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The Maiden's Husband
She handed him her knife. The same blade she imagined sinking into his neck was now a tool to protect him.
Raegna once dreamed of serving the matriarchy by joining the ranks of the elite Maidens. But she endures a life bound to Bai, the husband her mother forced onto her, with the love of their daughter their only common ground.
Her mother's recent passing gives Raegna the chance to divorce Bai, but her freedom is short-lived when their village is raided by rebellious warrior-men. The last free survivors, Raegna and her family face the responsibility of warning the realms - starting with their neighboring village.
But the tale of men with blades leaves the village Matriarch unconvinced. These men could strike again, and Raegna must earn the Matriarch's trust before more lives are lost. Her only ally may be the husband she never wanted.
Raegna once dreamed of serving the matriarchy by joining the ranks of the elite Maidens. But she endures a life bound to Bai, the husband her mother forced onto her, with the love of their daughter their only common ground.
Her mother's recent passing gives Raegna the chance to divorce Bai, but her freedom is short-lived when their village is raided by rebellious warrior-men. The last free survivors, Raegna and her family face the responsibility of warning the realms - starting with their neighboring village.
But the tale of men with blades leaves the village Matriarch unconvinced. These men could strike again, and Raegna must earn the Matriarch's trust before more lives are lost. Her only ally may be the husband she never wanted.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 23, 2024
2 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 22, 2024
This book was absolutely amazing! I was so lucky to get an arc for it!
It made me laugh, made me rant about male rights which I never thought I would rant about in my life. The last 25% broke me in ways I didn’t expect, I need a moment to stop the tears flowing.
Ma’am I need book 2!! Please and Thankyou
It made me laugh, made me rant about male rights which I never thought I would rant about in my life. The last 25% broke me in ways I didn’t expect, I need a moment to stop the tears flowing.
Ma’am I need book 2!! Please and Thankyou
February 15, 2026
Wow. WOW. This book was spectacular! It was dark and raw, and phew—it definitely did not hold back. Morgan does an incredible job throwing twists and turns. She has crafted characters you will absolutely LOVE as well as… well… you’ll be inspired to lead a raid. :D
I absolutely must move book 2 up on my tbr!
I absolutely must move book 2 up on my tbr!
September 5, 2024
If you’re looking for a book with Viking-like vibes with some dark themes that will have you rooting for the male characters, this may be the book for you! Read your triggers!The Maiden’s Husband is unlike any other book I’ve read to date. It deals with some dark themes, Matriarchy & the general belief that men should be seen not heard. The journey of Rhaegna, Bai & Adabelle, as well as Naleem & Hadwin & family’s journey will keep you entranced to the very end. The last ~13% of this book had me weeping & grieving with the characters. The end of the epilogue felt like a warm hug & someone letting you know they will be with you every step of the way as you heal. I need the next book ASAP!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2024
I got an early copy of this and it had me hooked from the beginning, WARNING it is dark and will make you cry and grieve, and these three together is what makes it a 5* read
August 29, 2024
It was so well written, the way the author seamlessly changes between POVs is amazing. Books don't normally make me cry, but this one did. It had me hooked from the very beginning, couldn't put it down.
December 20, 2025
How dare this book hurt me like this?
I inhaled this book in just three days (it would have been less, but I needed a break after the SHOCK of chapter 22). My body is battered, and I must take a break from reading, knowing that little else will live up to this.
I am deeply upset that this book has no big fandom. I want nothing more than to see fanart of this and read discussions of this masterpiece.
Admittedly, the book is not without fault. The pacing is a little slow (quite slow, actually), and the characters appear to just kind of meander for a handful of chapters. I was often frustrated at the end of a Reagna/Bai chapter, because I would then have to read another Naleem/Hadwin chapter, which I simply didn't find as interesting. BUT I did really enjoy the parallels in their perspectives, showing that the abuse Bai faces as a man in Judr is similar to the abuse the men in Haven put each other through.
