This book far exceeded all my expectations. It was so much more than I expected when I first heard about it. The prose was beautifully written, the characters well developed. I felt fully immersed in the world, and the blend of jewish folklore, political issues, and fantasy was perfectly done. As a queer, Jewish person I always am floored when I find books with that representation in them, and this one was one of the best I have read. I adored this book and cannot wait to see what other wonderful things come from Maddie Martinez.

I write in the context of who this book may be written best for as I feel the strength of this novel is best written in comparison, though it is it's own novel entirely.

Maddie Martinez's "The Maiden and Her Monster" walks in the same haunted forest path as Naomi Novik's Uprooted in terms of rich, darkly folkloric atmosphere, though they pull from different cultures - and readers will likely just be as divided in their reactions. It's a story steeped in dark fairytale aesthetic, where magic pulses with emotion, monsters may be unlikely saviors, and nothing is easily categorized as good or bad. For those who loved "Uprooted", Martinez offers a similarly immersive experience. The prose is lush, the world ethereal, and emotional stakes high. This author also crafts a deeply intuitive magic system, one that feels pulled from dreams and old folk songs rather than textbooks.

But readers who struggled with "Uprooted", particularly its pacing, romance, or vagueness, may find similar frustrations here. The plot drifts in places, more interested in mood than momentum. Moreover, the central romane flirts with power imbalance, and the magic system, while beautiful, often resists concrete understanding. Martinez's lyrical narration may enchant some, but to others, it will read as meandering or overly flowery purpose prose.

While "The Maiden and Her Monster" delivers a well-crafted folklore reimagined in a sensuous romance, readers unfamiliar with Jewish culture and its deep well of historical and mystical symbolism, the story's emotional and thematic impact may not resonate as powerfully. While the novel can still be appreciated for its gothic tone and narrative ambition, some of its most profound layers may remain just out of reach for those outside the cultural context it draws from. This novel could greatly benefit from having a page of definitions available as it is not clear that some of the more cultural definitions are in fact made up. This may be a significant deal breaker for some readers on the fence.

I'm feeling really lukewarm on this one. I adore the premise but just could not get into it even after restarting to make sure I didn't miss anything.
I think I'll give the audiobook a try when it's out, because this sounds like it should be made for me.

This book was not at all what I expected, but was a beautiful journey nonetheless. With blends of Jewish history and the golem story, wrapped up with a sapphic romance, I found myself enraptured. It’s a slower read, but the detail and journey you go on is fascinating. I always love a good dark forest as well. This story really tugs on your heart strings and I absolutely love Nimrah and Malka.

Lush, eerie, and emotionally resonant, this dark fantasy weaves folklore, faith, and forbidden magic into a captivating tale of sacrifice and survival. Malka is a fierce, flawed heroine whose desperate quest to save her mother leads her into a morally tangled alliance with a mysterious golem. The atmosphere is rich with dread and beauty, and the story explores themes of belief, otherness, and what it means to be monstrous. While some world-building elements could use more clarity, the character dynamics—especially the slow-burn connection between Malka and the golem—are powerful and affecting. A haunting and original tale that lingers long after the final page.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this early.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to review this ARC!

Sadly, this is a DNF for me at 26% (I’ve been wanting to DNF since 7%).

The first 2 chapters were actually alright and drew me in. But after this the writing became insanely chaotic. The main plot is set up - but then it’s just endless jumping through different stories and rumours, and different characters here and there. And quite frankly, I just couldn’t care about the characters… or the interactions. The plot was easily brushed aside and that hindered my reading experience.

The FMC was extremely ignorant. Instead of acknowledging her mistakes she just stays in her ways. When she decides to ask questions, she doesn’t reflect on her actions or the consequences of it. Combine an awful FMC with the chaotic writing and you just get a mess. And that part about her touching herself? I was just massively icked out. The entire interactions with Alexi & his brother with the FMC made me entirely uncomfortable. Also, please check the trigger warnings before reading this.

I will say that the author successfully set up a really dark, horror-like and grim world. Props for the atmosphere. The premise was SO interesting and I had never read anything inspired by those myths so I was curious about it. Sadly, it didn’t work for me.

As always, reading is subjective and you have to try it out to know if it’s for you!

I don’t like giving up on books but I have to admit, at 30% through, this one just isn’t for me. I was really excited for this after reading the synopsis; I enjoy retellings and thought the concept of enemies to lovers with a folklore monster sounded different and exciting. Unfortunately, the world and character building fell flat and really didn’t drag me into the story at all. I wasn’t a huge fan of the main character from the start, and her interactions with all of the other characters, including the monster (who isn’t very monstrous at all) made me like her even less.

