Written by E.B. Repetto
Writing a sequel provides an interesting conundrum for the author. They could create something similar to the first book, giving the reader what they expect. Or they could create something completely different, and hope the audience appreciates the change. There’s also a third option, which involves finding a middle ground between both extremes. E.B. Repetto takes this approach with Blazing Suns, the second book in The Goddess Maker, following from Lightning & Ember (click here for my review). Whilst continuing the young adult story, part two of this ongoing tale takes a decidedly more adult approach.
Picking up six years after the events of Lightning & Ember, Blazing Sun’s characters are all officially adults. Which is fantastic, since the novel leans further into its romantasy trappings. Where the first book’s romance angle was centred around adolescent love, Blazing Sun’s is more concerned with lust. It’s not presented mildly; the heat is dialled right up. The author has inserted a number of steamy sex scenes into the book. As fun as erotic scenes can be, these don’t add to the story—they all feel as though they’ve been added to take up space—though, at 482 paperback pages (or an estimated 484 in eBook), it’s noticeably longer than the first book, so there was no need to add scenes to it. Whilst adult YA and romantasy fans might enjoy these scenes, if you’re looking at the series to pass to a younger reader, you will want to exercise some caution.
The book’s sex scenes are jarring, as they represent tonal shifts for the book. In every other respect, Blazing Sun reads exactly like a young adult book. It continues to explore the themes raised in the first volume, with its characters feeling like outsiders. Racism and sexism factor into the story; while these aren’t themes that are limited to young adult stories (nor should they be), they are presented with a very young adult lens to them. The themes hit harder than they did in Lightning & Ember, and I would like to see the author go deeper into these themes in future books.
Such young adult stylings continue to the book’s major characters, Akina, Miki and Cassius, all of whom are now adults. With six years having passed, especially in such formative years where they’ve grown from teenagers to adults, the characters don’t represent that growth. They all feel like teenagers, and they still feel exactly as they did in the first book. They were appropriately immature in that tale, but now they don’t feel like their ages, which makes it difficult to connect with them.
Also like the Lightning & Ember, this tale splits the first person narration between all three characters. But where Lightning & Ember is named for Akina and Miki, Blazing Sun is named for Cassius. It’s a clever approach as the book shifts its focus more to the male third of the trinity. With that said, the points of view are more or less evenly split between the three. Despite having an elevated focus in this book, he still feels very much like the third—and less important—character. It will be interesting to see how he factors in future books, but retaining a strong focus on the protagonists from the first book will please fans of Akina and Miki.
I noted in my Lightning & Ember review (again, click the link above if you haven’t already) that in working to provide equal time to Akina and Miki, the changing perspectives caused some jarring shifts that added an unnecessary layer of complexity. This issue continues in Blazing Sun, and with the addition of Cassius having so many chapters dedicated to him, it makes these shifts all the more jarring. With no less than 49 chapters, it makes these shifts a regular occurrence. There often seems to be little narrative purpose other than spotlighting the next character.
Despite my issues with how the characters are presented, the author’s narration remains on point. Each character sounds distinct, giving their points of view their own identity and place to shine. Cassius only had two point of view chapters in Lightning & Ember, so receiving a more even slice with Blazing Sun adds another entertaining layer to the prose.
Although it’s not noted on the cover (though if you’re shopping on Amazon, you’ll note it in the description), Blazing Sun is the second book in the Goddess Maker series. The overarching narrative is building slowly, and whilst the first book works on its own, Blazing Sun requires a familiarity with the first book to fully appreciate it, especially with mysteries from the first still bubbling away in the background.
Blazing Sun continues the story started in Lightning & Ember and works to add a layer of maturity to the story. The sex scenes distract from the overall book, but its exploration of its themes adds some extra depth to the tale. Despite both types of mature content, the novel still feels like a young adult story, especially through its characters, who still feel as young as they did in the first outing.
Favourite Passage
Cassius grinds his teeth until the bones in his jaw are close to breaking. What would his Master say? Of course, he knew the answer. They would ask if his decision was one he could accept. They would ask if he could handle the consequences.
They would ask if it were worth the sacrifice.
He sneers, turning to leave the way that he came.
Blazing Sun, Chapter 24
Blazing Sun was provided by the author for the purpose of an honest review.
Blazing Sun is available in paperback from book retailers (including—but not limited to—Amazon), and Kindle, exclusive to Amazon.
Note: I do not post scores for reviews on this website, but do post them on my Amazon and Goodreads reviews:
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Interested in purchasing Blazing Sun?
Please find a link below; please note I do not collect any proceeds from the sale.
Blazing Sun (The Goddess Maker Book 2)
wastanley.com 