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A review by laura_cs
A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying by Kelley Armstrong
5.0
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
By being born first, Princess Rowan is destined for the throne. But she'd rather be studying monsters and practicing her sword skills. Alas, the position of Royal Monster Hunter shall go to her twin brother, Rhydd, per tradition. Never mind that he'd be way better for the throne than she'd be, tradition is tradition. Until things go horribly wrong, and a gryphon attack leaves her aunt dead and Rhydd injured, and now Rowan is taking up the ebony sword...
Well. She will be. Once she's done with her training. With her aunt's warg and an orphaned jackalope by her side, Rowan is off on an adventure to fulfill her destiny, geek out over monsters, and be the most ferocious princess in all the land.
An amazing middle grade novel, "A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying" is a great beginning to Rowan's journey as she goes from Princess to Monster Hunter. Along the way, she makes mistakes, learns from them, takes charge, and makes some new friends. As much as her journey is physical and will involve a lot of learning, a great part of her journey is psychological. She has to make tough decisions at the age of 12, some that determine whether she lives or dies, but also she has to deal with some pretty heavy mental baggage. She watched her aunt die and blames herself, and as a result has Post-Traumatic Stress nightmares. She doubts she'll be as good of a leader as her parents and aunt. But Rowan's got a big heart and a love for the monsters that she protects her people from (sometimes, being a Monster Hunter means really being a Monster-Trapper-and-Relocater; killing the monsters is a last-ditch plan). Rowan is a fantastic, realistic character, and I can't wait for her next adventure!
By being born first, Princess Rowan is destined for the throne. But she'd rather be studying monsters and practicing her sword skills. Alas, the position of Royal Monster Hunter shall go to her twin brother, Rhydd, per tradition. Never mind that he'd be way better for the throne than she'd be, tradition is tradition. Until things go horribly wrong, and a gryphon attack leaves her aunt dead and Rhydd injured, and now Rowan is taking up the ebony sword...
Well. She will be. Once she's done with her training. With her aunt's warg and an orphaned jackalope by her side, Rowan is off on an adventure to fulfill her destiny, geek out over monsters, and be the most ferocious princess in all the land.
An amazing middle grade novel, "A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying" is a great beginning to Rowan's journey as she goes from Princess to Monster Hunter. Along the way, she makes mistakes, learns from them, takes charge, and makes some new friends. As much as her journey is physical and will involve a lot of learning, a great part of her journey is psychological. She has to make tough decisions at the age of 12, some that determine whether she lives or dies, but also she has to deal with some pretty heavy mental baggage. She watched her aunt die and blames herself, and as a result has Post-Traumatic Stress nightmares. She doubts she'll be as good of a leader as her parents and aunt. But Rowan's got a big heart and a love for the monsters that she protects her people from (sometimes, being a Monster Hunter means really being a Monster-Trapper-and-Relocater; killing the monsters is a last-ditch plan). Rowan is a fantastic, realistic character, and I can't wait for her next adventure!