The Maiden and her Monster has been one of my most anticipated releases of this year so I was super excited when I got approved to read the book months in advance of release!

The whole idea of a reimagining of the Jewish myth of Golem immediately piqued my interest. When I found out the book was sapphic, I was even more interested. And when I saw a vision board video by the author, Maddie Martinez, on Instagram, I was so hooked. I was sure this had the potential to become one of my favorite reads of the year and even though I didn't give the book the full five stars, I absolutely loved it and it will probably indeed be among this years' favorites.

The story got so much bigger than what I was expecting from the synopsis and the plot took quite some twists and turns. Magic being portrayed as a part of faith instead of it's antithesis was very unique to me, and the book did a great job of showing how complex belief and religion are and how entangled with politics they can be. The protagonist really went on a journey, both in a literal and in a metaphorical way.

The romance part of the story was a lot more subtle than I had expected and then moved very fast in the end of the book. I didn't mind the first but the latter then just wasn't necessary for me.

Nevertheless, I especially recommend this book to readers who love a dark forest setting and Middle Ages Europe; readers who want to read something completely unique that broadens their horizon; and readers who want diversity in their books.

4.25 out of 5 stars

'The maiden and her monster' is a story reinterpretating jewish folklore, a saphic romance slowly building at the back, set in a violent world (it has to be, given how strongly jewish history and stories influenced it). The writing is pretty good, tied to our narator, Malka.
Malka is a very devoted young woman, holding close to her faith and her family, for whom she would do almost anything, even when it means crossing a taboo : making a deal with a monster.

I was quite taken by the story at first, despite some very gruesome moment (not at the hands of monsters, mind you; no, human hands). But after a few chapter, the story felt a bit too slow, and I started struggling. Malka and her beliefs, as much as they are well thought, started to annoy me. Yes, her struggles make sense, but her rejection of Nimrah was brutal, even when she slowly understood that what she had been told was only a version of the story. That being said, this is more a "me" problem than a story problem. I don't deal well with people holding too strongly to their opinions, even when they are wrong.

The book has mutliple facets, portrayed by the cast of characters. It is not a kind story, nor a soft one, even if there are kind and soft moment. I don't know if I am convinced by the romance, but it work, I think, for the story. I would have liked more of a push back and forth, for that aspect of the story to be a little more upfront. It is sold as a saphic retelling of "The golem of Prague" and yet, this way more historical-ish fantasy than romance. Which would have worked well, if I had felt a better connection to Malka and felt her falling for Nimrah a little better;

Overall, still a nice read, even though I expected something different.

2.75 (rounded up)

The maiden and her monster is a dark sapphic fantasy retelling of the Gollem of Prague. This book was interesting enough to read all the way through, but unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it as much as I was expecting.

I think this book really needs a glossary, and I’m hoping it gets one before it's published.

My main issue with this book is the main characters. I didn't connect with any of them, and I didn't feel like they truly care for each other. Their relationship went form hate to lust too quickly; I would have loved a more gradual transition.

The pacing was ok but too slow at times.

Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

dnf 25%

this was supposed to be good, but it got too tangled and chaotic. i was very interesting and in the mood for that kind of read, but I'm too tired to even finish it

why? because it's so f hard to read. listen, I'm a lifelong high fantasy reader and i can go thru anything, but what was this??? many other low opinions are saying that it was hard, because of the made up words in diffrent language without any explanation and I agree, but what icked me more was just how chaotic the writing style is, we're jumping from infodump to some rumor, to plot, to other story, thru random people and places and i just couldn't read it for long, cus I got bored and my 5 min phone breaks suddenly became 1 h, because i didn't want to go back to this

also because of all this i did not feel that atmosphere that was promised everywhere, there's some forest killing girls? okey, they find field of corpses? not cool, but idc, two characters immidiately offed? couldn't care less

main character was lowkey annoying and even thru that 25% her pov, did not make me want to stay

and the plot was just jumping thru places, very nice premise, but very poor execution

Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

This was a beautiful love letter to Jewish folklore, culture and history.

Determined to save the life of her mother and protect her whole village from a haunted, curse filled wood, Malka ventures into that same wood to bring back proof of the beast that lurks within. The oppressive nature of both the wood and the overarching religion is chillingly well done. The casual brutality and behaviour of the knights who are supposedly just stands in stark contrast to the life Malka lives.

My main issue, and what held it back was the relationship itself. I love a good enemies to lovers, but this was toxic and never really moved past that. There has to be a series of moments when the relationship progresses and we never got that. Our 'maiden' refuses to call the golem anything other than a monster until right before the end. I never believed she felt anything other than lust, which is a shame because of the potential it had. I also wasn't keen on the MFC in general.

