Another dystopian horror novel that grew on me the longer I read it. Particularly the world-building and the characters really sold this one for me.

WOW.. This was one scary read. Perfect as we go into the spooky season, I might add. Great writing, fabulous plot. I hope there is more to come from this author. Would make a great movie. Five stars easy.

The Monsters in Our Shadows
Edward J. Cembal

3.75 / 5

We all have a shadow side ...

Ok, so this book was really good.

I found it to be a beautifully written horror story that, for me, was about how our personal demons can easily destroy us while simultaneously affecting those around us ...

And imagine if your internal struggles/mental health/personal demons could be seen by everyone ... and as monstrous physical manifestations to boot ...

This is a truly unique dystopian horror story that's well paced, gory, horrifying, and highly entertaining, but there were elements to the story that left me wanting more and felt slightly hollow.

But I still highly recommend checking out this very interesting, unique novel.

This was a unique dystopian horror novel with a chilling atmosphere. The world building in this was intricate, enabling the reader to visualize every scene as if we were in it ourselves. The protagonist was as intriguing as the plot, and his development was well crafted. This was equal parts haunting and suspenseful. The pacing and conclusion were perfect, and the only complaint I had was that I felt the supporting characters' development could have been stronger. Four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Book Whisperer, for this ARC.

“Very few wants ever took the place of needs.”

“The Monsters in Our Shadows,” by Edward J. Cembal

This book was really good. I loved how interesting the plot was and the lore; I loved the dystopian/ sci-fi meets gothic/ dirty city underbelly vibes, I loved the idea of shivers being this demonic creature thing that wait to eat you in the end, I liked the weird/grossness of surviving by making crickets into every food, etc. I really really liked the spooky vibe of all the thunder without rain (it’s my favorite visual through the book, very off putting). This entire book with the forced happiness reminded me so much of the videogame “We Happy Few”, which is my favorite indie game. This book was really good overall. Would love to read more books like this one. 4 out of 5 stars, because it started a little slow.

Thank you for the free copy, Netgalley.

The Monsters in Our Shadows by Edward J. Cembal is the kind of dystopian horror novel that I wouldn’t normally read, but I’m glad I did. I found it thought provoking, and something to ponder after reading. The descriptions, tension, and action in this book were clear and kept me turning the pages. This book is a great mixture of - horror, science fiction, and dystopian plots.

The Monsters in Our Shadows is a gripping dystopian horror that plunges readers into a world devoured by the relentless Shivers - shapeless creatures tormenting their hosts before consuming them whole. The crumbling city of Atlas, humanity’s last refuge, teeters on the brink of extinction. Anthem, an Exilist tasked with trapping Shivers, faces his own impending doom.

Pros:
Intriguing Premise: The concept of Shivers and their relentless hunger is both chilling and original.
Emotional Depth: Cembal weaves existential themes seamlessly, leaving a lasting impact.
Engaging Storytelling: The narrative grips you from page one, refusing to let go.

Cons:
Character Development: While Anthem’s struggle is compelling, some secondary characters remain underexplored.
World-Building: The Deadlands beyond Atlas could have been fleshed out further.

The novel occasionally stumbles in character depth and world-building. However, its unique premise and emotional resonance make it a must-read for horror enthusiasts.

I don’t normally read books in the horror genre but this book is on point! The concept, plot and main character is so different from the norm and I am here for it.
I could not stop reading this and read it in a few hours. You know it’s a good book when you are still thinking about the concept of the story a week later.
I instantly fell in love with Anthem and his empathetic personality.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone even if this is not your typical genre!

Imagine a monster that lurks in the shadows and waits to consume you. Thats the premise of this book, Anthem is our exilist who takes care of people when their monster/shiver is ready to attack. This dystopian horror will hve you hooked, the world building is fantastic, you can really feel the hopelessness of the characters situation. This is a unique fast paced read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Edward J. Cembal for an eARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Wow!! What a great read!! I could not put it down and when I did I was thinking about this book. Set in a dystopian/post apocalyptic time in the world with monsters “shivers”. I highly recommend and perfect for spooky season!!!

A future where survivors live on cricket meal for food is the least of their worries. The afflicted are exiled to the badlands with a cheery bon voyage and promises of a better life. One where they can be free and happy. Anthem is employed as The Exilist and it is his job to get that person and their Shiver/monster to the other side before it turns its attention beyond the host.
I wasnt expecting this book to trap me as much as it did. I still get the creeps when I think about the Shiver and how it devoured its host. Apart from the horror side of things the story highlighted how extreme situations bring out the best and worst in people. I loved it and felt the author did a fantastic job to create such a consuming horror tale.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of the advance review version of this dystopian horror story .

Ughhhhh this…was so good…I’m speechless…The Shivers encapsulates the crushing weight of mental illness set in an unsettling dystopian world.

“The Monsters in Our Shadows” is a horror dystopian book by Edward J. Cembal. This book had a great premise, but for me there were a number of unanswered questions that I really wanted answered. This book took a while to get the main story rolling. I found the writing a bit repetitive and feel this could use another round (or two) of editing for consistency (is it raining or is it not?). While I think the world building was okay, I wish that this book had dove deeper into this world. Overall, this book was okay but it could have been a lot stronger.

