Sunday, September 13, 2015

Indie Book Corner: Bluebeard's Children (Eyes of the Sun #2), by Christina McMullen

Want to read an indie book review by an indie author?  Well you're in the right place.  Today I'll be reviewing the sequel to Eyes of the Sun, Bluebeard's Children.

http://www.amazon.com/Bluebeards-Children-Eyes-Sun-Book-ebook/dp/B00COG3NJI
If you haven't already, check out my review of book one or just go straight to the purchase page to buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Eyes-Sun-Book-ebook/dp/B00A7L7GJ0.

Bluebeard's Children picks up where the first one left off and a lot has changed in Lucy's life.  The changes are somewhat expected if you've read the first book, but one change comes as a surprise and affects Lucy greatly.  Some time has passed and we see how the events of the first book have affected Lucy and those around her.  We also meet some new people in Lucy's life.  As before, the story is filled with action and high drama, but this time right from the start.  It's all top notch and really gets you emotionally involved in the story.  It's a really good payoff for those who've read the first book and gotten to know these characters.

Right off the bat there is a huge shift in perspective for the book, which changes the feeling of it in a really good way.  Now we're in Lucy's head in a first person POV and from her perspective the emotions are stronger and the action is more vivid.  I was intrigued by this change because I planned to do the same except in reverse with a book I have sitting and completed and it's direct sequel (shameless plug for Hell Warriors).  This change made this particular part of Lucy's story a lot more enjoyable.

This book was filled with just about everything I like about books in general.  It's unfortunate, but I can't completely fanboy out like I want to right now, but you better believe there will be a list of it all at the end. I'll try to be succinct and describe some of it at least.

The dialogue was super smooth and relateable with characters offering wit, humor, and wisdom in a very simple way.  Joss Whedon would probably find this to be an enjoyable read in the vein of his own work.  You can't really have good dialogue without good characters (or can you???) and I found all of these characters to be exceptional and well rounded.  Each character felt real and you could see them living in this type of world the way they do and it all seemed so grounded.  And I loved the way everyone got a nice amount of spotlight and awesome character moments.  Towards the end there are several parts where we see just how skilled the main cast and extended cast are and just how compassionate and clever they can be.  I also like how a group of ass kickers like this can actually instead opt too use their brains to solve problems.  The characters were probably the biggest highlight of this book for me and that's saying a lot because the rest was top notch too.  With all that said, I haven't even commented on Lucy's growth as a character.  She really becomes someone that you can believe in, a truly upstanding person, a real hero.  For me, Lucy was the coolest hero I've read about in a while, and she didn't even try to be.

There are also some great concepts in the book, you know, stuff that you see in a book that makes you go "I can't believe someone thought of that!"  I had plenty of those moments especially on Bluebeard's estate.

The ultimate payoff in this book will be for those who loved the first one.  There are a ton of reveals here about Lucy and her family that'll make your head spin.  And there's a dilemma here that's usually handled very tritely in other books and media (especially comics books).  When it was used here my first response was to shake my head, but ultimately it was handled really really well here and added a lot to the story.  If you want to know what I'm referring to then check out my hidden spoiler on the shortened Goodreads version of this review.

So all in all, this book was as perfect as a book can get.  It's funny cuz it's not my 'type' of book, but the way it was written highly appealed to me.  It's a book that I'll gladly read again because it's fast paced, fun, and hits all the right emotions.  So check it out.  You won't be disappointed...unless your tastes are completely different from mine :-D.

The Quick and Dirty

The Likes
+Smooth dialogue
+Lovable characters
+Easy to follow action
+Interesting locations
+Great concepts
+Smooth read
+Lucy's likable and compassionate as ever
+Lucy's progression from the first book is tragic and believable, the mark of a person who sacrifices for others
+Amazing cast of ass kickers
+New Characters are all a blast
+More major revelations about Lucy and her family
+Smart cast, doesn't just solve problems with brute force
+Chars besides main get a chance to step up and be useful
+Every character matters and is utilized
the good guys are true humanitarians

The Only Thing I Disliked
-I'd like to think Lucy would be more rational about Andre's extraordinary circumstances early on and not hold it against him.

Check out Christina McMullen and her other works at http://mcmullenwrites.blogspot.com/p/the-books-i.html and link to the rest of her awesome blog from there too.

You can read Bluebeard's Children on Kindle by downloading it here: http://www.amazon.com/Bluebeards-Children-Eyes-Sun-Book-ebook/dp/B00COG3NJI.

Thanks for your time and now back to blogging baby!

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