I wish there had been a glossary as well, because there are a *lot* of fantasy words, as well as some that are Hebrew. Sometimes multiple in a sentence, which, when can cause some confusion.

Who actually is the maiden and who is the monster in this tale steeped in Jewish folklore?
A very interesting question to dive into - though I'm not sure the book gives us satisfying answers.

The book starts with giving us a vivid and dark picture of the picture at the edge of a forest. A forest that eats you if you go into after the dark.

Malka takes the adventure to save loved ones, and there she finds Nimrah - the alleged monster. Though a monster she is not, but a golem created.

The book weaves an intriguing story of politics, religion, community with an its problems, the power is stories and overcoming curses.
However, there are some things that made it hard for me to keep interested. First of all, Malka as the FMC is really unlikeable. Rude, selfish, and she keeps calling Nimrah a monster even while claiming to fall for her.
Thus the romance is hard to get into. I have way more sympathy for Nimrah, but didn't feel the love between them.

Also the ending, albeit bringing things to a close, is not satisfying in all its aspects.

I can still recommend this book. And I highly appreciate the author putting a glossary up on her page to give us orientation.

3,5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @panmacmillan for the eARC!

#TheMaidenAndHerMonster #Netgalley #Bookstagram

this was kind of hard to get into. it seemed like things just happened just because, and the world building didnt seem engaging enough.

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

There was a lot to like in this book. The setting was glorious with the terrifying forest. The section in the forest was particularly fascinating and evocative. There are some deep horrors in this story and we meet our main character where the women in her village are in danger of a monster in the woods. This starts her quest when she is forced to travel there in order to save a family member.

I particularly enjoyed reading the author’s notes at the end and learning of the historical inspiration for this story. This added some fantastic context.

I enjoyed the fantasy, the setting, the lore and the magic within this book. As well as the stories around the monsters. I did find it a little hard to engage with this book because of the main character though. I understood her outrage, but she was often very rude, ungrateful and aggressive towards other characters, even where they were trying to help her. Her actions were frequently quite selfish and it made her hard to root for as a hero and as a romantic interest. The character on the other side of the romance I felt far more sympathetic for and enjoyed this character more.. I’m sure there are other readers who will love this and particularly fans of enemies to lovers romance. But for me personally, I would have liked more balance to the main character and to have seen a little more kindness and consideration of others to balance out her rage. This would have massively increased my enjoyment of the book. Overall it’s well written with some fantastic world building to explore.

Dnf at 38%

„It often seems like those who decide the fate of others never do know or care about the details.“

What I liked:
- The worldbuilding was right up my alley! A secluded village near a cursed forest where a monster is lurking in the shadows, killing women who venture out after dark. I really could picture the religious community the old buildings and the characters the way the author described them.
- I never read a retelling about the Golem of Prague and was super intrigued!

What I didn’t like:
- The main character. She is the only reason I stopped reading, I really couldn’t stand her at all. I found her unbearably ignorant. Instead of acknowledging that she doesn’t know much about the world outside of her village (and what she knows is only from stories) and trying to learn more or even tolerate other opinions, she stays stubborn. After 38% of the book the character development should at least have slowly started. She treats her „best friend“ callously. He loves her and asked her to marry him a few times. She doesn’t return his feelings, but never tells him. To string him along in a dangerous adventure seems to be ok though. I really don’t think she’s a nice person.
- The Monster isn’t a monster. She’s a golem girl and the main character treats her horribly without much of a reason in my opinion.

Thank you Pan Macmillan for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book had such a rich premise—a dark fairytale grounded in Jewish folklore, with monsters, curses, and a sapphic romance wrapped in religious tension. I went in hoping for something atmospheric and emotionally complex, and while the setting delivered in parts, the execution didn’t fully live up to the concept.

The story shines most when it leans into horror: the forest imagery, the mythic golem, the tension of ancient bargains. But those moments are fleeting. Much of the prose felt overly simplified for the heavy themes it aimed to tackle, and that mismatch made it hard to stay immersed. Malka, the protagonist, is a tough character to connect with. Her motivations often felt unclear, and her relationship with Nimrah lacked emotional depth—it felt one-sided and rushed, making the romance hard to believe.

On top of that, the book tries to juggle too many weighty issues—grief, queerness, antisemitism, trauma, faith—without giving them the space they deserve. Many were touched on briefly, only to be resolved quickly or dropped altogether. Plot-wise, too many solutions appeared conveniently, and the worldbuilding could’ve used a glossary or map to ground the reader in its terminology and lore.

The ending, unfortunately, left a bitter note. It aimed for tragedy and redemption, but felt more like emotional manipulation, especially when certain characters were let off too easily while others were remembered only by their suffering. In the end, The Maiden and Her Monster had the right ingredients, but tried to do too much and didn’t go deep enough where it mattered most

The Maiden and her monster is such a good story. One of the best stories I've read this year alone. 5 stars from me. I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good.

