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Monsters In Masquerade
Step into the shadows with Monsters In Masquerade, the first book in OwlCrate Press's anthology series, The Darkset Chronicles.
In these pages, myths are reborn, monsters roam unchecked, and love flickers as the only light in the dark. This haunting collection of 16 stories weaves together myth, horror, and romance, each tale designed to linger long after the last page.
Imagine Once Upon a Time meets Penny Dreadful—where legends from various cultures are reimagined by an extraordinary roster of best selling, emerging and brand new authors, including Isabel Cañas, Angela Montoya, Sami Ellis, Gabi Burton, Robin Alvarez, Megan LaCroix, Amanda M. Helander, A.Y. Chao, Vanessa Molina, Ann K. Reeves, Fatima Taqvi, Carolyn Ivancic, Hayden Stone, Cat Rector, Sarah Mughal Rana, and Jordan Fleming.
So dim the lights, grab a drink, and step into our Masquerade.
In these pages, myths are reborn, monsters roam unchecked, and love flickers as the only light in the dark. This haunting collection of 16 stories weaves together myth, horror, and romance, each tale designed to linger long after the last page.
Imagine Once Upon a Time meets Penny Dreadful—where legends from various cultures are reimagined by an extraordinary roster of best selling, emerging and brand new authors, including Isabel Cañas, Angela Montoya, Sami Ellis, Gabi Burton, Robin Alvarez, Megan LaCroix, Amanda M. Helander, A.Y. Chao, Vanessa Molina, Ann K. Reeves, Fatima Taqvi, Carolyn Ivancic, Hayden Stone, Cat Rector, Sarah Mughal Rana, and Jordan Fleming.
So dim the lights, grab a drink, and step into our Masquerade.
422 pages, Hardcover
First published April 8, 2025
24 people are currently reading
2087 people want to read
About the author
Robin Alvarez
4 books193 followersRobin Alvarez is the author of the #1 New Release YA Ethnic Fairy Tale When Oceans Rise. Strong female characters, mythological creatures, and a mixed-race perspective are staples of her work. While she's spent the majority of her life in beach towns, having almost drowned several times, she currently resides in a desert where the waters are less likely to kill her.
Robin's work has been featured on OwlCrate, ABC, NBC, and CBS news affiliates.
Robin's work has been featured on OwlCrate, ABC, NBC, and CBS news affiliates.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
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September 10, 2024
April 16, 2025
My short story, The Draw of Luminous Things, is in great company in this anthology. There's something in here for readers of all kinds. As a dark fantasy horror anthology with spice, I think each story plays to a strength within those genres, each coming at the prompt of monsters in masquerade from a unique angle. Some put the focus on the spice, some on the darkness, and some on the fantasy. All of them are heartfelt and bring something special to the collection.
My personal favourites were Absinthe House by Megan LaCroix (a slowly unravelling story of death, roaring 20s style), The Last Night of Mourning by Gabi Burton (betrayal, corruption, and dark magic), and She Blooms At Night by Ann K. Reeves (vampirism, confinement, and a desire for freedom of all kinds)
I can't wait until my copies arrive and I can see the beauty of probably the fanciest book I'll ever be part of!
My personal favourites were Absinthe House by Megan LaCroix (a slowly unravelling story of death, roaring 20s style), The Last Night of Mourning by Gabi Burton (betrayal, corruption, and dark magic), and She Blooms At Night by Ann K. Reeves (vampirism, confinement, and a desire for freedom of all kinds)
I can't wait until my copies arrive and I can see the beauty of probably the fanciest book I'll ever be part of!
September 10, 2024
Our first book, y'all I cannot even 😭
I am so proud and appreviative of all the folks who wrote, edited and crafted this book into reality. They are the true rockstars.
I am so proud and appreviative of all the folks who wrote, edited and crafted this book into reality. They are the true rockstars.
December 3, 2024
Look what we made!! 🥹
December 2, 2024
Thank you to Owlcrate for the ARC I received to review.
A wonderful anthology of fantastical horror short stories centered around the main theme of hidden (and not so hidden) monsters. They all paint vivid atmospheres from compelling narratives. The settings, characters and worldbuilding/mythos are diverse and sample from a wide variety of cultures/lore and history. There is at least one story in here for everyone. I enjoyed reading pretty much all of them.
Kudos to the authors and editors for keeping the writing high quality and consistent. I also loved the art piece featured for each story. The length of each story is relatively short and tight, which works well for most of them. There are a few stories that I feel would have benefited from a slightly longer word count, particularly when a character or certain worldbuilding aspects could be better depicted if it had had the time to breathe.
