A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying

Written for middle-grade readers, A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying is an adventure story featuring Princess Rowen, first destined to be queen and later reappointed to be the royal monster hunter when her twin brother, Rhydd, suffers a serious injury. The story begins with Rowen as a determined and conflicted 12-year old who desperately wishes that she does not have to be queen one day, preferring the work of a monster hunter. Because monsters abound in Rowen’s world, threatening the well-being of people and livestock, trained hunters work to capture, drive-out, and, occasionally, kill troublesome beasts. While most of Armstrong’s characters are derived from Greek mythology, some, like the Hoop snake and Jackalope, are inspired from North American lore.

With much of the fate of the kingdom resting on her shoulders, Rowen is thrown into a series of mis/adventures that challenge her physically, mentally, and emotionally. She learns to temper her impulsiveness, to compromise, and to understand the responsibility of serving as a monster-steward, rather than simply a monster-hunter. At times, the novel seems too overt in its lessons, constructing the young characters as unrealistically mature and worldly. Armstrong’s characters challenge gender norms, and her writing attends to themes of social justice and animal welfare, relying on strong episodic tension to drive the narrative. Armstrong allows Rowen to be strong, thoughtful, sometimes vulnerable, and dedicated to leading without calling on stereotypical gendered characterizations. While there is a missed opportunity to create a truly epic fantasy through a richer depiction of the setting, the story will appeal to any reader captivated by mythological beasts.

Note: This review is based on the advance reading copy, and the use of “slayer” in the book title is inconsistent with messages contained in the novel.