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The Defectives #2
The Defectives Vol. 2
410 pages, Hardcover
Published January 5, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 5, 2026
"Reputation, authority, threat, incentives. Any of these four will get people willing to follow you. But if you don't have the experience, ruthlessness, or money, then all that's left are unfulfilled promises and inspirational words."
This one took real effort from me. I couldn’t just sit back and glide through it. I had to focus, reread sections, and really use my imagination to keep up with everything unfolding. The science, the politics, the battle plans, all of it demands attention. There were moments when I felt mentally tired, but in a good way, like the story respected me enough not to hand me easy answers. What hit me hardest was the emotional weight. I understood Li Jingheng’s motivations and why he makes the choices he does, yet my heart ached for the ordinary people caught in the middle, doing their best to survive while being treated like pieces on a board. Priest doesn’t look away from the cost of war. It hurt to read at times, but I genuinely admire that honesty.
Lin Jingheng completely owns every scene he’s in. His control, his precision, the way he pushes himself past exhaustion and even illness just to secure a win, it’s intense to witness. He feels almost untouchable, yet around Lu Bixing you can see the cracks. The anger feels layered. The silence feels heavy. It’s clear there’s fear and protectiveness buried under all that restraint. Lu Bixing is the emotional opposite in many ways. He’s brilliant and impulsive, open with his feelings, stubborn about reaching out even when he gets shut down. Watching him tease, confess, and still stand firm made me love him even more. Their dynamic feels raw and complicated, full of tension that builds with every argument and every quiet moment.
The action never really slows. Mecha formations, pirate ambushes, viruses spreading, political chaos, public training drills that feel humiliating, it all keeps moving. The casualty count is high and it weighs on you. Some of the strategic explanations are dense and I had to push through them, but I was emotionally invested the entire time. By the end, I felt wrung out in the best way. It challenged me, broke my heart a little, and still left me deeply satisfied.
Date Read: 2026.02.22
This one took real effort from me. I couldn’t just sit back and glide through it. I had to focus, reread sections, and really use my imagination to keep up with everything unfolding. The science, the politics, the battle plans, all of it demands attention. There were moments when I felt mentally tired, but in a good way, like the story respected me enough not to hand me easy answers. What hit me hardest was the emotional weight. I understood Li Jingheng’s motivations and why he makes the choices he does, yet my heart ached for the ordinary people caught in the middle, doing their best to survive while being treated like pieces on a board. Priest doesn’t look away from the cost of war. It hurt to read at times, but I genuinely admire that honesty.
Lin Jingheng completely owns every scene he’s in. His control, his precision, the way he pushes himself past exhaustion and even illness just to secure a win, it’s intense to witness. He feels almost untouchable, yet around Lu Bixing you can see the cracks. The anger feels layered. The silence feels heavy. It’s clear there’s fear and protectiveness buried under all that restraint. Lu Bixing is the emotional opposite in many ways. He’s brilliant and impulsive, open with his feelings, stubborn about reaching out even when he gets shut down. Watching him tease, confess, and still stand firm made me love him even more. Their dynamic feels raw and complicated, full of tension that builds with every argument and every quiet moment.
The action never really slows. Mecha formations, pirate ambushes, viruses spreading, political chaos, public training drills that feel humiliating, it all keeps moving. The casualty count is high and it weighs on you. Some of the strategic explanations are dense and I had to push through them, but I was emotionally invested the entire time. By the end, I felt wrung out in the best way. It challenged me, broke my heart a little, and still left me deeply satisfied.
Date Read: 2026.02.22
April 9, 2026
4.25 ★
April 21, 2026
This is my favorite series of all time so this will absolutely be a biased take.
Nonetheless! This was a great volume. There are somethings in the Rosmei translation that I had some gripes with, including some word choices. However, I recognize that this is only because I was so familiar with the fan translation, and that the new word choices may even fit better in the context of the story. Otherwise, I am really loving the translation. The prose flows really smoothly and the jokes land better. The story feels more "whole" now, like there were some details I was missing before (even though this is my fourth read). The overall reading experience is great. I am so thankful that this story was picked up for an official translation, even though Rosmei titles are not the most accessible.
We really get to see the development of Lin Jingheng and Lu Bixing's relationship in this volume. Lu Bixing is a very lovesick puppy by the end of the book, and we see Lin Jingheng's stone cold facade crack. He has always had a soft spot for Bixing, but here we get to see Bixing needling his way in deeper. I wish this volume did not end off where it did! I need to see more of them immediately. I genuinely cannot wait for the release of the third volume in July.
It is hard to pick some of my favorite moments, but this volume had quite a few that I am exceedingly fond of. For example, Lin Jingling calling up the Silver Ninth is absolutely one of them! Turan is also such a comedic relief and it is wonderful that she is part of the story. I also love the moment where Lu Bixing realizes he might have a crush on Lin Jingheng so he has the mech do a hormone scan on him to see if his oxytocin levels are high when the two of them are together. He is such a dork, I feel so maternal towards him. Whenever I am reading this story, I am overjoyed. I have such a deep love for these characters. I am so happy to get to revisit them again.
Nonetheless! This was a great volume. There are somethings in the Rosmei translation that I had some gripes with, including some word choices. However, I recognize that this is only because I was so familiar with the fan translation, and that the new word choices may even fit better in the context of the story. Otherwise, I am really loving the translation. The prose flows really smoothly and the jokes land better. The story feels more "whole" now, like there were some details I was missing before (even though this is my fourth read). The overall reading experience is great. I am so thankful that this story was picked up for an official translation, even though Rosmei titles are not the most accessible.
We really get to see the development of Lin Jingheng and Lu Bixing's relationship in this volume. Lu Bixing is a very lovesick puppy by the end of the book, and we see Lin Jingheng's stone cold facade crack. He has always had a soft spot for Bixing, but here we get to see Bixing needling his way in deeper. I wish this volume did not end off where it did! I need to see more of them immediately. I genuinely cannot wait for the release of the third volume in July.
It is hard to pick some of my favorite moments, but this volume had quite a few that I am exceedingly fond of. For example, Lin Jingling calling up the Silver Ninth is absolutely one of them! Turan is also such a comedic relief and it is wonderful that she is part of the story. I also love the moment where Lu Bixing realizes he might have a crush on Lin Jingheng so he has the mech do a hormone scan on him to see if his oxytocin levels are high when the two of them are together. He is such a dork, I feel so maternal towards him. Whenever I am reading this story, I am overjoyed. I have such a deep love for these characters. I am so happy to get to revisit them again.
June 17, 2026
I ship Lu Bixing and General Lin so hard. Captain Turan’s and Li Bixing’s antics have me laughing. The world Priest has built is incredible and so detailed. I do wish there was a few longer moments of Lu and Lin connecting, like in the last chapter of this volume. Lots of mecha fights which are fun to read, but can be too lengthy.
Patiently awaiting for Volume III to be released…
Patiently awaiting for Volume III to be released…
April 22, 2026
A little difficult to get through all the mech battles as they become a little repetitive but the cast of characters are fun and you really want them all to succeed. The relationship between Lu Boxing and Lin Jingheng moves along slowly but sweetly.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews