Chasma Knights By Kate Reed Petty
Kate Reed Petty µ 7 review
Beryl lives in a world full of toys. But these aren't your ordinary toys—they're mechanical marvels that almost seem alive! And at the slightest touch, these toys catalyze, that is, they merge with their owner and give them special abilities.
But not Beryl. She's a Neon Knight, and Neon Knights can't catalyze.
Beryl does have a special ability that no one knows about—she's an inventor who can turn a broken toy into an amazing, new creation. When a powerful Oxygen Knight named Coro discovers Beryl's secret workshop, she wants in on the fun. But can a Neon Knight and an Oxygen Knight ever get along? Chasma Knights
i read this so quickly i didn’t even process the story Chasma Knights The director of the children's department has a subscription where every month Junior Library Guild sends us five usually fantastic books of their choosing.
I'm not sure what they were thinking when they sent us this one.
It seems to want to be a girly version of Pokemon crossed with Transformers where toys evolve catalyze into other things, and supposedly . . . good stuff happens. I guess. The plot's a convoluted mess, and the cotton-candy world made my teeth ache.
Hopefully the kids will like this, but for me, it was nothing but a technicolor nightmare. Chasma Knights 3.5 ⭐️ Chasma Knights If I only based this book on the illustrations, it would rate 5 stars. The colors are bright and the creatures cute and interesting. Unfortunately, the story pulls the rating down, way down. It is so confusing. It starts without any frame of reference for the reader, which is especially bad since it is a children's book. There are references to chemicals and science, but it is all over the place so that the reader does not actually learn anything about those subjects. Basically, the story is about Beryl, who is a neon knight. She gets picked on by other knights because she cannot fly. Beryl builds things and is clever but it is difficult to know exactly what she is making and how she is doing it. Beryl meets Coro, who is a bit of a showoff. You think they are friends, but then Coro makes fun of Beryl and steals her ideas. The story-line gets a bit of a mess and then Coro and Beryl suddenly become friends and plan to work together as a team. The end. Yes, it leaves you shaking your head. The vocabulary is more advance than its target audience but older students will think it is beneath them. It is sadly a miss for me. Chasma Knights I dunno, this is probably far too deep a dive into what is in fact a very cute children's graphic novel but I've started typing & I can't seem to stop.
The art in this book is amazing; it's creative, & bright, & beautiful. I see where the story was heading but the execution leaves something to be desired. The basic idea is that the main character can't do the think that everyone else can (& is constantly mocked for it) but she can invent and fix stuff. The other main character is the best at doing the thing (people are very impressed but make fun for her for showing off) & is desperate to show everyone how great they are. Things go awry, they get angry & then make up with each other, etc. The big take away seems to be trying to say that everyone has different gifts & a friend can change your outlook but it feels like it's ignoring the main characters valid unhappiness with being different (& being harassed for it) and just saying, 'well you're great anyway so who cares if your ostracized!' It's just very clunky with some very questionable plot shifts. The characters actions never point to them learning anything (as the text seems to suggest they do) nor does the town improve or change their ways. The kids become friends but if that were the focus of the story why take up all your story space with weird drama that forwards nothing?
There's also a weird world element where the toys are clearly alive & capable of feeling pain (the first gold toy Beryl finds is clearly broken & unhappy) which is super creepy & would suggest that the major story is heading towards the town people keeping their toys and fixing them rather than throwing them away when they get bored, but no. No the town stays awful & only Beryl & Coro (sort of) care about old toys. & then there's a whole superhero thing...with stolen armor and an entirely manufactured disaster to avert... This book is just weird messages everywhere.
All said, it's still a very cute book with a very 90's cartoon story vibe, weird & a little off but well meaning over all. Chasma Knights
In a world where we throw away and continually buy new things comes a tale of a Neon Knight that collects broken toys and fixes them and also makes new things with them as well. A character who does recycling! Woo!
The artist is the same one who illustrated Five Worlds and the illustrations are phenomenal in this book as they were in the other ones.
The story was okay for me. It didn't grab my attention as Five Worlds did. That being said, it is a different writer, but it was just alright for me.
Chasma Knights Beryl lives in the Chasma. She is what is called a Neon Knight, which means she cannot bond with or play with toys like the rest of the other knights can. These special toys have elemental cores that can be catalyzed with the core of the knight. But because there are so many toys, knights tend to toss old ones away and buy new ones all the time. Even though Beryl is looked down upon and cannot play with toys, she has other brilliant ways to save tossed away toys and make a special impression in the world.
Such a sweet read. I wish I had toys like these. Chasma Knights
You're the only one I know who will like this.Here, that was how my bookseller advertised it to me (because I'm kinda the one person that goes towards what no one buys in that bookshop and stays away from what everyone else buys).
And that wasn't too far off from the truth I guess, because I really enjoyed it, while at the same time having no idea how to sell it to someone else.
The art is cool and colourful, but it felt very dense and complex in terms of world building for something aimed at children or teens. (Not sure of the original editor plan, but the French editor has it in a collection clearly aimed at a younger audience.)
The one thing I'd say though is that I was a bit disappointed that it was a one-shot, because there's a lot of stuffs going on and a whole world created in there that could have been explored further. 🤔 Chasma Knights 4.5/5
This book was great, y'all are just mean.
Let's just get to it.
What Works
CHEMISTRY LORE
If you're a grown up reading this review, you've probably taken a chemistry course or two. If it's been a while, lemme do a quick refresher to explain why this is important.
The elements on the periodic table have different degrees of reactivity when it comes to forming compounds. Some are highly reactive, some are not. This is based on the available space in the element's outer ring of valence electrons. This adds a little additional understanding to how Chasma Knights works.
Neon is a noble gas, an element on the periodic table that isn't reactive to other elements because its outer ring of valence electrons is considered to be full. What this means is that there's no room for other elements to share electrons with them, therefore compounds cannot be formed under natural conditions. Because Neon doesn't react, Neon Knights are considered to be an odd duck in the context of the story.
Oxygen is a highly reactive nonmetal element. It's ready to bond with other elements in a heartbeat. The oxygen we breathe is comprised of O2 compounds--they don't tend to fly solo. In Chasma Knights, this means Oxygen knights can bond with anything.
Having these two gases personified in the world makes for a good contrast with how they're treated and the inherent hierarchy in the story.
And it's a neat little introduction to kids to how chemical bonds can form.
That Aesthetic(tm)
The way everything was designed hit my design sensibilities like a teddy bear's paw to my face. I need to save some of these backgrounds as reference for when I decide to make my own Squishy Characters Go On an Adventure story.
The Power of Invention
We need more STEM representation in comics, and this is a step in the right direction. Chemistry lore aside, the story's core message is encouraging innovation and invention, recycling discarded commodities in a society of ultra-consumerism. Flex your noodle and make some cool stuff!
What Needs Improvement
World building
I love the world building in Chasma Knights, don't get me wrong. But I do have questions if the parallels to chemical bonds rings true in the world's internal logic.
- Are there other noble gases that exist in this world? Are we only seeing a portion of this planet where Neon is the most commonly occurring noble gas?
- These toys are made by Toy Makers(tm)--who are they? Are these positions filled by noble gases, hence why we only see one Neon Knight? Or are noble gases such a rare occurrence that more common elements are building the toys.
- Can knights bond with each other like a Steven Universe fusion?
What I'm saying is, this story needs a sequel. Chasma Knights This graphic novel invites readers to consider being creators instead of just consumers of technology and other products. I was a bit confused as to what exactly the Chasma Knights powers were for most of the story, I guessed it was the ability to fuse with the toys they wish to play with to make them come to life, and I was right, so the confusion I felt mostly fueled my need to finish this story to find out if I was right. Neon Knights cannot fuse or catalyze with toys and for this they are humilliated. Beryl doesn't let the fact that she's a Neon put a stop to her dreams of becoming a toy maker, and her missions to rescue discarded toys and make them into something greater is one of the many pauses, as readers, we should make to think about our own beliefs in what is disposable. Beryl meets Coro, one of the most powerful Chasma Knights, and changes Coro's views on what is important, even if at first she is embarrassed to be working with Beryl. Lots to take away from this engaging graphic novel. Chasma Knights