Bluebird, by Ciel Pierlot

Bluebird is a delicious space opera novel written by Ciel Pierlot, and published by Angry Robot Books. Just from the own blurb, you can get it's going to be rompy and chaotic (let's be honest, who doesn't want lesbian gunslingers in the space?), and it is, but it also encloses a powerful and emotional story about accepting your own identity and breaking against the established conventionalism.

Rig, a talented weapons developer and gunslinger, abandoned her faction and lives as a thieving rebel and gunslinger; her girlfriend, June, is a sexy librarian, and life is going well. However, her former faction needs what Rig stole from them, and as a way to coerce her into collaborating, they have kidnapped her twin sister Daar; they will torture and kill her if Rig doesn't collaborate.
However, instead of forfeiting to her faction, Rig decides to start a journey across the galaxy, ready to fight and hopefully, finish the tyranny of the factions that are competing over the universe. And she won't be alone, as, apart from being armed with panache and pizzazz (her bio-coded guns), she will be accompanied by Ginka, a mysterious agent of the Ossuary faction whose past is the key of her identity, and the rebels she was working with.

Despite the big scope of the plot, Pierlot manages to make this novel more about the characters and their identities; Rig and Ginka are fighting to make their self-identities to be accepted, and to destroy the system that is trying to encapsulate them into others since they were born. The banter between Rig and Ginka is delicious, a sort of reflection of the unlikely friendship that gets established between them; and between Julia and Rig we can appreciate the passion and the steam, a show of love.

The writing is clear and fast, with exceptionally well-written action scenes; pacing is quick, adequate to the urgency Rig is moving to. Many bird references are included, and the humour is top tier, found myself laughing many times.

Bluebird is a great space opera; fulfills perfectly the "chaotic lesbian gunslingers in space" pitch, a fun and entertaining read with an excellent and clear prose. Won't be my last read from Ciel Pierlot.