The Maiden and Her Monster (Pre-order September 9, 2025)

The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez (Pre-order September 9, 2025) 

A dark, romantic, and atmospheric fantasy debut that blends Jewish folklore, historical magic, and sapphic romance, The Maiden and Her Monster is perfect for fans of Katherine Arden, Naomi Novik, and Ava Reid.

"A dark and endlessly enchanting fairy tale... I adored every page." —Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

The forest eats the girls who wander out after dark.

Malka, the daughter of a village healer, knows the fear that grips her people. Girls go missing. The Ozmini Church offers no protection—only punishments. When a clergygirl vanishes near the cursed woods, Malka's mother is falsely accused of her death. To save her from execution, Malka strikes a desperate bargain with a zealot priest: deliver the monster said to haunt the trees, and her mother will be spared.

But the monster Malka finds is not what she expects. A disgraced golem, strange and powerful, offers herself in exchange for one promise: help free the imprisoned rabbi who created her. As Malka and the golem unravel dark secrets buried in the forest and within themselves, their uneasy alliance deepens into something more—something tender, dangerous, and forbidden.

Now, with the fate of her people, her mother, and the creature she’s come to care for hanging in the balance, Malka must decide what—and who—she’s willing to sacrifice.

📚 A lush, folkloric fantasy about monsters, magic, and love in the face of fear, The Maiden and Her Monster marks the arrival of a bold new voice in speculative fiction.