Fence Vol. 2

I just know that this series is going to be some real enemies to rivals to friends to lovers excellence and if that isn't something that fills me with joy then I don't know what can. The angst is strong and I love how ambitious and positive Nicholas is, he really believes in himself and puts so much effort into improving. I am honestly just having such a good, chill time reading these

Bought for my Grandson - who is an enthusiastic fencer - he loved it!

well written, beautifully illustrated and very well researched.

Book ReviewTitle: Fence: Volume 2 by C.S. PacatGenre: Graphic Novel, Sports, HumourRating: 4 StarsSo, Volume 1 ends with Nicholas and Seiji finding out they are going to be roommates at Kings Row and that they will both be competing for a spot on the fencing team which is obviously going to cause a lot of tension between the pair but hopefully it will foster an environment of understanding too. Volume 2 of Fence not only brings us a lot of fencing but introduces us to some more key characters and really demonstrates the difference in skill levels between some of the fencers.Volume 2 opens with Nicholas finding some old photos of his father and we learn that his half-brother, Jesse who is number 1 ranked in the national league goes to Exton and has some history with Seiji. While Nicholas loses his first match to Eugene he is excited for the next as these matches determine who is able to get on the team and in the past fencer with more than 3 losses didn’t make the cut. As Nicholas watches the match up between Seiji and Aiden many are preparing for Aiden to lose but he manages to get inside Seiji’s head and completely throws him off his game. Aiden ultimately wins that match which surprises many but not the coach as she seems to understand the fundamental issues that Seiji has even if we don’t know them yet.Nicholas next match is against Aiden but Aiden’s tactic of getting inside his opponent’s head doesn’t work with Nicholas as he isn’t really paying attention to what Aiden is saying. This coupled with the fact that Nicholas poor technique makes him unpredictable and the fact he is left handed also gives him an advantage and he matches to win that match. We see several more match ups and the day ends with Nicholas being ranked with some of the older and more experienced fencers which no one was expecting. I also really liked the fact we learn Aiden is part of the LGBTQ+ community and seems to harbour a crush on Harvard.The next day the matches continue with the first match being between Harvard and Seiji. Both of these fencers are in the national league, Harvard is 33rd and Seiji is 2nd behind Jesse. Most of the spectators believe this puts them on equal ground but they are wrong as Jesse and Seiji are closer to being Olympians that just national competitors like Harvard and he loses the match 4-15 giving Seiji a lot of respect but very little in the way of friendship. I really liked how Pacat displayed the dynamic between Seiji and Nicholas as roommates and I can definitely see a relationship or a really strong friendship developing there. However, I did want to learn more about Seiji’s history with Jesse and how Nicholas feels about his half-brother and whether or not Jesse knows about Nicholas the same way Nicholas obviously knows about him.

nicley done, great story and good illustrations. thats all i have to say about this graphic novel it wasjust fasinating!