The Creature Keepers

by Nadiah Zakaria

At the Creature Keepers coffee shop, everything thrives on routine.

Marla runs the coffee shop with the help of her creatures. Each item on the menu treats various illnesses, and it is up to Marla to ensure that everything is perfect every day. Even when she is slowly breaking on the inside, and no one notices.

Bakti is the grandson of a clockmaker from the city of Sri Perak. When his creature suddenly stops time with a single sneeze, Bakti is forced to find a healer that he can afford.

What happens when Bakti’s genuine need for help unearths memories long buried? Will the Creature Keepers survive the chaos that unfolds, or will the mask Marla struggles to keep on finally break, allowing her friends to see past her pretenses for the first time?

Genres: Fantasy

128 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2026

About the author

Nadiah is a Malaysian dark fantasy and horror author.

Reviews

[nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

can i pet that dawg

[Lyana A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that Nadiah proves she has nothing against happy endings 🫶🏼

[✨ sufina ✨ (thebadassreader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

whatever nadiah writes, I'll eat it up, eat it eat it up. i beta read this twice, so I'm gonna count it idc. proper review once I've read the final piece <3

[Aleeqa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Creatures Keeper by Nadiah Zakaria tells the story of Marla, an orphan who takes over her parents' cafe after their death. The cafe is not an ordinary cafe. The pastries and ‘kuih’ served at the cafe have special properties that can heal sick creatures.
On the surface, this book appeared as a cosy, whimsical and charming fantasy. However, as we go deeper into the story, I feel the cosy set-up is a mask, just like the mask that Marla put on when she welcomed customers into her cafe. The story touches on one’s emotional and mental well-being. How a person who seems fine, is battling a battle that we can’t see or even refuse to see.

In this story, Marla is struggling by herself. She was still grieving the death of her parents but had to act tough and move on with life. The villagers come to Creatures Keeper to find a cure and comfort for their creatures and themselves, but they can’t seem to see that Marla herself needs comfort and attention. She was screaming inside, but it felt like her voice couldn’t reach the people around her. Even Brennan, who is close to Marla oblivious to Marla’s crying for help. That is until Bakti, a boy from the place that Marla despised most, came to seek Marla’s help. Marla, who is like a ticking time bomb, exploded, and all her trouble and grievances spilt.

I have trouble writing a review for this novella. When I start reading the book, I’m enjoying the cosiness and whimsical setting. I love Fantastic Beasts, and this story reminded me of it. But as I read further, I feel like something is crushing on my heart. I know we all have our own struggles and are battling something that only we know. We want to keep it to ourselves, but at the same time, we want to be seen. We want to be heard, but at the same time, not judged. We want to live, but also gone so the pain is no more. We hide our struggle with a smile on our faces, and hope tomorrow will be either better or tomorrow will be our end.

As I reached the end of the story, the heaviness I felt lifted a little. I’m glad things turned out the best for Marla. Her ending gave hope that all is not lost.

[Meg Chia (bibliophilogy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“the creature keeper’s coffee club” needs to be a sequel i think this is my fav nadiah book to date!!?? I LOVE THE COZY

[Alifia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought I would see Nadiah Zakaria writing cozy fantasy, but here we are! You really should never say never because you don’t know what life leads you to.

The Creature Keepers is a short, 128 pages young adult cozy fantasy story that you could finish in one sitting. Perferably during lunch or dinner, so you wouldn’t go craving kuih keria, kuih lapis, or even a slice of bengkang ubi.

The story explores a fictional world where humans have magical pets and Marla is the sole owner of Creature Keepers, a coffeeshop situated in the outskirt of fictional town Belukar that serves healing foods and drinks she inherited from her parents at the tender age of thirteen. I think it’s a reccuring theme on Nadiah Zakaria’s books to have main characters with such young age and the heavy burden of responsibility on their shoulders. Gee, Nadiah, those shoulders could break!

Honestly, because the book is only 128 pages, I feel the story is quite rushed. It feels like there are so many questions left unanswered, and it makes the whole plot not tied tightly together. There are so much to explore from the worldbuilding alone. Maybe because I’m used reading longer stories and more elaborate worldbuilding, short stories like this feels unfamiliar and not enough (I am greedy, sue me).

But, I will give Nadiah credit for writing characters that you can relate even if you’re not living in magical world. Grief works in silence and often times people hide it to move on. Nadiah perfectly potrays how this silence grief became a ticking bomb and how people can be so oblivious to this silent grief until it was too late.

For overall ratings, I will give The Creature Keepers a 3.5/5 stars (4 since Goodreads don’t recognize decimals). The storyline is very interesting and every characters stand out perfectly. I love the dynamics between the characters and the banters between Marla and Brennan is very real (If you happens to see me back home, that is how I banter with my baristas). And while the writing is very beautiful and easy to read, the story’s pace is still too fast for me. I really hope the worldbuilding and the plot itself was explored a little bit more.

This book is perfect for those who want a quick read in between busy schedules, during commutes, or just want something light in between heavy topic books.

[Syaza Yunos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the concept and the colourful imagery throughout my read. It was giving Fantastic Beasts Coffee Shop vibes throughout but I needed MORE *sobs*. Some parts felt a little bumpy — like are we reading Marla’s POV or Brennan’s or Bakti..? And I kept on looking forward to reading in depth on the characters’ backstories because their stories felt like they were a little hanging. Nevertheless, I truly enjoyed it — loved the happy ending from Nadiah, and for a novella, it was an easy and fun read!

[Fatin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cerita yang lain daripada yang lain, sangat fresh. Kedai kopi yang menghidangkan kopi, kuih dan kek tradisional untuk merawat haiwan² magikal daripada penyakit yg mereka hadapi.

Pembacaan yang ringan tapi ada pesanan dan tauladan.

Cuma terkadang tu tak terbayang dek mata betapa magikalnya seekor haiwan tu sampai bole berubah bentuk mengikut keadaan. Atau mungkin saya yang tak faham sangat dengan penulisan bahasa Inggeris.

Tahniah penulis untuk buku yang bagus ini 👍🏻

[Rai · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very heartwarming story. Very cute. Worth picking up for something cozy and relaxing. There's a very important message, one that I think everyone needs to hear.

Overall, amaze amaze amaze.

Playlist rec:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5L4... (shuffled)

[Farah Abdillah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nadiah zakaria books never dissapoints me. The setup with the vibe of Kiki’s Delivery service and should i say Harry Potter makes my inner child imagination go wild.

I would never give up on Nadiah’s writing. Love it! 💯

[dayen · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was my fault thinking that this was a super cute cozy story 😭😭😭
instead it was a super adorable heart wrenching and stabbing me all the way 🫠

[Adibah(whatdibsread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was high as a kite when i read this book. And sooo hungry omg all the foods in this book😭😭😭

Btw id like it more if ada backstory on Bakri

[Violetbeanss · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is literally The Moon Will Sing by The Crane Wives. I love the concept so much !!! I love community, I love creatures. I wish the story was a little longer so the characters were more fleshed out, would love to see them be more complex (or maybe I'm just used to Nadiah's bad endings lmaoo).