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myromantasyempire's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This book was such a joy to read. It's a satirical take on The Twelve Hunstmen and it is loaded with all kinds of weird, unhinged behaviour that you should expect out of the classic Grimm's fairy tales. Underneath the silly moments and dialogue are tender moments, a lot of love, lessons of acceptance, reflections on behaviour, and a bit of romance.
There were a few moments here and there where the pacing could have been better, but overall it was very well written. The story flows well, the writing keeps you engaged, and overall it is just heartwarming and hilarious.
There were a few moments here and there where the pacing could have been better, but overall it was very well written. The story flows well, the writing keeps you engaged, and overall it is just heartwarming and hilarious.
minimefern's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an eArc in exchange for an honest review!
3.5 stars.
This book was a ridiculous read (but in kind of a good way)! True to most fairytales, it was a book that you couldn't help but not take it too seriously. I couldn't predict what would happen next at some points because things would just come out of left field, but I guess that is what a fairytale does half the time! It was fun reading the twist the author gave on the original fairytale by making it more ridiculous while also including some nods to other well known fairytales! I also really enjoyed the LGBTQ+ representation in this book especially (Sam has my heart!).
One gripe I did have was that I did find it a bit long, with the plot dragging on at times. I had a hard time getting into the plot for the first 20% of the book because nothing was really happening until we got to meet the huntsmen. The writing was humorous, but at times some things didn't really land for me.
Overall, a fun read!
3.5 stars.
This book was a ridiculous read (but in kind of a good way)! True to most fairytales, it was a book that you couldn't help but not take it too seriously. I couldn't predict what would happen next at some points because things would just come out of left field, but I guess that is what a fairytale does half the time! It was fun reading the twist the author gave on the original fairytale by making it more ridiculous while also including some nods to other well known fairytales! I also really enjoyed the LGBTQ+ representation in this book especially (Sam has my heart!).
One gripe I did have was that I did find it a bit long, with the plot dragging on at times. I had a hard time getting into the plot for the first 20% of the book because nothing was really happening until we got to meet the huntsmen. The writing was humorous, but at times some things didn't really land for me.
Overall, a fun read!
pchy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
thenaptimewriter's review against another edition
5.0
š£ a LOL fantasy with some light romance too!
Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.
This Princess is funny, brave, & quite capable of rescuing herself, thank you very much.
From the beginning of this book my insides were delighting in the narration. The adventures of Princess Melilot are absurd in the best of ways, as she journeys to meet her betrothed, a prince who happens to be in love with someone else.
On the way, she encounters the princeās huntsmen & various monsters, all the while fighting against her history of being rescued by her sisters.
This Princess Kills Monsters is stuffed full of fairy tale allusions & characters who are not always as they seem. Someone is murderous, someone is more powerful than they think, someone cares more than it might seem, & at least one person is fallingā¦
With a fantastic plot & a lead who is all-too-easy to root for, this is an escapist read that left me smiling, a lovely treat for those craving fantasy.
5 āļø. Out 06/17.
CWs: attempted murder, betrayal, murder.
Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.
This Princess is funny, brave, & quite capable of rescuing herself, thank you very much.
From the beginning of this book my insides were delighting in the narration. The adventures of Princess Melilot are absurd in the best of ways, as she journeys to meet her betrothed, a prince who happens to be in love with someone else.
On the way, she encounters the princeās huntsmen & various monsters, all the while fighting against her history of being rescued by her sisters.
This Princess Kills Monsters is stuffed full of fairy tale allusions & characters who are not always as they seem. Someone is murderous, someone is more powerful than they think, someone cares more than it might seem, & at least one person is fallingā¦
With a fantastic plot & a lead who is all-too-easy to root for, this is an escapist read that left me smiling, a lovely treat for those craving fantasy.
5 āļø. Out 06/17.
CWs: attempted murder, betrayal, murder.
yannai's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing
Very enjoyable read. "This princess kills monsters" is funny, well constructed, well written (and researched!) and plays gleefully with various fairy tales while drawing its main inspiration from "The twelve huntsman". Without taking itself seriously, it manages to still reflect on relationships, family, belongings and taking the reins in your life, as well as societal norms.
I tend to struggle with female main characters. I am not proud of it and I am working on it, too. Nevertheless, in this case, I didn't struggle at all. Same goes for the first pov narration, which I like less that a close third pov. It is well done here, usefull to the story and entertaining. Melilot is funny, dry sometimes, with enough confidence in herself despite all her insecurities. I really liked how the author plays with Melilot unreliability sometimes.
The romance is cute and heartwarming. Not a big fuss is made about it and yet, it is still very present without overshadowing the rest of the plot, who takes the front seat. Like saving a kindgdom from weird creatures is clearly the main focus of the story.
Speaking of weird creature, this book has a lot of magic. And a dragon. The magic is very fairy tale like, wild and weird, nonsensical while still holding on a sort of logic. I deeply enoy this kind of magic, who tend to be the best at creating a sense of wonder, asking for a great deal of suspension of disbelief.
Let's not forget about the secondary characters, who manages to be memorable in their own way, even when they don't spend that much time on page. And of course, our villain. They are well constructed, multifaceted, and still honouring the fairy tales inspirations.
Added bonus: it's queer! I need more queer stories like this one, please. And of course, the beautiful cover, fitting so well with the story.
So yes, amazing read, I'll definitely grab a copy once it's out and deeply recommend everyone enjoying fan fairytales to read it.
Very enjoyable read. "This princess kills monsters" is funny, well constructed, well written (and researched!) and plays gleefully with various fairy tales while drawing its main inspiration from "The twelve huntsman". Without taking itself seriously, it manages to still reflect on relationships, family, belongings and taking the reins in your life, as well as societal norms.
I tend to struggle with female main characters. I am not proud of it and I am working on it, too. Nevertheless, in this case, I didn't struggle at all. Same goes for the first pov narration, which I like less that a close third pov. It is well done here, usefull to the story and entertaining. Melilot is funny, dry sometimes, with enough confidence in herself despite all her insecurities. I really liked how the author plays with Melilot unreliability sometimes.
The romance is cute and heartwarming. Not a big fuss is made about it and yet, it is still very present without overshadowing the rest of the plot, who takes the front seat. Like saving a kindgdom from weird creatures is clearly the main focus of the story.
Speaking of weird creature, this book has a lot of magic. And a dragon. The magic is very fairy tale like, wild and weird, nonsensical while still holding on a sort of logic. I deeply enoy this kind of magic, who tend to be the best at creating a sense of wonder, asking for a great deal of suspension of disbelief.
Let's not forget about the secondary characters, who manages to be memorable in their own way, even when they don't spend that much time on page. And of course, our villain. They are well constructed, multifaceted, and still honouring the fairy tales inspirations.
Added bonus: it's queer! I need more queer stories like this one, please. And of course, the beautiful cover, fitting so well with the story.
So yes, amazing read, I'll definitely grab a copy once it's out and deeply recommend everyone enjoying fan fairytales to read it.
rjlavender's review against another edition
5.0
This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman is such a unique story! I loved seeing fairytales get revitalized in such a creative way. This is the story of Princess Melilot, who would normally be an unnamed side character in a fairytale, but is given her voice today.
I loved the characters and how they played into the story (obviously, there is an ancient talking lion who is overly misogynistic like any good fairytale). There is also tons of queer representation that integrates seamlessly with the original fairytales.
If you liked Once Upon a Broken Heart or Assistant to the Villian, you'll like this book! It has the quirky acceptance of fairytale truths and a good sense of humor. 5/5 would recommend!
I loved the characters and how they played into the story (obviously, there is an ancient talking lion who is overly misogynistic like any good fairytale). There is also tons of queer representation that integrates seamlessly with the original fairytales.
If you liked Once Upon a Broken Heart or Assistant to the Villian, you'll like this book! It has the quirky acceptance of fairytale truths and a good sense of humor. 5/5 would recommend!
brithaas's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This Princess Kills Monsters follows Melitot as she navigates feelings of inadequacy in front of her sisters and sorceress queen stepmother. When her stepmother arranges a marriage for her with a foreign king, she feels that she has no choice but to go along with it. While travelling to meet her betrothed, she is attacked by freakish monsters and is rescued by 12 identical masked huntsmen. There's something peculiar about these huntsmen...
I liked the sprinkling of fairy tale references throughout this novel, as well as the confidence we get to see Melitot gain over the course of the book. I also really liked how the stories within this book were told, and I actually wish that the rest of the book had been written in the same kind of humorous manner.
I think what this book suffered from was how long it was. Typically when I think of humorous books riffing off of known fairy tales I would expect them to be 200-300 pages at most. This book is over 400. As such it really felt like it dragged at parts, and by the end I had to skim through the battle scenes because my eyes were glazing over. If those scenes had been reduced and we had gotten more time for resolution with Melitot's stepmother, I think I would have been happier with the ending. Also, Jack was just insufferable.
Overall, I thought it was a cute read and I would recommend this for anyone who loves fairy tales, especially the tale of the 12 huntsmen.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!
I liked the sprinkling of fairy tale references throughout this novel, as well as the confidence we get to see Melitot gain over the course of the book. I also really liked how the stories within this book were told, and I actually wish that the rest of the book had been written in the same kind of humorous manner.
I think what this book suffered from was how long it was. Typically when I think of humorous books riffing off of known fairy tales I would expect them to be 200-300 pages at most. This book is over 400. As such it really felt like it dragged at parts, and by the end I had to skim through the battle scenes because my eyes were glazing over. If those scenes had been reduced and we had gotten more time for resolution with Melitot's stepmother, I think I would have been happier with the ending. Also, Jack was just insufferable.
Overall, I thought it was a cute read and I would recommend this for anyone who loves fairy tales, especially the tale of the 12 huntsmen.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!
eastofreality's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kmowww's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0