Sound of Light

Many thanks to Aconyte Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for a honest review.

Those who know me are probably aware that I’m a HUGE Marvel comics fan - I don’t know what I’d do without my Marvel Unlimited subscription! So imagine how happy I was when I found out that they are cooperating with Aconyte Books, letting some of my favorite characters shine in their own prose novels. I love that they’re especially highlighting female heroes - from mainstays such as Rogue to more cult classic Elsa Bloodstone, there’s something for every taste. Sound of Light by Amanda Bridgeman stars no other than everyone’s favorite light-emitting, rollerblading 70s disco-pop icon, Alison Blaire aka Dazzler.

Comics continuity-wise, Sound of Light is set roughly after the Avengers vs X-Men period, with the X-Men being split in two factions. Dazzler is the frontwoman of a rock band, with her mutant identity only being known to few. That is until suddenly MGH - mutant growth hormone, a drug derived from her own DNA, granting users special powers for a time - is linked to the disappearances of prominent mutants Cyclops and Magneto, as well as Dazzler’s own father. S.H.I.E.L.D. contacts her to investigate, and quickly, a team is assembled to stop the distribution of MGH and recover the missing persons. Dazzler steps up as leader, and is joined by Rachel Summers, Emma Frost, Sage and Polaris.
S.H.I.E.L.D, Cyclops’ school, Wolverine’s school and Dazzler in the midst of it all - with so many fractions, loyalty and trust are hard to come by at first. The group of mutants spends a fair amount of time bickering and mistrusting each other at first, but during their international - even galaxy-spanning - adventures, they quickly realize how well they work as a team.

Dazzler gets plenty of time to shine in this novel. In the past, I felt like many comic writers didn’t really know what to do with her, but by giving her a gentle modernization, Alison’s personality feels so much more fleshed-out. She feels more confident and less „gimmicky“ as a rock musician, and I also really liked what Bridgeman did with her power set - she found lots of creative ways to use it, and I don’t recall seeing anything similar done in comics of the past years.

However, I did have a few problems with some of the team members’ characterizations. My biggest issue was probably with Emma - she has so much personality in the comics, but I felt like barely anything of that was shown in the novel. Also, regular readers are well aware that she cannot access her telepathy while using her secondary mutation, her diamond form, which was sadly disregarded in the novel. Furthermore, Polaris and Rachel Grey seemed quite weak - however, this can possibly be explained by their powers being influenced by the fallout of M-Day and AvX.

Overall, I had a great time with this mutant murder mystery! I loved seeing so much of Dazzler and her entirely female team of such diverse mutants. With many references to comic continuity and quite a few cameo appearances by both famous and niche characters, I’m sure this is the perfect read for any X-Men fan.

Although this does reference events that happen in volume three of the Uncanny X-Men comics, reading them is not necessary to enjoy this book. The author does a good job of providing enough background for even casual Marvel fans to understand Alison's backstory and motivations. The references to comic book events were like fun Easter eggs to be found for comic book readers and Dazzler fans.

#Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

About Marvel Entertainment
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This book was such a wonderful read with a well written storyline, a plot that flowed smoothly from page to page and characters that were created with such great detail and depth that I remained totally engaged throughout the entire book!.

I'm a big X-Men fan and I found this team, a unique team but really worked really well together. I loved the premise and was fully invested in what was going on. It had the spirit of the X-Men that I enjoyed and I does what I was hoping for. The characters felt like the comic counterparts and I was glad I was able to read this. Amanda Bridgeman does what I was hoping for and I enjoyed the way she wrote this book. It worked in a entry in the Marvel: School of X series and I look forward to more.

"“Their security was next level,” Sage said. “I detected all sorts of scanning systems. Perhaps they picked up on abnormal brain activity in Rachel.” She placed her hands on her hips, shoulders softening a little in defeat. “They knew we were mutants before Polaris pushed that table against the door.”

It’s great to see a book with Dazzler in the lead- especially when she’s working with an all female team- Polaris, Sage, Rachel and Emma together make for great reading, and there’s a fun plot that includes some classic X-characters.
My only grumbles are from an editorial/continuity perspective- Sage is believed to be from Afghanistan, not Eastern Europe, and Cyclops definitely doesn’t fire lasers from his eyes- they’re beams of concussive force that do not give off heat. I was also a little puzzled about some choices that were made- most of the X-Men had never met Ali despite being a stalwart of the X-Men, and little things like Emma being in a white costume rather than a black one didn’t fit the time period of the book- although I won’t grumble as I much prefer her in white! All in all, a fun read- I’d have loved to see Mortis turn up!