I was also a little annoyed that Reagna noticed that Naleem, Hadwin, and the boys were missing, but didn't think about it more than twice.
On the positive note, I really want to see more fantasy books with a matriarchal society. People often think patriarchy is the natural way of life, when a fantasy setting could easily flip that.
I was very fascinated with the use of mythology as a tool for the matriarchy. Teaching young boys that the Goddess created men for the sole purpose of protecting and providing for women and children already gives authority to the matriarchal system. But then also teaching them that any negative thoughts they might have about their wife or their lot in life is Fan (basically Satan) whispering lies in their ears or planting them in their heads, is simply marvelous. It really segments a society where men don't even trust their own minds.
One last note, I loved the clear pattern of traumatized people using their trauma as a backdrop for their terrible actions. Reagna uses hers to mistreat Bai (at least in the beginning of the book), Viona and Femke's trauma, causing them to despise men, the men in Haven genuinely thinking that they're rescuing their victims from their previous lives. Trauma breeds trauma. Hurt people hurt peolpe.
Overall, I had a great and terrible time reading this. Thank you, M. Christensen, for writing this. I will be reading the next book.
I inhaled this book in just three days (it would have been less, but I needed a break after the SHOCK of chapter 22). My body is battered, and I must take a break from reading, knowing that little else will live up to this.
I am deeply upset that this book has no big fandom. I want nothing more than to see fanart of this and read discussions of this masterpiece.
Admittedly, the book is not without fault. The pacing is a little slow (quite slow, actually), and the characters appear to just kind of meander for a handful of chapters. I was often frustrated at the end of a Reagna/Bai chapter, because I would then have to read another Naleem/Hadwin chapter, which I simply didn't find as interesting. BUT I did really enjoy the parallels in their perspectives, showing that the abuse Bai faces as a man in Judr is similar to the abuse the men in Haven put each other through.
I was also a little annoyed that Reagna noticed that Naleem, Hadwin, and the boys were missing, but didn't think about it more than twice.
On the positive note, I really want to see more fantasy books with a matriarchal society. People often think patriarchy is the natural way of life, when a fantasy setting could easily flip that.
I was very fascinated with the use of mythology as a tool for the matriarchy. Teaching young boys that the Goddess created men for the sole purpose of protecting and providing for women and children already gives authority to the matriarchal system. But then also teaching them that any negative thoughts they might have about their wife or their lot in life is Fan (basically Satan) whispering lies in their ears or planting them in their heads, is simply marvelous. It really segments a society where men don't even trust their own minds.
One last note, I loved the clear pattern of traumatized people using their trauma as a backdrop for their terrible actions. Reagna uses hers to mistreat Bai (at least in the beginning of the book), Viona and Femke's trauma, causing them to despise men, the men in Haven genuinely thinking that they're rescuing their victims from their previous lives. Trauma breeds trauma. Hurt people hurt peolpe.
Overall, I had a great and terrible time reading this. Thank you, M. Christensen, for writing this. I will be reading the next book.
November 28, 2024
This is my first time reading dark fantasy, so I will admit it was a rather difficult read. Not in terms of style, but for the content. However, I liked the book. It was quite well written and it lures you in from the start. At some point, I just couldn't put it down.
Raegna is a peculiar MC. You won't love her immediately but you won't hate her either. It's kind of fifty/fifty. A love/hate relationship where you'll roll your eyes at her (especially in the first chapters) and question her judgment but by the end you'll yell YASS QUEEN!
Bai is...how to describe him...certainly he's an angel among the men in this book. Despite the past with Raegna, he's really difficult to hate and your heart just keeps clenching for him.
The villain will fool you for a minute, be warned. You'll think he might not be that horribly bad, especially if compared to the others in the book...then you find out he is actually the worst possible human being to ever exist. Like, I don't think I ever hated even Voldemort as much as I HATE this particular villain.
However, while this person is the most direct, clear villain, you will find that there are nuances. To me, the parallel is fairly clear. Instead of creating a matriarchy that is more of a utopia where women are so incredibly good to men and everything is rainbows and unicorns before the villain destroys it, the author created a very realistic one.
It's not everywhere, but specifically in one village, you can see that the matriarchy and in general the ideas around it are pretty much the same as our real life patriarchy. Brought to an extreme, of course, but that's it.
I believe it was voluntary. To draw a big red circle on the problems of real life patriarchy, and the author certainly does a well job with it.
Ultimately, I think the author succeeded in making it all realistic and believable. You have a matriarchy, but there are good women and bad women, some female leaders are good, others are bad. I think this is important because the author could have just gone with a picture perfect matriarchy where everything is fantastic because women are leaders. This way, instead, she just proves that gender doesn't matter, human beings can be good as much as they can be rotten to the core.
At least, this is my interpretation.
Beware, there is a lot of violence and there are on-page rape scenes that will rock you to your core. It's not much about the scenes themselves as much as it is about the emotions the author created around them. For instance, rape scenes aren't written in detail, it'll be 1 or 2 sentences at worst, but the fight, the emotions are in full show.
The author does a great job at writing in detail both emotional scenes and fight scenes. I like the fact that the author used a more advanced vocabulary without sacrificing readability. It adds a layer of sophistication to the writing style, but without making it pompous.
Again, it's a very difficult read in terms of content. It's rather graphic and gory. So if, like me, you're not used to this type of read, you might need some adjustment.
All in all, I really enjoyed the book and I can't wait to read the sequel. It's definitely quite well written and the plot is well-thought-out. There are some repetitions here and there and at first you'll feel like barely anything is happening, and yet even those chapters where there's not much action are essential to the plot because they give details you will need later on.
I would like to underline the fact that this is a debut novel. The author's first book. First books aren't always that great but this is a clear exception.
Raegna is a peculiar MC. You won't love her immediately but you won't hate her either. It's kind of fifty/fifty. A love/hate relationship where you'll roll your eyes at her (especially in the first chapters) and question her judgment but by the end you'll yell YASS QUEEN!
Bai is...how to describe him...certainly he's an angel among the men in this book. Despite the past with Raegna, he's really difficult to hate and your heart just keeps clenching for him.
The villain will fool you for a minute, be warned. You'll think he might not be that horribly bad, especially if compared to the others in the book...then you find out he is actually the worst possible human being to ever exist. Like, I don't think I ever hated even Voldemort as much as I HATE this particular villain.
However, while this person is the most direct, clear villain, you will find that there are nuances. To me, the parallel is fairly clear. Instead of creating a matriarchy that is more of a utopia where women are so incredibly good to men and everything is rainbows and unicorns before the villain destroys it, the author created a very realistic one.
It's not everywhere, but specifically in one village, you can see that the matriarchy and in general the ideas around it are pretty much the same as our real life patriarchy. Brought to an extreme, of course, but that's it.
I believe it was voluntary. To draw a big red circle on the problems of real life patriarchy, and the author certainly does a well job with it.
Ultimately, I think the author succeeded in making it all realistic and believable. You have a matriarchy, but there are good women and bad women, some female leaders are good, others are bad. I think this is important because the author could have just gone with a picture perfect matriarchy where everything is fantastic because women are leaders. This way, instead, she just proves that gender doesn't matter, human beings can be good as much as they can be rotten to the core.
At least, this is my interpretation.
Beware, there is a lot of violence and there are on-page rape scenes that will rock you to your core. It's not much about the scenes themselves as much as it is about the emotions the author created around them. For instance, rape scenes aren't written in detail, it'll be 1 or 2 sentences at worst, but the fight, the emotions are in full show.
The author does a great job at writing in detail both emotional scenes and fight scenes. I like the fact that the author used a more advanced vocabulary without sacrificing readability. It adds a layer of sophistication to the writing style, but without making it pompous.
Again, it's a very difficult read in terms of content. It's rather graphic and gory. So if, like me, you're not used to this type of read, you might need some adjustment.
