Cosmoknights Book Two

Title: Cosmoknights Book Two

Author: Hannah Templer

Summary: Plucky mechanic Pan has finally escaped her dead-end planet, building a new sort of family with the rebel gladiators, Bee & Cass and the mysterious hacktivist Kate. They’ve even rescued a princess… but what if this process has her own ideas? Whatever happened to Pan’s childhood friend Tara? And if they become galactic fugitives, will the pressure of life on the run threaten to tear them apart, just in time for the biggest heist of their lives?

Rating: ★★★★★ 5/5

Review: I absolutely loved the first book in this series and was itching to buy and read the second. I wanted to finish my previous book before starting this one, but every time I thought about this book I made a grabby hands motion and got very excited. It was just as amazing as the first, if not better.

This book starts off where the last one ended and I was so ready to get back into the story. The focus was heavily on the characters’ relationships and development. Having agreed to work together, they need to figure out what that looks like—what their goals are and how to achieve them. Cass, sill my favourite character, is resistant to change while her wife, Bee, is in desperate need of it. The mysteriously cool Kate has her own angle on their shared agenda (and I still have my suspicions about her past). Pan is the most passionate and empathic, wanting to do the best by everyone. And newest addition Scottie has to reassess her own views and place in the world.

Seeing this group of women with different histories, different priorities, and different views come together to become a family and work together was a delight. I love them all. While the story and what they’re fighting for is important and driving the plot, it is them as people that drives the heart of the story.

And the art. The art. It is just as bright and colourful and fun as the last book. The way the tones and colours change with the mood of the scene. The use of text outside of speech. The exquisite composition and showcasing of negative space. The comical faces in brawls and shocking moments. Pan’s sparkly rainbow jumpsuit! Scottie’s freckles!! I could look at these pages for ages without even paying attention to the plot.

The fact that book three won’t be out for a while yet pains me, but I understand the work involved, and I will savour the wait. Because it’s going to be incredible.