This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman

Ry Herman’s This Princess Kills Monsters arrives like a breath of fresh air in the crowded landscape of fairy tale retellings, delivering exactly what its title promises—and so much more. This isn’t your grandmother’s Grimm collection; it’s a razor-sharp, affectionate satire that manages to honor its source material while completely revolutionizing it. Building on the lesser-known Grimm tale “The Twelve Huntsmen,” Herman weaves a narrative that feels both comfortably familiar and startlingly original.

The story follows Princess Melilot, whose greatest magical talent appears to be making her hair grow—hardly the stuff of legendary heroism. Trapped between an evil stepmother’s impossible quests and an unwanted arranged marriage, Melilot seems destined for the sidelines of her own story. But when spider-wolves attack her journey to meet her mysterious fiancé, she encounters twelve eerily identical masked huntsmen who might be more than they appear. What unfolds is a quest filled with gender-bending disguises, talking lions, bewildering tests, and a romance that blooms in the most unexpected directions.

Character Development That Transcends Tropes

Melilot: The Reluctant Hero We Need

Herman’s greatest achievement lies in crafting Melilot as a protagonist who refuses to be contained by traditional fairy tale expectations. She’s neither the helpless damsel nor the instantly empowered warrior princess. Instead, she’s refreshingly human—sarcastic, insecure, and thoroughly fed up with being the least magical member of her family. Her voice carries the weight of middle-child syndrome amplified by supernatural circumstances, creating moments of genuine comedy:

“When I tried to turn into a lake, I only managed to transform myself into a puddle. That was after hours of effort that left my ears ringing. It goes without saying I failed to produce any waterfowl.”

This self-deprecating humor masks deeper themes of self-worth and finding one’s place in a world that seems designed to overlook you. Melilot’s journey from reluctant quest-taker to someone who chooses her own path feels earned rather than mandated by plot necessity.

Sam: Romance Done Right

The romantic subplot between Melilot and Sam, one of the mysterious huntsmen, demonstrates Herman’s skill at subverting expectations while maintaining emotional authenticity. Their relationship develops through shared vulnerability and genuine connection rather than instalove or contrived circumstances. Sam’s character brings layers of complexity around identity and belonging that complement Melilot’s own struggles with self-acceptance.

The inclusion of Angelique as a potential romantic interest adds another dimension to the narrative, creating a genuine love triangle that explores different types of attraction and compatibility without falling into tired bisexual stereotypes.

World-Building That Sparkles with Detail

Herman constructs a fantasy realm that feels lived-in rather than assembled from generic components. The kingdom of Tailliz operates under hilariously specific gender restrictions—women can’t hunt, spinning wheels are considered normal rather than cursed, and a talking lion serves as an ancient keeper of traditions. These details create both comedy and meaningful commentary on gender roles and social expectations.

The magic system, particularly Melilot’s stepmother’s twisted creature breeding, strikes an effective balance between whimsical and genuinely threatening. Spider-wolves and other hybrid monsters feel both fantastical and menacing, while magical elements like hair-growth spells and transformation abilities maintain the fairy tale atmosphere without becoming overpowered.

Themes That Resonate

Identity and Self-Acceptance

The novel’s exploration of identity operates on multiple levels. Beyond the obvious gender-swapping elements borrowed from the original tale, Herman examines how society’s expectations can trap individuals in roles that don’t fit. Melilot’s struggle to find value in herself despite her limited magical abilities mirrors real-world experiences of feeling inadequate or overlooked.

Family Dynamics and Found Family

The relationship between Melilot and her stepfamily provides emotional weight throughout the narrative. Rather than painting her stepmother as pure evil, Herman reveals the complex motivations behind her actions, creating a more nuanced exploration of power, protection, and familial obligation. The contrast between blood family and chosen family becomes particularly poignant in the story’s resolution.

Queerness and Belonging

The book’s LGBTQ+ themes feel organic rather than performative. Characters struggle with questions of identity, acceptance, and finding their place in rigid social structures. The twelve huntsmen’s story particularly resonates as a metaphor for living authentically in a world that demands conformity.

Literary Craft and Style

Herman’s prose strikes an impressive balance between fairy tale formality and contemporary accessibility. The narrative voice captures Melilot’s personality perfectly—witty, self-aware, and occasionally exasperated. The author demonstrates particular skill in handling exposition, weaving world-building and backstory into natural dialogue and internal monologue rather than relying on info-dumps.

The pacing maintains momentum throughout most of the novel, though some middle sections occasionally slow as Herman explores the castle’s social dynamics. These slower moments, while sometimes testing patience, ultimately serve the character development and thematic depth.

Dialogue That Crackles

The conversations between characters feel authentic and purposeful. Herman particularly excels at capturing distinct voices—from Melilot’s sarcastic observations to Sam’s earnest supportiveness to the various huntsmen’s individual personalities. Even minor characters like the talking lion maintain memorable speech patterns that enhance rather than distract from the narrative.

Areas for Growth

While This Princess Kills Monsters succeeds on multiple levels, it occasionally struggles with tonal consistency. The shift between lighthearted fairy tale parody and darker themes of abuse and political intrigue doesn’t always feel seamless. Some readers may find the extensive cast of secondary characters—particularly the twelve huntsmen—difficult to distinguish beyond their surface quirks.

The novel’s climactic sequences, while emotionally satisfying, feel somewhat rushed compared to the careful build-up throughout the earlier chapters. Herman’s world-building is so rich that certain plot threads and character relationships could have benefited from additional development.

Comparative Context

Readers familiar with Herman’s previous works, Love Bites and Bleeding Hearts (both vampire romance novels), will recognize the author’s talent for balancing humor with genuine emotional stakes. However, This Princess Kills Monsters represents a significant genre shift that showcases Herman’s versatility as a storyteller.

The novel fits comfortably alongside other successful fairy tale retellings like Naomi Novik’s Buried Deep and Other Stories, T.J. Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea, and Katherine Arden’s The Warm Hands of Ghosts. Like these works, Herman’s book succeeds by respecting its source material while fearlessly reimagining it for contemporary audiences.

Who Should Read This Book

This Princess Kills Monsters will particularly appeal to readers who enjoy:

• Fairy tale retellings with genuine respect for source material
• LGBTQ+ fantasy with authentic representation
• Character-driven narratives with strong found family themes
• Fantasy with humor that doesn’t sacrifice emotional depth
• Stories that subvert traditional gender roles and expectations

The book works equally well for both young adult and adult audiences, though some themes around family trauma and political manipulation may resonate more deeply with mature readers.

Similar Recommendations

If you enjoyed This Princess Kills Monsters, consider exploring:

1. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon – Epic fantasy with strong LGBTQ+ themes
2. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow – Portal fantasy with beautiful prose
3. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison – Court intrigue with unexpected kindness
4. The House You Pass on the Way by Jacqueline Woodson – Coming-of-age with identity themes
5. Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley – Classic fairy tale retelling with depth

Final Verdict

This Princess Kills Monsters succeeds brilliantly as both an entertaining fantasy adventure and a meaningful exploration of identity, family, and self-acceptance. Herman has crafted a novel that honors the fairy tale tradition while fearlessly updating it for modern sensibilities. Despite minor pacing issues and occasional tonal inconsistencies, the book delivers genuine emotional satisfaction alongside its clever plotting and witty dialogue.

Melilot’s journey from reluctant quest-taker to confident hero feels both fantastical and deeply human. In a genre often dominated by chosen ones and destined heroes, Herman gives us someone who chooses herself—and that choice feels revolutionary.

This is fairy tale fantasy at its most sophisticated, proving that the best retellings don’t just retell old stories—they help us understand why those stories mattered in the first place, and why they still matter now.