I took a chance on this book, based on the other Marvel Heroines titles being so strong. I'm glad I did.

I didn't know Dazzler at all as a character, and she sounded interesting. It turns out that she's a much-overlooked member of the Marvel canon, and I'm pleased that she's getting to sing again here.

Together with other fantastic superheroines from the Marvel Multiverse, she sets off on an adventure to find more 'famous' characters, thus settling us in nicely if we've any awareness of the traditional (and movie) X-Men.

As with other new-to-me Marvel stars, this book made me seek out the characters via their comic-book backstory, and I do hope they inspire others in a similar way. They're much more than two-dimensional superheroes - they're people, strong women with excellent and well-realized relationships and backstories. It's wonderful to see them kicking ass and proving their worth in an adventure that absolutely ties in to those of the 'classic' X-Men universe (issues of discrimination, family problems, control of powers, and so on).

Don't be afraid - take a journey in these pages and be Dazzled.

I an unable to review this title, as it was archived before I had a chance to download and read it. This feedback is only to stop this title from adversely affecting my netgalley feedback rate. If in the future I have the opportunity to read this title, I will post a proper review here.

I always thought that Dazzler was very underutilized in the X-men comics, and although I've lost touch with the comic world I was so happy to see a book dedicated to our rock princess. Even if you aren't a big fan of Marvel, in particular X-men, that doesn't mean you can't read this. Bridgeman does an amazing job of not only filling you in on who Dazzler is but also on important events from the comics. If you an X-men fan a lot of big-name players make appearances, some even team up with Dazzler. I will say that this book shouldn't be your introduction to the marvel universe, as you do need to have some familiarity, even with Bridgeman filling in the gaps, for each character to really shine. As the X-men's world is just too vast and convoluted. One of the cons of this book was characterization problems, not with Dazzler, as I felt she was pretty spot on, but definitely with some of the other side characters.
Overall, a must-read for any marvel fan.

I was unable to provide review due to time constraints of me starting college. I look forward however to reading this book in the future simply as a fan, not a reviewer.

I loved this so much, took me right back to my childhood, when I used to read my brothers old x-men in the late 80s and my favourite couple were dazzler and longshot, although showing how old I am here ! Anyone who doesn’t know Dazzler (Alison Blaire) think 70s roller disco with a light show and you’ll get her character. She gets modernised in this book but it’s done sympathetically, we still get our girl but without being dated or too cliché. I loved getting to know her again, the female centric team and adventure/mystery. You don’t need to have read the comics to enjoy the books as the author gives you enough background so you won’t be lost and if you have read them, you get lots of great cameos and appearances from favourites. I love so much that Marvel/Disney are working with Aconyte Books to create these wonderful books and I’m desperate to read so many more of my favourite characters

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Dazzler is one of those characters that I've always been aware of, but don't think I've ever actually read anything with them in. Perhaps she appeared briefly in a panel of two of a book where mutants as a whole were the focus, but other than that I came to Sound of Light completely new when it came to the character. Knowing how comics work, there was the possibility that I could end up completely lost, that there'd be so much history and backstory to the character that I'd find it impossible to get on. But, this is an Aconyte produced Marvel novel, and I know from experience that the people who write for them always go out of their way to make their novels accessible to all; and this novel is no exception. Amanda Bridgeman does such a good job here that not only did I thoroughly enjoy the book, but I came away feeling like I really knew who the character was.

Sound of Light begins by introducing us to Dazzler in her civilian life, as the musician Alison Blaire. Dazzler is the lead singer of a small band that's enjoying playing gigs and entertaining their fans; but her life gets thrown upside down when she's approached by the secretive law enforcement organisation SHIELD, a group that's supposed to have been disbanded.

SHIELD, who Dazzler once worked with in the past, tells her that Mutant Growth Hormone (MGH), a chemical that increases the powers of mutants, and gives humans powers, is hitting the streets once again. Dazzler has an interest in MGH, as the original drug was made from her when she was held captive by the mutant criminal Mystique. Dazzler tells SHIELD that this isn't her problem, and that she doesn't want to be involved; but then she finds out that her father has gone missing, and might be connected somehow.