Ravenous shivers are haunting the last of humanity. The Monsters in our Shadows delivers a dystopian world full of malevolence, threat and hopelessness. The plot is full of mystery and intrigue. The start is slow and it creeps up in pace to an epic showdown. I loved the underlying message about confronting our darkness. The shivers are vividly described and terrifying, they are also not the only monsters present. The main character is well-written, I liked his morals and inner dialogue. There are other characters but this is definitely his story and development. I think this book has a lot of offer readers, there’s science fiction elements, horror, gore, mystery and the paranormal. Since finishing it I keep thinking about it, the signs of a great read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

I received this book as an ARC. This is not my typical read but I was happy to read a book by a Canadian author. I really enjoyed this book. The world building was well done- the descriptions allowed me to fully envision the world of this story.

I found myself feeling a little scared while reading, especially when I was reading alone in the dark. The monsters in the story were such a mystery and I enjoyed how we slowly began to learn more about them. I would be very interested to see how the author envisioned them to look.

Overall this book was a great read. The writing is done very well and the story was engaging throughout.

The Monsters in Our Shadows, by Edward J. Cembal, is a dystopian, paranormal horror novel set sometime in the not too distant future. This story is a creative plot about the extinction of humanity caused by predation of what people come to call “shivers.” Indeed, these creatures, or entities, do make one shiver in fear. Shivers are a mystery that people try to shun and avoid talking about. Some people are afflicted with shivers, and it is a bad stigma, as though the afflicted somehow deserve their fate.

The cover of this book may have affected my perception of this novel, because it looks like a Rorschach test. I felt that the plot contained symbolism for confronting mental fears, such as fear of the unknown, and finding a way forward when life gets depressing and scary. Incidentally, the afflicted people in this novel did not have identical shivers.

This story is a memorable one for me, even though I felt that the character development and background information were thinner than I typically like in a novel. Also, I thought that the pacing was a bit uneven and I was left with a few questions. Though this was out of my usual comfort zone, it was an interesting read for me. Thank you very much to Netgalley and Book Whisperer for the opportunity to review this creative novel.

Publication Day 9/16/2023
The Monsters in Our Shadows by Edward J. Cembal is the kind of dystopian horror novel that is nothing short of cinematic. The Shiver is an original and horrifying monster that afflicts those who live in the walled city of Atlas. “Humanity was on the edge of extinction. Death and horror were all that remained.” Most people have a Shiver. It is a monster that lies in the dark corners and waits in hunger until it can wait no more and consumes its host. The words used to describe the Shiver are so real. You can hear its mouth open and the wet fleshy sounds it makes as it comes closer and closer to the host.
Our main character, Atlas, is the Exilist. His job it to take the afflicted individual and their Shiver and place them outside of the walls before the host is consumed. This job is daunting and dangerous. It is emotionally and physically exhausting. However, generations inside the walls have passed with no one seeming to learn anything about how rid the community of this monster. Atlas wants to solve a bigger problem.
The community is led to believe that nothing good can happen outside the wall and their fearless leader, The Architect, is the only one who can save them. The citizens of Atlas have become dependent on a drug that is no longer available, which means that new plans need to be made. Y’all I could talk about this book all day. It is suffocating, scary and somehow engages all your senses and you are able to smell, hear and see what Atlas smells. This is a book that you will not forget.
I read all the way through to learn more about the author. Turns out this is set for a movie, and I can totally see why. I also learned that our author, Edward J. Cembal, suffers from Muscular Dystrophy. After reading some of the other reviews, I find it interesting how people can relate in different ways to The Shiver by the end of the book. This is a must read.

This isn’t the type of book that I would usually read, but something just told me this was going to be a great story. And boy was I right. This quickly and easily became the best book I have ever read. I mean, the monsters in our shadows? We all have them, right? And this book not only makes you think about them in a new light, but also teaches you to embrace them. I sympathized with Anthem the whole way through his journey, and shed tears with him along the way. I was on the edge of my seat rooting for him as things kept going wrong, holding my breath when surely you thought “eh, maybe he doesn’t make it”, clenching my jaw when “the truth came to light”, and left gasping and screaming the whole way through it all. This book will stay will me for years and I urge literally everyone to give it a try.

Set in a dystopian/post-apocalyptic world, you have a small civilization of people living in Atlas, where MMC Anthem lives a primarily solitary life working as an Exilist. Now, in this world you are likely to develop a “Shiver”. Shivers are terrifying monsters that live in your shadow, growing over time until they are ready to fully consume you - literally. Anthem’s job is to get to you before this happens so that when you are being consumed he can chuck you out of the city as nicely as possible and save everyone else from your Shiver as it will turn onto others once eaten its original host. Now, what happens when the city runs out of the drug that makes this whole process somewhat humane? Or when the Exilist’s own Shiver can no longer be ignored? Here is where Anthem leaves the safety of the city to enter the “Deadlands” to essentially try to save civilization and find a way to live with these monsters.

I watch a lot of post-apocalyptic movies/TV, but I don’t often read this type of story so this was a different experience for me and definitely hit the mark - it’s exciting to hear that it’s being made into a movie. There was some really creepy/graphic imagery in here that felt truly horrific (in a good way haha). I also really appreciated the deeper messages the author tackled with depression and accepting our darkness. Overall would recommend to horror lovers who enjoy those dystopian/post-apocalyptic landscapes. And, yayyy, Canadian author!

Thank you NetGalley for this read.

Just perfect for spooky season, I did like the perspective of this book and the mystical part of it.. Supernatural indeed, this is perfect for spooky season, I know I was definitely scared while I was reading this one