I loved the first volume of Cosmoknights and was excited to read the second. It was very enjoyable and just as good as the first.

Do you have a favorite graphic novel series? If not, what is your favorite series in general?

I am such a fan of the Cosmonights series, and volume two came out recently which was a real treat! This series is packed with sapphic representation, and has several especially fabulous butch characters that are worth reading for all by themselves. I enjoyed the direction the story took, digging into Pan’s backstory and her journey to find her lost childhood friend. Several side characters I enjoyed in the last book got more of the spotlight in this volume, without sacrificing stage time for the leads from volume one!

My Recommendation-
If you haven’t read the Cosmoknights series yet, I would love to encourage you to snag volume one! This series is the ultimate “gays in space” graphic novel, and would be a great read to finish up your July reading with!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Cosmoknights Book Two is amazing! It picks up exactly when the Knights “save” a new princess from a tournament and then planning for their next win. It also shows us Pan beginning her training to become one of the knights and the background to some of the characters. The book draws the complex power dynamics between the idea of liberation and serving your people, and imposing and idea of what’s correct when the princess they liberated didn't want to be rescued. The storytelling and the world building goes above and beyond, leaving us wanting more.

I was such a fan of the first book and this volume was well worth the wait. The worldbuilding, the characters, the artwork - it's just stunning. Can't wait for the next!

"Cosmoknights (Book Two)" by Hannah Templer is a thrilling and empowering space adventure that continues the captivating journey of the characters in a futuristic world of bravery, rebellion, and intergalactic challenges. This graphic novel is a dynamic blend of action, diversity, and the exploration of social issues.

Templer's artistic style is vivid and dynamic, immersing readers in a visually striking world of futuristic technology, cosmic battles, and diverse characters. The relationships between the characters are beautifully portrayed, and their journey toward fighting for justice and equality creates a dynamic that is both engaging and inspiring.

At the heart of the narrative is an exploration of friendship, revolution, and the determination to break free from oppressive systems. The author skillfully weaves together elements of action and social commentary, creating a narrative that resonates with readers on both emotional and intellectual levels.

"Cosmoknights (Book Two)" successfully balances the visual impact of its artwork with the emotional depth of its storytelling. The themes of courage, standing up against injustice, and the importance of unity and representation add complexity to the graphic novel.

In conclusion, "Cosmoknights (Book Two)" is a thrilling and empowering continuation of the space adventure that tackles relevant social issues while offering a visually captivating experience. If you're looking for a graphic novel that combines action-packed sequences with thought-provoking themes, this book provides a dynamic and empowering narrative that will leave you eagerly anticipating the next installment.

Very fun, very very gay! I love these queers losers in space. They’re such an awesome gang and I’m excited to see even more of their expanded crew in the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC (that I took foreeevvver to read)!

The second volume of Cosmoknights delivered all I wanted and then some from the series continuation. The worldbuilding exploded into fascinating directions, new and returning characters got a great amount of depth and exploration, and the queer found family in space vibes persist - all in a gorgeously drawn, riotously colourful package. Cosmoknights remains one of my personal favourite graphic novel series and I recommend it enthusiastically at every opportunity. Patriarchy continuing to be smashed, Kate continues to have my number, 12/10 loved every moment.

Thank you to Top Shelf Productions and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

This is one of the best sequels I've read in a while. I absolutely loved volume 1 and I was fully prepared to love volume 2 as well but this one knocked me out (jousting pun intended). Hannah delivered. Queers in space is one of the best sub genres to exist and Cosmoknights 2 is filled with hot people doing hot people shit (read: raging against the capitalist patriarchies in the most badass ways). I need volume 3 yesterday.

Thank you Top Shelf and Netgalley for my review e-copy.

Book Two of this comic continues the story of Pan and her found family of badass Cosmoknights, high-tech jousters who compete in tournaments to win the hand princesses across the galaxy. This crew, led by Bee and Cass, are rebels who fight in order to free the princesses from nobility.

At the end of Book One, the team had "won" the princess Scottie. In this volume, they learn that maybe not all princesses *want* to be rescued by (Cosmo)knights in shining (and souped-up) armor.

This installment follows the stories of two parallel perspectives: (1) the rebel crew of Bee, Cass, Pan, Kate, Scottie, and her adorable floofball cat, Percy, and (2) the pirate ship headed up by Pan's childhood bestie and escaped princess, Tara. Both are trying to overturn the capitalist patriarchy, but their methods lead to conflicting interests. It's inevitable these two parties will dramatically converge, and this volume delivers on that!

Hannah Templer's stunning artwork and gorgeous colors absolutely continue to shine! 😍

Also, I adore the relationships in this series. The new characters in this volume are great additions, and the new dynamics that develop are exciting, too! Here's one more shoutout to the star of Book Two, Percy the cat. 🤩

Book Two didn't *quite* engage me as well as the first one did, but by the halfway point, I was hooked! The ending assures the reader that there is a Book Three in the works, and I'm excited to see what Pan and friends get up to next!

Full review posted to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5365422464

The second volume of the collected webcomic Cosmoknights picks up where the last left off, with the Knights carrying a new princess away from a tourney and unsure of their next steps. Pan is beginning her training to fight for the freedom for princesses, while Bee and Cass are trying to determine their next steps, and hacktavist Kate is busy being enigmatic. The princess they liberated didn't exactly want to be rescued, however, and is making things difficult. Excellent storytelling and engaging art combine in this volume that is a must read for fans of cyber fantasy, sword lesbians, and heroes trying to do the right thing in a complex world. Come for the gladiator combat, stay for the shape-changing cat and the romantic pairings.

Cosmoknights is a graphic novel series written by Hannah Templer. It tells the story of a group of queer rebels in the 22nd century who get together to fight the patriarchy. They travel through space, joust in state-of-the-art costumes and rescue princesses.
A perfect blend of science fiction and mediaeval themes where the princess of each planet must marry the winner of the galactic joust. But what if the princesses don’t want to marry? What if they prefer another type of life? That’s where our Cosmoknights come in! However, in volume 2 things take another turn and the Cosmoknights might have to consider that not all the princesses are the same.
What will you find in volume 2?
The princesses want to start making their own decisions, which forces our main characters to reconsider their whole strategy and how not two people are the same and some princesses might be willing to sacrifice their freedom by getting married if that means they’ll get to help their families and ensure the well-being of their planets.
Pan and the rest of the crew must decide if they want to win small battles and free one princess at a time (as was Cass’s strategy) or fight the whole system (as Kate suggests). What would be more efficient and put them in a less risky situation? Should they risk the freedom of all the princesses they’ve rescued in order to end the jousts?
In this volume we also get to explore further the themes of “smash the patriarchy” and “eat the rich”, which is always very satisfying!
We also encounter space pirates and see some incredible space fighting scenes and there is also a very surprising plot twist midway through the volume!! I won’t say anything else but I have to admit it took me completely by surprise!
Also thanks to this volume now I have a massive crush on Kate!!
With volume 2 Cosmoknights proves once again that it is one of the most original and queer graphic novel series out there and it also continues to be one of my all-time favourites! That’s why I will continue to recommend this graphic novel series: an adventure of epic proportions with LGBT+ characters, spaceships and found family! Because, what else do you need?

9/10 ⭐️
🏳️‍🌈 Rep: (L)G(B)(T)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I originally started reading this before I got the ARC week by week on their website. While I enjoyed it in that format, it did make it difficult to keep track of the plot and remember what had happened. Therefore, I decided to reread it prior to reading this review.
After rereading it all in one sitting I can say I enjoyed reading this book! While I'm not sure if I'm invested enough to read any future Cosmoknights books that come out, I did enjoy reading this sequel. It showed more backstory of the characters and allowed to see progress and real character growth which I appreciated. I also liked how the cast expanded more which I think strengthened the story.
Unfortunately as I mentioned, this book didn't make me super invested and I'm not sure if I will be reading any other books from this series. However, overall I still enjoyed it and would recommend it!

