This volume had everything high-stakes action, big feelings, and honestly some of the most beautiful art I’ve seen in a graphic novel lately, and I was completely locked in from start to finish.

Siren and Kappa’s relationship really shines here. It’s romantic, yes, but also layered with so much vulnerability and trust. Every moment between them hit harder this time, and I found myself genuinely rooting for them, especially with all the danger closing in.

There were a couple twists I didn’t see coming (love when that happens), and I really liked how the world keeps expanding without feeling overwhelming. It all just clicks.

I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

I love Wendy Martin’s art style in this series. It is so beautiful! Another great volume, which surprised me in the direction it took with the prophecy. Definitely not at all what I was expecting. Kappa and Siren’s story is one that I am highly enjoying and I look forward to see what will occur next.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy*

This was so fun. I love the art style so much, and the colour palette is unmatched!! It feels like you’re in the ocean with the characters as you read, and it’s amazing.

I read volume 1 last year, so I kind of forgot how it ended, but it quickly made sense when I started this volume. I loved how the story continued, and the plot twists! Wow.

A perfect follow up to Volume 1, Volume 2 of Castle Swimmer takes off right where the first ended. There's some twists and turns and a lot of emotions, but mostly these graphic novels are full of excellent artwork that relays a beautiful and adorable story. Loved this, can't wait for the next one!

What I Liked: This book takes place right where the events of book 1 left off and leaves you with a cliff hanger making you wait for the next book in the series. This book continues to build tension as we wait to see what fate awaits Kappa, and what will become of Siren as he decides if he will carry out his responsibility within the prophecy.

This book closes with information about what inspired each of the characters in this book from the various areas, and the characters really resemble the creatures they are inspired by. The illustrations throughout this book are gorgeous and capture your attention throughout. Each of the illustrations does a good job of captivating the emotions of the characters and creating tension as needed.

This book includes a twist that I didn't see coming and we find out more information about the true purpose of the beacon. Read to watch this story unfold and follow along as feelings get a lot more complicated as the truth is revealed. This twist creates additional concern for all the creatures in the sea and leaves you needing to know what the beacon's role really is within the ocean and if he can get away with leaving prophecies unfulfilled.

Final Verdict: Castle Swimmer Volume 2 is the second part of a suspenseful series that leaves you waiting to see what happens next. If you are a fan of graphic novels, web toons, are looking for a fun summer read, or enjoy reading books about sea creatures then this is one that you should pick up.

Another beautiful volume of Castle Swimmer! I really enjoyed the progression of this story which contained some romance and big surprises. I love the bond that Kappa and Siren have formed and how determined Siren is to not hurt anyone while trying to break the curse. His character development between the two volumes is fantastic. We get to know some characters better and get introduced to a few new quirky friends. The imagery is stunning and the story captivates. I love this series!

✨Castle Swimmer: Volume 2 collects Episodes 20-41✨

🪸🪼🐋🦑Just the sweetest, most adorable webtoon i continue to fall head over heels for every time i get back to Siren and Kappa's world! Volume 2 was as scrumptious as the first, full of emotion and great art and two darlings i can't get enough of! The tension was high, the sneaky bits were kitten-cute, but then the actual reveal snuck up on me and it had me gasping. I was lulled by pretty mermen with blushing crushes and didn't see it coming. This story was so good with a hint of intense and it just keeps getting better!🦈🦞🐚

🐟🦪🐠And now I've stopped reading the webtoon just so i can be surprised when Volume 3 comes out! All i know is that i love this graphic novel series and i can't wait to see what's next for Siren and Kappa, because they're the absolute cutest together and i hope they get to share the most melty-heart romantic adventures in all the volumes still to come! Loved this!🪸🪼🐋🦑

Thanks to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for this eARC. Graphics of the characters are nice, but the backgrounds are very limited. Simple and straight forward story. Probably popular for a younger audience.

Thank you NetGalley and Wendy Martin for letting me review Castle Swimmer. I was already following the series on Webtoons, but when I saw that we were getting a physical comic, I knew I had to see it. The formatting from a web comic to a physical copy keeps the story flowing as well.

As the story progresses, we got to see Siren's and Kappa's relationship grow as they come up with a plan to help each other achieve the freedom they want. This volume mainly focuses on building the plot for the remainder of the series as Kappa finally escapes from the castle with the help of Siren.

The art style is also to die for, especially with Kappa's colourful scales, and the funny expressions make it even more worth picking up.

I was super excited to read Castle Swimmer Volume Two after loving Volume One so much and even more excited to get the eARC.
Just as in volume one, the love story between our two main characters is very cute and I loved watching it develop further.
We didn’t see all that much character development from Kappa in this volume, but Siren goes through quite a lot in this one and I loved seeing it.
Plot-wise, I feel like the book dragged on a bit, basically repeating the plot of volume one, with an unsurprising twist at the end, but at least from then on the story progressed. I liked the ending and am looking forward to reading more and watching the characters progress independently of each other.
All in all a good read.

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF @ 35% for me.

I love me some Webtoons and the cute Queer vibes here are adorable, but the script, pacing, story, and art style just weren't my cup of tea.

Clearly I'm in the minority on that and it's a me problem, bur that's the joys and pains of subjectivity.

Oh, I love this series. Like I said in my first review, this has the perfect balance of cuteness and suspense. It's a super funny and adorable read, but there's also a well-developed plot, so it's definitely not just vibes. I hope I'll manage to continue this on Webtoon, because I absolutely adore this.

This may be my favourite part of the Castle Swimmer series. I absolutely love the WEBTOON and I was interested to see how it would translate into a book format, and I was really pleased that it worked!

This part follows Siren as he tries to free Kappa from the sharks. I will always love Siren and Kappa’s relationship and I just absolutely love Queen Nee and Krilli, so I was pleased to see them again, too!

Thank you to Ten Speed Press for the ARC of this book.

Castle Swimmer picks up right where volume 1 left off, with Kappa imprisoned and Prince Siren working to free him. This was full of interesting plot twists and had a nice resolution leaving me guessing as to where things will go next. I especially loved what the neighboring queens brought to the story. This is a fun and quick graphic novel and I look forward to reading volume 3!
Thanks to Ten Speed and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Did you grow up with some weird fascination with sirens, mermaids, fish, or any of the above? Fairytales and folklore been your shtick since the release of Shrek? Chosen one destinies get your blood pumping?

Boy oh boy, have I got the series for you.

As I shared in my review of Castle Swimmer, Vol. 1, Kappa and Siren have been my sweet little fish boys since freshman year of college. I remember finally giving in to the Webtoon hype, curling up under a blanket, and coming out of a Castle Swimmer-induced coma a few hours later and being livid because I was fully caught up and deeply invested.

Not much has changed. I still love my precious little fish boys and their story of destiny, royal duty, and young love. I laughed at how silly these two were and fist pumped every time they got a helpful hint for how to thwart the "kill the beacon to save the people" narrative. I always forget how much I love Queen Nee and her shameless antics.

The perfect story to sink into for an afternoon of fun antics and lovable characters.

Castle Swimmer, Vol. 2 raises the stakes with more danger, deeper emotions, and expanding underwater politics. Prince Siren and Kappa are caught in a tightening net as Queen Susca becomes more ruthless, willing to kill Kappa herself if Siren won’t. Their relationship is the emotional core of the story—tender, defiant, and increasingly heart-wrenching as they’re forced to consider impossible choices.

The arrival of neighboring queens adds fresh tension and the possibility of escape, though their true intentions remain murky. The art remains vibrant and expressive, perfectly capturing the emotional highs and lows, and the pacing keeps the story moving quickly. Some developments feel a bit rushed, but the emotional payoff makes up for it.

This volume delivers a powerful mix of romance, rebellion, and sacrifice, and it’s a satisfying next chapter for fans of the first.

Just as good as the first one! I love the Webtoons that get turned into physical books. Thank you for the ARC, I had a blast reading this.

Amazing art to go with an amazing story. I felt transported into this magical world as I read! I loved the characters and their unique personalities portrayed both in how they act and how they look. On that note the character design is out of this world!!!

“When we meet again, let’s change our fate together.”
4☆|5

It always feels wonderful to go back through the pages of this incredible comic, and this was exactly what I needed today. This series is simply so sweet and has such great art!

This volume picks up directly where we stopped in the first one, and if that one was a bit more of a setup, this second volume is filled with action! We open the book, and then it is very hard to put it down, as we end up really invested in what happens to Siren and Kappa. I adored it and the several twists to the story. And as someone who has partially read the webtoon at some points, believe me, it gets even better.

Added to the twists, this volume also offers us the evolution of Kappa and Siren's relationship, and when I tell you that they are absolutely adorable, I believe every word of it. This comic just gets cuter every time I open it, and it's totally because of them and of the fact that they make me giggle. And if the relationship works so well, it's partially because the characterisation of every character is so lovely. I adored all of them, especially the grandmother, whom I found very funny.

Finally, we discover all that with a beautiful art style in a book that has been perfectly adapted from a webtoon. And let me tell you, every aspect of it was a delight. The art is perfect and fits the story really well; the characters are lovely and the plot addictive, it's just what we need after a long day. I would like to thank Netgalley and Ten Speed Graphic for sending me an E-ARC of this lovely book, it goes out on June 3rd.

Castle Swimmer is such a fun graphic novel! The characters are sweet, they have lots of depth, and their romance is completely adorable! The world is also amazing, I love meeting all of the different mer and discovering the lore of this universe. Highly recommend!