Beholder's Eye is Czerneda's second book, and all of the strengths found in her debut (A Thousand Words for a Stranger) are here in force. Strong characterization, engaging storyline, and nice use of narrative structure. As with her first book, Czerneda uses a somewhat fantastical premise for the main character, but then grounds that firmly in a more believable milieu. Here, the main character, Esen-Alit-Quar, is a shape-shifter.
When a hero whose name never appears in print without a registered trademark symbol beside it sets out on a new adventure, readers should know what to expect: a great deal of derring-do, outlandish adventures, and fantastical scenarios. For Dirk Pitt, reality is an inconsequential construct. What matters is the U.S. National Underwater and