All in all, I really enjoyed the book and I can't wait to read the sequel. It's definitely quite well written and the plot is well-thought-out. There are some repetitions here and there and at first you'll feel like barely anything is happening, and yet even those chapters where there's not much action are essential to the plot because they give details you will need later on.
I would like to underline the fact that this is a debut novel. The author's first book. First books aren't always that great but this is a clear exception.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2024
Morgan Christensen has crafted a poignant and thought-provoking novel with The Maiden's Husband. This dark and emotionally charged story will leave a lasting impression on readers.
A Tale of Societal Inequality
Set in a matriarchal society where men are subservient to women, The Maiden's Husband explores the consequences of such a rigid social structure. Raegna and Bai, a married couple with a complex relationship, are forced to flee their village after a devastating attack. Their journey to find safety and justice reveals the deep-rooted pain and suffering caused by societal inequality.
A Powerful Message
The novel's central message is a powerful critique of the way women are often treated in society. Christensen highlights the detrimental effects of such inequality on both men and women, demonstrating that a society built on oppression and control ultimately harms everyone.
A Masterful Narrative
Christensen's writing is exceptional, seamlessly switching between the perspectives of Raegna, Bai, and other characters. The characters are complex and relatable, drawing readers into their emotional journeys. The author's ability to evoke strong emotions in the reader is truly remarkable.
A Must-Read
The Maiden's Husband is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after you finish the last page. It is a must-read for those seeking a compelling and emotionally resonant story.
Warning: This book contains sensitive content, including violence and emotional trauma.
A Tale of Societal Inequality
Set in a matriarchal society where men are subservient to women, The Maiden's Husband explores the consequences of such a rigid social structure. Raegna and Bai, a married couple with a complex relationship, are forced to flee their village after a devastating attack. Their journey to find safety and justice reveals the deep-rooted pain and suffering caused by societal inequality.
A Powerful Message
The novel's central message is a powerful critique of the way women are often treated in society. Christensen highlights the detrimental effects of such inequality on both men and women, demonstrating that a society built on oppression and control ultimately harms everyone.
A Masterful Narrative
Christensen's writing is exceptional, seamlessly switching between the perspectives of Raegna, Bai, and other characters. The characters are complex and relatable, drawing readers into their emotional journeys. The author's ability to evoke strong emotions in the reader is truly remarkable.
A Must-Read
The Maiden's Husband is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after you finish the last page. It is a must-read for those seeking a compelling and emotionally resonant story.
Warning: This book contains sensitive content, including violence and emotional trauma.
September 23, 2024
🪓 Loss/grief trauma
🛡 Matriarchy
🗡Forced marriage
🪓Shield-maidens
🛡Enemies to complicated
🗡Slow 🔥
🪓Viking vibes
🛡 Parent MCs
🗡Touch him and 💀
⚠️Check triggers warnings⚠️
I want to start off by saying this book contains heavy, dark material that completely gutted me.
The concept of women ruling viking type villages and treating men the way women have been treated throughout history was unique and will stay with me long after finishing this book.
Raegna and Bai's relationship was complicated and I thought the fact that they were parents gave the story an interesting dynamic. Their journey throughout the book was gutt wrenching and thought-provoking. I'm honestly still trying to process everything I read. If you love emotional tales of grief, power imbalance, survival, violence, and hope then grab a bunch of tissues, a fluffy pillow and blanket and settle in for a hauntingly beautiful tale.
Thank you @morgan_christensen_author for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your ARC team and receive an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.
🛡 Matriarchy
🗡Forced marriage
🪓Shield-maidens
🛡Enemies to complicated
🗡Slow 🔥
🪓Viking vibes
🛡 Parent MCs
🗡Touch him and 💀
⚠️Check triggers warnings⚠️
I want to start off by saying this book contains heavy, dark material that completely gutted me.
The concept of women ruling viking type villages and treating men the way women have been treated throughout history was unique and will stay with me long after finishing this book.