Drawn back into her old life, Dazzler is armed with a SHIELD badge and the clue that mutant heroes Cyclops and Magneto have gone missing looking into the very same case. After investigating at the New Charles Xavier School, she gets some help in the form of Rachel Grey, the daughter of Cyclops, and Polaris, the daughter of Magneto; along with the mutant spy and specialist tactician Sage. Together, the four women set out to track down their missing father, find out where the MGH is coming from, and put an end to it.

Despite being a mutant story filled with super powered beings, Sound of Light reads a lot more like a mystery story. The characters have a mission, and spend most of their time tracking down leads, breaking into places to hunt for clues, and using their abilities to try and question suspects. With a few tweaks this story would work as a non-Marvel tale; and I think that part of that is why it works so well. Some people talk about superhero fatigue, mostly in reference to the large number of comic inspired film and TV, and whilst I agree that there is a lot of comic content out there, I don't think that it's really inspiring fatigue. What can, however, is stories that don't try anything different.

Using the MCU as an example, some of the more popular entries in the franchise are the ones that play around with different genres, such as how Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a spy thriller, or Guardians of the Galaxy is a sci-fi comedy. And this works in comics too, with some of the more well loved and best remembered arcs and series doing something that isn't just 'costumed villain turns up with a scheme and the hero beats them'. Superhero stories are incredibly versatile, and mixing them up with other genres makes them feel fresh and exciting; and that's what Amanda Bridgeman does here.

There are times reading Sound of Light that I'd forget that this was a superhero story, where one of the character would suddenly start using their powers and I'd be reminded that they could do that. For the most part its a very grounded story, following these four women as they look for answers and try to find the people that are important to them. Much of the drama and tension stems from the fact that their fathers are missing, and the various issue that the three of them have with their father and their relationships to them. There's tension and drama when the team thinks that their could be a traitor amongst them, and they turn on each other. These are all things that can happen with any group of people, and it helps to humanise these larger than life characters, to show them as real people, and it honestly makes them all the more enjoyable.

Of course, there are super powers and battles against villains throughout the book too, and if you're coming to this as a comic fan there's going to be a lot here to enjoy. Especially the history. As I said at the start, I knew next to nothing abut Dazzler going into this, but the book went through her history so well, introducing elements for the comics and catching up new readers that I never felt lost or overwhelmed. And the book does this for other characters throughout. It very much feels like you can come to this with next to no knowledge and have a great time learning those parts in organic and interesting ways throughout the book.

Sound of Light in a great read, one that takes some of the lesser known characters who normally get supporting roles in other stories and puts them in the spotlight. Everyone is given a moment shine, and gets to do some great things in a genuinely interesting and intriguing story that keeps plenty of mystery going throughout. Whether you're a fan of the X-Men, and these characters, or not, this book is sure to keep you hooked throughout.

<b>Aconyte and Marvel provided me with a free copy as a reviewer. All opinions about the book as shared in the review below are my honest opinions and were not influenced by receipt of a review copy of the novel.</b>

Dazzler is a character with a long and weird history in comics, born out of an already-dead cultural movement in 1980 and buried in Marvel's D-list of mutant characters. Over the last several decades, she's had numerous attempts to revive her and bring her back into Marvel's storytelling fold, though success with the character has been middling.

It's a little surprising, then, that she ends up the central protagonist of Amanda Bridgeman's <i>Sound of Light</i>, a novel in the <i>School of X</i> series from Marvel's prose novel publishing arm. Bridgeman makes some interesting choices for the cast of her novel, using various secondary characters from the X-Men universe to both propel the book's plot forward and explore the book's major themes.

At the heart of the book's emotional arc is an issue of agency, bolstered by the complex relationships several of the book's cast have with their father figures. Joining Dazzler, whose father has gone missing, is Rachel Summers (daughter of Cyclops and extraordinarily powerful telepath/telekinetic) and Lorna Dane (daughter of Magneto and powerful magnetikinetic), and Bridgeman uses the two women as fascinating foils to Dazzler's character, generating unique conflicts in the group over their various issues and politics.

