Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 4.25-4.5 stars,

This is a unique and powerful story with a courageous FMC at the heart of the story. It uses religion, folk lore and political strife to create a plot with fearmongering and prejudice that drives our FMC to fight for her beliefs and her village in unexpected ways. The village she lives in is plagued by a monster in the forest and the persecution of her people forces her into the forest to face this threat head on and put an end to it once and for all. The monster she discovers isn’t quite what she anticipates and they strike a bargain that will transform how she views her beliefs and the structure of the kingdom that persecutes people just like her.

The story takes dark and emotional turns that bring a depth to the story I didnt expect and I enjoyed it. There’s a sapphic romance element that is sincere and a slow build considering the footing they begin on. I really recommend this for a unique fantasy read with no a spice romance side plot.

Thank you so much to Tor Books UK, Maddie Martinez and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of The Maiden and Her Monster.

The Maiden and Her Monster follows Malka, a young Yahadi woman in her village of Eskrave. For years, girls have been murdered by a creature known as the Rayga if they enter the malevolent woods after dark, and this has shaken the town and has put its citizens on high alert. When Malka's mother is accused of murdering a Ozmini girl that was out late at night, Malka dedicates herself to entering the woods, finding the Rayga and clearing her mother's name.

I really don't know how I feel about this one; I'm very much in two minds! On the positive side, the writing is gorgeous; such beautiful poetic language that wasn't too flowery or over the top, but perfectly conveyed the tone of the story. It felt like I was listening to a story be told, which works quite well seeing as oral tradition was quite prominent in the story itself. The world that has been crafted here is also wonderful; it's steeped in Jewish folklore, religion and history, and just feels dark and gritty but also magical. The magic system was also quite well explained and used throughout the book; I enjoyed seeing how it was used in different scenarios by our main character, and how intrinsically it was connected to faith and religion.

On the less positive side, I really struggled with the first 150 pages. There was something that was putting me off and I wasn't able to sustain attention enough to read more than a few pages at a time. This may be a me issue, it could have been wrong book, wrong time, however I contemplated DNF-ing a few times while reading. The pace at the beginning was quite slow, which was probably my issue, but it definitely picked up after the half way mark and I flew through 150 pages in a day, so I'm glad I didn't DNF it in the end.

I think one of my main issues was I didn't connect to Malka as a character as much as I wanted to. She was very relatable to me with what she believes about herself, however I just found her very stuck in her ways and stubborn about change. Even when confronted with a different view than hers, she doubles down and became pretty nasty to the golem character in this, Nimrah. Some of the things she said had me wincing. The romance between Malka and Nimrah also didn't feel very earned; one minute they were fighting with each other and calling each other monsters, and the next they're head over heels for each other. It just felt a little bit fast, and I didn't get a lot of the yearning that I wanted.

I really think this book could benefit from a map and a glossary, as a lot of others have been saying. Hopefully said glossary will be in the published version, as I didn't understand a lot of the Hebrew words or the fictional words, and a lot of the time which were which, which is definitely a me thing as well. A glossary would have just made it a little clearer.

If you're looking for a rich, politically and religiously charged fantasy that talks about hope and faith during persecution, and what it means to have faith, I think this would be a great book for you. I'm really sad that I didn't get as much as I wanted out of it, but I'm sure there are plenty of other people who will love it so much more. I'm excited to see what Maddie Martinez publishes in the future though; I'll read anything with that gorgeous writing style of hers!

i am afraid this was a classic case of amazing plot but.....not so amazing execution. the synopsis lures you into reading the book but it unfortunately fails to deliver what it proclaims. i loved the jewish folklore and the myths and it was very very interesting to read about....but i'm afraid that was the only interesting part? i couldn't feel the chemistry between malka and nimrah very much at all. there was no proper build up and it all felt a bit sudden. some scenes did have me pausing the book but it would've hit SO much harder if the pacing was done well:( the potential of this having a good enemies to lovers slow burn romance was HIGH and it's disappointing that it couldn't reach that. i was pretty hooked in the beginning but that interest wore off quite a lot by the time i reached the end. the characters fell a bit flat to me as well and i'm pretty sure a big part of that is the pacing because it was just so off and this could've been an easy 4+ star read if only it was executed well:(

