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Alakazam
- GenresHorror
80 pages, Hardcover
Published August 1, 2025
15 people want to read
About the author
Mia Dalia
46 books65 followersMia Dalia is an internationally published author of all things fantastic, thrilling, scary, and strange
Featured publications:
Estate Sale (Lethe Press)
Tell Me a Story (Anuci Press)
Discordant (Anuci Press)
Smile So Red and Other Tales of Madness (Brigids Gate Press)
Arrakoth (Spaceboy Books)
Haven (CamCat Books)
Do You Know The Muffin Man? (Spaceboy Books)
Alakazam (PS Publishing)
Beautiful, Once (Crystal Lake Publishing)
Mia's short fiction of horror, noir, science fiction, mystery, crime, humor, and more have been featured in a variety of anthologies, magazines, literary journals, online, and adapted for narrative podcasts.
Her work has been selected as Top Ten of Tales to Terrify in 2023, shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association's Dagger Award in 2024, named finalist for the 2026 Imadjinn Awards, and acclaimed by Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus Reviews.
Mia Dalia is represented by the John Jarrold Literary Agency. https://www.johnjarrold.co.uk/
Find her at
Twitter: @ Dalia_Verse
FB: Mia DaliaVerse
Instagram: daliaverse
https://linktr.ee/daliaverse
Featured publications:
Estate Sale (Lethe Press)
Tell Me a Story (Anuci Press)
Discordant (Anuci Press)
Smile So Red and Other Tales of Madness (Brigids Gate Press)
Arrakoth (Spaceboy Books)
Haven (CamCat Books)
Do You Know The Muffin Man? (Spaceboy Books)
Alakazam (PS Publishing)
Beautiful, Once (Crystal Lake Publishing)
Mia's short fiction of horror, noir, science fiction, mystery, crime, humor, and more have been featured in a variety of anthologies, magazines, literary journals, online, and adapted for narrative podcasts.
Her work has been selected as Top Ten of Tales to Terrify in 2023, shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association's Dagger Award in 2024, named finalist for the 2026 Imadjinn Awards, and acclaimed by Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus Reviews.
Mia Dalia is represented by the John Jarrold Literary Agency. https://www.johnjarrold.co.uk/
Find her at
Twitter: @ Dalia_Verse
FB: Mia DaliaVerse
Instagram: daliaverse
https://linktr.ee/daliaverse
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 13, 2025
Although "Alakazam" leans more towards dark urban fantasy than horror outright, no horror fan should miss this unique tale of magic, male friendship, Faustian bargains, self-denial, and the high cost of success. It revolves around an old stage magician's house which has come suddenly on sale (the titular Alakazam); but the true star of the story, for me, was the sprawl of Atlantic City itself, where the house is located: I can attest that "pier or boardwalk melancholy," so to speak, is a real thing, entirely different from sadness or depression - and Dalia has grasped the atmosphere of the place perfectly. She pinpoints so many important details, she looks at the decline, the neglect and the urban decay with such a acute intelligence, it made me feel the whole place is the story's main character, not merely its setting, the people themselves just a reflection of its lost glamor and the unfulfilled desires right underneath.
That said, there's an intricate story here to be told, about a man rejected by his family and forced to create himself from scratch, discovering with some delay both his aptitude for stage magic and his attraction to men. Dalia tells his story with great care and deep empathy, though this is a very difficult character to write, since he himself prefers few words and craves privacy and isolation. But he also harbors professional ambitions he cannot realize on his own. This kind of vulnerability exposes him to the darkest of forces; not only he, however, but Alakazam as well will bear the cost of his aspirations - until the house, dilapidated after years of neglect, goes on the market. And the tale of "Alakazam" begins!
As always, Dalia's writing is top-notch: brilliant characterization, flawless pacing, the dialogue thoughtful and excellently suited to the demands of the occasion. Highly recommended from me, a must-read for all lovers of the speculative and the uncanny!
