Abra Helene spends endless days at the old farmhouse she inherited painting and luxuriating in her freedom. Until one day a stranger saunters through her open front gate.  He calls himself Val and Abra is immediately drawn to him.  Before she can question it all, she’s awaiting his noonday visit, craving him.  There is something disturbing and forbidden about him, and no matter how much she desires him, Abra has no intention of succumbing.  What she isn’t counting on is a change of heart, and Val’s persistence.

Sometimes feelings are stronger than good intentions and beliefs.  In Abra’s case, it comes down to the deepest recesses of her heart.  When she does make a decision about Val, she gains the upper hand and seizes complete control.  The best part about reading this story is that Anastasia Rabiyah has created a strong assertive woman with needs and a purpose, a solid sense of self.   When Val arrives on the scene, he makes her question her entire life until she’s able to arrive at a compromise to ensure their mutual happiness.  Val is a complex mixture of arrogance and vulnerability, which made me like him without pitying him.  There’s a fascinating battle for dominance between them that’s threaded through every encounter.  I was pleased to see that the human woman persevered without becoming the supernatural being’s plaything - victim.

The Noonday Demon is a dark gem of a tale framed by a realistic setting.  The author is gifted at imagery, metaphor and descriptions, flooding the mind and imagination with colorful words and visuals.  For this reason, I’ve come to appreciate the lyrical and lush style of her work.  Like Abra, Anastasia Rabiyah uses the page as canvas to create a sinisterly vibrant narrative of love, lust, hope, self-discovery and new beginnings.