I also normally really enjoy when books use words from different languages/cultures, but found this book to be really overloaded with them. This made it hard to follow at times without being distracted by me not remembering what things meant. I definitely think others will really enjoy the writing style and usage of these references, it’s almost like a form of world-building in itself, it just didn’t really immerse me as much as I think other story-based elements might have.

I went into this book expecting to really enjoy it, but overall, it ended up being just okay for me. While I appreciated the incorporation of Jewish folklore, religious themes, and storytelling elements, the plot itself lacked the urgency and high stakes I was hoping for.

There were moments that pulled me back in, but overall, the conflicts often felt a little too easy to resolve, which made it difficult to stay fully engaged. It felt like a lot was happening on the surface, but without much real momentum beneath it.

I’m giving this one 3 stars. I didn’t dislike it—I genuinely enjoyed certain aspects—but I found myself wishing for a stronger sense of action and tension throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC!

I was not able to finish this book in its entirety, so my review will only be for what I had read.
I was initially drawn to the premise of this book being a darker fantasy with mystery and a lesbian romance - but I thought that this book was really lacking for me. There was a lot of lore/backstory/context that I feel was missing for the culture of the main character as well as the language being spoken. The plot really dragged for me, and I thought that there would be more stake and substance in the relationships between the characters than there ended up being.
This book just wasn't for me, but I appreciate the opportunity to read it.

Netgalley review*

I have to say this was one of most anticipated books and it did not disappoint. I absolutely loved the atmosphere and the folklore. Maddie create an interesting world that was cool to learn about. I little warning the book is slow paced and extremely detailed which can detour people from finishing it since a lot of the action doesn't happen till the end. I do like the relationship between the main characters but I felt like the side characters were a little one dimensional. I also felt like the climax happened a little to quickly and everything resolved too nicely. overall this was a great read and i enjoyed the atmosphere that was created.

The premise of TMAHM drew me in immediately when I came across it on Instagram.
A Sapphic reimagining of the Golem of Prague story.

The Maiden and Her Monster follows Malka, the eldest daughter of a village healer, on a mission to save her mother and village. While also discovering her voice, her power, and herself. Maddie Martinez created such a rich world inspired by Prague and the history of Jews in the Czech Republic. It was so beautiful seeing the essence of a place I love so much inspire this story. The Golem of Prague is one of my favorite stories, and Martinez expertly brought to life so many parts of the story while making it her own. The idea of why and how the Golem was created, the person and myth of the Maharal. And the community that the Golem was created to protect. This book transported me; it made the familiar aspects of Judaism magical and nostalgic, and it took me on a journey with Malka.

Speaking of Malka, this book is MADE for eldest daughters who need to be reminded they are allowed to want, and have their own story. The journey that Malka goes on throughout TMAHM is both deeply familiar and refreshing to read. I could feel the conflict that Malka felt, losing her naivete, and her deepening resolve.

Martinez masterfully blends the magic of Jewish tradition with fresh perspective, reimagining a myth I hold dear in a way that felt both respectful and original.

I wanted to love this book, I really wanted to love this book. Sapphic retelling of the golem of Prague with some fantastic folk lore thrown in, yes please! I loved parts of it, the forest and monsters were intriguing and the Golem herself was a fascinating character. The MC was someone that I couldn't really get into, she seemed unintentionally immature and I didn't really see personal growth in her the way that I wanted to. Also the pacing of this book was inconsistent in ways that also felt unintentional. I think this book has a lot of potential in the way it dealt with some major themes and I will be recommending it to others, it simply didn't jive with me.

“Your stories don’t get everything right. It is easy to change history when you wish to forget the truth.”

a creative and dark blend of jewish history in medieval prague, the golem story, and sapphic romance, the maiden and her monster follows malka, who must venture into a monster-filled forest eating girls and women from her small village.

it's a slower paced read and v detailed, with a blend of real jewish terms and hebrew with a fictionalized version added. this is something you will want to walk with, not sprint through. i do think the first half is slower than the latter, where things really pick up with larger political schemes than i expected.

i found overall it was a very touching story about the resilience and hope of jewish people, and the sacrifices we make for our loved ones.

“I’m learning that stories are not merely stories at all. They are justifications. Ones we tell over and over to understand the decisions we make and those we will make.”

an honest arc review ♡

I thought this was a beautifully written dark fantasy sapphic re telling of the Golem of Prague. It had jewish folklore, a unique magic system, slow burn enemies to lovers romance, and political/religious elements. Although there are some heavy themes throughout, I thought it was written very well.
It had a bit of a slow start for me in terms of keeping up with all of the different terms and characters that were mentioned, as well as the pacing. The world building was slightly confusing to me so it took me some time to keep track of everything but then I was hooked. I thought this was a wonderful debut novel!

Thank you to the author, Net Galley and Tor for the eARC!

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC!