Still, central to the book is the question of a woman's agency, and Bridgeman uses the novel's plot as a coded exploration of the limitations of agency and the responsibility the characters feel toward what happens in the world as result of their exploitation and trauma. Bridgeman's choice of characters--all of whom have been impacted in one way or another by choices made <i>for</i> them without their consent and in spite of their power--only serves to augment the emotional resonance and depth of the book.

Of course, no Marvel story exists in a vacuum of continuity, and this is really where the book struggles. Because readers are expected to understand all of the backstory of the characters, and especially the stories told about the X-Men in the last twenty years, some of the story's action relies a bit too heavily on understanding the stakes to the characters based on their history. If you haven't read <i>House of M</i> or the complicated origins and history of Mutant Growth Hormone from post-<i>House of M</i> continuity, or the events of <i>Avengers vs. X-Men</i> and the whole Phoenix saga stuff, it's very easy to get lost in the book's worldbuilding. This isn't so much an issue with Bridgeman's attempts to cover all of the events of the book so much as it is an issue with the density of Marvel's continuity. Some of the magic, the nuance, of the book's major themes might be lost without reference to the canon continuity of X-Men comics, but this wouldn't serve as a good introduction to any of the book's major characters or storylines for new readers.

In spite of the major continuity demands, the book still builds its mystery quite well and includes satisfying depictions of some fan-favorite characters. This is a really excellent novel about some of Marvel's lesser-known characters, and is a fine showcase of how superheroes can be used to tell symbolically relevant stories well beyond the confines of their genre-specific tropes.

#Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review

<i>About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

For more information visit marvel.com. © 2022 MARVEL</i>

As a lifelong fan of Marvel comics, I’m absolutely loving the novels that have been coming out over the last few years. They give us a chance to get a deeper look at some of our favorite heroes (and villains) as well as giving some characters a chance for the spotlight they aren’t likely to get in the movies. In the newest book, Sound of Light, author Amanda Bridgeman gives everyone’s favorite mutant rocker Alison Blaire aka Dazzler a chance to shine (which I supposed given Dazzler’s power seems fitting, lol). It all starts when S.H.I.E.L.D. asks for Alison’s help. But she’s been there, done that, and has no intention of going through that all again…that is until she finds out here father has gone missing…as well as Cyclops and Magneto…oh it seems that MGH (mutant growth hormone-a drug originally created from Alison’s DNA) has started showing up again. All this is too much for Dazzler to ignore and so she agrees to look into things. Sound of Light is a wonderfully complex and action packed story. Bridgeman does a wonderful job of bringing all the characters to life, but I especially love how she handles Dazzler. We see her struggles, internal and external, her desire for a somewhat normal life, but also unsure of where she truly belongs, worried she won’t be accepted by regular humans and mutants alike. So while the story has a huge arc, potentially effecting all of human/mutantkind, in other ways it’s also a very personal tale. Marvel fans, especially those still patiently waiting for mutants to arrive on the big screen, will want to check this book out. I’d like to thank Aconyte Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Sound of Light.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R300BRWAD7BZRB/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Dazzler, known to her non-mutant friends and bandmates as Alison, is a rockstar who has mostly left the mutant world behind. Her power lets her transform sound into bright light but she mostly uses it to put on a show. When her estranged father is kidnapped, SHIELD recruits Dazzler to find him and get to the bottom of a drug smuggling ring. Dazzler's dad isn't the only one who has gone missing, however - Cyclops and Magneto are also missing, and so Dazzler teams up with their daughters, Rachel Grey and Polaris, respectively, to find them. There is no trust on this team, though, which hampers the search. With help from Sage and Emma Frost, the dimension-hopping hunt leads to revelations and level-ups in power.

