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Description
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
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK: Autostraddle, Fangirlish, Reactor, Book Riot, Reading Glasses Podcast
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.
“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
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK: Autostraddle, Fangirlish, Reactor, Book Riot, Reading Glasses Podcast
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.
Product Details
| Publisher | Dial Press Trade Paperback |
| Publish Date | June 17, 2025 |
| Pages | 416 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Paperback / softback |
| EAN/UPC | 9780593733080 |
| Dimensions | 8.2 X 5.4 X 0.8 inches | 0.7 pounds |
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
“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. This delightful adventure is as enchanting as it is hilarious.”—Julia Seales, nationally bestselling author of A Most Agreeable Murder
“A satire of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale The Twelve Huntsmen, this novel follows a princess as she, well, kills monsters. Melilot[’s] 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.”—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
“The Princess Bride meets Shrek in this delightfully feminist fairy tale 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 Brothers Grimm through Princess Melilot’s eyes is the most fun I’ve ever had.”—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 . . . 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.”—Publishers Weekly
“Herman’s (Bleeding Hearts) delightful secondary characters and humorous tone bring this subversive, queer fairy tale retelling to life.”—Library Journal
“A satire of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale The Twelve Huntsmen, this novel follows a princess as she, well, kills monsters. Melilot[’s] 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.”—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
“The Princess Bride meets Shrek in this delightfully feminist fairy tale 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 Brothers Grimm through Princess Melilot’s eyes is the most fun I’ve ever had.”—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 . . . 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.”—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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