The Maiden and Her Monsters is an atmospheric debut steeped in Jewish folklore, centering on a girl who strikes a dangerous bargain to save her mother, only to uncover secrets that challenge everything she thought she knew. It promises haunting forests, golem myths, and a sapphic romance but unfortunately, the execution didn’t live up to the richness of its premise.

Let’s start with the positives: the concept is incredibly compelling. The dark fairytale tone and the Jewish myth reimagining were what initially drew me in, and when the author leaned into the horror and gore, the writing shone. Those were the moments the book finally felt dark, suffocating, and frightening as it was clearly meant to be. Unfortunately, those moments were few and far between. For a story about monsters, moral ambiguity, and survival, the rest of the prose often read too much like YA: simplified and emotionally shallow, which weakened the impact of the darker themes.

The main character, Malka, is… a hard sell. I don’t need my heroines to be likable, but I do need to understand them. Malka is selfish, angry, and cruel, not only to strangers, but to Nimrah, the supposed love interest throughout the entire book. She calls her "monster" and refuses to use her chosen name. The relationship between them felt forced, and honestly? Emotionally manipulative. I didn’t believe for a second that what they had was love, it read more like Stockholm syndrome. Then, right at the end, they start throwing poetic declarations at each other and I was left wondering, when did this happen?

The transition to Malka’s decision to go into the forest and save her mother, arguably one of the most pivotal moments in the story, was rushed. One paragraph she’s in shock, and the next she’s sacrificing her life. We never get the internal monologue that justifies such a huge and dangerous choice. It made the whole setup feel unearned.

A major structural issue is how many themes this book tries to juggle: antisemitism, generational trauma, religious persecution, violence in the home, poverty, queerness, sexism, grief. These are massive topics, and none of them are explored in depth. They’re mentioned, briefly touched, then pushed aside for plot convenience. For example, violence in the household is brought up and resolved with a neat little bow at the end that felt dismissive and emotionally hollow. Same goes for queer identity, the book doesn’t explore it at all. For the majority of the story, I wasn’t even sure if being gay was “allowed” in this world. The sapphic romance felt more like a straight dynamic with the genders swapped, there was no real reflection on queer identity or experience.

Then come the plot conveniences. There are a lot of them. Secret map when you need one? Of course. A hidden tunnel? Naturally. Every time things get hard, the solution shows up just in time. It pulled me out of the story more than once.

On a more practical note: this book desperately needs a glossary and a map. There are so many invented terms and unfamiliar references that even as an experienced fantasy reader, I found myself flipping back or just skimming through confusion. I imagine many English-speaking readers will struggle, especially without context.

Finally, the ending. Without spoiling anything: it felt like emotional manipulation for the sake of it, with a character's suffering used as a cheap way to create a sense of tragedy. And worst still, later in the ending, something else happens that completely undermines the message of accountability, offering a hollow redemption arc to a character who could have prevented so much pain, but didn’t. It reinforces a troubling double standard: when a man commits a horrific act and lets peoples die, he gets turned into a legend of hope. But when a woman is in the same situation, she’s remembered only as a monster. It left a bitter, deeply unsatisfying taste that soured the entire reading experience, which was not so great to begin with.

This book wanted to be powerful and queer and dark. But queerness here felt more like a checkbox than a lived experience. I genuinely wanted to love this book, it has the bones of something special, but in trying to be about everything, it ends up saying very little.

(1.5 stars rounded down)

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I think I would rate this a 3.25 star as I found the writing to be enveloping with lots of mythology based on Jewish folklore and history. That being said this book desperately needs a glossary as I kept getting lost and found parts to be a bit info dumpy.

Set in a Hebrew and Czech fantasy world and reminiscent of The Golem of Prague, this is the story of our MC Malka and her love-hate interest Nimrah as they find love and overcome obstacles.
I found the world excellent. Curious, creative, fresh.
The pacing, the writing and the romance subplot were all 3 solid stars.
I would read more by Martinez and certainly in the same story worlds she has created as this one, Some more editing and different pacing, structure would have engaged me differently.

4⭐

Thank you Pan Macmillan and Maddie Martinez 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, Ava Reid, Hannah Whitten, and Naomi Novik.

The magic system- which is rooted in faith and mysticism takes center stage and is really well thought out and gorgeously described

The Maiden and the Monster has a beautifully fleshed out world – which is both reminiscent of the 16th century Czech lands and made even richer with Maddie’s magic system, language system and social system.

The pacing threw me off a bit because of its uneven movement. Some parts and descriptions were overly ornate, which made it difficult to continue reading.

