The Maiden and Her Monster
by Maddie Martinez
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Pub Date Sep 09 2025 | Archive Date Sep 16 2025
Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books
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Description
“A dark and endlessly enchanting fairy tale…. I adored every page.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Ava Reid
The Maiden and Her Monster is a gorgeous, atmospheric debut fantasy rooted in history, folklore, and sapphic romance—perfect for fans of Katherine Arden, Ava Reid, Hannah Whitten, and Naomi Novik.
The forest eats the girls who wander out after dark.
As the healer’s daughter, Malka has seen how the wood’s curse has plagued her village, but the Ozmini Church only comes to collect its tithe, not to protect heretics with false stories of monsters in the trees. So when a clergy girl wanders too close to the forest and Malka’s mother is accused of her murder, Malka strikes an impossible bargain with a zealot Ozmini priest. If she brings the monster out, he will spare her mother from execution.
When she ventures into the shadowed woods, Malka finds a monster, though not the one she expects: an inscrutable, disgraced golem who agrees to implicate herself, but only if Malka helps her fulfill a promise first and free the imprisoned rabbi who created her.
But a deal easily made is not easily kept. And as their bargain begins to unravel a much more sinister threat, protecting her people may force Malka to endanger the one person she left home to save—and face her growing feelings for the very creature she was taught to fear.
Advance Praise
“A dark and endlessly enchanting fairy tale, unfurled in frost and wood-smoke, the kind that is whispered by candlelight and brushes up against history itself. I adored every page.”—Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Reminiscent of the folktales of old, The Maiden and Her Monster is a beautifully haunting debut with sharp teeth. Maddie Martinez weaves words like a magic spell, ensnaring readers with her poignant prose and beguiling atmosphere.”—Chelsea Abdullah, award-winning author of The Stardust Thief
"The Maiden and Her Monster is an evocative, harrowing, and deeply romantic dark fantasy debut that will move so many readers the way it did me. Maddie Martinez is an incredible talent and definitely one to watch."—Alexis Henderson, author of The Year of the Witching and An Academy for Liars
“A taut and delicious debut, threading a sultry romance and tense political intrigue through an atmospheric and haunting world inspired by Jewish myth.”—Laura R. Samotin, author of The Sins on Their Bones
"Blending tradition, faith, and folklore with a deft hand, Martinez crafts a profound tale of self-acceptance and the bittersweet price of progress, woven through on a thread of unyielding hope."—K. M. Enright, international bestselling author of Mistress of Lies
"An exquisite debut about an eldest daughter and how far she would go to protect her family. Malka's journey toward finding confidence in herself and falling in love with a certain surly golem is as legendary as the myths peppered throughout the story. This book is an instant classic."—Kamilah Cole, bestselling author of So Let Them Burn
"Told with exquisite yearning and gorgeous prose, The Maiden and Her Monster is a dark, poignant fairy tale about resilience, faith, and redemption. Martinez’s debut will enspell you." —Allison Saft, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Dark and Drowning Tide
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781250367754 |
| PRICE | $28.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 352 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Kadeen G, Book Trade Professional
The Maiden and Her Monster is the kind of book that stays with you long after you finish reading. The worldbuilding is intricately crafted, the characters are well-fleshed out and fascinating, and the relationships, which make up the true heart of the story, absolutely shine. Malka is a sister, a daughter, a friend, and a lover—sometimes wearing multiple roles at the same time—and her journey finding herself and her agency beyond her role in other people's life is incredible to watch.
Nimrah is a protector and a monster, a warrior and a servant, and her snarky, stoic, guilt-ridden and purpose-driven personality makes for such a delightful contrast with duty-bound Malka. I love how the author wove history, politics, religion, and magic together to create a world wholly original but still recognizably Jewish. I love the writing on a line-by-line level; it's the kind of gorgeous you want to highlight on kindle or maybe turn into a poster. I love the twisted creatures, human or otherwise, and I love how everything came together in the ending.
Basically, I love this book, and I'm so happy I got to read it early!
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