If Marie Lu has written it I have read it and Skyhuter is her latest YA and the first in a new series. I have to say though this book is not my favorite, I like the characters but they are not grabbing all my attention, the story is good but not great and maybe it is my poor attitude but I just could not get into this story. I do hope the next story in the series is a bit more enthralling that I don't want to put it down but unfortunately this book is not that.

Talin leads the life of a Striker, stealthily battling the Ghosts which threaten her city’s perimeter. Strikers work in pairs, with their bond to each other only severed in death. When Talin risks her standing and membership with the Strikers to save an enemy soldier, her punishment is being paired with him. Red -- who just wants the sweet release of death -- is aggravated just to be alive. However, the two must work together to save themselves -- and the city of Mara -- from the dark, impending threat of the ever-expanding Federation.

I just didn’t find myself as taken with this book as I’ve been with some of Lu’s earlier work. The concept of being bonded/tethered to someone was already explored in The Young Elites trilogy, and seeing it again, it felt a little tired. Although the book was slow to start, there was some inherent creepiness (done masterfully) when Lu revealed how the Federation chose whom would be turned into Ghosts. The setting was supposed to be in the aftermath of some advanced scientific city, but this didn’t seem really captured through the structures and surroundings (although there were definite descriptions and nods to it . . . but it felt a bit incomplete).

The tension was a bit on the low side . . . things just seemed to be happening. Probably the most interesting part was the last 10 pages of the book. But even the ending was a touch predictable. Enjoyed the characters, enjoyed the premise . . . usually I devour Lu's writing, but Skyhunter just wasn't a fit for me. In recommending her books to readers, I would reach for Warcross and The Young Elites before pushing this one.

This new book by Marie Lu didn't disappoint. She built another awesome world with really cool characters. I love Talin and her Striker family. They are super cool and can wield weapons very well. I love Marie Lu's books and I'm very excited for the sequel!

Skyhunter is an amazing novel. I was immediately taken aback by the scope of the world-building and how EPIC the world felt. I was completely immersed in this book from the very beginning. I felt like I was dropped into this world on the very first page. It gave me such a clear mental image of the battle for the this world the characters were facing and the consequences if they lost. That is one thing about Marie Lu's writing style that I really adore.

The Game of Thrones series is the only other series I know that clearly depicts what it is like to be a poor refugee fleeing the war. Skyhunter did that so well, with Talin and her mother's journey. I also liked how even the supposed bad guys were given reasons as to why they acted this way. Marie Lu paints in shades of grey, no clear black or white moralities.

Marie Lu has proven once again why she is one of my favorite authors.

TW: abuse, inhumane scientific testing/experiments

Wow this book was a roller coaster, but I just want to say, for my first Marie Lu book, I was pretty impressed and satisfied. As most books go, I didn’t know much going into this one. I was immediately hooked from the beginning scene in which our main character Talin is facing a lot of grief and uncertainty within herself. I thought the atmosphere of war was captured really well. There was nothing too extreme that made me want to put down the book, but it 100 percent felt like a war novel.

I adored this world because even though many aspects of it reminded me of dystopia and The Hunger Games, it had it’s own unique twists and scientific spins (something I wish was explained a little in depth, but maybe this was the STEM major in me wanting a little more haha). The world building was done at a really steady pace so I didn’t feel overwhelmed with the information. The world itself wasn’t too intricate that it needed a lot of time to understand it fully so that was also nice.

The characters all had their own back stories and layers that were slowly revealed as the novel went forth. Talin was a solid main character, but I felt like her and the author just kept repeating certain memories and phrases in such similar ways that it got a little boring/annoying to read. I did enjoy the majority of this book, but there were definitely some moments where I was like “Again?” I also thought that the gradual connection that Talin should have been forming with Red almost happened abruptly. I understand that she had a lot of mixed emotions towards him and in that I think I was confused as to exactly how she did feel. I think Red was also a pretty solid character, just nothing special. Like all the characters he had a backstory that was brought up many many times (a bit too many for my liking). To be completely honest, I was more curious and invested in Jerad and his love interest, hehe (not a main plot point of this book, something on the down low that I just appreciated).

One thing that I probably enjoyed the most about this book was that even though it’s a science fiction/fantasy book, the world is very much like our own. There’s classism, racism, etc. especially towards the refugees who had to flee their own countries and homes for a place in Mara. Lu did a phenomenal job weaving this into the plot and through certain character’s actions.

This ending though. First, I thought this book was a standalone so when I finished I was like shut up, there’s no way it ended like this. I understand why it did now because it’s meant to be a series. However, personally, I wish it had been a standalone? I really disliked this ending. I didn’t hate it or anything. It was pretty realistic the way it ended, it’s just the choice that Talin made at the end seemed to contradict her character and values. It didn’t make sense to me.

Nonetheless, I still do recommend this book. Very atmospheric and full of action. It just came out a few days ago so you can definitely either buy a copy or borrow it from your library.

Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Plot: 7/10
Intrigue: 7/10
Logic: 6/10
Enjoyment: 8/10

Rating: 7.0 or 4 stars

Marie Lu is such a masterful storyteller and one of my favorite authors! Even though her stories might have some elements of YA tropes, she still finds ways to make them fresh. This was definitely one of those times! It is a dystopian world where a group of teens must save the city from an evil leader, but she adds plenty of twists I didn't see coming, heartbreak that I am still not over, and a diverse cast including the main protagonist who is a mute. Surprisingly (but honestly refreshing) there is no romance, and I must say I didn't miss it. Unfortunately, there were times when I felt it dragged a bit, but those times did build up the story. Thankfully, once things got moving it was thrilling enough to keep me on the edge of my seat!

All in all, this is another home run and will fly off my shelves. I can't wait for book two, and I would definitely recommend you get your hands on a copy!

Marie Lu creates an elaborate world in this new fantasy novel. I’ve read her other books and she somehow creates these worlds that suck you right in. This one is no different.

Talin is a striker. She’s in a specialized force of fighters. She’s had a rough life and wasn’t accepted because of where she is from and the fact that she doesn’t speak. She proved herself to be a great fighter and won her spot as a striker. They are trained to kill Ghosts (zombie like super creatures).

The story gets more detailed but I don’t want to give anything away. It was interesting to see the story progress and learn the backstory of some of the main characters, Jeran, Rooke, Aramain and Red.

Two characters had a very deep connection that really added a lot of interest to the plot.


Of course since this is a series it ends with you wanting more.

It was such a blast for me to be a part of the Street Team helping to promote the book! I received a digital arc in exchange for my honest review. Thank you netgalley, Marie Lu and Fierce reads.

I cannot wait for the next book.

Ah, Lu did it again! I’d heard this series is reminiscent of her Legend series and that is a favorite of mine.

What I loved about this one right from the start is that they live far in the future, but the Early Ones (aka: Us) have mysteriously died off but left technology and more. The leadership has turned it into a dystopian society and they’ve created mutant human monsters that are quite believable. Even their war machines are humans that have been experimented on and added to. The ideas behind these make it so much easier to grasp but also adds a level of creepy because, can that happen?

Talin is a fabulously flawed, loyal, tough, smart lead who is mute due to throat damage from poisonous gas. Lu incorporates her sign language beautifully into the novel and it flowed well. Not only that, but Talin and her mother are refugees that fought hard for their freedom and are continually looked down upon for it. All these elements combined make the novel feel so real because it is possible in many of our lives.

It’s full of action, adventure, intrigue and all the exciting descriptive words I can use. I highly recommend!

The content is high in violence for fighting. They are at war so they are fighting the enemy, there is blood and there is death. Intense themes was higher than most books due to the war and what has happened in the war. Check the content review here:

https://www.theopenbooks.net/2020/09/young-adult/skyhunter-skyhunter-1/

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and Roaring Book Press for the copies in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Macmillan Children’s for the opportunity to be on the street team!

My first Marie Lu. And wow did she not disappoint. The story is dark, full of pain and suffering but also in a way hopeful.

The main character Talin, is mute - the only way she can communicate is through sign language. I really appreciated a character like that - that's capable but disfigured. We see the story from her perspective alone, and I feel like that was such a smart choice. She is the one that sees and hears everything around her, as speaking is not a distraction for her and she has to have other senses honed. I really appreciated Talin's skills too - her being a skilled killer in an elite army. The country she lives in is full of classism, racism, xenophobia but Talin moves through it with grace. She was just a favorite overall - a character you feel for, and understand as you read more of her story.

The story starts off as painful as can be. Showing how much pain and suffering Talin and her people are suffering. Killing the enemy on the daily, but also living every day as their last almost. Going to battle knowing they might not come back. Losing her best friend and partner right away, ripped my heart out, even though I still didn't know much about Talin herself. You could feel her pain jumping from the page.

And then we're introduced to Red. And we get a bigger picture of this cruel world. It is not just the Talin's side that suffers, but also the side they are fighting against. Their side might have even worse. (Like I said, this book was full of pain and darkness). I appreciated the growing friendship between Talin and Red, as well as other Strikers. It growed through trust and example, rather than instalove (which always makes me roll my eyes).

Overall I really appreciated this book. It didn't hold back. And I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next to these characters.

Very few authors build a world like Marie Lu and can make a reader like me sign up for space dystopia! A whammy of series introduction, Lu proves that she deserves to be on the list of reader favorites and an auto-buy for our library.

Another stellar book by Marie Lu! So why only 3 stars? To me, 3 stars means I'm glad I read it once but I'm not necessarily sure I'd see myself re-reading it. A few factors of the plot seemed awfully convenient to me, but I will definitely read the sequel and I have no doubt my students will be clamoring for this book like they do all of her others!

I adored this book, and if you enjoy sci-fi with fantasy elements, high stakes, and a slow burn romance, you will, too.

Marie Lu filled the Skyhunter world with believable, relatable characters that you want to cheer for. I love the way she handled Talin's muteness, the way she seamlessly incorporated sign language into the conversations between characters, and the way that she built a world that is both imaginative and uncomfortably familiar.