“People fear what they don’t understand.” This quote perfectly sums up this book. It was absolutely beautiful and I highly recommend it! If you love fantasy, troubled villages, enemies to lovers, and magical creatures this book is for you!

I both loved and hated Malka. She was both invigorating and infuriating. She stood by what she knew and she stood by her faith but sometimes she needed a smack upside the head for a wake up call and sometimes she got more then a smack - there was blood lol

I truly felt for Amnon; he is such a kind, loving friend and he deserved so much better in the end and I hope his story isn’t over.

Nimrah was so misunderstood because of what she was, but she still had feelings and a heart. She wanted to help and protect the people that she loved and cared about and because of that, terrible things happened.

All in all, this book was beautiful. It had me on the edge of my seat and had me teary eyed. I loved all of the characters and felt that they all contributed something wonderfully to this book. I can’t wait to see more from this author in the future!

The Maiden and Her Monster is an interesting read. Malka frustrated me to no end, but I get it. I like the concept and the relationships were well-written. Only complaint is there's a lot of cultural stuff that's not common knowledge without any type of glossary to define them. A blending of their meaning in their mentioned sentence or glossary would be beneficial for people like me who want to visualize the story. I had trouble keeping interest due to not knowing what so many of things were due to words being used.

I really enjoyed reading this !! Learning the Hebrew was a little challenging— and I felt like it was a hard to not google things (probably me issue) ! Would read and recommend!

A new fairytale to rival the old. Maddie Martinez does an enchanting job of breathing life into an old Jewish folktale.

The sapphic reimagining of the classic Golem of Prague tale is timely, while still staying true to its historic and cultural roots. The imagery is lush and dark, and the it feels like the forest that eats girls is reaching off the page to the reader.

The author clearly did a fair amount of research on the subject, and did an excellent job of weaving in both cultural and religious aspects of Judaism. Judaism, called Yahadism in this novel, is presented as a multifaceted religion. Followers have different perspectives and customs. In less than 400 pages, the author manages to translate an ancient religion to a new fantasy world.

I am deducting one star, because I felt the ending was too rushed. I would have rather the novel been longer, and have more plot development. The time spent on world development overshadowed the plot, and I wish that the author had delved even deeper into the darkness that clearly haunts this world.

The richness of the setting was not matched by the character and plot development, and left me feeling dissatisfied by how quickly conflicts were resolved. There was an over-reliance on deus ex machina, to the point where I would have rather seen certain situations unresolved. I think the lack of plot development left me feeling unconnected to some of the characters.

Overall, this was an excellent debut novel, and I look forward to the author’s future works.

CW: Gore (Mild), Body Horror (Mild), Starvation, Assault, Religious Persecution,

DNF at 60%. The description of this book made me certain I would love it. Mythological retellings are one of my favorite genres, and I was interested to see the take on Jewish mythology surrounding the golem.

At first, I was invested in the secret monster of the woods and Malka’s village, but that soon left me. The pacing in this book was abysmal. Malka is given a very short time to save her mother, but with each progression of the book it takes her further and further away from the village and she seems to care less. I also think this should have just been historical fiction/fantasy and NOT wasted any time with worldbuilding. Hebrew is sprinkled throughout as the language of magic, and it’s clear that the writer wanted to discuss the religious persecution of Jews. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but by placing the story in a fictional world with additionally, fictional languages and history – and not just building around real language and history—it made reading the book increasingly dense. Finally, the romance was boring and felt shallow.

2.5 stars

At this point, I’m convinced my current reading list is cursed. 🥲
I’ve been struggling through every book lately. Thank goodness for AO3, it's the only thing keeping me happy during this slump.

That said, I really loved the atmosphere in this one. Jewish magic, rich lore (oh, the lore!!!), monsters, magical creatures. My toes curled with excitement. I adored all the myths and stories woven throughout. The writing is beautiful, and the descriptions are stunning. I really wanted to love this book. I truly did. But once again, this book just wasn’t for me.

The pacing felt slow. While the language wasn’t a problem for me (I Googled things when I needed to), I appreciated the many Hebrew words that helped build the atmosphere. Still, a glossary would have been so helpful. Not all the Hebrew terms were real, and some were invented for the story. That mix made it hard to stay fully immersed when I wasn’t sure what was what.

I also don’t know why, but I found it really hard to connect with the characters. No one truly stood out to me, and I didn’t feel emotionally invested in their journeys. That made it even harder to stay engaged.
By the halfway point, it just kept dragging. I’m all for deep worldbuilding and slow-burn storytelling, but it still needs to be interesting. I found myself zoning out and getting sleepy. And honestly, I trust my eyes. If a book can’t keep them open, it probably isn’t for me.

Please look to another dazzling review before deciding for yourself. This one just didn't work for me.

Note: Thank you to Tor Publishing for the ARC.