I wouldn't quite call this book a romp, but it is a fun adventure story that addresses father/daughter relationship dynamics, and the difficulty of being yourself instead of the person your parent sees when they look at you. Polaris is likely more powerful than her famous father, but her control isn't great and she wants time to become herself, outside of the massive shadow of one of the greatest X-Men villains/antiheroes. Rachel was close to her mother and feels betrayed by her father. Dazzler never told her father she was a mutant, and is afraid to let him see her as the powerful rockstar she is, rather than the aspiring lawyer he wanted. Dazzler doesn't even want to be part of the hero life anymore, wanting a life where she can be herself without the constant danger.

Unfortunately, I didn't finish reading this before it was archived but I enjoyed what I did read so much that I wanted to still give a short review.

I have always loved the X-Men and it was really great to have a group of Mutants that I both liked and had no knowledge of working together.

This is the third Marvel Aconyte Books novel I have read (partly read) and like the previous two, I really enjoyed the characterisations and relationships between the characters.

I will be buying this so I can finish the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Aconyte Books, and Amanda Bridgeman for giving me a free digital copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

I have been following MCU as a fan for years, I think I got hooked by those movies when they were first aired on tv or in cinema. And now we can get more insight into characters that were hinted at in well-known movies. Right now Aconyte Books is bringing us books about what is going on in the X-Men part of MCU. I'm happy that (as I checked on Goodreads) we get mostly female-centered novels. As comics are not exactly available in my country so I'm only following what I can get here, and this book showed me something I was not aware of (yet).
Dazzler, our main heroine, is the lead singer of the pop-rock band and just wants to live her life, but it's not that easy when you are the daughter of a senator and... a mutant! So she has to hide who she truly is, and keep herself to a nick she goes by. A drug is once again on the streets - MGH (mutant growth hormone) - which comes from her DNA when she heard her father has gone missing, and he is not the only one, as also Magneto and Cyclops disappeared - she decided to help newly (and secretly) restored S.H.I.E.L.D. And now she has to lead the group to rescue them.. will she Rachel Summers, Polaris, and Sage manage to stop what is happening?
.I really liked how our girl managed to shine here and how her powers with not being out-shined by their dads on missions on their own. This will show also how they will have to learn to cooperate with each other and get some girl-power action! I know there are some inaccuracies in this story (reason for 4 stars), but overall I have read this story really fast and enjoyed getting into MCU and X-Men work once again. I recommend this story to MCU fans!

Our favorite band of rag-tag mutants is done right! An exceptional entry to the X-Men franchise that hits just the right spot for old-school comic fans.

As a child, this band of merry mutants was almost a second family. I remember weekends spent watching the X-Men cartoons, cinema trips to see the new movies, and spending hours in the garden trying to conjure my own storm. Sound of Light has been the welcome home embrace that has enveloped me in its warmth and reignited a love within me for a franchise I had long since shelved.

Sound of Light picks up after the explosive events of M Day. Scarlet Witch has uttered the words “no more mutants” and the decimation of mutant genes has ripped through the world.

S.H.I.E.L.D. has been disbanded and the mutants who survived M Day are in hiding, rebuilding their lives and strength.

We follow Alison Blaire (AKA Dazzler), our resident rock star, as she is once again called into action to assist with a critical mission to locate the manufacturers and dealers of MGH (MUTANT GROWTH HORMONE) which has resurfaced on the streets and is beginning to infiltrate both the Charles Xavier and the Jean Grey schools. This MGH has also been linked to the disappearance of some high-profile individuals – Omega-level mutants Magneto and Scott Summers, & Dazzler’s own father. Dazzler must work together with both a group of mutants and a revived team of S.H.I.E.L.D agents, albeit reluctantly.

Dazzler very much likes to keep herself to herself. She is incredibly mistrusting of everybody around her. She second-guesses every decision, every thought. A lot of this stems from past trauma and the links between herself and MGH and this brings its own difficulties when teaming up with a group of strong females on the path to taking down the big bad behind the operation. Our mutant hero group consists of Dazzler, Sage, Polaris, Rachel & Frost.