Overall, I would totally recommend this book to anyone looking to read about monsters and the macabre with a little spice. Just be mindful of the content warnings!
A wonderful anthology of fantastical horror short stories centered around the main theme of hidden (and not so hidden) monsters. They all paint vivid atmospheres from compelling narratives. The settings, characters and worldbuilding/mythos are diverse and sample from a wide variety of cultures/lore and history. There is at least one story in here for everyone. I enjoyed reading pretty much all of them.
Kudos to the authors and editors for keeping the writing high quality and consistent. I also loved the art piece featured for each story. The length of each story is relatively short and tight, which works well for most of them. There are a few stories that I feel would have benefited from a slightly longer word count, particularly when a character or certain worldbuilding aspects could be better depicted if it had had the time to breathe.
Overall, I would totally recommend this book to anyone looking to read about monsters and the macabre with a little spice. Just be mindful of the content warnings!
July 22, 2025
Absolutely gorgeous special edition from Owlcrate. I loved the atmosphere of the short stories, and the overall themes tied together nicely. I really liked the pacing of all of them, but Carolyn Ivancic’s really stood out to me. The atmosphere she could fit into a short story is incredibly impressive. Loved this collection and can’t wait for the next Owlcrate Press release of anthologies!
December 2, 2024
This haunting collection of 16 stories combines myth, horror, and romance. Each tale is designed to linger long after the last page is read, and it does deliver. These short stories are all different yet haunting in their own way.
Once Upon a Time meets Penny Dreadful. These short stories are written from various cultures and this certainly delivers which I find refreshing. They are reimagined by an extraordinary roster of bestselling, emerging, and brand-new authors, including Isabel Cañas, Angela Montoya, Sami Ellis, Gabi Burton, Robin Alvarez, Megan LaCroix, Amanda M. Helander, A.Y. Chao, Vanessa Molina, Ann K. Reeves, Fatima Taqvi, Carolyn Ivancic, Hayden Stone, Cat Rector, Sarah Mughal Rana, and Jordan Fleming.
My favorite thing about this book is the poem in the dedication written by one of the authors and contributors in the making of this book, Jordan. This poem was written by her grandmother and I love it.
“I’ve seen a thousand fires,
Each has called my name;
And every time I die in smoke,
I rise again in flame.”
This is a menagerie of stories so I cannot review each without giving away too much since they are short stories, just know that they all have a different tale to tell and are all special in their creepy wonderful way. It's been a while since I read an anthology and was not disappointed. I look forward to getting the hard copy of this book.
This book is set to release on 12/16/2024 just in time for Christmas. I was honored to receive an ARC of this book before release for review.
Once Upon a Time meets Penny Dreadful. These short stories are written from various cultures and this certainly delivers which I find refreshing. They are reimagined by an extraordinary roster of bestselling, emerging, and brand-new authors, including Isabel Cañas, Angela Montoya, Sami Ellis, Gabi Burton, Robin Alvarez, Megan LaCroix, Amanda M. Helander, A.Y. Chao, Vanessa Molina, Ann K. Reeves, Fatima Taqvi, Carolyn Ivancic, Hayden Stone, Cat Rector, Sarah Mughal Rana, and Jordan Fleming.
My favorite thing about this book is the poem in the dedication written by one of the authors and contributors in the making of this book, Jordan. This poem was written by her grandmother and I love it.
“I’ve seen a thousand fires,
Each has called my name;
And every time I die in smoke,
I rise again in flame.”
This is a menagerie of stories so I cannot review each without giving away too much since they are short stories, just know that they all have a different tale to tell and are all special in their creepy wonderful way. It's been a while since I read an anthology and was not disappointed. I look forward to getting the hard copy of this book.
This book is set to release on 12/16/2024 just in time for Christmas. I was honored to receive an ARC of this book before release for review.
December 29, 2024
First off, thank you to Owlcrate, Owlcrate Press, and Jordan Fleming for an advanced copy of this anthology!
With any short story collection, I always expect a mixed bag, with some middling, some uninteresting, and some really good stories. I thought overall that this collection had a lot of solid stories, and I honestly had a good time reading through most of them! What I liked was at the heart of every story, the theme of monsters existing in every walks of life--whether within the protagonist themselves or in those unsuspecting around them-- resounded across the board. I could see why they fit in this anthology where they did.