Raegna and Bai's relationship was complicated and I thought the fact that they were parents gave the story an interesting dynamic. Their journey throughout the book was gutt wrenching and thought-provoking. I'm honestly still trying to process everything I read. If you love emotional tales of grief, power imbalance, survival, violence, and hope then grab a bunch of tissues, a fluffy pillow and blanket and settle in for a hauntingly beautiful tale.
Thank you @morgan_christensen_author for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your ARC team and receive an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.
December 5, 2025
OMG, now I want to rewatch Vikings after reading this book This book is epic, what a story! The grit, blood and pain.. you broke my heart with this book. I read the last chapter with tear filled eyes.
This book is so different from most of the books I have read all year. Inspired in a Viking world, Reagna and Bai are a set of MC and they are into 7 years of an arranged marriage. They fight through grief, lost, and resentment, but are bound together because of their daughter. By the end, they still find themselves standing by each other even if it’s on shaky legs.
Another set of MC, are 2 brothers, friends of Reagna and Bai. Their survival in their harsh new reality of losing family is HEARTBREAKING! Yes, all caps are necessary. This book is powerful and sad but the resilience of the characters is a page turner. The pacing is perfect with conflict constantly on the next page. This world is harsh and bloody, and what makes it unique is the matriarchy rule. It’s an interesting twist of reverse of gender roles but the balance of love and family and the fight for peace made this a 5 star book for me.
This book is so different from most of the books I have read all year. Inspired in a Viking world, Reagna and Bai are a set of MC and they are into 7 years of an arranged marriage. They fight through grief, lost, and resentment, but are bound together because of their daughter. By the end, they still find themselves standing by each other even if it’s on shaky legs.
Another set of MC, are 2 brothers, friends of Reagna and Bai. Their survival in their harsh new reality of losing family is HEARTBREAKING! Yes, all caps are necessary. This book is powerful and sad but the resilience of the characters is a page turner. The pacing is perfect with conflict constantly on the next page. This world is harsh and bloody, and what makes it unique is the matriarchy rule. It’s an interesting twist of reverse of gender roles but the balance of love and family and the fight for peace made this a 5 star book for me.
September 17, 2024
The Maiden's Husband is an incredibly well written piece of art! It is a book about a society where women are considered superior to men; however, there is a group of men who are not happy with the way their society is being run, so they retaliate causing discourse. Reagna and Bai were forced into an alliance (marriage) of sorts, which causes strife between them, but when retaliation happens upon their village, they are forced to flee to safety with their daughter. This book will make you cry, so grab the tissues and read this incredible tale.
September 23, 2024
I’m warning you now. If you want a book that leaves you feeling good at the end, this is not the book for you. If you want a book that is going to rip your heart out, you will absolutely love this book. Very much Vikings meets George RR Martin. The book follows several characters POV’s and I was worried for all of them the entire time. I love how each chapter is a different POV and keeps you in suspense for how the events of the previous chapter play out. I’m already desperate for book 2. I need to know how this ends.
September 7, 2024
"The Maiden's Husband" by Morgan Christensen is a journey that tugs at your heartstrings with every page. The complex relationship between Raegna and Bai, set against a harsh, matriarchal society, left me both grieving and hopeful. The Viking-inspired world is richly woven, and the emotional depth is overwhelming—in the best way possible. This is a story of survival, rebellion, and the price we pay for power imbalances. It’s haunting, it’s beautiful, and it’s a must-read.
September 11, 2024
*Slightly spoilery* I was an ARC reader for this book. It’s a great concept of a matriarchal society. The women run the society every bit as brutally as a patriarchy and I did not expect that. I really enjoyed it. It’s a slowwwwwww burn, like the two MC’s are basically still lukewarm at the end of this book. I’m looking forward to the next book. It was left on a cliffhanger and while it was slow to grip me, I really want to see what happens next.
September 12, 2024
This book gutted me in the best way. The world building was so interesting to me- Some aspects of the matriarchal villages were hard to wrap my mind around. Several scenes just absolutely destroyed me and I had to put it down to emotionally regroup. That said, I loved it. Overall the story is very dark and violent, with several on-page triggers but again, I knew this going in so it was expected.
