Chosen is not the typical book I’d have picked up to read, but I’m glad that I did. A religious/horror/science fiction short work, it is very well written overall. The characters are believable and very real. Their backstory makes the reader invest in them and the outcome of what happens. You do feel like you are witnessing what happens in the book, and each character does have their own way of talking. Very well written and developed. The main character Ed, a Christian archaeologist, is plagued by the skeletons that he digs up while he works – but nobody else can hear the whisperings and requests that he can, so he believes he is losing his sanity. When visited by an angel, it is explained that he has been chosen by a demon, branded by the mark of a Raven’s head, who wants him to ‘give it back’ and surrender the power behind it. Ed has to find the strength to keep his faith in not surrendering, and therefore saving the plight of humanity. But can he do this? Can he do this alone? And will he ever see the angel again? Or is he really insane?
Chosen is an original storyline that is imaginative and well written, and the reader will not want it to end. None of the few errors will distract the reader from the enjoyment of the story, and its consistent fast pace throughout, leads to an effective build to the final climax, engaging the reader throughout, and eliciting emotional responses. I award 5 stars.