3.25 ⭐️

Story: 2.5/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Spice: 🌶️(rating chart at bottom for ref)
Pacing: 2.5/5
Plot twists: 3/5
Magic system: 3/5

This should have been the perfect read for me, and it started out really strong.
But strangely the plot moved away from the murderous creature of the forest really quickly, and we were thrown into racial politics and city conflict. It was a deeply complex story, but not the one I expected to read. It felt a little like two stories moulded together.

The characters were really wonderfully crafted, and I enjoyed the rich culture that this retelling centred around. But I also found the language a bit of a barrier. I would’ve really appreciated glossary to familiarise myself with the terms so it didn’t feel as isolating.

I liked the links back to oral tradition, it felt very much like "One Thousand and One Nights" with Malka's retellings. This bought a wonderful air of mystic to the story, and I loved the deep cultural threads running through the book.

In all, I enjoyed and appreciated the tale the author was reinventing. I just felt as though I was sold a different story.

Thank you so much to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this ARC, all views and opinions are my own ✨

Spice rating:
🫑- low to no spice, just kissing
🌶️ - Low spice foreplay, fade to black/closed door sex
🌶️🌶️ - One or two open door “soft” (not overly explicit) sex scenes and/or spicy foreplay
🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Multiple open door explicit/detailed sex scenes and detailed spicy foreplay
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Lots of open door sex scenes and spicy detailed foreplay
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 🌶️- more sex than plot

The Maiden and Her Monster is an atmospheric, lushly written debut. From a sentient forest to creatures from Jewish folklore and lesbians, this had all the hallmarks of a new favourite novel. Ultimately, whilst this book had a lot of great elements, they didn't combine perfectly for me.
I love a weird, sentient forest, and I was under the impression that the majority of this book would take place within its confines. Unfortunately, the characters are really only in the forest for a few chapters, and seem to survive very easily despite the woods being apparently deadly. I really wish we could've spent more time here, but instead our characters cross through to the town on the other side of the forest, where most of the story takes place. I wasn't overly attached to our main character Malka, and things seemed to happen very conveniently for her; she got through the forest easily, immediately found several allies in the new city, and found a map that showed her how to break into the castle. The book's pace slowed significantly after they left the forest which was, in my opinion, the best part of the book. I really wish this section could've been extended.
The main focus of this book is the antisemitism present in this world, and which Malka and our other characters face. Martinez drew on a range of historical and contemporary attitudes towards Jewish people, with the underlying message that the Jewish people will not give up, despite the atrocities they experience. I particularly enjoyed this aspect of the novel, with a focus on the importance of storytelling in keeping faith alive and connecting communities. Martinez relies on a retelling of the golem myth, which also made for a unique sapphic love story. Whilst I didn't love the execution (they went from hating each other to loving each other too quickly), I loved the vibes.
Overall, this book was sumptuously written, with a lush atmosphere and unique storytelling elements. I'd definitely be interested in seeing what this author writes in the future—hopefully a series is in the works, so Martinez has time to explore all her ideas fully.

THE MAIDEN AND HER MONSTER is an atmospheric tale of when events become myths and what we will embrace in order to achieve our goals.

It's such an atmospheric tale. There is lilting quality to the tale, like it's being told around to a group of listeners with the forest creeping in on you. It has that dark fairy tale feel - and it is dark because of the injustice Malka sees and the graphic violence (people have hands chopped off and skin flayed on page.)

This writing style both makes the graphic violence of the church more shocking, because it's so at odds with the ethereal feeling of the world and the magic of Malka's religion, and also easier to swallow. It is shocking and horrible but then you are swept back into the tale so only the jarring sense of what happened remains, rather than the visceral brutality.