This was such a good volume!! We pick up right where volume 1 leaves off with the crew having just rescued a princess, Scottie. They're on the run now but Scottie has other ideas - mainly that she didn't ask to be rescued and that they actually screwed up a lot of things for her kingdom. A lot of things happen, but no spoilers here! I will say that I really enjoyed the addition of space pirates. I cannot wait for the next volume to come out!!

This Book 2 kept up the action and quick pace of the original, and resolved some plot points while opening way more. The art is kinetic and tons of fun. I'm excited to read more. I wonder how many volumes total there will be?

Building off the amazing art, colour, and themes of the first installment, Templer's second book of their Cosmoknights series adds another dimension to this tale of intergalactic space gays.

Pan and her crew are still busy saving the princesses and making everyone's' life better. Right? This second book succeeds in its ability to examine what really is wrong vs right and the consequences of acting for an entire group. And, its new characters truly bring out these themes and edge the story in the right direction for even more action and adventure in future editions.

Absolutely amazing. A fantastic sequel. Cannot wait for more of this to come out. Sapphic Cosmoknights, ugh its just perfect.

I reread volume 1 before reading this one, and I enjoyed it maybe even more the second time around. Volume 2 was also really fun, and a great extension of all the things I loved in volume 1, like the use of colour and the found family trope. But it also gave more depth to the story, and most importantly, it reunited us with Tara, which I was so excited about. I was very happy to see at the end of the book that the story will be continued, and I'm very much looking forward to the next installment.

I have to say the most obvious thing first, and that is Percy is the best character in this volume. Princess Scottie's beloved alien cat that she brought aboard the Valkyrie steals the show in many of the scenes he's in, and he's definitely more than a grumpy ball of fluff. You will fall in love with him. There will be so much fan art. I'm all about it.
And with that out of the way, let's talk about these space gays. I think the dedication at the beginning of this volume sums it up pretty well: "To found family."
That's the main theme of the volume with Cass and Bee letting a crew into their lives. There's a moment of vulnerability when Bee implores Cass that they can't be on their own forever.
It's true, though. You have to be able to let people into your life to experience it fully. The fact that it's a scrawny mechanic, a vampy anarchist, and a troubled princess only makes it more interesting.
Initially, it doesn't seem like Kate is on board with being part of their found family. She butts heads with both Cass and Scottie with her vision of what life should be like across the galaxy. The small moments of her resistance to that idea faltering add to her character in a heartwarming way. There are also sweet moments of connection that she has with Scottie that can't be ignored.
Scottie has her own issues that she's dealing with. You can tell she wants to be so much more and that she wants to help her people. The crew letting her in left me satisfied.
In this volume, we also find out what happened to Tara after she stowed away 5 years before alongside cute flashbacks to Pan and Tara's childhood together. I don't want to spoil too much, but her reunion with Pan was exactly what it needed to be. The unresolved feelings are palpable and the initial ease does feel misleading. I am so ready to see where things go between them and their respective found families.
Things are definitely more complicated and daunting around the galaxy than they appeared to be in the first volume. After reading this, I'm excited to see where everyone ends up and if they can make their galaxy a better place.

Cosmoknights Book 2 is a fulfilling continuation of the critically acclaimed "gays in space" webcomic turned graphic novel. The sequel follows Pan, Cass, Bee and Kate travel across the galaxy to save princesses and fight the patriarchy. One problem, their most recently rescued princess isn't happy with the unrequested favor and a space pirate ship seems hot on their tails. The unlikely gang of queer heroes (queeroes?) must face the fallout the of their actions, be openminded about new approaches to overthrowing the system, and form more unexpected alliances. A gorgeous spectrum of LGBTQIAP+ rep and exploration of class structure and hierarchy. A must purchase for all high school and public libraries.