Customer Reviews
♡ Jewish Folklore♡ Religious Propaganda♡ Tyrannical Government♡ Sapphic Romance♡ Slow Burn (Very minor spice)♡ Cursed Forrest/Creatures"The greatest threat to her and her people were those who weilded their beliefs like weapons. Who sought to eradicate those whose beliefs differed from theirs. Beliefs that threatened their supremacy."This novel immediately gripped me with its haunting descriptions and oppressive religious atmosphere. Superstitions surround a creature living in the nearby cursed village that seemingly targets girls exclusively, creating an allegory for the subjugation of women both within government and religion. The botanical elements associated with forrest and forbidden magic lends a dark sort of coziness to an otherwise grim narrative.The reluctant attraction between the Maiden and the Monster builds tension throughout the book, reminiscent of the Darcy hand flex that had me giggling at every longing glance. This is lighter on the "monster" side of things as far as creature feature goes, but the forbidden aspects are certainly still present.Probably most enjoyable for me, especially in our current political climate, is the theme of religious tyranny and the repercussions when there is no separation of church and state, as well as the dangers of any militarized religion, and "freedom of religion" should mean ALL religions."Belief is not meant to be weilded as a political weapon.""Then why is it the most powerful sword and the sharpest knife?"The writing is exceptional, effortlessly pairing the beautiful whimsy of youth and magic with the terror of the unknown and an uncertain future.Thank you to NetGalley for the gifted ARC. I would absolutely recommend this one to anyone searching for a darker fantasy with a sapphic romantic subplot.
From the moment I saw this compared to Where the Dark Stands Still and The Bear and the Nightingale, I knew I had to read it. I’m always drawn to fantasies with forests, and this one delivered a world full of rich mythology and inventive lore. I especially enjoyed the exploration of power, politics, and faith. I really admired the way Maddie Martinez wove in commentary on how religion can be shaped, or even distorted, by those seeking control. These themes gave the story depth, and I appreciated the thoughtfulness in how they were handled.Where I struggled was with the pacing and plot. At times the pacing felt uneven, and the romance felt like “instalove”, which made it harder for me to stay fully connected. The book also veers away from the blurb at around 40%. The sentient forest completely disappears, and the politics takes over the story as our characters venture to the capitol city to save the Golem’s creator.I still enjoyed it overall - I just wasn’t anticipating that shift from magical dark forest fairytale to theological focus, which lessened my enjoyment and overall rating.*Thank you to the publisher, Tor, for the gifted advance review copy. This hasn’t affected the contents of my review.*
Malka enters the cursed woods to save her mother by finding the monster plaguing heir village. But what she finds is far from what she expected.Read if you like:-Jewish Folklore-Political CommentaryI was drawn to The Maiden and Her Monster because of the comparison to Ava Reid, Hannah Whitten, and Naomi Novik, as well as the promise of a sapphic romance. And I'm sad to say the blurb over promised on what the book underdelivered. There was barely any romance and all the emotional journey I was hoping for was bland. Just not for me.
The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez is my favorite kind of fantasy novel - a mix of adventure and folklore with a touch of horror, a smidge of romance, and strong female main characters.And these women have to be strong because they’ve got it coming from allGirls and women of all ages are going missing and dying in the woods - including Malka’s best friend Chaia - and their disappearances are attributed to a monster called the Rayga.The men of the village regularly go hunting for the Rayga, coming home disappointed and drunk - at least Malka’s father does - and quick to take his frustration out on his wife and children.Then they have the Church demanding tithes and the landlords and their enforcers demanding and taking everything else.When a girl from the clergy goes missing, Malka’s mother is accused of her murder, so to clear her name, Malka goes on her own hunt for the Ralga, with her friend (and potential beau) Amnon, and - against her will - two guards accompanying them.The guards are killed almost immediately, and Malka and Amnon are nearly close behind but are saved by a mysterious woman called Nimreh - who turns out to be a golem that they heard tales about.This is where Malka really starts to become a 3- dimensional character. She is superstitious and stubborn but also loyal and determined to save her family.As she learns more about what has been terrorizing the village and as she, Amnon, and their newfound companion set to work to save Malka’s mother - and perhaps the whole village at the same time - Malka begins to question everything she thought she knew - about her town, her beliefs, herself - and who the real monsters are.In The Maiden and Her Monster, Maddie Martinez has created a complex world of folklore, politics, religion, magic, and family, and she has dropped in fully fleshed characters in Malka and Nimreh, and getting to live in that world for a while was a treat.For this review, I listened to the audiobook, narrated excellently by Nikki Massoud.Review copy from NetGalley and Tor Publishing.
The Maiden & Her Monster is a culmination of jewish folk tales as a fantasy romance story between a village girl and a golem, with a socio-political background of a corrupt and violent anti-semitic theocracy.To put it bluntly, this book is the definition of a slow burn. It’s a lush, meticulous, and complicated world that takes a minute to get used to and immersed in. I personally felt it was prioritized a bit more than the characters at first, which has its perks in helping establish Malka’s circumstances and abusive government, and drawbacks, where I wasn’t concentrating as much on her feelings and actions. I felt like at times I needed to do my own research for how detailed the setting was in terms of Hebrew words, Judaism tie-ins, and Martinez’ own creative choices. The glossary on her website was super helpful, and I would recommend taking a look at that if you’re unfamiliar with the subject matter, and it would be perfect if that made it into the front or back of the book.The plot and story as a whole is interesting and profound, with many metaphors and quotes that relate to current events. The intermittent lore retellings, while abrupt during character interactions at times, adds more to the story and background and all tied into the last act. There’s also a pretty big change in goal for the MCs around the 40% mark, which honestly was the big push I needed to be fully invested in these characters and the story.As for the MCs, I really enjoyed the genuine enemies to lovers dynamic between them. They were both interesting and had their own layers to unravel, from their history to their Kefesh magical abilities. I especially loved Nimrah and learning about her story, nature, and relationship with the Maharal. I love me a misunderstood “villian.” Malka was a bit less complex in that she was willing to do anything to get her mother back and was deeply devoted in her faith, but her development was also note-worthy. Their attraction to each other seemed a bit abrupt at first, but they were still a true slow burn and waited till their connection was overwhelming, even to the reader. I really enjoyed their journey once they leaned into their care for another.Overall, The Maiden and Her Monster is a well-written and complex fantasy that needs dedication and commitment to the story, but is all worth it in the end if you’re looking for complex political and magical world with an added enemies to lovers romance.“It often seems like those who decide the fate of others never do know or care about the details.”I received an ARC from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