Sage: a mutant whose brain functions operate similarly to a computer, granting her perfect memory and rapid analytical abilities

Polaris: the daughter of the infamous Magneto who has inherited her father’s mutant abilities of magnetism

Rachel: the mutant daughter of Scott Summers and Phoenix (Jean Grey-Summers)

Frost: a powerful and influential mutant telepath

I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between our leading ladies. Their biting wit and banter were delicious at times and it was also great to see more vulnerable sides to them as well. This was especially evident when discussing their missing fathers, as this was something they could bond over despite their differences. We have some wonderful scenes of self-discovery and growth as our leads rebuild their mutant strength/powers and a strong bond of sisterhood forms which is beautiful to read.

One thing I absolutely loved about this book was that whilst we did have throwbacks to some hugely well-known characters within the franchise (I won’t spoil them, you’ll have to read to see who makes an appearance 😉) the story did not rely on them to build momentum and hold attention. Our unassuming heroines capture your attention and heart by themselves and keep you rooting for them from start to end.

This is actually the first novel I have read within this franchise as i’ve only ever approached the comic books / graphic novels and I was a bit worried that without the comic aspect I’d struggle to picture what was happening and how mutant powers were working. Well, I needn’t have worried! Amanda does an absolutely fantastic job at painting a vivid picture, it almost feels like you’ve read a comic book! I enjoyed it so much i’ve added Eye of the Storm to my TBR pile!!

All in all, Sound of Light is a well-rounded story that is utterly addicting to read. I couldn’t put it down and am so beyond thrilled to have been asked to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I just want to say a huge thank you to The Book Network, Aconyte Books, Netgalley, and the wonderful Amanda Bridgeman herself for this amazing opportunity.

If you are a fan of the X Men universe – whether your introduction was movie, cartoon or comic – you absolutely do not want to miss this stand out!

Amanda Bridgeman's Sound of Light is part of Marvel's School of X series. When rock star Dazzler aka Alison Blaire walked out on S.H.I.E.L.D., she hoped she’d seen the last of the clandestine organization. She's the lead singer of Dazzler and The Casablanca's, she seems to be heading in the right direction after nearly having her life ruined by Mystique. But when a agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. drops in after a sold-out gig, she must decide whether to work with them again or stick to her solo career.

MGM (Mutant Growth Hormone) is a dangerous biochemical that wildly enhances mutant powers as well as making humans stronger, faster and more agile, has hit the streets. Dazzler is familiar with the drug since it was taken from her by Mystique who held her hostage for months. With the disappearance of Magneto and Cyclops who were tracking the origins of MGM, as well as her father Judge Carter, Dazzler must put aside her issues and work with Emma Frost.

Emma and Logan provide Dazzler that includes Sage (telepath), Polaris (daughter of Magneto), and Rachel Grey daughter of Cyclops in an alternative dimension) as well as A.R.M.O.R (Alternative Reality Monitoring and Operational Response) and S.W.O.R.D (Sentient World Observation and Response Division). Dazzler has an interesting ability which she connects to the music of Lila Cheney. She has the ability to transduce sonic vibrations which reach her body into various types of light. Dazzler can use her conversion ability to act as a very crude form of echolocation.

After singing through an amplifier for a minute, she has displayed the ability to see humanoid shapes through a brick wall. Although the author leaves a whole lot of background information to the reader to do your own research, I have decided to fill in some of the blanks. After leaving the X-Men, Alison was recruited into S.H.I.E.L.D by Maria Hill to be their mutant liaison. Maria Hill is back. Alison was drugged by Mystique who took her place as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. She used her position to draw attention away from Madripoor and used Dazzler to produce MGM. Mystique was eventually captured, but has apparently escaped.

Part of the story also revolves around Emma Frost aka White Queen, who has had an antagonistic relationship with the villain Sebastian Shaw aka the Black King. Following the death of Jean Grey, Emma has assumed the position of co-headmaster of the Xavier Institute alongside Cyclops while Logan is headmaster of a rival school. The story takes place in several places as well as a Space Station. Although the book resolves many issues, I do hope that the author, or another author, continues Dazzler's story.