This story is steeped in Jewish folklore, particularly the tales of the golem (this one is specifically based on the 16th century Prague version). Other tales are also woven in along with different strands of Jewish mysticism have used as the basis of the magic system. Together, it makes for a rich sense of a far greater depth to the world than makes it onto the page.

We start of hearing only cautionary tales about the magic and the golem, reasons to distrust both, but over the course of the book, these tales turn out to have more depth to them. The golem isn't as clear cut - she is dangerous but she is human too. The magic can go wrong but there is also something sacred about it. I really liked how the book played with perceptions and ended with everything being a lot more grey than it is initially.

It's a really good debut and I am interested to see what Maddie Martinez writes next.

This debut fantasy novel follows Malka, the village healer’s daughter who has seen the effects of the cursed forest; mysterious illness that has plagued her people and a monster lurking within that preys on girls who wander too close the woods at night. When the forest claims its latest victim and Malka’s mother is accused of the murder by an Ozmini Priest who does not believe in the fabled forest monster, Malka strikes a deal to secure her mother’s freedom: to venture into the forest and return with the monster as proof, in order to save her mother.

Driven by her desperation to protect her family, Malka goes into the forest. However, what she finds there is not what she expected.

This was a wonderfully crafted reimagining of the Jewish myth of the Golem of Prague; the world building in this was so rich with history and folklore, with a seamless blend of both fiction and real aspects of Jewish culture. The prose was lush, the characters were perfectly imperfect and the romance was a slow burn enemies to lovers sapphic love story full of yearning.

This story is predominantly about faith and identity; about politics, government, the church and the dark underbelly of them all. Important commentary fills the pages about vital issues mirrored in our real life which I really appreciated.

I can’t believe this was a debut novel - the author did such a great job with this book, and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.

I want to start by thanking NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK / Orbit Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Maiden and Her Monster is such a strong debut from Maddie Martinez and one that is full of hope despite the harsh reality of religious persecution. While framed as a fantasy, I think this is more so to allow Martinez to explore Jewish history and its political oppression from a fantasy perspective. The main character Malka’s connection to storytelling is such a strong through line and a great way to establish world building/lore dropping. Both the magic system and the overall plot of Yahadi persecution and perseverance are beautifully written and I found Malka, Nimrah and the Maharal to all be strong, likeable characters.

That being said, I do think the pacing could have worked out differently so as to better help transition from the initial goals of Malka to the actual events of the book. On this, I felt as well that really pivotal emotional moments were brushed over but then described has being difficult without showing its lasting effects.

Again, overall a wonderful story and I’m very excited to see what Martinez writes next! Wonderful romance, not too central to the plot but an important and enjoyable moment of sapphic representation, especially in a historic Jewish fantasy.

3.5

DNF 41% in (for now)

To be honest, I’m really struggling to pick up this book, and I’m not feeling any connection to the characters, but it could definitely be a case of right book, wrong time, because the vibes and the magic are really interesting, and I feel the story has potential. So it is a DNF for now.

4.5⭐

Thank you to Maddie Martinez and Tor Books UK for the ARC!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 is a gorgeous, atmospheric debut fantasy that reimagines the Jewish myth of golem in a tale rooted in history, folklore, and sapphic romance—perfect for fans of Katherine Arden, Naomi Novik and Ava Reid.

This book is a dark and atmospheric debut, a gothic folkloric fantasy intertwined with faith and religion. The world is simply atmospheric, where the smallest details are described with care that you the reader can feel and see everything happening during the narrative. The vivid descriptions flesh out the world, a placed where stories exists inside stories.

Martinez skillfully weaves the world-building and lore, heavily influenced by Jewish Folklore with reminiscent to the 16th century Czech lands. The magic system is created with deep roots to faith and mysticism, which was beautiful shown and expressed through the vivid descriptions, of how magic tended to grow stronger with intent and faith in it. The lyrical prose bringing the world alice was haunting, a world as beautiful as it was unsettling.

The folklore was woven into the narrative naturally, in a way that it always existed. There are stories within stories, a deeper layer to the lore of this beautiful world. These stories being shared reminded me of how tales were orally passed down mant centuries ago.

