The Maiden and Her Monster
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 all sides.
Girls 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, alongside the text.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing, and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy for my honest review. Pub. Date 9/9/25
Support your favorite indie bookstore (and me) by using my link to order the audiobook from https://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm60355 OR if you prefer using your eyes to read, support your favorite indie (and give us both 20% off if it’s your first purchase) by using my link at https://refer.bookshop.org/candidanorwood.
