Continuing on from the stellar first volume of Sunstone, the aptly named "Volume 2" is a lot of the same - endearing romantic comedy, light-hearted and totally romanticized, and heavy S&M and bondage sex. That's our Sunstone!
I think this volume does a way better job at evening out some of the more realistic dangers of diving straight into complex BDSM scenarios - it even addresses the inherent ridiculousness of our protagonists meeting on a complete whim - but it also introduces a whole lot more "problems" in doing so. Well, I say "problems"... this is an unrealistic portrayal of the whole scene, and Sunstone knows it. Stjepan Šejić is no fool, and he gets that this is a totally surreal fantasy interpretation of what would, though potentially intriguing, would be quite boring if presented as it is in real life. Y'know? It's a romcom. It takes the biggest of life's moments and compacts them down into buzzwords and cuteness. I can dig it.
The big "problem" (so-called) is that Lisa and Ally apparently inhabit a universe in which BDSM is some kind of prevalent lifestyle. Well... no, that's not right. All we see of this universe is that BDSM is a prevalent lifestyle. There's a huge chunk of book devoted to Ally's college years, as she discovers more and more her drives and desires and role as a domme. We never really see, though, that there's anything to the contrary - we're so sucked in to the culture that surrounds S&M that there's never any impetus to imagine that there's a world outside of it, even as our characters insist that there is.
It's not a problem, of course. A book about BDSM focusing on BDSM? I'd be pretty awful if I thought that wasn't in Sunstone's favour. But it goes a way to contributing to the fantasy aspect - every character we meet is in some way related to the "scene," and it's somewhat surreal. Which plays to the genre's strengths, but does reduce the impact, I think, of later revelations. ...I don't know. Consider it a mere thought; it's not detraction from the story Sunstone is telling, or the characters it's asking us to identify with.
That's really all there is to say. My thoughts were overwhelmingly positive towards Volume 1 and I'm likewise positive towards Volume 2. A lot of what I said about Sunstone's first release is applicable here - the biggest changes are that the cast is expanding, and the stakes are maybe slightly higher. Lisa still considers her love for Ally a mere "crush" (which, again, is sort of what drives romance fiction, so I'm letting that slide), and the deeper themes are presented as no less or more complex than any of the others. I would consider it a teeny bit heavier than Volume 1, especially in regards to exploring the potential physical and emotional harm that is a very real risk in these scenarios and encounters, but it's no less inherently farcical - and that farce is no less intimate, sweet, funny, cute, and likeable.
Sunstone Volume 2. It's like Sunstone Volume 1, but with more of it. Why not!