I was super excited to get more books about characters at the school of X. This was a good addition. But for me it was missing something. I didn’t really connect with the characters or really have interest in truly how it played out. But I feel like that’s a reflection on me and my interests into this marvel world.

YA readers will enjoy this book. It wasn’t to lengthy. Characters we’re easy to follow. They just lacked more depth for me. But for a YA book I think it would be fitting for that category.

I had a bit of difficulty starting out with the book, as the focus is largely on characters I have little prior connection to in the X-Men universe, but once you get into it, it's an engaging read. The characters are well-written. Most of it is written from Dazzler's perspective, but significant parts are written from Frost's.

A huge focus of the book is on trust. The predominantly female cast in the story all have been afflicted by various traumas, both real world and supernatural in nature. Multiple factions are involved in the story, and it's hard to discern who and who isn't on the up and up through the entire book. Trying to determine who was concealing what for what reasons was an entertaining process throughout the book. Though some of the trust questions felt rehashed a few more times than necessary, it mirrored the thought process one might naturally process those questions, and it felt like you were in Dazzler's head for much of the story.

I found one duplicated line (on page 442) that seemed like an editing mistake in my review copy, but the book was well-crafted, well-edited, and was just about the right length to tell the story without overstaying it's welcome.

This was avery good read. I really enjoyed the storyline of this book, it was so much fun to read. This was my first school of x book that I have read and it was great. It was well wrote and very interesting. I just had to finish this book in one day. I really struggled to put it down. It was a unique story line and nothing like I had read before. Who wouldn't like a rock singing mutant right! I loved the variety of mutant all children of the famous x men characters. Some of the original characters pop in to help or offer advice like wolverine. If you love the x men films then I'm sure you will love this book. I loved dazzler and how well she worked with others to stop the use and distribution of a dangerous mutant power enhancing hormone being used. I love how it was a group of mutant women who fought together to save the mutant population. Yeah girl power. It was an excellent read that progressed well. I am not familiar with the characters as I couldn't read comics when I was younger but I felt like I connected with them well and enjoyed this story. For me this book lacked some atmosphere and tension to get that 5th star but it is still a great book. I definitely became emotionally involved with this story and loved how they managed to solve and deal with their dilemma. If you love x men books then I definitely recommend you give this book a go. If your not sure you can always try a sample of this book to see if it is your perfect book.

Many thanks to the author and publishers for creating this great story that I really enjoyed reading. I can't wait to read the next instalment of school of x.

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog today https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/sound-of-light-by-amanda-bridgeman-aconyte-books-4-stars either under my name or ladyreading365.
I am also part of the blog tour for today

As always I want to start by saying that I was given a copy for part of the Book Network book Tour and netgalley. My review is honest and left voluntarily and avoids spoilers. #AconyteBooks #Marvel #MarvelEnt #BookTour #Gifted #BookNetwork #MarvelSchoolofX #SoundofLight #AmandaBridgeman #NetGalley #NetGalleyUK

I am going to be completely honest Magneto and his rather large brood of children are usually my ultimate favourite X-men. If a story be it comic, movie or prose based has any of them in I am one going to read it and two ultimately (hopefully) enjoy it so when I learned that Polaris was going to be featuring in the Sound of Light I was more than a little excited. Add to the mix Sage, Dazzler, Rachel Summers/Grey, Emma Frost, Magneto and numerous others and I had high hopes. I am happy to say I was not let down.

Sound of Light follows Dazzler who reluctantly decides to join up with S.H.I.E.L.D. in hopes of stopping the Mutant Growth Hormone – a dangerous biochemical created from her own DNA to the disappearance of Magneto and Cyclops. The case is greater than Dazzler could have imagined and soon she finds she needs the help of an extraordinary team of mutants including Polaris, Emma Frost and Rachel Grey to stop a plan that aims to remove mutant kind forever!

