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The Monsters in Our Shadows by Edward J. Cembal is a dark, thought-provoking novel that seamlessly blends psychological horror with elements of fantasy. Cembal creates a haunting atmosphere where personal demons, both literal and metaphorical, lurk beneath the surface, making it a gripping exploration of human fear and inner turmoil.

The book’s greatest strength lies in its rich character development. Each character feels deeply human, their struggles relatable, and their emotional journeys compelling. The "monsters" in the story are both terrifying and symbolic, representing not only external threats but also the darker sides of the characters’ psyches. This clever balance between real-world fears and supernatural horrors keeps the reader engaged throughout.

Cembal’s world-building is atmospheric and immersive, pulling you into a gritty, eerie setting where danger feels ever-present. While the pacing can sometimes slow, particularly in the middle of the book, the tension and intrigue are strong enough to keep you hooked until the end.

Overall, The Monsters in Our Shadows is a well-crafted horror novel that delivers both chills and thoughtful reflections on the human condition. While not perfect, it’s a captivating read that will leave you pondering the nature of fear long after you’ve finished. A must for fans of dark, introspective horror.

Book review 📚
The Monster In Our Shadows by Edward J Cembal
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Oh I actually have no words for this book. It’s literally a book that none of us want to read, but we all need to. I have never read something like this in my life. I can’t stop thinking about it. If there is an Edward Cembal AA club can someone give me information? K’ thanks!

I am actually struggling to process the words to describe this book in an effective way. All I can actually tell you is IT’S AMAZING. I’m honestly blown away. It haunts me. The horror aspect was spot on, clearly. This is a blend of psychological tension, dark fantasy and horror.

The thing I remember most about this book is the ability to deeply explore the human emotions. Focusing on the inner darkness. The twists are so unpredictable and the stakes just keep rising the further in you get.

A MUST READ! But approach with caution – that’s my only warning.

Thanks to NetGalley and Book Whisperer for the ARC.

The metaphor of the Shivers being the physical manifestation of your depression/mental illness is very on the nose here, but I like the Eldritch horror aspect of it. The characters feel underdeveloped, and the worldbuilding seems so small. I wouldn't mind one if the other was better done. Specifically, characters like Rib are dropped with little answers, and others like Zoey will suddenly show up out of nowhere to provide all the answers. It's a little unsatisfying, but not bad overall.

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Check out this review of The Monsters in our Shadows on Fable. https://fable.co/review/ebd7c504-4800-4d8e-8561-dddbb96523c7/share

4.25/5

The Monsters In Our Shadows by Edward J. Cembal is a refreshingly unique dystopian horror novel that grabs your attention with its eerie world-building and sinister premise. The story centers around Anthem, a compelling protagonist on a haunting quest to rid the people of Atlas from the terrifying monsters known as Shivers. These creatures seem to plague the town, feeding off its inhabitants’ fears and weaknesses, creating an atmosphere of palpable dread.

While the beginning may feel like a slow burn, it serves to methodically build tension, introducing readers to the intricacies of Atlas and the emotional depth of its people. But once the story hits its stride, particularly in the latter half, it becomes nearly impossible to put down. Cembal's writing grows more gripping as Anthem's journey intensifies, pulling you deeper into the horrors lurking in both the shadows and the minds of the characters.

Cembal's debut novel shines with its creative vision and originality. His portrayal of fear as something both tangible and metaphorical adds depth to the dystopian landscape, making it stand out in the genre. The slow burn pacing ultimately pays off, culminating in an ending that feels both satisfying and open-ended, hinting at the potential for a follow-up novel to expand on the story.

This is an impressive first novel from a Canadian author who clearly has a knack for dark, atmospheric storytelling. Fans of dystopian fiction and horror alike will find much to love in The Monsters In Our Shadows. I, for one, hope we get more from the world of Atlas and its monstrous inhabitants.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

Shivers are a unique take on monsters, difficult to describe like individual boogeymen that attach themselves to their victims and haunt them , feeding off their fear and dread until they physically devour them, Anthem, one of the few surviving humans, has the unhappy task of exiling those who attract a Shiver to them. But Anthem also has a Shiver, and soon it will force him to seek answers outside the walls of safety where he has helped to place many others. I found this to be a bit of a slow burn horror even if the imagery was invocative and entertaining, it took a great deal for anything to happen with long spans of inner thought between. Heavy on the describe gore and darkly entertaining but ponderous and troublesome to get through. Good horror, though.

End of the world horror book with all the emotions, sign me up! This book was so good!! It had all the right vibes for surfing in a post apocalyptic world and doing the jobs that no one else ever wants to do.
I finished this book in less than 48hrs, incredible read!!

This book was very interesting, not quite like anything I've read before. It gave me "The Mist" by Stephen King vibes. Unknown monsters lurking in the darkness. Perfect for Spooky season!

Edward J Cembal’s *The monster in our Shadows* is a masterful blend of dystopian horror and existential exploration, offering a gripping and unsettling vision of humanity's endgame. Set in a decaying, gothic-inspired city teetering on the edge of oblivion, this bone-chilling novel introduces us to Anthem, a haunted and tormented hero tasked with humanity’s last, desperate defense against the Shivers—monstrous, insatiable entities that feed on human life and terrorize their hosts until they consume them completely.

What makes *The monsters in our shadows *so compelling is the depth and complexity of its world-building. The city, with its crumbling architecture and relentless sense of decay, feels like a character in itself—a place where hope is scarce, and survival is a daily ritual. The city’s last remaining inhabitants cling to life through a fragile practice of exile, in which these terrifying Shivers are captured and banished beyond the city’s walls. But as the novel opens, this system is failing, and the boundaries between safety and annihilation are quickly eroding.

Anthem, the titular Exilist, is the novel’s dark and troubled protagonist. Tasked with capturing and exiling the very creatures that prey upon humanity, Anthem is himself infected with a Shiver, a ticking time bomb of monstrous hunger that threatens to consume him. This internal battle—between the part of Anthem that strives to protect what remains of humanity and the dark, voracious force that lurks within him—is at the core of the novel's tension. As the city’s last defense falters, Anthem’s struggle with his own Shiver escalates, pushing him to venture beyond the city walls in search of a remedy.

Cembal’s pacing is relentless, balancing heart-pounding action with moments of deep, introspective horror. The Shivers themselves are nightmarish creations—eldritch and grotesque, representing not just physical danger but psychological torment. Anthem’s journey beyond the walls feels like a descent into a surreal, apocalyptic landscape, where new horrors await at every turn. Each revelation brings more dread, building toward a climax that leaves readers questioning the very nature of survival and humanity's place in this dying world.

What elevates *The monsters in our shadows *beyond a standard horror narrative is its thematic depth. Cembal explores the monsters within us, not just the Shivers that prey on the last vestiges of humankind but the darker impulses and hungers that reside in every human heart. Anthem’s internal conflict—his battle to suppress his own Shiver while trying to save what’s left of humanity—creates a powerful metaphor for the struggle between light and dark, hope and despair.

With its vivid, gothic atmosphere, horrifying creatures, and deeply flawed protagonist, *The monsters in our shadows *is a novel that will grip readers from start to finish. Its exploration of the boundaries of humanity and what we’re willing to sacrifice for survival makes it as thought-provoking as it is terrifying. As Anthem's journey unfolds, readers are left with a haunting question: How far would we go to save ourselves from the monsters, when those monsters may already be inside us?

With a major motion picture adaptation in development, *The monsters in our shadows* is poised to reach a wider audience, but the novel itself stands as a singular work of dystopian horror—an unforgettable exploration of fear, survival, and the darkness that lies within.

Ever thought about what would happen if shadows could eat you alive? No? Me either, until I started reading this book. This was such a great dystopian horror novel about these creepy, bloodthirsty shadow monsters called Shivers.

The author paints such a enchantingly grim, sad world that had me sucked in for the entire ride. The beginning was paced a little on the slow side, but I enjoyed the melancholy that it created. By the time we get to the last 10% of the book, the pace was zooming by and so many things happened that my head was spinning. I do wish that the ending would have been a bit more drawn out and detailed in all honesty, because I felt some whiplash from the pace change.

Overall, it was a wonderfully-done horror with the perfect amount of creepiness, body horror, and mystery to keep me on the edge of my seat. I find myself thinking back to this book often, so that's a sign of a great book for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

Edward J. Cembal's The Monsters in Our Shadows is a dark, dystopian horror that explores the bleak, nightmarish remnants of humanity on the edge of extinction. While the novel offers a chilling atmosphere and a unique take on eldritch creatures known as Shivers, its pacing and character depth leave some room for improvement, resulting in a solid but uneven read.

Set in a decaying, gothic city on the brink of collapse, the story follows Anthem, an Exilist tasked with capturing and banishing Shivers—horrific, parasitic creatures that feed on their human hosts. Humanity has been reduced to desperate survival, and the ritual of exile, once their only hope, is beginning to fail. Anthem himself carries the weight of his own Shiver, whose growing hunger threatens to overtake him. As the city reaches a breaking point, Anthem is forced to venture beyond its walls in search of a solution to humanity's existential crisis.

Cembal excels in world-building, and the setting is one of the novel’s most striking features. The crumbling city, with its gothic architecture and pervasive sense of doom, creates an oppressive atmosphere that mirrors the internal struggles of its characters. The Shivers themselves are unsettling, nightmarish creatures, and the novel's horror is rooted in the existential dread they bring. The world Cembal constructs is bleak and unforgiving, and the imagery of a society clinging to life amid the ever-present threat of annihilation is genuinely eerie.

Anthem, the central character, is intriguing but somewhat underdeveloped. His internal struggle with his own Shiver adds tension, but his emotional arc feels somewhat flat. While the novel hints at his psychological turmoil, the exploration of his character remains surface-level. Readers are given glimpses of his past and the burden he carries, but there isn’t enough emotional depth to fully connect with him. Anthem’s journey beyond the city’s walls should feel like a personal reckoning, but instead, it often comes across as simply a necessary plot development.

The pacing of the novel is uneven. The opening chapters effectively set the stage for the story’s dystopian horror, but the middle section drags, with long stretches where the tension could have been heightened. The action sequences, when they do occur, are thrilling, but there are moments where the narrative loses momentum. The exploration of the eldritch horrors and the decaying city could have been more tightly woven into the story to maintain a sense of urgency throughout.

One of the novel’s key strengths lies in its exploration of the Shivers as metaphors for humanity’s inner demons and self-destructive tendencies. The "monsters in our shadows" represent both literal and figurative horrors, and Cembal does a good job of blurring the lines between external threats and internal struggles. The novel touches on themes of guilt, fear, and survival, raising interesting questions about what it means to face the darkness within. However, these themes, while present, could have been more deeply explored to give the story greater emotional resonance.

The climax and resolution offer some compelling twists, but the buildup to these moments could have been stronger. The novel’s final act delivers on its promise of high-stakes horror and existential dread, but by that point, some readers may feel that the emotional connection to Anthem’s journey has been lost.

Final Thoughts:
The Monsters in Our Shadows is an atmospheric and chilling dystopian horror that excels in world-building and unsettling imagery. Edward J. Cembal creates a bleak, gothic world overrun by nightmarish creatures, and the novel’s existential themes of inner demons and survival add layers to the horror. However, the uneven pacing and lack of deeper character development hold it back from reaching its full potential. A solid 3-star read, perfect for fans of dark, dystopian tales who appreciate atmospheric storytelling, but with room for more emotional depth and tension.

A post apocalyptic horror exploring a dystopian view of the future of earth after a chilling epidemic wipes out most of humanity.

This was a very different read for me but I really enjoyed it, and it made a refreshing change from my usual crime fiction books. The story follows Anthem, an exilist, whose job it is to exile afflicted members of the last known community on earth and rid the community of their ‘shivers’ or monsters to protect the unafflicted. Soon Anthem finds himself called upon by the town’s Architect and sent out into the Deadlands to try and find a more permanent resolution. As time starts to run out, Anthem discovers that what the residents have been told about life outside their walls isn’t all as it seems.

The story kept me enthralled and had lots of interesting developments and characters. I did find on occasion it was a little slow and the chapters could have been slightly faster paced for my tastes, but overall an enjoyable read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

A dystopian horror ,the world as we know it is almost extinct,.A race against time against the shivers through the dark lands where even more horrors and monsters await. An enjoyable gory read .

What a fantastic Dystopian horror read!
The world, characters were all thought out so well.
The story line kept me at the edge of my seat.



Following a world where people have actually monsters following them around, waiting until the monsters can no longer contain their hunger. The unfortunate people are then devoured. This is where our main character Anthem comes in the exilest. Basically the reaper. He bundles the infected with said monster in to a cage and hauls them out beyond the walls of Atlas.
I really enjoyed following Anthem on his journey of trying to find a way to get rid of the monsters.
Pretty fast paced. Give it a read
Thank you to NETGalley for the chance to give this a read and review .

Close to an original horror novel as you can get. A dystopian future where human have their own monsters waiting to devour them. A well plotted book with plenty of shocks that will keep you hook ( and looking over your shoulder) till the last page. Would love to see this as a movie. Thanks to Book Whisperer and Netgalley for this review copy

I read a lot of these genres, both horror and distopian, and I can honestly say that The Monsters in Our Shadows was unique and kept me guessing throughout!
I was so pleasantly surprised that, being a longer book for especially a debut horror, the author seemed to have a clear vision, know where he wanted the story to go, and had the ability to execute it well without getting lost in details, or lack of details!
There were a couple of moments that I thought "well, in a distopian situation they wouldn't be aware of that", but the monsters and the story arc were unique enough to me that I didn't even mind!
I'm really looking forward to seeing what this author does in the future!

I was slowly reading (although not particularly enjoying) this book but ultimately decided to DNF after I received *multiple* emails from the author insisting it was time to leave a review and that my review needed to be submitted within one week. This was extremely bizarre to me and something I've never encountered after receiving almost 100 ARCs from NetGalley. I will not be reviewing on GoodReads or other retail sites as I don't feel it's appropriate to rush reviewers in this way.

I don’t think I have read a horror novel so well and beautifully written! The character development was also really done well and the book was super creepy. The whole premise would be terrifying if this was real. The books pacing was also to my liking and I was so invested and didn’t want to have to put the book down (dumb work getting the way of my reading!) definitely would recommend to all my friends

I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Interesting concept - it felt original. I really liked the main character, he had a good moral compass (in spite of his occupation). The writing was exceptional, this book had many great quotes, here are some of them:
‘Such a long climb for a short fall.’
‘The deeper the sadness, that depression, the closer the monster. The closer the monster, the deeper the sadness, until… well, until it devours you.’
My favourite thing about this book is that it presented hopelessness in a beautiful, raw and pure way.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

Creepy and inventive, I really enjoyed the premise of this book. Touching sensitively on themes like depression/mental health and prejudice, the author used the monstrous “Shivers” in a very clever way. A ranging cast of interesting and different (if occasionally predictable) characters, and some real jump scare type moments. Overall enjoyable!

This was a fantastic dystopian horror about the reality of, quite literally, facing your demons.

Anthem, our main character, has lived the last ten years of life in Atlas as an Exilist. Escorting those who are to be devoured by their own personal shadow, a Shiver, out of their walled town. That is, until his own Shiver catches up with him and he's forced out of a job. At the behest of The Architect, Anthem sets out to find a cure for Atlas, hoping for a brighter future for his daughter.

The Monsters In Our Shadows follows the Exilist as he embarks on this death wish of a mission, unpicking the reality of the situation in Atlas and on Earth, in general.

I really enjoyed this book; the bleakness of dystopian life is interrupted occasionally with hints of beauty scattered throughout the dark existence. The metaphor for depression, grief, personal demons, reflected in the Shivers that haunt the afflicted. There were hints of gore, but nothing too intense, and the feeling of panic at times really got me powering through to see what happened next! It really was fantastic.

My only negative was I found the pacing a bit off at times - it felt a bit slow in places. The chapters were short and snappy though, so any feeling of slowness was only very short-lived.

I'll definitely be recommending this as a standalone book for lovers of horror and dystopian fiction.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.