This Princess Kills Monsters
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  • Published: 22 July 2025
  • ISBN: 9780593733080
  • Imprint: Random House US Group
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 416
  • RRP: $35.00
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This Princess Kills Monsters

The Misadventures of a Fairy-Tale Stepsister: A Novel

  • Ry Herman
Formats & editions
EBook
17 Jun 2025
Audiobook
17 Jun 2025
Paperback
22 Jul 2025
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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.

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, feminist fairy tale satire.

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

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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.
  • Published: 22 July 2025
  • ISBN: 9780593733080
  • Imprint: Random House US Group
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 416
  • RRP: $35.00
Categories:

Praise for This Princess Kills Monsters

  • “This Princess Kills Monsters is exactly the sort of queer ‘fairy tale for grown-ups’ that I have yearned to read. Ry Herman’s tale 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
  • “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.” – Julia Seales, nationally bestselling author of A Most Agreeable Murder
  • “Equal parts loving adaptation and wry satire of fairytales 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
  • “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.”—Susie Dumond, author of Queerly Beloved

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