August 21, 2025
This one was very very slow going for me. The plot took forever to advance, and when it finally did, in the last twenty pages of the book or so, the ending was pretty good and did a full circle type thing that I enjoyed. It kind of meandered otherwise though.
August 10, 2024
Get the tissues ready!
Truly loved this book and need time to process…
Truly loved this book and need time to process…
June 2, 2025
A strong social commentary about social norms and breaking gender barriers with fantastic world building. Looking forward to the next in the series!
June 2, 2025
Some of the best world building I’ve read in a long time. Like, this is some really, naturally flowing and explored lore.
December 17, 2024
I was lucky enough to get an early copy of this book and I am seriously blown away.
Warning: this book is dark, it's heavy, and you will probably cry. A lot. Perfect for readers who want a book to feel like a punch in the gut, a slap in the face, and topped off with a weary hug after your journey. You will grieve like you haven't before in this seamlessly built fantasy world with viking vibes and thought-provoking discourse.
Raegna and Bai have a complex relationship with a painful past, and while they share a daughter, there is not much else in common between the two. They live in a matriarchal society where men have nothing without their wives and must be subservient to women. This leads to a multitude of consequences, some intended, some not. Some men challenge their positions beneath their wives, leading into a rebellion of sorts. These men attack Raegna's village, leaving her with no choice but to flee with her husband and daughter, even if Bai is the last person she wants to be with. The book then follows their journey to finding safety, trying to warn others, and seeking justice, if any at all is to be had.
I think the message of this book is so important. It forces us to look at the way we treat women in our society, but also how this behavior benefits no one. The men suffer in this book because of their submissive positions, and women treat them cruelly, not because they are evil, but because a society where one group of people is above the other with such tight control will always lead to pain, fallout, and misery.
This story is one I think about every single day since I read it. This author does a phenomenal job of switching between POVs, making you unwilling to close the book because you will HAVE to know what happens next. Nearly every character in this book will pull on your heart strings or will tear your heart out completely. This book made me CRY and cry a lot, and at times, I thought I couldn't go on because of the grief. But this story was incredible and I know I will be rereading again in the future.
Do yourself a favor. Grab the tissues, grab a fuzzy blanket, and clear your schedule because, the Maiden's Husband is here, and its here to stay.
Warning: this book is dark, it's heavy, and you will probably cry. A lot. Perfect for readers who want a book to feel like a punch in the gut, a slap in the face, and topped off with a weary hug after your journey. You will grieve like you haven't before in this seamlessly built fantasy world with viking vibes and thought-provoking discourse.
Raegna and Bai have a complex relationship with a painful past, and while they share a daughter, there is not much else in common between the two. They live in a matriarchal society where men have nothing without their wives and must be subservient to women. This leads to a multitude of consequences, some intended, some not. Some men challenge their positions beneath their wives, leading into a rebellion of sorts. These men attack Raegna's village, leaving her with no choice but to flee with her husband and daughter, even if Bai is the last person she wants to be with. The book then follows their journey to finding safety, trying to warn others, and seeking justice, if any at all is to be had.
I think the message of this book is so important. It forces us to look at the way we treat women in our society, but also how this behavior benefits no one. The men suffer in this book because of their submissive positions, and women treat them cruelly, not because they are evil, but because a society where one group of people is above the other with such tight control will always lead to pain, fallout, and misery.
This story is one I think about every single day since I read it. This author does a phenomenal job of switching between POVs, making you unwilling to close the book because you will HAVE to know what happens next. Nearly every character in this book will pull on your heart strings or will tear your heart out completely. This book made me CRY and cry a lot, and at times, I thought I couldn't go on because of the grief. But this story was incredible and I know I will be rereading again in the future.
Do yourself a favor. Grab the tissues, grab a fuzzy blanket, and clear your schedule because, the Maiden's Husband is here, and its here to stay.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews