Clock Striker, Volume 2 - Iridescent BookWyrm

English language

Published Sept. 10, 2024 by Quarto Publishing.

ISBN:: 978-0-7603-8923-2

No rating (1 review)

Combining sci-fi, steampunk, action-adventure, and insightful humor, this new volume explores teenage hero Cast’s desire to (once again) save her friend Klaus while dealing with an entire town that confounds her with its unique sharing culture. Something is off—and Cast and her mentor, Ms. Philomena Clock, engineer-warriors called SMITHS, are determined to find out what it is before it’s too late.

Klaus is a runaway prince who has been captured by cybernetic outlaws, the Demon Bandits. Cast has almost never ventured past her hometown, so the demanding trek, including rough terrain and the strange kingdom of Alter, will test her beyond anything she has encountered before.

With a rival SMITH and STRIKER on their tails, as well as the mysterious King of Alter—who seems to have a powerful kingdom despite rejecting cutting-edge technology—can our female dynamic duo save the day?

1 edition

lastblossom reviewed Clock Striker, Volume 2 by Issaka Galadima (Clock Striker, #2)

Picks up where the last volume left off with likable characters, even more world building and consistently good art.

No rating

The first volume of Clock Striker wound up being my favorite manga of 2023, and I'm so glad I finally managed to get a copy of volume 2, because it might be another favorite. Clock Striker hits a very particular balance between homage to classic shonen manga, and original story ideas and beats. In my last review, I fretted that the fast pace meant world building was sparse, but there's plenty of world building in here to feed my need to know, and I love the how the sci-fi/steampunk aspects click into the story. Cast remains strongly the heart of the story with an infectious energy and love of science and justice that makes her an extremely likable hero. We also get to learn a lot more about Klaus, with some fun plot twists that I did not see coming. The art is consistently strong, with expressive character work, and …

The first volume of Clock Striker wound up being my favorite manga of 2023, and I'm so glad I finally managed to get a copy of volume 2, because it might be another favorite. Clock Striker hits a very particular balance between homage to classic shonen manga, and original story ideas and beats. In my last review, I fretted that the fast pace meant world building was sparse, but there's plenty of world building in here to feed my need to know, and I love the how the sci-fi/steampunk aspects click into the story. Cast remains strongly the heart of the story with an infectious energy and love of science and justice that makes her an extremely likable hero. We also get to learn a lot more about Klaus, with some fun plot twists that I did not see coming. The art is consistently strong, with expressive character work, and some expansive scenery. The more I see of this world, the more I want. I am very much looking forward to volume 3!

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!