There were some stories that I was really sad to have said goodbye to at the end, especially because I could definitely see them being turned into a longer novel! Personal favorites were "Juniper Crown of Fae" by Sara Mughal Rana, "A Terrible Beauty" by Hayden Stone, "Venetian Sunrise" by A.Y. Chao, and "Eva and the Devil" by Isabel Canas. There were certainly a lot more stories that I liked and wished could have an expansion, and if ever the authors choose to go back to these stories, you can BET I will willingly come running to read them. But y'all, the way Chao broke my soul and Canas put it back together again on those last two stories though. What a way to end the anthology.
With any short story collection, I always expect a mixed bag, with some middling, some uninteresting, and some really good stories. I thought overall that this collection had a lot of solid stories, and I honestly had a good time reading through most of them! What I liked was at the heart of every story, the theme of monsters existing in every walks of life--whether within the protagonist themselves or in those unsuspecting around them-- resounded across the board. I could see why they fit in this anthology where they did.
There were some stories that I was really sad to have said goodbye to at the end, especially because I could definitely see them being turned into a longer novel! Personal favorites were "Juniper Crown of Fae" by Sara Mughal Rana, "A Terrible Beauty" by Hayden Stone, "Venetian Sunrise" by A.Y. Chao, and "Eva and the Devil" by Isabel Canas. There were certainly a lot more stories that I liked and wished could have an expansion, and if ever the authors choose to go back to these stories, you can BET I will willingly come running to read them. But y'all, the way Chao broke my soul and Canas put it back together again on those last two stories though. What a way to end the anthology.
November 30, 2024
An anthology comprised of authors old and new using the same prompt: Monsters in Masquerade. Out of hundreds of submissions, here are the favorites from the OwlCrate team. Packed full of culture from so many different communities, this anthology is not one to miss.
Forget Me Not:
I really enjoyed this story, the twists and turns had me fascinated and curious through the entire story. It didn’t drag, and it didn’t move too fast which is impressive to accomplish as a writer.
This is a Witch Hunt:
I really enjoyed how the author took the prompt with this short story. Making the story set in present times in real places sets this story apart from the others. I also enjoyed how the author incorporates aspects of her own life into the story.
The Misery Games:
Wow. This story is beautiful in the most horrific way possible. I love the concept that the author came up with and she really ran with it, weaving life lessons and culture throughout seamlessly. I want to say more but am not going to because of spoilers.
She Blooms at Night:
This story was a new kind of vampire story in the best possible way. With an ‘eat the rich’ feeling, this story brought ideas from both reality and fantasy together to form an all new story. I loved reading this story, wondering what was going to happen next with each page turn. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next.
The Botanist’s Daughter:
This story begs the question- what is considered a monster? who is the monster here? it is a classic frankenstein vs frankenstein’s monster situation. i loved this story so much, its mexican roots, the magic coursing through this stories veins, everything.,
Juniper Crown of the Fae:
This story was so wintery and fun to read. A story based off myth and mythology and saving one’s home. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and adventuring through fae lands.
Absinthe House:
A story more different than the rest, of birthdays and laughter and celebration with undertones of voices creeping in the dark. I enjoyed reading this one so much! It kept me on my toes the entire time, I had no idea on where the story was going to go which made it so much more enjoyable.
Portrait of the Arcane:
A combination of every book lover’s dream and nightmare all in one woven in an incredible tale of love, loss, music, and books. This story is less horrific than the rest physically but still fits in incredibly well with them. I love the difference and depth this story gives to the collection as a whole.
A Terrible Beauty:
A story about good vs evil in the most sexy ways possible. Like who could’ve seen a one night stand with the devil coming? Either way, the story had an amazing first line and I knew I would love it from that first line- and I did!
Go and Ask the Dead:
Culture intwines with horror and fantasy throughout this story. A quick simple read while still being super interesting and fun.
A Little Death:
The main character in this story is nonbinary, just like the author, and that made me way more excited than it probably should’ve. The more I read the happier I was because you just don’t see a story with a nonbinary character that isn’t coming of age.
A Draw of Luminous Things:
A luminous (pun intended) story flapping around the barriers of horror and monsters. I really enjoyed reading this story! I mean every time I’m reading this I’m shocked to believe how you found such amazing writers for this collection.
My Heart With You:
A story about love and romance and mental health struggles. I love seeing all the different types of representation these stories have. Horror is one of those genres where you don’t see a ton of representation so seeing so much makes me so happy.
The Last Night of Mourning:
A classic masquerade story full of love and monsters. I know that masquerade is in the name, but this is one of few stories that have an actual masquerade ball involved. I love how the author took the prompt fully at some points and took creative liberty at others.
