After reading Lady Joker Volume One it is impossible not to continue and finish the saga. That is why will be reviewing Lady Joker Volume Two by Kaoru Takamura and translated by Allison Markin Powell and Marie Iida. Keep reading to find out what we thought of the book and if you should read it!
Lady Joker Volume Two Summary
The second novel focuses on the fallout after Lady Joker kidnaps Hinode’s president, Kyosuke Shiroyama and releases him. The police suspect that Hinode (beer company) will try to make a backroom deal with Lady Joker and try to prevent it.
In the second novel, the perspective shifts from the members of Lady Joker to the focus on the media and how they are involved in the coverage of the kidnapping and its aftermath. But as some reporters try to connect the kidnapping to the underworld, they realize just how dangerous their reporting is.
The two main questions the reader has is will Lady Joker get caught and what will happen to Hinode. The police have a lead and are building a case to act on it. Hinode, on the other end, is trying to survive as their products are contaminated and their stock goes crashing down. Both of these questions make this novel impossible to put down.
Commentary
The second novel is just as good, if not better than the first one. Takamura’s characters have an existential crisis and learn who they really are. As much as I like the plot, the main reason I enjoyed this novel is how Takamura makes his characters come to life as their world comes crashing down.
The perspective of the media was a good idea by Takamura and it lets us see how the residents of Japan and the people covering the kidnapping experience it. What I loved is that Takamura doesn’t shift the narration back to Lady Joker for almost the first half of the book, not letting us experience their emotions as the police dig into Lady Joker.
Just like the first one, this novel is long but it is necessary. Takamura makes sure every character gets their moment to shine. While there doesn’t feel to be a single climax, there are numerous small moments that make you realize just how much this case has affected the people involved.
Conclusion
This is a novel that will stay with me for a long time. When an author is this gifted, they can make a fictional event feel like something you read in a newspaper. It feels like you were there with how meticulous the novel is. It is the perfect conclusion to an epic kidnapping and a must read. This was a five star for me without hesitation. Happy reading!