Sebastian returns from war only to find he can’t stand being around people anymore.  The world seems strange and unpleasant.  He chooses to live on a tiny Scottish island as a hermit, visited only by the lighthouse keeper who brings him his supplies.  When the otherworldly Shae begins to appear in visions, he wonders if he is going insane.  Will surrendering to Shae bring him the happiness he’s lost?

I’m normally a huge fan of Emily Veinglory’s work, but The Temptation of Sebastian is definitely not my favorite work of hers.  The story started out very well.  The bleak, lonely atmosphere of the island Sebastian has exiled himself to was almost palpable, and Sebastian’s post-war trauma is believable and heart-wrenching.  I was intrigued when he began having visions and odd experiences.  Throughout most of the story, I was on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen next.  Unfortunately, I found the ending of the story somewhat unsatisfying.  Too many loose ends left me feeling confused, and it was hard to tell if the ending was really happy or not.  If you like paranormal stories with an eerie atmosphere, you’ll probably like this story—just don’t expect the ending to explain everything.