Venetian Sunrise:
A story about darkness and light, monsters and hero’s. Another story going over what constitutes a monster- and that theme fascinates me so much - which makes this story so great. And this collection so great as a whole since there’re so many opinions in one book.
Eva and the Devil:
I loved reading this short story by one of my favorite authors. It’s full of Spanish culture and so much more. It’s amazing.
Forget Me Not:
I really enjoyed this story, the twists and turns had me fascinated and curious through the entire story. It didn’t drag, and it didn’t move too fast which is impressive to accomplish as a writer.
This is a Witch Hunt:
I really enjoyed how the author took the prompt with this short story. Making the story set in present times in real places sets this story apart from the others. I also enjoyed how the author incorporates aspects of her own life into the story.
The Misery Games:
Wow. This story is beautiful in the most horrific way possible. I love the concept that the author came up with and she really ran with it, weaving life lessons and culture throughout seamlessly. I want to say more but am not going to because of spoilers.
She Blooms at Night:
This story was a new kind of vampire story in the best possible way. With an ‘eat the rich’ feeling, this story brought ideas from both reality and fantasy together to form an all new story. I loved reading this story, wondering what was going to happen next with each page turn. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next.
The Botanist’s Daughter:
This story begs the question- what is considered a monster? who is the monster here? it is a classic frankenstein vs frankenstein’s monster situation. i loved this story so much, its mexican roots, the magic coursing through this stories veins, everything.,
Juniper Crown of the Fae:
This story was so wintery and fun to read. A story based off myth and mythology and saving one’s home. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and adventuring through fae lands.
Absinthe House:
A story more different than the rest, of birthdays and laughter and celebration with undertones of voices creeping in the dark. I enjoyed reading this one so much! It kept me on my toes the entire time, I had no idea on where the story was going to go which made it so much more enjoyable.
Portrait of the Arcane:
A combination of every book lover’s dream and nightmare all in one woven in an incredible tale of love, loss, music, and books. This story is less horrific than the rest physically but still fits in incredibly well with them. I love the difference and depth this story gives to the collection as a whole.
A Terrible Beauty:
A story about good vs evil in the most sexy ways possible. Like who could’ve seen a one night stand with the devil coming? Either way, the story had an amazing first line and I knew I would love it from that first line- and I did!
Go and Ask the Dead:
Culture intwines with horror and fantasy throughout this story. A quick simple read while still being super interesting and fun.
A Little Death:
The main character in this story is nonbinary, just like the author, and that made me way more excited than it probably should’ve. The more I read the happier I was because you just don’t see a story with a nonbinary character that isn’t coming of age.
A Draw of Luminous Things:
A luminous (pun intended) story flapping around the barriers of horror and monsters. I really enjoyed reading this story! I mean every time I’m reading this I’m shocked to believe how you found such amazing writers for this collection.
My Heart With You:
A story about love and romance and mental health struggles. I love seeing all the different types of representation these stories have. Horror is one of those genres where you don’t see a ton of representation so seeing so much makes me so happy.
The Last Night of Mourning:
A classic masquerade story full of love and monsters. I know that masquerade is in the name, but this is one of few stories that have an actual masquerade ball involved. I love how the author took the prompt fully at some points and took creative liberty at others.
Venetian Sunrise:
A story about darkness and light, monsters and hero’s. Another story going over what constitutes a monster- and that theme fascinates me so much - which makes this story so great. And this collection so great as a whole since there’re so many opinions in one book.
Eva and the Devil:
I loved reading this short story by one of my favorite authors. It’s full of Spanish culture and so much more. It’s amazing.
December 2, 2024
Key words: haunting, enchanting, heartwarming, heartbreaking, devastating, captivating
I start with the bad: it’s a collection of 16 short stories, but after finishing them I wished I had a collection of 16 full length novels. Of course each worked perfectly well as a short story, but I always wished I could spend more time with it, with the characters, the worlds, the cultures. So I marked for myself names of all the writers, so I can check more of their work.
The thing I enjoyed the most was the diversity of the stories - all the cultures presented, but also styles. The writers had one prompt, but came up with a variety of stories: romance, personal growth, grief, trauma, sacrifice… and even a murder mystery!
Do I think every story was perfect? No, of course not, but each of them had a way to get stuck in my mind making me think about it long after I finished it. And that’s something I’ve always appreciated above anything else. It’s also why I would recommend reading this book slowly, each story separately and letting yourself savour each one for as long as possible. I on the other hand devoured the entire collection like a hungry hippo 📖 🦛 yum.
