Genre: Paranormal, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
In the hushed solitude of a desert mountaintop, Asa Beck, a centuries-old vampire, perches on the precipice of his existence. With the horizon aglow, heralding the impending sunrise to the east, he grapples with a lifetime burdened by immortality and the shadows of a tormented past.
As the first rays of dawn paint the sky in amber and gold, Asa’s thoughts drift back to the origin of his immortal curse—the twisted path that led him to embrace the darkness within and the relentless thirst that etched deep scars upon his soul.
Yet amid this bleakness, there remains a flicker of bittersweet memory—the one man Asa dared to love, a beacon of light in his endless night. Their love, forbidden and fleeting, lingers as a poignant reminder of a human heart that once beat within his chest.
With the sun’s ascent looming ever closer, Asa confronts an existential crossroad. Should he continue his existence as a creature of the night, forever haunted by the echoes of his past and the insatiable hunger that defines him? Or does he dare to seek redemption, to find solace in the eternal slumber that awaits with the breaking dawn?
As the first rays crest the horizon, casting long shadows across the barren landscape, Asa Beck, the immortal wanderer, finds himself at the brink of a decision that will define his eternal fate.
The Review
In 1853, Asa Beck, age forty, was a Professor at Oberlin College in Ohio. Oberlin was an important college, known for its liberal admissions policy, and was the first to admit both Blacks and women.
Life changed for Asa when he meets Louis Abbott, a beautiful and dangerous man who loved the quiet and poetry. What they had together was new and wonderful. Louis taught Asa everything he needed to know about being a creature of the night. And then Louis left him.
Asa is become tired. He’s walked the earth for two-hundred years, and has spent time in Europe and SouthEast Asia, always searching find Louis. When Louis left, he’d had to face the horror of his reality in order to survive. Physically he didn’t change. He just became frozen in time as he was, not beautiful. Now he hopes to finally find his end at the top of Araby Trail in Palm Springs.
Rick R. Reed has penned a poignant vampire’s tale with Here Comes the Sun, a story that’s both dark and sad. Vampires are often portrayed as beautiful, living amazing lives, but Asa’s undead-life is filled with darkness and horror. He has seen so much of the world and how things have progressed, in many ways for the worse.
The book us well written and poetic, and delves deep into the horror and cruelty that Asa has to face about himself.
The author also mentions various writers from the past: Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Lord Byron, and William B. Yeats. There are also a few lines from Browning’s “A Musical Instrument.”
I highly recommend Here Comes the Sun – this thought-provoking short story packs a punch, a powerful tale about a man who has only two alternatives – to end it or to decide to keep on living. Well done.
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.