The Menagerie of Lost Things (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781970589030)

A werewolf accused of killing a little girl must hide from the ones who hunt him. Meanwhile, a washed-up singer takes a job as a vocal coach for a mermaid. Two sisters argue over life, love, and hologram husbands. Elsewhere, a cryptid chaser is on the hunt for Nessie's long lost American cousin. This is just a glimpse of the stories within "The Menagerie of Lost Things," a collection that whisks the reader on a journey through the strange and the familiar. In these 13 stories, the world of magical realism collides with love, loss, and heart-wrenching reality.

Early Reviews:

"The Menagerie of Lost Things by Chelsea Muzar is a dark, irreverent, no-holds-barred collection of short stories that doesn't shy away from life's messiness. Muzar writes honestly about life, girlhood, and pain in a way that is honest and gritty. Inspired by fairy tales, myths, and fantasy tropes you know and some that might be new to you, The Menagerie of Lost Things reminds us that imagination is for everyone and can be an incredible vehicle to discuss the ways we survive real world trauma. I recommend this collection for anyone who knows that surviving the worst things life offers us isn't pretty and often means getting your hands a little dirty." - Maeve O'Grady, TikTok

"The Menagerie of Lost Things is a gorgeous, unsettling collection that blends modern folklore, body horror, and raw human ache. Each story feels like opening a different drawer in a haunted curiosity cabinet-selkies, wolves, lake monsters, and stranger things-yet the emotional core stays intensely human. The prose is vivid and sensory, and the characters' grief, desire, and rage are handled with empathy rather than spectacle. The title story is a standout, pairing freak-show glamour with a sharp critique of exploitation and a surprisingly tender heart. Dark, lyrical, and quietly ferocious. Check the content warnings, but if you love emotionally grounded horror and myth-laced weird fiction, this is a must-read." - Aisha Ayub, author of Age of Hope