Thanks for the opportunity to read the arc of this book!
I start with the bad: it’s a collection of 16 short stories, but after finishing them I wished I had a collection of 16 full length novels. Of course each worked perfectly well as a short story, but I always wished I could spend more time with it, with the characters, the worlds, the cultures. So I marked for myself names of all the writers, so I can check more of their work.
The thing I enjoyed the most was the diversity of the stories - all the cultures presented, but also styles. The writers had one prompt, but came up with a variety of stories: romance, personal growth, grief, trauma, sacrifice… and even a murder mystery!
Do I think every story was perfect? No, of course not, but each of them had a way to get stuck in my mind making me think about it long after I finished it. And that’s something I’ve always appreciated above anything else. It’s also why I would recommend reading this book slowly, each story separately and letting yourself savour each one for as long as possible. I on the other hand devoured the entire collection like a hungry hippo 📖 🦛 yum.
Thanks for the opportunity to read the arc of this book!
October 21, 2025
Read: October 14th - October 20th
Format: Physical Book
Rating: 4 stars
Okay, this is where I admit I didn't actually read all of this book. BUT! I read over half the stories, so I'm going to say it counts. First off, anthologies/short stories are not my thing. But this is a horror one, and it is spoopy season, plus a friend of mine has a story in this anthology, so I read it anyway. But I was picky and only read the ones that sounded interesting to me (or, well, looked, as I went by the accompanying art and the first couple of paragraphs). There were some really good ones that have me wanting to check out the authors. The Juniper Crown one in particular stood out to me. Always gotta love fae being fae.
And shout out to Ann K. Reeves for being in this! Was so awesome getting to read her stuff on paper, and it was an awesome short story at that! Very fun and monstrous horror stuff :D
So this was all pretty good, but I think people who vibe with anthologies/short stories will probably enjoy this a lot more than I did.
Format: Physical Book
Rating: 4 stars
Okay, this is where I admit I didn't actually read all of this book. BUT! I read over half the stories, so I'm going to say it counts. First off, anthologies/short stories are not my thing. But this is a horror one, and it is spoopy season, plus a friend of mine has a story in this anthology, so I read it anyway. But I was picky and only read the ones that sounded interesting to me (or, well, looked, as I went by the accompanying art and the first couple of paragraphs). There were some really good ones that have me wanting to check out the authors. The Juniper Crown one in particular stood out to me. Always gotta love fae being fae.
And shout out to Ann K. Reeves for being in this! Was so awesome getting to read her stuff on paper, and it was an awesome short story at that! Very fun and monstrous horror stuff :D
So this was all pretty good, but I think people who vibe with anthologies/short stories will probably enjoy this a lot more than I did.
May 24, 2025
I read “She Blooms At Night” first and it is amazing!! Ann K. Reeves is awesome! I cannot wait to read more of her work as this was her first published story and it was excellent!!
Want to read
September 10, 2024I can wait to read this book. I have been anticipating it since OwlCrate first announced it.
September 11, 2024
I can’t wait!
October 16, 2025
I was SO EXCITED FOR THIS. The cover?? Beautiful. The stenciled edges? Gorgeous. The art inside? Not bad, honestly wasn't very excited about it as the proportions were often wonky and the people looked kinda.. ugly. But the stories?? Left a lot to be desired. I was honestly so let down by this, Owlcrate.
By the cover, I was expecting some truly deliciously dark and enticing stories with romance swirled within the horror. But I should have never judged a book by it's cover. I want to make some broad grievances known before I get into specifics.
One, a lot of these stories did indeed read like someone's first published work. The storybuilding varied vastly from author to author and too often did the writing fall flat. The monsters didn't feel truly monstrous (I thought we were going to have a lot more morally grey monsters we all know and love) but we often just got a guy that we labeled as evil. The romances often felt underdeveloped and the sex scenes often felt forced and shoved into the story for funsies. I understand this book is 415 pages and has 16 stories in it.. but because these stories were so restricted by pages I really think they suffered. It takes a certain writer to be able to tell short stories effectively that really impact you. Also.... THESE STORIES WERE NOT SCARY. I understand romance was a big theme here too but if you're marketing this as a horror anthology I expect the stories to be genuinely scary. One was literally just sad because it was a ghost husband trying to help his living wife move on... just because it has a supernatural element doesn't make it scary. But, let me get into some specifics.
