Sunstone vol. 2

I did complain about the lack of actual bondage in the first volume of this series, and creator Stjepan Sejic works hard to rectify that here.  Not only are some of the key scenes here set in a high-end bondage club — where we see the performers on stage — but we get some extended sojourns into Ally’s past.  First we get to see her history with Alan at college, full of good times and great sex that they take a bit too far.  Then we get to see what happens when Ally worked her dominatrix magic on a genuine submissive and the tragedy that resulted from that.  These scenes are actually quite effective as Marion’s, the woman in question, thrill at this new experience goes from “new way to have a good time” to “life-dominating obsession” which Ally feels responsible for.  That’s the source of the drama for this volume as Lisa has to help her new mistress/friend/lover work through her issues and see if they can take their relationship to a level that extends beyond satisfying each other’s kinks.

I’m of the opinion that Sejic makes that work here.  We see our two protagonists interacting in ways that don’t involve sex, Ally introducing Lisa to her circle of friends, and their “safeword” being broken out for the first time.  Yes, the bondage sex may be the draw here, but Sejic adds enough depth to make the interactions between the expanding cast the star of the show here.  The man’s art is also more than enough to make the many scenes of the characters talking about stuff visually engaging as well.  There’s a vibrancy to the expressions of his cast that makes it easy to get involved in what they’re talking about.  Whether it’s appreciating a show at the BDSM club, getting up for drinks and a “quickie,” or discussing the finer points of submission, I find myself interested in all their various discussion points because everyone — convincingly — looks like they’re having a good time or deeply invested in the subject.  Sejic’s art here is undeniably stunning in this regard, and it becomes even more impressive when you see how he “re-mastered” it in the extras at the back.  Vol. 3 is due out in September, and I have every expectation that it’ll read just as well when it arrives.