That said, there's an intricate story here to be told, about a man rejected by his family and forced to create himself from scratch, discovering with some delay both his aptitude for stage magic and his attraction to men. Dalia tells his story with great care and deep empathy, though this is a very difficult character to write, since he himself prefers few words and craves privacy and isolation. But he also harbors professional ambitions he cannot realize on his own. This kind of vulnerability exposes him to the darkest of forces; not only he, however, but Alakazam as well will bear the cost of his aspirations - until the house, dilapidated after years of neglect, goes on the market. And the tale of "Alakazam" begins!
As always, Dalia's writing is top-notch: brilliant characterization, flawless pacing, the dialogue thoughtful and excellently suited to the demands of the occasion. Highly recommended from me, a must-read for all lovers of the speculative and the uncanny!
September 11, 2025
Alakazam was always such a baller Pokemon. It just sucked trying to get one because I never had any friends I could trade a Kadabra with. RIP.
Oh yeah, this book was good, too.
Oh yeah, this book was good, too.
January 24, 2026
Yall, this was a quick one but absolutely a must read.
Dual timeline POV type story telling, but its not confusing to keep up with, so dont let that put you off, I know sometimes that really kills a story but here, it makes it sing, you get to really learn about Archie, get invested and then bam, the future is there and you get to know the aftermath and it gives this a depth that it needed.
Meanwhile it’s a fantastical type story about a guy who wants more and becomes a magician?! Spoiler alert I am fascinated by them, I know I know its not real, supposedly but its amazing and crazy and wonderful and If I want to believe I can lol. But you know the mystery that always surrounds a really good magician alive or dead and that vibrated through this story and then you flash forward to present day and his house and maybe that magician was a little more then a optical illusionist, maybe it was more than just slight of hand, maybe it was something darker and older…
Not to spoil it but you need to check this out, its more than what it seems, just like this house..
Thank you for letting me check this out, I will be back for more!
Dual timeline POV type story telling, but its not confusing to keep up with, so dont let that put you off, I know sometimes that really kills a story but here, it makes it sing, you get to really learn about Archie, get invested and then bam, the future is there and you get to know the aftermath and it gives this a depth that it needed.
Meanwhile it’s a fantastical type story about a guy who wants more and becomes a magician?! Spoiler alert I am fascinated by them, I know I know its not real, supposedly but its amazing and crazy and wonderful and If I want to believe I can lol. But you know the mystery that always surrounds a really good magician alive or dead and that vibrated through this story and then you flash forward to present day and his house and maybe that magician was a little more then a optical illusionist, maybe it was more than just slight of hand, maybe it was something darker and older…
Not to spoil it but you need to check this out, its more than what it seems, just like this house..
Thank you for letting me check this out, I will be back for more!
March 22, 2026
In such a short novella Mia Dalia manages to enchant the reader with a mystery shrouded in illusion. As the reader follows the two protagonists hell bent on finding out what happened to a famous magician, after apparently vanishing, the layers of this story reveal bit by bit like a magic trick.
The story is told in a dual point of view of the different characters, cleverly used to tell the story of the illusionist as we follow the curious friends into his house Alakazam on sale. Although we learn a lot about the famous magician, Mia Dalia skilfully hides the best illusion of all, which the two protagonists will find out at their own expense!
What would you do to reach your dreams? The same question can be asked of both the magician and the two friends, as they explore further and further Alakazam and its dark secrets.
I loved this novella that is wrapped up so well from beginning to end! There are emotional parts and utterly surprising elements right to the end, cementing this author as a great storyteller with a beautiful and effective prose.
Thanks to the author for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
The story is told in a dual point of view of the different characters, cleverly used to tell the story of the illusionist as we follow the curious friends into his house Alakazam on sale. Although we learn a lot about the famous magician, Mia Dalia skilfully hides the best illusion of all, which the two protagonists will find out at their own expense!
What would you do to reach your dreams? The same question can be asked of both the magician and the two friends, as they explore further and further Alakazam and its dark secrets.
I loved this novella that is wrapped up so well from beginning to end! There are emotional parts and utterly surprising elements right to the end, cementing this author as a great storyteller with a beautiful and effective prose.
Thanks to the author for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
August 11, 2025
This story is told in two separate timelines. We've got Archie in the past, and then a couple of guys viewing his house in the future, after he's gone. Illusion, hopes and dreams, prejudice, violence, a sprinkling of actual magic, and bravery. It's quite emotional in parts and I also really enjoyed the author's writing style.
