Book Review: Fence [Vol. 3]; C.S. Pacat & Johanna The Mad.

I couldn't resist delving into Vol. 3 of this awesome series, it has been so much fun so far!

SOURCE: Web-Comic
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Fence [Vol. 3]
AUTHOR: C.S. Pacat & Johanna The Mad
SERIES: Fence (#9 - #12)
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Box
PAGES: 112
GENRE: Graphic Novel, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Young Adult

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Scrappy fencer Nicholas Cox comes to the end of his path to prove himself worthy of a father he never knew in the face of surly upperclassmen, nearly impossible odds, and the talent of his rival, sullen fencing prodigy, Seiji Katayama.

Sparks fly white-hot on the pitch as Nicholas and Seiji finally face off once again in the halls of King’s Row. It’s a match that will change King’s Row (and both of them!) forever, and set the stage as the team journeys to face their bitter rivals and prove themselves once and for all. 

The third volume of the breakneck series from writer C.S. Pacat (The Captive Prince) and fan-favorite artist Johanna the Mad comes at you as fast as a parry and hits as hard as a strike.

What I Liked:

• If ever a series is my guilty pleasure this is it. The art is superb, the characters a ton of fun, and the story enough to keep me invested. I love the school setting too and it was a lot of fun watching the competition, friendships and tensions develop more.

What I Disliked:

• The fact that I now have to wait for more content? Because there is NO MORE OF THIS SERIES currently out?!

Overall Conclusion:

My previous reviews for Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 pretty much cover everything I love about this series! The characters, for me, are really what keeps this story alive and I'm loving the subtle nuances in their behaviours and attitudes as the plot progresses. I did think that having two subs was a bit of a cop-out but I'm really not that mad about it. I hope that more of this wholesome content exists soon.

Book Review: Fence [Vol. 2]; C.S. Pacat & Johanna The Mad.

I really loved Vol. 1 of this series and couldn't wait to get round to Vol. 2! There is so much goodness in this awesome series, and I was not disappointed by this second instalment!

SOURCE: Web-Comic
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Fence [Vol. 2]
AUTHOR: C.S. Pacat & Johanna The Mad
SERIES: Fence (#5 - #8)
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Box
PAGES: 106
GENRE: Graphic Novel, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Young Adult

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Nicholas Cox is determined to prove himself in the world of competitive fencing, and earn his place on the Kings Row fencing team, alongside sullen fencing prodigy, Seiji Katayama, to win the right to go up against his golden-boy half-brother.

Tryouts are well underway at King’s Row for a spot on the prodigious fencing team, and scrappy fencer Nicholas isn’t sure he’s going to make the grade in the face of surly upperclassmen, nearly impossibly odds, and his seemingly unstoppable roommate, the surly, sullen Seiji Katayama. It’ll take more than sheer determination to overcome a challenge this big!

What I Liked:

• Just like Vol. 1, this was so much fun! I loved reading more of the fencing matches and the developing plot leading up to building a fencing team for the national championship. I'm just totally hooked to be honest!
• The characters are just amazing. I love the rivalry between Nicholas and Seiji, the friendship between Aiden and Harvard, and of course adorable Bobby! Pacat has created an amazing cast here.

What I Disliked:

• Uhhh...the fact that it ended? Graphic novels are often short but I really felt it here.

Overall Conclusion:

You've probably already got this but I thoroughly enjoyed this second volume in the series and plan to read the third one very soon. Great plot and characters, and I love the LGBTQ+ developments that I'm seeing come to fruition! I want more!

Book Review: Fence [Vol. 1]; C.S. Pacat, Johanna The Mad & Shanen Pae.

I've seen this series floating around the blogosphere as a good LGBTQ+ friendly read, and I'm so glad I finally got round to reading the first volume myself!

SOURCE: Web-Comic
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Fence [Vol. 1]
AUTHOR: C.S. Pacat, Johanna The Mad & Shanen Pae
SERIES: Fence (#1 - #4)
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Box
PAGES: 106
GENRE: Graphic Novel, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Young Adult

RATING: 4.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Nicholas Cox is determined to prove himself in the world of competitive fencing, and earn his place alongside fencing legends like the dad he never knew, but things get more complicated when he’s up against his golden-boy half-brother, as well as sullen fencing prodigy, Seiji Katayama.

Nicholas, the illegitimate son of a retired fencing champion, is a scrappy fencing wunderkind, and dreams of getting the chance and the training to actually compete. After getting accepted to the prodigious Kings Row private school, Nicholas is thrust into a cut-throat world, and finds himself facing not only his golden-boy half-brother, but the unbeatable, mysterious Seiji Katayama...

Through clashes, rivalries, and romance between teammates, Nicholas and the boys of Kings Row will discover there’s much more to fencing than just foils and lunges.

What I Liked:

• I LOVE these characters. Every one. I honestly love slow-building m/m romance so much! Nicholas is the perfect protagonist - hot-headed but loveable, and he contrasts nicely with his rival, the arrogant prodigy Seiji. These two are my fave, but I also adored sweet-natured Bobbi, lazy lothario Aiden and determined leader Harvard. Amazing characters who I know will only grow better as the series goes on.
• The diversity is really cool - obviously a lot of queer rep (YAAAAASS) and I loved the variety of ethnic and class backgrounds too. It made for a much more interesting story.

What I Disliked:

• I did find the plot pacing a little on the slow side. I foresee a lot of Fencing matches (duh, the sport this series focuses on is Fencing) but each match takes away from the character development I love and replaces it with Fencing commentary. I enjoy reading it, but it is slow-going.

Overall Conclusion:

This was a really enjoyable read, and I can tell you that I am already hooked on this series. I'm shipping so many couples so hard right now, and I can't wait to watch all of the characters I already love develop, blossom and win some Fencing matches!!