First, what stories did I really enjoy?? "This is a Witch Hunt", "She Blooms at Night", "The Botanist's Daughter", "The Draw of Luminous Things", and "The Last Night of Mourning." These stories had interesting concepts that I wouldn't mind reading more about. Sure, most of these weren't really scary and I wasn't really bought into their romances and the characters themselves. But they were solid enough and were fairly interesting. The other 11 stories... not so much.
Some of them just expected me to buy into the characters and their stakes and romances even when I had nothing to go off of. They dragged on and I struggled to really care, ESPECIALLY when they were not horror. Just included supernatural elements with none of the horror. And sometimes the characters were so STUPID. But the worst offender of them all? "A Terrible Beauty". What the actual hell was this story. It gave no answers to any of the reason for the angels, for Lucifer, just that the main guy was just so beautiful and had beautiful art... like okay. And the sex scenes??? Why!!!! Barely any of this story was horrific, the only part that was a bit spooky was the dancers contorting in Lucifer's domain. ALSO ALL THE CHARACTER TALKS ABOUT IT GABE. WE GET IT, HES BEAUTIFUL AND YOU'RE HORNY. WHY. SHOULD. I. CARE???? and they main character like "all I wanna do is drink and fuck" JESUS. Considering this is the only story that has an explicitly man x man pairing (the other was nonbinary x man) I was expecting a lot more out of this story than this. You can still do the artist and the angel.. without making it all edgey and icky.
Anyways, I am just disappointed tbh. I don't know if I will buy their other anthology if this book was just romantasy masquerading as horror.
By the cover, I was expecting some truly deliciously dark and enticing stories with romance swirled within the horror. But I should have never judged a book by it's cover. I want to make some broad grievances known before I get into specifics.
One, a lot of these stories did indeed read like someone's first published work. The storybuilding varied vastly from author to author and too often did the writing fall flat. The monsters didn't feel truly monstrous (I thought we were going to have a lot more morally grey monsters we all know and love) but we often just got a guy that we labeled as evil. The romances often felt underdeveloped and the sex scenes often felt forced and shoved into the story for funsies. I understand this book is 415 pages and has 16 stories in it.. but because these stories were so restricted by pages I really think they suffered. It takes a certain writer to be able to tell short stories effectively that really impact you. Also.... THESE STORIES WERE NOT SCARY. I understand romance was a big theme here too but if you're marketing this as a horror anthology I expect the stories to be genuinely scary. One was literally just sad because it was a ghost husband trying to help his living wife move on... just because it has a supernatural element doesn't make it scary. But, let me get into some specifics.
First, what stories did I really enjoy?? "This is a Witch Hunt", "She Blooms at Night", "The Botanist's Daughter", "The Draw of Luminous Things", and "The Last Night of Mourning." These stories had interesting concepts that I wouldn't mind reading more about. Sure, most of these weren't really scary and I wasn't really bought into their romances and the characters themselves. But they were solid enough and were fairly interesting. The other 11 stories... not so much.
Some of them just expected me to buy into the characters and their stakes and romances even when I had nothing to go off of. They dragged on and I struggled to really care, ESPECIALLY when they were not horror. Just included supernatural elements with none of the horror. And sometimes the characters were so STUPID. But the worst offender of them all? "A Terrible Beauty". What the actual hell was this story. It gave no answers to any of the reason for the angels, for Lucifer, just that the main guy was just so beautiful and had beautiful art... like okay. And the sex scenes??? Why!!!! Barely any of this story was horrific, the only part that was a bit spooky was the dancers contorting in Lucifer's domain. ALSO ALL THE CHARACTER TALKS ABOUT IT GABE. WE GET IT, HES BEAUTIFUL AND YOU'RE HORNY. WHY. SHOULD. I. CARE???? and they main character like "all I wanna do is drink and fuck" JESUS. Considering this is the only story that has an explicitly man x man pairing (the other was nonbinary x man) I was expecting a lot more out of this story than this. You can still do the artist and the angel.. without making it all edgey and icky.
Anyways, I am just disappointed tbh. I don't know if I will buy their other anthology if this book was just romantasy masquerading as horror.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2024
4.5/5
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
"I'll be the one to decide my future from here on, even if it means my final death"
Monsters in Masquerade is a diverse collection of haunting short stories that explore a wide range of themes, from heart-wrenching tales of love and loss to spine-chilling horror. The anthology features a variety of writing styles, from straightforward narratives to more poetic and evocative prose.
Some of the standout stories include “The Misery Games” by Robin Alvarez, “She Blooms at Night” by Ann K. Reeves, “Absinthe House” by Megan LaCroix, “A Little Death” by Jordan Fleming, “Venetian Sunrise” by A.Y. Chao, and “Eva and the Devil” by Isabel Cañas. These stories are particularly effective in building suspense and delivering satisfying twists.
While the majority of the stories are well-written and engaging, a few could benefit from further development of their characters and plots. However, these minor shortcomings do not detract significantly from the overall quality of the anthology.
I highly recommend Monsters In Masquerade for all those who like some fantastical, spooky reads full of magic and a touch or two of spice. For readers who love a good mystery and may be a sucker or two for love. And for readers who want to write their own stories, but feel they must write a full novel to be a writer. May this serve as inspiration to just write, even if it's a short story, because some amazing stories can come in small packages.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
"I'll be the one to decide my future from here on, even if it means my final death"
Monsters in Masquerade is a diverse collection of haunting short stories that explore a wide range of themes, from heart-wrenching tales of love and loss to spine-chilling horror. The anthology features a variety of writing styles, from straightforward narratives to more poetic and evocative prose.
Some of the standout stories include “The Misery Games” by Robin Alvarez, “She Blooms at Night” by Ann K. Reeves, “Absinthe House” by Megan LaCroix, “A Little Death” by Jordan Fleming, “Venetian Sunrise” by A.Y. Chao, and “Eva and the Devil” by Isabel Cañas. These stories are particularly effective in building suspense and delivering satisfying twists.
While the majority of the stories are well-written and engaging, a few could benefit from further development of their characters and plots. However, these minor shortcomings do not detract significantly from the overall quality of the anthology.
I highly recommend Monsters In Masquerade for all those who like some fantastical, spooky reads full of magic and a touch or two of spice. For readers who love a good mystery and may be a sucker or two for love. And for readers who want to write their own stories, but feel they must write a full novel to be a writer. May this serve as inspiration to just write, even if it's a short story, because some amazing stories can come in small packages.
December 2, 2024
"Remember, a person is not always as they appear. Some monsters
hide in plain sight, and power always demands a sacrifice."
-A Little Death by Jordan Fleming
This anthology of 16 fantastical horror short stories delightfully illustrates the range and variety of this genre. Within these pages you’ll find high-stakes, deadly blooms, vampires, jinn, fae, spirits, ink, angels, magic, science, myths, and everything in between. Exploring topics of grief, trust, family, fate, love, and/or lust, these stories pack a punch and promise to linger in your thoughts. Some stories are extra spicy (explicit romance) while others have no spice. Some are extra bloody while others have little to no blood. Some have monsters you should fear and others will leave you cheering, after all, who really is the monster?
Overall this is an amazing anthology with such a good mix of stories it’s incredibly hard to pick a favorite story, but of course I’ll try because you’re going to ask. My favorites were She Blooms at Night by Ann K. Reeves, A Little Death by Jordan Fleming, Venetian Sunrise by A.Y. Chao and Eva and the Devil by Isabel Cañas. These ones especially stuck with me and cover a range of things that I really like in a story. Venetian Sunrise absolutely devastated me so there’s an extra warning, and also you should read it as soon as possible.
I will absolutely be writing a longer review and posting it on my blog, then updating here!
hide in plain sight, and power always demands a sacrifice."
-A Little Death by Jordan Fleming
This anthology of 16 fantastical horror short stories delightfully illustrates the range and variety of this genre. Within these pages you’ll find high-stakes, deadly blooms, vampires, jinn, fae, spirits, ink, angels, magic, science, myths, and everything in between. Exploring topics of grief, trust, family, fate, love, and/or lust, these stories pack a punch and promise to linger in your thoughts. Some stories are extra spicy (explicit romance) while others have no spice. Some are extra bloody while others have little to no blood. Some have monsters you should fear and others will leave you cheering, after all, who really is the monster?
Overall this is an amazing anthology with such a good mix of stories it’s incredibly hard to pick a favorite story, but of course I’ll try because you’re going to ask. My favorites were She Blooms at Night by Ann K. Reeves, A Little Death by Jordan Fleming, Venetian Sunrise by A.Y. Chao and Eva and the Devil by Isabel Cañas. These ones especially stuck with me and cover a range of things that I really like in a story. Venetian Sunrise absolutely devastated me so there’s an extra warning, and also you should read it as soon as possible.
I will absolutely be writing a longer review and posting it on my blog, then updating here!
December 3, 2024
Midnight Masquerade is OwlCrate Press’ first anthology, and it is almost completely 5 stars across the board for me.
This anthology includes 16 unique stories from a variety of authors. They all bring their own voices and cultures to tales from enchanting fae to terrifying demons and evil magicians to flowery Frankensteins.