Malka was a refreshing protagonist. Her first priority is always the people she loves and she wants to have aa quiet life and keep her family safe, something she has been doing for a while. She is grounded in her community and faith, whose strength lies in compassion, resilience, and love.

Nimrah and Malka's romance is a subplot but is done justice in the five timeframe. Their love is a mix of forbidden romance, forced proximity, a game of hate to trust to love, tender and softness and overcoming the lies embedded in their minds and allowing themselves to learn and accept the truth. The complex rollercoaster of emotions full of tension and tenderness made their love beautiful.

Malka is part of a religion that has been slowly forced to become a minority — fantasy Judaism — whose existences are being oppressed by the Ozmini church — the fantasy Christianity in this book — who want to establish the "superiority" of their religion and shift the Kingdom into a religious state. The parallels of anti-semitism in European history is clear as day and the amount of subtle political statements made throughout this book, especially the slow but firm ethnic cleansing is a lot . The parallels and the Jewish myth of the Golem of Prague inspired the existence of this book.

For fans of folkloric fanatsy with romance subplot, a tale rich in poltics and folklore, in a gothic atmospheric world, this is the perfect read! I'm looking forward to reading all of Maddie Martinez's future works!

the maiden and her monster has an interesting concept for a book. I really love how the author took the tale of the golem and twisted it to suit the narrative. it was very different and unique from other books i’ve read that feature golems (in a good way!).

the first half of this book was captivating. I couldn’t put it down and I was so thoroughly invested in it. the world, the characters, everything was so interesting to me. somewhere around half way I lost most of my interest. I can’t pinpoint when it was or what caused it, but I found things just got too complicated and confusing. the plot felt dragged out and the characters lost their intrigue.

I honestly don’t know what it was or why, but the maiden and her monster were on par for a solid 5 stars when it did a 180.

I really loved the setting, the world building and the lore. the jewish influence was amazing (although a glossary would’ve been nice - here’s hoping there’s one in the final version of the book). the inclusion of a sapphic romance was also amazing!! I need more books that explore it in such a casual way.

while I loved the first half and struggled with the later part, I do look forward to trying out future books by this author.

2.5 ⭐

*** Contains spoilers ***

I gravitated towards this one because of the lore. It was very atmospheric and dark; the magic system was very interesting. I haven't read a lot of books about Jewish magic and folklore, and this one was great.

The writing was beautiful, very poetic at times; so poetic that sometimes I didn't really understand what it wanted to convey, especially when describing things. But this didn't bother me much. However, I feel it took me out of the story whenever Hebrew words were used; I didn't understand some of them, as I feel the author came up with them to befit the story, but a glossary would've been good to have.
Either way, I loved the vibes it managed to create and how the stories told by the characters contributed to the world building.

What bothered me was that I feel I couldn't connect with any of the characters. I could feel Malka's bond to her family, but the romance was lost on me, I'm afraid. I didn't feel any connection between Malka and Nimrah, other than a lust that was quite sudden, in my opinion.

The pacing was a bit slow at the beginning, but it picked up in the second half, which I have to admit, became quite messy. I feel like the plot kept growing and growing, into something we didn't know what to expect of anymore. It wanted to resolve so many heavy topics, so that everybody could have a happy ending.
Honestly, with how dark it was sometimes, I would've been fine with a sadder ending. It would've felt a lot more real, because things happened sometimes that didn't really have an impact to the story, other than the character's misery (For example, Vilem's death. What was the point?)

DNF at 43%

I’m sorry but I can’t continue any further. too much telling in the narrative, and there’s so much unfamiliar words to me and there’s no glossary included in the book. I know the author posted the glossary on her website but going back and forth is such a hassle and I simply don’t have the patience for that right now.

the plot also felt all over the place with mini tales inserted throughout the story and there’s so much names it’s hard to keep track on which one’s who doing what. and on top of that I don’t care about the MC. so… i’m sorry.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Maiden and Her Monster is a dark, atmospheric debut that intertwines folklore, faith, and fear in a story that feels both timeless and unique. Maddie Martinez brings Jewish folklore and medieval influences to life through lyrical prose and a haunting setting, creating a world that is as beautiful as it is unsettling.

Malka was a refreshing protagonist - not the typical fantasy heroine desperate to escape her village, but instead someone grounded in her community and faith, whose strength lies in compassion, resilience, and love. I especially appreciated how her beliefs were challenged throughout the story, forcing her to reckon with what she had been taught about monsters, magic, and truth.

The folklore woven into the narrative was a real highlight for me. I loved the way “stories within stories” were shared, giving the book a layered, oral-tradition feel that deepened the atmosphere. The relationship between Malka and Nimrah, the so-called monster, added a complex emotional core, full of tension, tenderness, and moral questioning.

My only struggle was with some of the terminology and references to Jewish folklore - I found myself wishing for a glossary or index to help ground me in the lore. I do understand this was an ARC, so perhaps such additions may be included in the final published version. That aside, the story itself was immersive, the writing powerful, and the themes of faith, prejudice, and identity resonated long after I closed the book.

Overall, this is a beautifully crafted debut perfect for readers who enjoy folklore-inspired fantasy, gothic atmosphere, and stories where love and fear collide. I’ll definitely be looking forward to what Maddie Martinez writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit Books, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lyrical, poignant and mesmerising, 'The Maiden And Her Monster' is a delightfully enchanting read that will swiftly immerse you within its mythology inspired setting. If, like me, you have a soft spot for novels that blend folklore, history and religious clashes together then this is a book that you're not going to want to let pass you by. Especially as its central character managed to have a majorly refreshing mindset.

When it comes to my favourite features of this novel there are actually a couple to choose from. Firstly there's the writing which left me highlighting numerous segments as potential review quotes (I need to check them against a final copy so I'll update my review, where possible, to include them once its out). There were some sentiments that were penned in a beautifully poignant manner and the characters' faith is woven into the text seamlessly. There are terms that I wasn't entirely sure of the meaning of, admittedly, but generally I was able to infer what they meant thanks to the context that they were used in. Perhaps a glossary would be beneficial but personally I'd rather an author stuck with the correct cultural and historical terminology then phrase things in a manner that doesn't quite fit.

Also notable within the writing style of 'The Maiden And Her Monster' is the fact that it contains a couple of stories from the character's folklore woven throughout. These are shared verbally between individuals but done so in a truly evocative manner. Stories within stories are always a particular favourite of mine and I truly would have read an entire collection of these small tales. When it comes to folklore stories I guess I'm simply addicted.

The other feature of 'The Maiden And Her Monster' that I especially appreciated was how Malka was portrayed. Quite often female characters within historically inspired fantasy novels - and sometimes simply fantasy on the whole - long to escape the confines of their upbringing. It's understandable, given the boxed in roles that they're penned into, but personally I really appreciated the fact that Malka was generally happy with her lot in life, besides the troubles that the forest was now causing. She wanted to remain in her village and heal alongside her mother and this was so refreshing to see. Particularly as she was strong in a different way to many characters. Instead of being physically capable her strength instead came from her faith and love. To have someone believe so fully in their religion and come to a unique form of mysticism as a result was wonderfully refreshing and gorgeously penned.

'The Maiden And Her Monster' packs a fair bit into its pages. There are moments of love and hope but plenty of darkness, turmoil and despair too. There's the strength that faith can bring to a person but also the prejudice that someone can face as a result of it too. There are some pretty ghoulish scenes and the way that the woodland by her home has come to be 'cursed' is fascinating to uncover.

I also generally really appreciated the romance within this one. It was interesting to see two vastly different people, one 'monstrous', come to care for one another, despite themselves. Especially given the many obstacles that they had to face over time. I will admit I wasn't always one hundred percent connected but there were still plenty of moments that got beneath my skin and I can see a lot of readers being fond of some of the complexities involved.

To be honest the main thing that's made 'The Maiden And Her Monster' more of a four than a five star read for me is that sense of connection on occasion. Technically I feel like I should have been besotted throughout but I do have to admit that there were times when my enjoyment level wavered. It never truly dropped off, but I was aware I wanted to be slightly more invested at times. Yet why I truly can't put my finger on. So truthfully it could even have been a mood thing.

There was also one moment that felt a bit too coincidental for me personally. Technically there were two, in fact, but I can't fault one of them as - even as I saw it coming - I loved watching it unfold. With that one present the second instant felt a bit much however. This is a fairly small thing in the grand scheme of the novel though. And I was thrilled by how beautifully everything was tied up within this one. Let's just say it's a highly moving ending - although you'll have to wait and see just what emotions it inspires until you've read it for yourself.

So overall I definitely recommending checking out 'The Maiden And Her Monster'. Its a beautifully penned novel that's steeped in folklore and flooded with atmosphere throughout. Its central character is a joy to uncover and it's religious clashes are portrayed in a painstaking manner that is sure to move you on many an occasion. Wavering levels of connection stopped this from quite reaching the level of a new favourite for me but there was definitely many a moment that I adored and I can't wait to see what the author pens next.

The general shape of the story is solid, with interesting elements of Jewish folklore and lots of twists and developments. It was the style that I couldn't get on with. I think the comparison to Katherine Arden and Naomi Novik does this a disservice, because it doesn't have that historical/folklore vibe at all. The tone is more Romantasy (overwritten and overwrought. As an example: 'The sun did not rise that day.' Meaning it was cloudy. Altogether just very... loud). If you like the romantasy style with a bit less emphasis on the romance, this could be for you.

DNF 40%

I struggled with this book. I thought it set a good atmosphere and I was intrigued by the plot initially, however the info dumping and terminology without a glossary or explanation really made it a hard read. .

We follow our FMC Malka whose mother is accused of being a witch after being found with a dead body. In order to save her mother Malka makes a deal to bring back the monster in the woods who is the real killer as they have been killing girls for years.

I found this difficult to read, I think it could have benefitted from maybe a map and also a glossary of words, especially for us readers who aren’t familiar with the language used in the book - which was also not helped by there being a mix of real and made up words used. I struggled to stay investing in the story because I was finding the reading so difficult, which ultimately took the enjoyment away and made me now want to read anymore. This was a shame because I enjoyed the mystery and eeriness and the gothic atmosphere that the book set.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

As always, I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange of an honest review. I had been curious to check it out since I first learned it delved into a sapphic history mixed with Jewish mythology, and while said elements are interesting indeed, I struggled a bit to finish the book.

Malka, the protagonist, is a young healer who lives near an intimidating forest, where a lot of villagers have recently gone missing. On top of that, the church is also oppresing the citizens and their culture, seemingly accusing Malka's mother of a crime she did not commit. She thus finds no other choice: she has to enter the woods and find the monster who is causing such atrocities.

For a debut novel, the worldbuilding exhibited through the book is rich. Not only does the author rely on real Jewish customs and stories, but she also makes up her own, highlighting her culture and creating an admirable atmosphere. That is probably the reason why I loved the first chapters, but sadly, the writing starts to become way too tangled and over the place.

Although the dynamic between Malka and Nimrah had so much potential, I did not feel very emotionally invested in their relationship. Maybe it is because there is a wide range of ideas to display within the pages, but I felt most characters were quite flat and the pacing did not help. I had high hopes for this work but I still hope that the author gets more chances to develop her craft in the future.

DNF at 25%
I desperately wanted to love this book, but 25% in and I still feel nothing for the main character. She’s petulant and not very likable. Even the introduction of the titular monster fell flat for me, as it only served to bring out more of Malka’s worse qualities.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

This was incredible. The tension and enemies-to-lovers really worked, and it didn't feel forced as it often does these days. The rich background and history was fantastic, and I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for some very suspenseful queer fantasy.