts) delightful secondary characters and humorous tone bring this subversive, queer fairy tale retelling to life.

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.

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 vivida playful, thoughtful, and deeply unique book.

The stakes were medium, the humor was endless, and the fairytale vibes were perfection. While This Princess Kills Monsters is a retelling of the Grimm Brothers' 'Twelve Huntsman,' it's also filled with countless other fairytale references. Herman zeroes in on the hilarious absurdities of fairytales writ large, while crafting a queer heroine full of heart and self-confidence. Readers are sure to be won over by the cleverly deployed archetypes, snappy prose, and rollicking adventure.

A chaotic good retelling of the classic 'monster-slaying princess' trope: except the princess has a sword, a grudge, and absolutely no intention of becoming anyone's wife. In this summer read, Ry Herman's breakout blends fairy-tale logic with gritty realism, sapphic tension, and one hell of a twist. The book balances razor-sharp action with emotional vulnerability in a way that's honestly unfair. You'll laugh. You'll yell. You'll accidentally become a fan of sword training. . 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.

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, wondrousyet unswervingly true to the hearts of those too wise to be honest and too wounded to believe.

A satire of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale The Twelve Huntsmen, this novel follows a princess as she, well, kills monsters. Melilot evil stepmother is constantly tasking her with dangerous quests, and now she's being commanded to marry a man she has never met. The book features queer and trans characters and will surely appeal to fans of queer fairytale reimaginings.

I laughed so much while reading this book. Such a fun and adventurous story of a retelling of a Grimm Fairy Tale story. An absolute wild ride with hilarity, romance, and adventure!

This charming, fractured fairytale is a true delight.

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.