As with a lot of the fantastic Marvel tie-ins Aconyte this reads a lot like a comic which is in no way a bad thing. What I mean is it blends action and adventure well and paints a vivid picture for the reader and one extra thing I adore is we get even more insight into the characters! As I already confessed I adore Polaris so it was wonderful to see her relationship with her father and fellow mutants explored (along with the other super powered heroines of course!). Amanda Bridgeman gives you the feeling that she knows and cares for these characters all of them keep true to their comic book roots and personalities we have come to love, which again aids to the feel of reading a comic.

The storyline itself is tightly woven and it kept me guessing. As always no spoilers but I adored the ‘main’ baddie reveal again it was clear that Bridgeman knows their source material and used it to create a brilliant story. My only complaint would be that it was too short! But in all seriousness I really hope that we get to see the team and Dazzler in the future and more of Bridgeman’s work. It was a perfect tale with brilliant characters and fit the X-men canon and of course bonus points for doing justice to some of my favourite X-men and what’s more making a badass female lead team!

If you love X-men, kickass heroines, Action and Adventure, space and Marvel in general you will love the Sound of Light.

About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.
For more information visit marvel.com. © 2022 MARVEL

Well written, but ultimately rather disappointing. I felt a strange disconnect from all the characters and found myself losing interest due to the meandering plot. I would love to read more books set in the Marvel universe, however, and have high hopes for future releases!

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.

Summers Grey, Polaris, and Sage are on a mission to find missing dads!

In “Sound of Light” Magneto and Cyclops have gone missing when looking into the source of the recent production of Mutant Growth Hormone (MGH). Since Dazzler was used as a source of MGH production against her will by Mystique AND her dad is also missing, she is contacted by S.H.I.E.L.D. to find out what’s going on.

To help Dazzler, Emma Frost signs up Sage from the Xavier School and Logan has Rachel and Polaris join form the Jean Grey School. Shenanigans ensue when none of them can get along nor trust each other (it’s a SHIELD Grey Xavier mixer yo!). They constantly bicker, are paranoid of everyone, especially each other, and stumble into leads throughout most of the book until they become BFFs and save the day!

I’m a big fan of Aconyte Books and really want to support them. This is the first of their Marvel books I’ve read and hope to read more from their catalog (there’s a checklist in this book and I’m dying to put more checks). Also, this author wrote a fun story about Dazzler laced with lots of rich material from the Marvel setting and formed an interesting conflicted team, exploring the characters though their flaws, which is pretty impressive.

It just took too long to get not very far. Firstly, Dazzler was repelling and arrogant character throughout most of the book. You want to empathize with her because of this traumatic experience she had, but she gives us nothing to like about her. Right in the beginning, first chapter, she’s already turning down drinks with her bandmates to “be alone.” At first, that wasn’t a big deal to me, but when I’m hitting 45% and she’s still has done nothing but push everyone away from her I find myself not enjoying being with her either. There were times that I put the story down for felt like not coming back, it was such a drag and very little was happening.

I kept at it, though, thinking it had to go somewhere, and at about 60% though the characters finally start warming up to each other and the story finally starts to do something. Then they just smash and flash their way to the end of the story.

To be honest, the story is more about the characters learning to trust others after dealing with past trauma. The mission is just the thing that forces the characters to be together and deal with these issues. This wasn’t apparent to me in the beginning which could have been why I felt that the story wasn’t really going anywhere. But having finished, this book is definitely more focused on an exploration of characters rather than just an adventure story. Maybe going in with that knowledge beforehand can certainly help you approach the story from the right direction.

Overall, it was okay (which is 2 stars from me). I’m not sure if reading other books from the “School of X” line would have helped me get more into the book but I don’t think I’d recommend this as a first pick for people just hopping into Aconyte Books. And even though this is my first Marvel novel from them, I think other stories might be better to start with. However, if you’re like me and want to hit up that “World Expanding Fiction” checklist, better to hit this one sooner than later, otherwise you might keep putting off “Sound of Light.”

Thank you Aconyte Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for a honest review.

#Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review
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