Alakazam [hardcover] by Mia Dalia
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Details
A NOVELLA by Mia Dalia
CATEGORY Supernatural / Horror
PUBLICATION DATE August 2025
COVER ART Mia Dalia with the help of Michael Marshall Smith
PAGES 80
EDITIONS
Unsigned Jacketed Hardcover — ISBN 978-1-80394-524-8 [£18]
100 JHC signed by the author — ISBN 978-1-80394-523-1 [£25]
SYNOPSIS
What is the greatest trick of all—survival or disappearance? How far would you go to find out?
In the heyday of Atlantic City, a man determined to rise above his circumstances and make a name for himself in a world hostile to people like him, finds his calling in the art of illusion.
In the present day, two friends pretend to be interested buyers to gain access to the house where a famous magician once lived — before mysteriously vanishing.
Once the night falls, all secrets will be revealed... to those who dare cross the threshold of Alakazam.
GO ON, SAY THE MAGIC WORD!
How far would you go to change your life? How far would you go to uncover a decades-old secret? In an abandoned house, built by ambition and sustained by dark magic, fates cross—and past and present bleed through.
One deadly night. One trespass. Finding the way in was easy. Leaving it alive will take a hell of a trick...
“Alakazam is soaked in a deep sense of place, a city-as-haunting that perfectly captures quiet desperation, faded glory, and odd magic, while gradually ramping up through tension and heartbreak into visceral horror. In this novella that is part ghost story and part tragedy with deeply human characters at its heart, Dalia offers up the perfect blend of real-world horrors and supernatural ones. Alakazam will transport readers, and like the best ghost stories, will linger in readers' minds long after the last page. Beautifully done!” – A.C. WISE, Nebula and Bram Stoker-nominated author of Wendy Darling and The Ghost Sequences
“The haunted house, the demonic bargain, the tainted legacy. . .Dalia blends these classic elements into something unique. Chilling and poignant, and with a powerful sense of place." – M.R. CAREY, author of Infinity Gate, Once Was Willem and Fellside
“Sharp, intriguing and inventive. I'm sure we'll be seeing much more of Mia Dalia in future."– ALISON LITTLEWOOD, author of The Hidden People, The Crow Garden and A Curious Cartography
“Don't let the smoke and mirrors fool you. There are no tricks here, only the very real magic of a masterful storyteller spinning a mesmerizing tale of supernatural mystery and numinous noir. I don't know what Mia Dalia has up her sleeve—it could be an ace of spades or possibly a pearl-handled razor—but I do know she has the sleight of hand that comes with being a truly gifted writer. With Alakazam, she casts a deadly spell so wickedly delightful that when you come to the end, you'll want to immediately read it again to findout how she pulled off this tale of paranormal prestidigitation." – IAN ROGERS, author of Sycamore, Family, and Grey
One of the future great storytellers
After reading a few previous works by Mia Dalia I decided to order the signed edition to test a thought I had. Many of my favorite authors Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Robert McCammon, Bentley Little who I could read continuously all had very neat signatures and Mia Dalia was one of those people who when I read she carried you through a scene so you didn't miss anything. In many books many authors will take you from the out field (left field) and next thing you know your in the dugout or the locker room. For my probably undiagnosed ADHD mind when that happens I tend to have to put the book down as my mind tries to catch up with how we got here. This doesn't happen with Mia as she gently walks you to the infield, past were the second baseman plays, the short stop, the third baseman the on deck circle and into the dugout, and all of it is important as it builds the scene in your mind and you can feel where you are going, and it was spot on as her signature was beautiful.
I got Alakazam the day before I went into the Hospital for a Hip replacement Surgery thta was supposed to last an hour and a half and see me go home the next day. Unfortunately for me it turned into a 5 hour surgery and nearly a week straight. I will try to hide any spoilers to the story sorry if I don't. Alakazam is two interwound stories, one of The Amazing Archibald , The other of Logan and both in the house called Alakazam. Its been over week since I finished the story and the character and the house and AC (Atlantic City) descriptions are so well spelled out I can still journey through them in my mind like a 3d Model. From the boardwalk, to the atrium of Alakazam, to the casino's sights anf Atlantic City in this short novella my mind still sees them all. The tragedy of Archie falling love, the desperate unknown searching of Logan She tells a great story and walks you down all the paths not letting you miss a beat, a week later and Alakazam still lives in my head. I was in immense pain while reading this book and was due for some oxycodone, I refused it and dealt with the pain so I scould finish the story and it was well worth it.
If you haven't read Mia Dalia before this is a good place to start as it is a short novella and very true to her writing style, she has many other fine books as well that I enjoyed, but for now Alakazam is still alive in my head and it is awaiting Mia Dalia's next world she send me too. In my own opinion Mia Dalia is just starting out and is among the great storytellers and with each book it only gets better, get in now before the big guys find her.
