“The scope of this novel is breathtaking – there are so many thought-provoking instances, enlightening observations and astute analyses that it is difficult to know where to begin… Vahan Zanoyan is a consummate storyteller and has managed to present an incredibly complex subject in a clear, erudite, and most certainly entertaining way. I urge you to read this book – it is the most accomplished novel I have read this year and I can thoroughly recommend it.” Readers’ Favorite Reviews

“Author Zanoyan … was once a global energy consultant, like his protagonist, and his deep knowledge of the sector’s economics and Middle Eastern politics is breathtaking. … the story is relentlessly paced and brimming with historical insight, it’s also exasperatingly complex… Overall, this will undoubtedly be a feast for anyone who’s hungry for knowledge about the Middle East …  An exceptionally erudite, if sometimes textbooklike, portrait of a key point in a region’s history.” Kirkus Reviews

“A deftly crafted and consistently compelling novel from cover to cover, The Sacred Sands showcases author Vahan Zanoyan as having a genuine flair for original and entertaining storytelling. While unreservedly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that The Sacred Sands is also available in a Kindle format—California Bookwatch

“The Sacred Sands is a thriller recommended for anyone interested in political stories of mystery, foreign policy, and action, and centers around James, an energy consultant in Washington D.C. who finds himself in the center of a Middle East conflict and corruption activities. Add romance into the tense story of his dealings with oil companies and special worldwide interests and you have a thriller that moves deftly from the sands of the Middle East to Europe, Washington and a special girl’s allure in the face of political disaster”—MidWest Book Review