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The Peripheral: What Lurks Beyond the Corner of the Eye
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 8, 2026
The Peripheral has a premise I wanted to like: a welder suffers a flash burn, his vision begins to fail and recover in strange ways, and something buried in his past starts returning through the damage. That is a strong setup for psychological horror. The idea of trauma coming back through the body — through light, shadow, metallic taste, blood, and broken perception — is the best thing about the novella.
The strongest scenes are the ones that stay close to Jake’s physical experience. The welding accident has a good technical specificity, and the early moments where he tries to function with damaged vision are effective. I also liked the way Tom and Marcy give the story a warm, ordinary counterweight. Tom’s friendship with Jake helps ground the book whenever the horror starts to drift too far into abstraction.
There are a few genuinely effective psychological horror moments here, especially when Jake’s fear becomes physical rather than simply explained. The scene with the bloody hands in the breakroom is the book’s sharpest moment because it keeps the outside world normal while Jake’s inner world collapses. That is where the story is strongest: when it lets horror appear through sensation and behavior instead of spelling everything out.
My main reservation is with the execution of the central mystery. The story builds toward a traumatic reveal, but the earlier flashback material felt too concrete to fully support the later recontextualization. I wanted the memory to feel more fractured, more unstable, and more carefully withheld. The shadow also becomes too flexible for me: guilt, memory, haunting, hallucination, and something more physically supernatural all seem possible at different points, but the book never fully commits to what it wants that presence to mean. Ambiguity can be powerful in horror, but here I wanted a firmer sense of the rules behind it.
Still, there is a real emotional core here. The Peripheral has a good premise, some strong sensory horror, and a few scenes that show what the novella could have been at its sharpest. I just wish it trusted its sharpest material more.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The strongest scenes are the ones that stay close to Jake’s physical experience. The welding accident has a good technical specificity, and the early moments where he tries to function with damaged vision are effective. I also liked the way Tom and Marcy give the story a warm, ordinary counterweight. Tom’s friendship with Jake helps ground the book whenever the horror starts to drift too far into abstraction.
There are a few genuinely effective psychological horror moments here, especially when Jake’s fear becomes physical rather than simply explained. The scene with the bloody hands in the breakroom is the book’s sharpest moment because it keeps the outside world normal while Jake’s inner world collapses. That is where the story is strongest: when it lets horror appear through sensation and behavior instead of spelling everything out.
My main reservation is with the execution of the central mystery. The story builds toward a traumatic reveal, but the earlier flashback material felt too concrete to fully support the later recontextualization. I wanted the memory to feel more fractured, more unstable, and more carefully withheld. The shadow also becomes too flexible for me: guilt, memory, haunting, hallucination, and something more physically supernatural all seem possible at different points, but the book never fully commits to what it wants that presence to mean. Ambiguity can be powerful in horror, but here I wanted a firmer sense of the rules behind it.
Still, there is a real emotional core here. The Peripheral has a good premise, some strong sensory horror, and a few scenes that show what the novella could have been at its sharpest. I just wish it trusted its sharpest material more.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 12, 2026
Thank you to Peripheral Edge Publishing and Booksirens for the review copy. I am making this review voluntarily and my opinions are my own
Whilst at work, Jake, whilst using welding equipment, suffers from severe flash burn, leaving him to a strange recovery process, where he begins to see things out of the corners of his eyes.
I think on paper this sounds really engaging. I went into this with very little knowledge of the plot, which I think was for the best. The opening scenes seemed very technical and well written. His injury recovery likewise is very well written. I was gripped from the beginning, add the weird shadows and odd symptoms and it had all the ingredients to make a perfect psychological thriller.
Yet, I think this novella suffers from it's own ambition. I liked the quieter, creepier moments, rather than the action scenes we later get. The build up is slow and methodical, which is good, but it kind of jumped the shark - for me at least - towards the end. I wish we had more scenes like that. The last third wasn't my cup of tea, which is a shame because I was really intrigued by the mystery. I was also confused by certain points in the book, as the format seemed to change at certain points. Switching from this closed third person, to two different perspectives. This confused me, and I had to read a few times to understand that the two perspectives were happening simultaneously.
Overall, though, this had a really great build up with an ending that wasn't my cup of tea. I think for some, it will work and others it won't. This was only short so it's easy to get through and enjoyable for the most part.
Whilst at work, Jake, whilst using welding equipment, suffers from severe flash burn, leaving him to a strange recovery process, where he begins to see things out of the corners of his eyes.
I think on paper this sounds really engaging. I went into this with very little knowledge of the plot, which I think was for the best. The opening scenes seemed very technical and well written. His injury recovery likewise is very well written. I was gripped from the beginning, add the weird shadows and odd symptoms and it had all the ingredients to make a perfect psychological thriller.
Yet, I think this novella suffers from it's own ambition. I liked the quieter, creepier moments, rather than the action scenes we later get. The build up is slow and methodical, which is good, but it kind of jumped the shark - for me at least - towards the end. I wish we had more scenes like that. The last third wasn't my cup of tea, which is a shame because I was really intrigued by the mystery. I was also confused by certain points in the book, as the format seemed to change at certain points. Switching from this closed third person, to two different perspectives. This confused me, and I had to read a few times to understand that the two perspectives were happening simultaneously.
Overall, though, this had a really great build up with an ending that wasn't my cup of tea. I think for some, it will work and others it won't. This was only short so it's easy to get through and enjoyable for the most part.
May 18, 2026
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book hooked me immediately with a terrifying premise: the sudden loss of sight and the claustrophobic fear of operating blindly. Mangru builds atmospheric dread around this concept, especially in moments where the protagonist senses a looming presence lingering just in his periphery.
However, the narrative style takes an unusual approach to pacing. The narrative frequently skips over the predictable mechanics of a scene to get straight to the next step of the plot, making the lack of detail in certain places feel somewhat arbitrary. For instance, the text might linger on a character's action - going to answer the door, say - but then completely omit the expected interactions that follow once it opens. This minimalist choice, paired with some noticeable copy-editing typos (like "Jake's eyes never l the doctor's"), can occasionally disrupt the story's immersion.
Ultimately, anyone looking for a traditional, visceral horror novel might find the book's focus shifting in unexpected directions. It shines best as an exploration of deep, unreleased trauma, offering a decent and thought-provoking look at how a person copes with extreme stress.
Verdict: Great concept and a solid look at trauma, though held back a bit by its abrupt transitions and a need for tighter editing.
This book hooked me immediately with a terrifying premise: the sudden loss of sight and the claustrophobic fear of operating blindly. Mangru builds atmospheric dread around this concept, especially in moments where the protagonist senses a looming presence lingering just in his periphery.
However, the narrative style takes an unusual approach to pacing. The narrative frequently skips over the predictable mechanics of a scene to get straight to the next step of the plot, making the lack of detail in certain places feel somewhat arbitrary. For instance, the text might linger on a character's action - going to answer the door, say - but then completely omit the expected interactions that follow once it opens. This minimalist choice, paired with some noticeable copy-editing typos (like "Jake's eyes never l the doctor's"), can occasionally disrupt the story's immersion.
Ultimately, anyone looking for a traditional, visceral horror novel might find the book's focus shifting in unexpected directions. It shines best as an exploration of deep, unreleased trauma, offering a decent and thought-provoking look at how a person copes with extreme stress.
Verdict: Great concept and a solid look at trauma, though held back a bit by its abrupt transitions and a need for tighter editing.
May 22, 2026
A simple accident. A minor glitch. Jake’s auto-darkening welding helmet stops working for a split second but that’s all it takes. Temporary blindness. Jake is a professional and he knows the drill. A few days of rest is all he needs and his vision will come back, but what if that’s not all that comes back?
“He wasn't sure if he was losing his mind or waking up inside someone else's.”
This story was wonderfully played out. You go from curiosity, to tension, to outright fear. The increasing suspension and foreshadowing really got to me so that when backstory was about to be filled in, I almost didn’t want to know. I didn’t want to go through what Jake went through because that trauma was going to be horrific. It was worse than I anticipated.
Unresolved issues can haunt us with PTS. You can try to live a normal life but your demons are just a flash away. Triggered…block your stressors all you want but they are lurking under the surface waiting for an opportunity. A smell, a sound, a blurry vision and your walls start crumbling down.
I picked up this book because I like it when the main character is a regular blue collar worker, plus I just started welding so I thought that was a cool connection. I am so glad I did. While the book was short on pages, it still hit me pretty hard emotionally.
“He wasn't sure if he was losing his mind or waking up inside someone else's.”
This story was wonderfully played out. You go from curiosity, to tension, to outright fear. The increasing suspension and foreshadowing really got to me so that when backstory was about to be filled in, I almost didn’t want to know. I didn’t want to go through what Jake went through because that trauma was going to be horrific. It was worse than I anticipated.
Unresolved issues can haunt us with PTS. You can try to live a normal life but your demons are just a flash away. Triggered…block your stressors all you want but they are lurking under the surface waiting for an opportunity. A smell, a sound, a blurry vision and your walls start crumbling down.
I picked up this book because I like it when the main character is a regular blue collar worker, plus I just started welding so I thought that was a cool connection. I am so glad I did. While the book was short on pages, it still hit me pretty hard emotionally.
July 8, 2026
I was given an ARC of The Peripheral by Daniel Mangru in exchange for an honest review.
The premise immediately caught my attention. After suffering a flash burn while welding, the main character experiences temporary blindness. As his vision gradually returns, he begins seeing a menacing shadow figure lurking in his peripheral vision, forcing him to question what is real.
As a novella, this is a very quick read—I finished it in under an hour. The MC is well developed, with enough emotional depth and complexity to keep me invested despite the story's short length. The pacing is relentless, propelling the story forward at breakneck speed. At times, events unfolded so quickly that I found myself rereading a few passages to make sure I understood what had happened.
Overall, I found The Peripheral entertaining and gave it 3 stars. My biggest criticism is the ending, which felt too abrupt. I was left wanting more resolution, and the story concluded before I felt the tension had fully paid off. Readers who enjoy fast-paced supernatural horror with an unsettling premise may still find this novella worth the read.
The premise immediately caught my attention. After suffering a flash burn while welding, the main character experiences temporary blindness. As his vision gradually returns, he begins seeing a menacing shadow figure lurking in his peripheral vision, forcing him to question what is real.
As a novella, this is a very quick read—I finished it in under an hour. The MC is well developed, with enough emotional depth and complexity to keep me invested despite the story's short length. The pacing is relentless, propelling the story forward at breakneck speed. At times, events unfolded so quickly that I found myself rereading a few passages to make sure I understood what had happened.
Overall, I found The Peripheral entertaining and gave it 3 stars. My biggest criticism is the ending, which felt too abrupt. I was left wanting more resolution, and the story concluded before I felt the tension had fully paid off. Readers who enjoy fast-paced supernatural horror with an unsettling premise may still find this novella worth the read.
May 29, 2026
What a solid short novel! With intriguing, mysterious characters & circumstances, I thoroughly enjoyed base story of The Peripheral. I have to admit that overall it was missing something for me. I would've appreciated if it got a bit more intense and detailed in terms of the psychological aspects of the horror in the build up to the "grand reveal". Jake was much more level-headed about the hallucinations than I would've been, that's for sure! He just doesn't read as paranoid or fearful (to me) and I would've loved an utterly terrified narrator with a book premise such as this!
Altogether, I found his writing to be entertaining & I hope to read more of his works in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Altogether, I found his writing to be entertaining & I hope to read more of his works in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 25, 2026
We’ve all had those moments of dread when we swear we saw a shadow figure standing in our peripheral vision but we turn our head to confront the figure(once we build up the nerve), it vanishes. Daniel R. Mangru does a great job at putting this sense of dread into words, and the overall premise was interesting. However, I feel like the story sort of falls flat towards the end and the writing is kind of monotone for a horror story, especially when dealing with heavy themes such as grief, it didn’t hit me the way I was hoping. I did receive this book as an ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 15, 2026
This speculative fiction story fit all the bullet points. I felt real compassion for Jake. Something awful had happened in his past so he thought moving to a new area would help him cope. He was able to cope until an accident brought those feelings back. Once they returned, Jake felt he was losing his mind. The quickness in which he was affected was mind boggling. How awful to have such a horrible event return after an accident… or was it? I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read and I think you will enjoy it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 10, 2026
It’s interesting to see horror within the context of a worker. To doubt upon scientific explanation or the supernatural. Genius.
I really loved the idea, but the action seems wrongly paced, confusing the plot.
I really loved the idea, but the action seems wrongly paced, confusing the plot.
June 11, 2026
A fast-paced novella with a twist. The characters were real, genuine, and likeable. The story carried me along, engendering a range of emotions as events unfolded.
The reality that penetrates Jake's world after the accident creates doubt, fear, a sense of foreboding, and the realisation that something deeper is afoot.
The Peripheral by Daniel R. Mangru was a great read that was consumed in under 24h. I am grateful to the author and Book Sirens for the opportunity to read this eARC and leave this review voluntarily.
The reality that penetrates Jake's world after the accident creates doubt, fear, a sense of foreboding, and the realisation that something deeper is afoot.
The Peripheral by Daniel R. Mangru was a great read that was consumed in under 24h. I am grateful to the author and Book Sirens for the opportunity to read this eARC and leave this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews