Come Unto These Yellow Sands

Come Unto These Yellow Sands (2011) Josh Lanyon

Sebastian Swift was the bad boy of poetry, the son of two scions of the literary world, whose very public fall from grace lead to a very public rift with his mother, and an overdose that almost killed him.

He’s been six years sober, and feels like he’s doing well, till a single event upends everything.

This was an extremely gripping story, and only a small part of that was the murder mystery and determining who had killed Mario Corelli. Most of it was seeing Sebastian’s support system fray beneath him as he struggles to remain sober.

If that sounds weird or boring, it really wasn’t.

Sebastian knows he was a fuck-up and knows he’s lucky to be alive and sober–he wants sobriety and to move beyond who he used to be.

Beyond the importance of routine, it was vital to stay healthy in times of stress. Swift had badly abused his body for most of his life. His current state of health required consciousness and commitment.

But he also knows how easy it is to slip and fall and lose everything. And he knows that’s what so very many people expect of him.

There was nothing like having friends, family and your health-care professionals go on the record that they did not believe you were (or ever would be) competent to manage your own business affairs— and then having a judge agree.

I really liked Sebastian, but then I do love a good redemption story. And although he does make mistakes, he makes them for the right reasons (hello road to hell).

I also found the romance quite unusual, in that Sebastian and Max are already in a relationship–committed enough that they don’t sleep with other people–but not enough that they have ever discussed feelings and futures.

So, I liked the mystery. I liked the romance. And I really really liked Sebastian.

It would be nice to believe in something like God. To believe some higher power with a greater purpose was concealed behind the violence and chaos.

I highly recommend this story, but be aware it is an emotional rollercoaster.

Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing
Rating: 8.5/10

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