PROS:
🩸Each author brings a unique voice and perspective to what a monster or horror story truly can be
🩸Some of these stories have just a touch of spice that is pretty nice.
🩸Horror is pretty nice for the Holiday season (or any season)
🩸The stories are jam packed full of world and character building. It is insane. Every one of these could evolve into a novella or full blooded novel and take my money tomorrow.
CONS:
🩸The character and world building being so dense can make your skin itch for more. It is just mildly frustrating at times. But in a good way.
Stories ranged from 3 to 5 stars for me, but overall…
🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸 out of five buckets full of blood
#MonstersInMasquerade #DarksetChronicles #OwlCratePress #ARCsquad #OwlCrate
This anthology includes 16 unique stories from a variety of authors. They all bring their own voices and cultures to tales from enchanting fae to terrifying demons and evil magicians to flowery Frankensteins.
PROS:
🩸Each author brings a unique voice and perspective to what a monster or horror story truly can be
🩸Some of these stories have just a touch of spice that is pretty nice.
🩸Horror is pretty nice for the Holiday season (or any season)
🩸The stories are jam packed full of world and character building. It is insane. Every one of these could evolve into a novella or full blooded novel and take my money tomorrow.
CONS:
🩸The character and world building being so dense can make your skin itch for more. It is just mildly frustrating at times. But in a good way.
Stories ranged from 3 to 5 stars for me, but overall…
🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸 out of five buckets full of blood
#MonstersInMasquerade #DarksetChronicles #OwlCratePress #ARCsquad #OwlCrate
June 3, 2025
This book was a very good read. A lot of different stories with flushed out characters and no story was quite like the others. I loved SO many of them and “Juniper Crown of the Fae” was one of my absolute favorites. I wished that it were its own book. 😂 I think out of all of them, there were only three that I wasn’t extremely interested in. Just wasn’t something I would typically read but one of them didn’t align with my beliefs religiously. Pertaining to angels being a specific way, but everyone has their own cup of tea and so I just skipped that one! I am hoping another will be made sometime in the near future and I am very excited to read it! 🫶🏻 Thank you all for your dedication to these stories. 😊
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2025
Like most anthologies there are stories I enjoyed more and others I wasn't as fond of but I do also think this had a few that could have been fleshed out a little more. I also thought that the book could have flowed a little better as you progress through the stories. Overall though this is a well done collection with an interesting theme. i hope Owlcrate continues to do more anthologies like this, beautifully crafted and well themed.
December 1, 2024
This was such an amazingly put together anthology and I absolutely devoured it! The stories all dealt with the main theme of monsters in masquerade, but they all had such unique spins on them. I honestly can’t pick a favorite and just enjoyed the overall vibe of this collection. Would highly recommend it! Thank you so much to the OwlCrate team for the ARC of this story.
May 23, 2025
A solid fantasy horror anthology. Sometimes short story collections can take me ages to read, but I flew through this one. The order of the stories was cohesive and engaging. There were a few standouts and many good ones, with only a handful of "what did I just read?" Great if you're into melding horror into your fantasy stories.
November 2, 2025
I absolutely loved this collection of short stories! You can tell how much thought and care went into putting this anthology together. I really appreciate the diversity throughout the book, and that the editor was intentional in keeping the voice of the author in each story. I am excited to check out the other works of the authors featured in this book, and I’m now counting down until OwlCrate releases “Future States of Stars” ✨
November 24, 2025
Monsters in Masquerade is Owlcrate's first anthology book, and WOW, was it a GREAT one!!!! This anthology held 16 VERY INTERESTING stories, many in which I will remember and would love to see more of!!!! With any collection book, there will be some stories you love more than others...but I found myself invested in ALL of them!!!! 4.5 rounded up to 5 STARS!!!!!
November 30, 2024
It's a wild ride, y'all - some of the stories made me laugh, some made me swoon, one even made me cry. Some are grotesque, others are spooky, all are macabre, and each contains a dash (or more!) of romance.
Full review to come as soon as I've organized my notes!
Full review to come as soon as I've organized my notes!
September 10, 2024
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Want to read
September 10, 2024Omg I'm so excited to read this
October 30, 2024
I am so proud of my story “Eva and the Devil” in Monsters in Masquerade! I adored writing it and cannot WAIT to share the whole anthology with the world. 🖤
November 1, 2024
I edited this book, so it's safe to say I love all the stories. I hope you will too!
September 2, 2025
I enjoyed it. I don't tend to read a lot of short stories, so this was very fun/interesting.
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