Howdy Dowdy Bookworms!

I hope you’re doing well and able to find some joy every day. 2026 seems oppressive already, but there’s nothing wrong with focusing on some you time, am I right? Anytime I feel overwhelmed by reality I escape into books, so it’s probably no shocker that I read another one!

Today’s review is all about Beholder by Ryan La Sala. 

Fun fact, when I visited TwitchCon last October in San Diego I forced my boyfriend and his close friend to visit a nearby library with me. I was shocked to find that autographed copies of this author’s works were available. Needless to say I snatched a few books of his up.

I haven’t read any works of his before, but I’ve been lacking some horror reads lately so I dove right in. Let’s see how it went!

Blurb

Athanasios “Athan” Bakirtzis hasn’t had an easy life. Orphaned by a fire at a young age, he’s had to rely on his charm, his under-the-table job as an art handler, and the generosity of family friends to care for his ailing Yiayia, his grandmother.

But Athan also has a secret: a hereditary power that allows him to rewind the reflection in any mirror, peering into its recent past. Superstitious Yiayia calls the family ability a curse, and has long warned him never to use it. For Athan, who’s survived this long by keeping to the realm of the real, this is a perfectly agreeable arrangement.

Until the night of the party. After being invited to a penthouse soiree for New York’s art elite, Athan breaks his grandmother’s rule during a trip to the bathroom, turning back his reflection for just a moment. Then he hears a slam against the bathroom door, followed by a scream. Athan peers outside, only to be pushed back in by a boy his age. The boy gravely tells him not to open the door, then closes Athan in.

Before Athan can process what’s happening, more screams follow, and the party descends into chaos. When he finally emerges, he discovers a massacre where the victims appear to have arranged themselves into a disturbingly elegant sculpture—and Athan’s mysterious savior is nowhere to be found.

Something evil is compelling people to destructive acts, a presence that’s been hiding behind Athan’s reflection his whole life, watching and biding its time. Soon, he’s swept up in a supernatural conspiracy that spans New York, of occult high societies and deadly eldritch designs. If beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, what can it do to us once it’s inside?

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***Brief disclosure***

I am an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate and earn a tiny commission for purchases made through the links in this post at no cost to you. It’s a great way to help me keep things running on my blog if you’re already intrigued enough to make a purchase. 

The Review

I had a really good time with this read!

In New York young Athan finds solace in crowded parties, using his charm and position of art handler to take care of his grandma Yiayia. He avoids mirrors, as his family has a curse that allows them to see the past in reflected surfaces. But when his Yiayia goes missing, Athan embarks on a mission that will test his limits and reveal what lurks beyond the mirrored surface of his existence.

I have to say, I loved the themes in this book. New York is painted as this strange city with a complex underworld just beyond what the average eye sees. I loved seeing things in that eerie light, and the subtle worldbuilding was really great.

Athan was fun to follow around. He had a ton of progression as he grapples with his traumatic past and present circumstances. I also really loved his interactions with Dom, a mysterious godson of his boss Uhler. They seemed at odds at first, but something blossoms between them as their paths coincide.

The plot was interesting and had lots of mystery, paranormal happenings, and dread. Peeling back each layer of the mystery was addictive, and I could see each scene play out as if it were a movie. If I had to gripe about anything I would say that some of the finer details of the mystery were difficult to interpret in an easy way, but this really was a solid read and definitely not my last from this author.

Highly recommend this one!

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. Like what you see? Leave a tip!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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