Wow, that was beautiful.

What makes George B. Chang's writing work so well for me is that he knows exactly what deserves space and what doesn't. He takes an original, intriguing premise and gets straight into the story, without pages of unnecessary description or anything that feels like it's slowing things down.

Despite being a short read, Beholder manages to move naturally between mystery, thriller, sci-fi, drama and more emotional moments. None of those elements felt like they were competing with each other. The sci-fi is there as part of the plot rather than being the focus, while the mystery and intrigue kept me wanting to know where everything was heading.

I particularly appreciated the balance. There was enough description to establish the setting, enough action and dialogue to keep things moving, interesting characters, and enough beneath the surface to give me something to think about afterwards. It never felt overloaded, but it also never felt as though anything important was missing.

The exploration of religion and cults was another aspect I found thought-provoking. As someone who isn't religious, I initially found myself responding more strongly to the story's negative perspective, but I liked that Chang didn't leave the subject there. The direction it ultimately took was more nuanced and, unexpectedly, quite moving.

I had a rough suspicion about part of the ending, but I didn't see everything coming. The final revelation and the character moment surrounding it were genuinely beautiful, and the way everything came together was much more emotional than I expected.

I loved Prompt, and Beholder has confirmed that George B. Chang is an author I'll be following. His ability to take an unusual idea and deliver a story that is engaging, thought-provoking and emotionally satisfying, without making me wade through unnecessary material, is exactly what I appreciate as a reader.

I'll be requesting the next installment immediately.

Sign up to my newsletter to get updates on upcoming releases.

Newsletter signup: https://georgebchang.com/subscribe

This is the 2nd story after Prompt to be included in a planned printed compilation book in the near future. A new ebook story will be released every 2 months.