Overall, if you loved Ava Reid's The Wolf and the Woodsman and Fable for the End of the World, you would enjoy this!

The maiden and her monster is a dark, atmospheric, sapphic fantasy inspired by Jewish mythology.
The two MFCs are both strong women who are willing to do whatever it takes to protect and save those they care about.
We follow our main characters as they face constant dangers all while trying to fight their growing attraction for each other.
It is a beautifully written story of centring love, hope and faith.
I enjoyed the character growth throughout the book especially Malka’s as she came to better understand the world around her.
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this Arc.
3.5 stars

Thanks to the publisher and author, I was lucky enough to read an ARC of The Maiden and the Monster via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion -- this novel only being my most anticipated debut novel of the year, no big deal - except it IS.

As a huge fan of dark fantasy and someone who has a deep rooted interest in religion, mythology and mysticism, the concept of Maddie Martinez retelling the myth of the Golem of Prague and turning it into a dark sapphic fantasy tale appealed to me so much. I’m happy to say I was not disappointed! The Maiden and her Monster is an excellent debut novel with gorgeous lyrical writing. Honestly, just start reading – the opening line will tell you enough: <i>The forest eats the girls who wander out after dark.</i> I was immediately HOOKED: the scene is set, the cards are laid out; after I read this very first line I knew exactly what kind of story I was getting myself into.

The Maiden and the Monster has a beautifully fleshed out world – which is both reminiscent of the 16th century Czech lands and made even richer with Maddie’s magic system, language system and social system.

The magic system- which is rooted in faith and mysticism takes center stage and is really well thought out and gorgeously described. I love how magic becomes stronger with faith and intent – and how it is not a matter of skill or study. The passages where magic was being used or discussed were among my favorites in the novel.

Make no mistake with this novel, though. While it is marketed as sapphic and there is a romantic subplot, this is by no means a romantic fantasy novel or a romantasy. This is a dark fantasy novel about a devout Yahad girl set in a deeply, violently bigoted and antisemitic world. The way Maddie handles these themes is, in contrast with her beautiful descriptions of the world and the magic, unflinching and gritty. Oftentimes I set aside the novel to reminisce on the many parallels with our own world – both historic and present. A small example of this is how the Yahad people (the Jewish folk) are forced to wear badges in the capital city so that others can identify them and keep themselves safe. This was a common practice in historical Europe – many people mistakenly believe that the nazis invented this practice, but it is far, far older and more widespread than that.

The Maiden and her Monster is not an easy novel to get into. As mentioned: Maddie has fleshed out the world of The Maiden and the Monster extensively, and that means that she uses a combination of Czech, Hebrew and made-up words specific to this world, which means that as a reader you’ll have to invest in getting to know the world’s language. Maddie doesn’t take your hand in the text (though there is a glossary which you can find via her goodreads review and on her website) and while I’ve seen people complain about this, I personally appreciated that the author trusted that I do the work in order to understand what’s being talked about.

All in all The Maiden and the Monster is a beautiful, ferocious, high-stakes debut novel and I can’t wait until the novel is out so I can add a physical copy of it to my collection and read it again. Highly recommended!

I enjoyed the elements of Jewish mythology and history that inspired this story. It has quite a formal style to the writing though, which, combined with the frequent use of Hebrew words that I didn't understand made it harder for me to get into. The romance between Malka and Nimrah turned from hate to lust without much of a transition and I would have liked to see more of a gradual change in their feelings, or to see examples of them liking each other as people rather than just seeing their lust.

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.

An impactful sapphic romance stewed in jewish folklore.
a stunning and gripping debut.
Maddie did everything right in this book.
a beautiful prose and rich storytelling, well fleshed out characters, a book you will read twice and find new things everytime.

2.75 bumped up to 3 ⭐️ I very much struggled to rate this one and have settled on a didn’t love it, didn’t hate it perspective.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy. This book absolutely needs a glossary (I’m aware that I’m not reading the final version) so I would like to hope that this will be added before the book publishes.

The Maiden and Her Monster is a sapphic retelling of the Golem of Prague legend — and with a cultural retelling I will always expect words and phrases I don’t understand, which is fine because that’s what research is for, but there are also lots of words in this book that are just made-up, and with no glossary….how am I supposed to understand what is going on? That being said, this WAS actually beautifully written.

The other element of this book that impacted my rating was the romance between the two main characters/love interests. Their relationship was so disjointed, I can’t fathom where these two have built a connection because they were so back and forth. Do they like each other? Do they trust each other? Do they want to spill each other’s guts? WHO KNOWS!

Overall this was a compelling read with lots of political intrigue and some dark themes of bigotry, antisemitism and racism. With the addition of a glossary, I would try this again.