October 20, 2025
An appropriately smart horror story with a trick up its sleeve - misdirection and character four crate something special - strongly recommended!
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
January 13, 2026
The last year has been a busy time for this author with several new publications, including full-length novels, novellas, short stories and collections. I have enjoyed both her long-form and short-form work so was delighted to read a relatively recent publication, a novella entitled “Alakazam” published towards the end of 2025, by PS Publishing an independent UK publisher of high quality books in science fiction, fantasy and horror.
This book is perhaps a little darker in tone and substance than some of her other works, but that did not detract from my reading enjoyment. But I do enjoy the snippets of humour inserted in some of her past work. “Alakazam” has some dry humour and a little sarcasm, which lightens the atmosphere a little amongst the darkened backdrop and nefarious goings-on. Nevertheless, I think this book will be greatly enjoyed by those who have read her previous work. A deeper more disturbing story that is thought-provoking and completely memorable.
As with some of her other work, the author combines people and events from the past with certain consequences as they overlap and influence the present. Two young friends are visiting Atlantic City with the intention of visiting an old house, “Alakazam”, once owned my a famous magician in the post-World War II era. “Alakazam” is where he spent his twilight years before mysteriously vanishing. It has been abandoned for years and is now for sale. A sad and faded Atlantic City provides the backdrop for the current day events portrayed in the book. A city well past its prime. Once of the characters dryly notes when first observing the house:
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say nature is trying to reclaim the place, but I can’t imagine why it would want it back.”
The book moves backwards and forward in time. In the past, the author recounts the path to success of a magician in and around a much more prosperous Atlantic City. A difficult journey from childhood to adulthood, with darkness, sadness and secrecy dominating his life alongside occasional happiness.
“if you half-closed your eyes and let it blur, it could almost pass for love.”
The author manages in a few well-chosen words to draws a perfectly compelling picture of people, their innermost thoughts, wishes and desires. She writes on sensitive issues, such as race and sexuality, with care and tact. We better understand how and why her characters think and act the way they do. Deep, rich characters, sometimes fragile and brittle, conflicted but at the same time resilient and with an inner strength. The reader cannot help but feel empathy with some of Mia Dalia’s characters.
Back in the present, the two young visitors tour the house with the realtor. The more mature, self-aware of them , acts as the ‘adult in the room’. The other, deluded, something of a man-child, does not. This latter character is obsessed with the famous magician, the previous owner of this now crumbling house. What could possibly go wrong ?
The people portrayed from the past are the heart and soul of this book. Remarkable times, different mores, societies, attitudes and outlooks. The author presents these characters, particularly the magician, with honesty, tenderness and kindness. The reader will believe these characters once existed in an affluent Atlantic City. With success, comes a certain respite for the magician. He buys a large, slightly isolated house. He is content, if not exactly happy. But he also reflects on his success. Favours given along the road to success may need to be repaid. Redress, amends, elements of atonement may be necessary.
The past eventually collides with the present, with ‘Alakazam’ being the location where events play out.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The ending was never going to be pretty, and the author does not disappoint. But the real strength of the book is the recounting of attitudes and societal views from the past. A past which is not at all very distant. The circumstances for some individuals today are probably similar to those of the magician portrayed in the book. One hopes we live in more enlightened times today. One also hopes the Atlantic City Visitor Bureau doesn’t react too harshly to the authors description of their town’s faded glory. This is after all a work of fiction.
I wish the author and publisher great success with the publication of this fine book.
This book is perhaps a little darker in tone and substance than some of her other works, but that did not detract from my reading enjoyment. But I do enjoy the snippets of humour inserted in some of her past work. “Alakazam” has some dry humour and a little sarcasm, which lightens the atmosphere a little amongst the darkened backdrop and nefarious goings-on. Nevertheless, I think this book will be greatly enjoyed by those who have read her previous work. A deeper more disturbing story that is thought-provoking and completely memorable.
As with some of her other work, the author combines people and events from the past with certain consequences as they overlap and influence the present. Two young friends are visiting Atlantic City with the intention of visiting an old house, “Alakazam”, once owned my a famous magician in the post-World War II era. “Alakazam” is where he spent his twilight years before mysteriously vanishing. It has been abandoned for years and is now for sale. A sad and faded Atlantic City provides the backdrop for the current day events portrayed in the book. A city well past its prime. Once of the characters dryly notes when first observing the house:
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say nature is trying to reclaim the place, but I can’t imagine why it would want it back.”
The book moves backwards and forward in time. In the past, the author recounts the path to success of a magician in and around a much more prosperous Atlantic City. A difficult journey from childhood to adulthood, with darkness, sadness and secrecy dominating his life alongside occasional happiness.
“if you half-closed your eyes and let it blur, it could almost pass for love.”
The author manages in a few well-chosen words to draws a perfectly compelling picture of people, their innermost thoughts, wishes and desires. She writes on sensitive issues, such as race and sexuality, with care and tact. We better understand how and why her characters think and act the way they do. Deep, rich characters, sometimes fragile and brittle, conflicted but at the same time resilient and with an inner strength. The reader cannot help but feel empathy with some of Mia Dalia’s characters.
Back in the present, the two young visitors tour the house with the realtor. The more mature, self-aware of them , acts as the ‘adult in the room’. The other, deluded, something of a man-child, does not. This latter character is obsessed with the famous magician, the previous owner of this now crumbling house. What could possibly go wrong ?
The people portrayed from the past are the heart and soul of this book. Remarkable times, different mores, societies, attitudes and outlooks. The author presents these characters, particularly the magician, with honesty, tenderness and kindness. The reader will believe these characters once existed in an affluent Atlantic City. With success, comes a certain respite for the magician. He buys a large, slightly isolated house. He is content, if not exactly happy. But he also reflects on his success. Favours given along the road to success may need to be repaid. Redress, amends, elements of atonement may be necessary.
The past eventually collides with the present, with ‘Alakazam’ being the location where events play out.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The ending was never going to be pretty, and the author does not disappoint. But the real strength of the book is the recounting of attitudes and societal views from the past. A past which is not at all very distant. The circumstances for some individuals today are probably similar to those of the magician portrayed in the book. One hopes we live in more enlightened times today. One also hopes the Atlantic City Visitor Bureau doesn’t react too harshly to the authors description of their town’s faded glory. This is after all a work of fiction.
I wish the author and publisher great success with the publication of this fine book.
August 28, 2025
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.
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.
August 15, 2025
If you haven't read anything by Mia Dalia yet it is time to remedy that- and this book should be on your reading list. While the novella's brevity may leave you wanting more character backstory or resolution, it’s a powerful, compact gem that blends classic horror motifs with gripping fresh emotional descriptions. Highly recommended for fans of ghost stories, psychological horror, and atmospheric fiction that sticks with you.
September 15, 2025
Mia has done it again! A powerful tale of magic gone wrong. It's told in two separate timelines of a house, Alakazam, that is in Atlantic City. Archiebald, the magician that once lived there and now, Logan who is looking into the house. Spectacular characters and setting, it is easy to get drawn into this world quite quickly. It's a fast read and one you won't want to put down. It will even live on after you're finished. Can't wait for her next one.
February 15, 2026
I love this author,and Alakazam did not disappoint. A suspenseful, dark exploration into the magical side of Atlantic City, where a man obsessed with a magician finds his way to his historical house. A story layered with magic, thrills, and tied into a beautiful heartfelt story about a man and a city gone wrong. I highly recommend.
December 14, 2025
Just finished Alakazam by Mia Dalia and loved it! She took a haunted house concept and added magic which are two of my favorite things to read. The style worked well in this novella, it kept me turning the pages, highly recommend!
August 11, 2025
Oh man, this made me a bit emotional! Great story and a very quick read <3
August 14, 2025
A house where a famous magician disappeared holds secrets. Mysterious beautifully written haunting tale.
February 15, 2026
I love this author,and Alakazam did not disappoint. A suspenseful, dark exploration into the magical side of Atlantic City, where a man obsessed with a magician finds his way to his historical house. A story layered with magic, thrills, and tied into a beautiful heartfelt story about a man and a city gone wrong. I highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews