The Inventor, Vol. 2: The Secret of the Scrap Goblin

The Inventor #2

by Lars Henrik Eriksen

Kobolt is still searching for his grandfather, so that together they can sort out the inventor blunders that have thrown their hometown into chaos. On his search, he comes to the trading town of Basara, where everything is measured in money. The city is the tallest Kobolt has ever seen, and Basara's leaders are proud of all they have accomplished. But far down in the city's nooks and crannies sits a little elf and experiments. He is discovered by Kobolt, and together they must invent an energy source that may not be what the citizens of Basara want or need...

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comics, Science Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

Published September 24, 2024

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Inventor Vol. 2" picks up where book 1 left off, with Cobalt and his turtle on an adventure to find his grandfather. When he arrives at the last town to have seen his grandfather, he has to learn to navigate their tricky politics while still searching, and also earning enough money to survive.

I really enjoy this series. The art style is like a combination of manga and graphic novel, with the colors being brighter than most graphic novels. I enjoyed the plotline and read this book really quickly! My only problem with it is Cobalt makes a super stupid decision at the end that I think he was smart enough to know not to do. I also wish this book had a recap at the beginning so I could remember more of book 1. Can't wait to read book 3!

I think this is the perfect book for middle grade readers, especially if they are into sci-fantasy adventures. I highly recommend this series and will definitely continue reading.

4/5 stars

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Papercutz for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review from Son: I like that there's a turtle on it. I love about the scrap goblin. It made me feel happy. It was cool. I love the turtle, he was cute and funny.

[Jenny Wüsthoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Hardcover]

See, now it's picking up!
I said in the review of the first book that my main problem with it was how the book format didn't allow enough space to properly start the story. The second book proved me right.

The series is clearly inspired by the japanese manga, but he still manages to make it his own. The characters are whimsical and stand out well, the world building is interesting without a lot of info dumping, and the pacing works well. Also, and not all the modern comics do this well, the illustrations are detailed enough to make them worth paying attention to. Especially when they reveal things for the reader, that the characters in frame don't notice.

With this second volume, Eriksen has brought us into his world more fully, and the story's direction is more clear. Now I am enjoying it a lot more, and am excited for the next!

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

I said last time (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) that this looked to be a young fantasy comic series showing promise, but in need of firmer control and logic from the creator. That's still the case after reading this first sequel, if not more so, where our young hero finds a very ramshackle city, and a ramshackle scientist type, and his ramshackle ideas, and some of it links back to the quest for the kid's grandfather but a lot just doesn't get us anywhere fast. The ungainly mix of mundane and magic is seen in the first few pages, where free range eggs do just that – range freely out of the shop once you've paid for them – and, well, a car breaks down. And it continues to such an extent that no end of back-stabbing inventing shenanigans can make me happy about this being so incoherent. A disappointment, but I called it right, so there's that at least.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

WE DON'T OWN THESE YET. Not enuf copies for CCrew
Clever, inventive and odd. Should read #1. Signs are in another language--looks Russian? Manga meets steampunk

Author: Young (b. 1995), Swedish civil engineer won a Egmont competition and thus a book contract.

Main character, Cobalt Cogg, has prosthetic legs after accident in book 1; glowing tubes of alpha energy power them. Searching for his inventor grandfather. Very detailed illustrations give clues, worth study.

Very cryptic and cliff-hanger-y. #1 Checked out everywhere that has it.

[Marte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Likte denne oppfølgeren ganske godt! Digger å få mer world-building og å se Kobolt oppleve og utforske en verden han aldri har opplevd! Virker som om mye ikke er som det virker, og gleder meg til å finne ut mer i neste volum!

Trodde det skulle ta mye lengre tid å møte bestefaren enn det gjorde, så ser frem til å se hvor veien videre går og hvilke mysterier vi må løse!

Digger også amputerings rep her! Håper og vi ser mer til de nye vennene til Kobolt!


3.5⭐️

[Engel Dreizehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Copy in english...Honored to be reviewing the second volume and was curious after the first book, where will the Inventor end up. The trade City was a complex sight to behold both visually and...that's alot of laws and rules. Also could feel, something bout this city is seedy, and will Grandpa be found?

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t like this one as much as the last one, but I still want to know what happens next so I’ll be looking out for the next volume. It’s just the scenery for this one wasn’t as captivating or pleasant to look at and the story was kind of boring compared to the first one. But the cliffhanger at the end makes me want to read more.

[Freya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Papercutz for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I was so glad to be back in such an original, amazing world I really love!

This sequel didn’t disappoint. I highly recommend picking up this series if you like adventure, animals and/or tinkering!

Great characters and a nice story again.

[Sophy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you find yourself looking for a loved one and end up falling into something you never expected, things can get strange fast. This is an interesting story about a young country boy inventor who is looking for his grandfather. He might have gotten more than he bargained for.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Review is submitted to School Library Journal for their upcoming SMS Fiction Article.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young Cobalt Cogg ventures into the depths of the city of Basara to find his missing grandfather and crosses paths with a mysterious, chaotic inventor. Interesting worldbuilding and decent art.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the second Inventor book Cobalt finds that he wasn't as prepared for the search for his Grandfather as he thought. He runs into a duo that takes him on to the city where his Grandfather was last seen, Basara. This is a town built towering upward and based solely on commerce and trade, where he is put in charge of a run down inventors shack where nobody comes to shop. He is befriended by the Scrap Goblin who has a plan to get the town mobile, if Cobalt is willing to help...

Once again, the artwork is phenomenal. The colors are gorgeous, the characters are quirky and well planned out. There are hidden gems within the artwork and it is just an all around fun read. Cobalt continues on in his clueless, enthusiastic way, causing chaos in his efforts to help. I think the kids will love this one!

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Papercutz and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this fun book. This is a continuation of The Inventor series and this story starts where the volume 1 ends. Cobalt is on his way to find his grandfather with some adventures along the way. Same great characters, fantastic artwork, fast moving plot, great world-building, & a cliffhanger ending makes for a fun read. Can’t wait for the next volume to find out what happens next and am sure that my students would love this series as well.