Talin is the kind of protagonist that I aspire to be like, and it's not because she's a strong fighter. It's because she makes choices based on her own values even when the world around her makes it difficult. Her story gives me hope and inspires me to keep fighting to make the world a more generous and inclusive place.

This book had me from the first chapter. Talin can no longer speak after being poisoned with gas when the Federation took over her county. She is a Striker for the country of Mara. Her partner Corin is her Shield. They are great team until Corin is bit by a ghost and Talin must do the unthinkable kill her shield. During that attack they found a person escaping the Federation and Talin feels something when they go to execute him and ends up saving him. As her punishment he is not her Shield.

I really enjoyed this new series from Marie Lu! I have always enjoyed her books and this new series is very different from the other books she has wrote in the past. I really found myself immersed in this story and will definitely be picking up the sequel!

This one started a bit slow for me and then picked up and I didn't stop reading until I was finished with the book. The ending.......oh, my!!! No spoilers here!! Another hit for Marie Lu.

Marie Lu has done it again, folks! This was such a fun, addictive YA read that I would absolutely recommend.

To me, Skyhunter took the spirit that made Legend, Warcross, and The Young Elites so great and ran with it, while still totally holding its own as a distinct new sci-fi/fantasy series. The fast-paced, easily digestible writing style is characteristic of Lu’s voice. I also think the story works great for fans of Laini Taylor and Marissa Meyer.

The main characters Talin and Red are so complex and interesting to read about. I also really enjoyed the thread running throughout the narrative that explores Talin’s complicated relationship with her country as she balances her identities as both a Striker (fiercely loyal warriors that defend the free nation of Mara) and a refugee of the war (targets for a lot of ingrained prejudice from her peers). Throughout all the high-stakes action of the plot, Talin continually has this conversation with herself about loyalty and all the nuances that come with such a phenomenon.

While the pacing of the ending went a bit fast for me, I think this book set up a great foundation for a blossoming series/duology in the YA SFF universe. Definitely check it out!

Comparable Titles:
Renegades by Marissa Meyer
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

***As a volunteer member of the Skyhunter Street Team, I received a free e-ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

"Can you be kind and a killer? Can you be gentle and a weapon of war?"

Marie Lu is one of the authors I've been a fan of for the longest time. I fell in love with reading shortly before YA dystopian books became huge and the Legend trilogy remains one of my most favorite series. Which is why I was so excited for Skyhunter. Here we are, 7 years after I read Legend, and I'm still as impressed by a Marie Lu book as ever.

Skyhunter is about Talin, a Striker for Mara, the last nation free from the clutches of the Karensa Federation. When they caught a boy who was fleeing from Karensa, Talin saves him from certain death and discovers there's more to him than meets the eye. Meanwhile, the threat of the Federation looms bigger than ever and Talin and her friends are ready to fight to death to protect their homeland.



I loved that this book started with intense action and an emotional punch to gut. And while I found the worldbuilding a bit lacking, it's easy to imagine this miserable, post-apocalyptic world the characters are inhabiting. I also loved that there's constant action and not just towards the end. The threat of an invading force added a constant sense of doom to the setting, so when characters had lighthearted moments, they really shined.

Speaking of characters, I loved them all! Talin, Red, his mouse (!), Adena, and Jeran are amazing, diverse characters. Talin's mom is also super badass and I loved seeing a healthy, loving relationship between them. Talin is also mute, so they communicate through sign language and I think that's very important to see normalized in this world.

Overall, in this book, Marie Lu was able to successfully weave a touching tale of loyalty, the importance of family, and loving your country despite seeing its flaws.

3 likes

Talin is a Striker. She fights for Mara, the last free territory, against a conquering empire called the Federation. The Federation turns people into Ghosts, beasts that know nothing but the hunger for blood and death.

This is a dystopian future, where we have somehow annihilated ourselves and our ancestors are left to build cities upon our remnants of our infrastructure, with little knowledge other than what we have left behind. Human nature has little changed, despite whatever lesson we were given in that destruction. We still feel the need to conquer and dominate. Those that escape as refugees are still treated poorly, our governments are toxic and power driven. Talin fights anyway, for her life and her future.

The battle scenes in this book are my favorite part. They are almost poetically drawn and pulse-pounding. I loved the moments with Talin and her mother. Marie Lu has put together my favorite story from her. There were parts that were a bit uneven for me, especially in the journey portion of the story. 3.5/5

Thank you to Fierce Reads for making me a part of their street team and providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Marie Lu has done it again! I received an ARC of Skyhunter as a member of the Street Team! Once I picked up the book I absolutely could not put it down. The world building was amazing and I fell in love with the characters from the moment I met them. Red and Talin were such a fun duo to read about. Their characters were so much more complex and different than I expected. The camaraderie between Talin and her Striker crew were also some of my favorite scenes to read. This book was full of action along with some heartfelt moments, lighthearted fun and classic Marie Lu twists. Skyhunter is an amazing addition to Marie Lu’s spectacular lineup of books. I had such a fun time reading Skyhunter and I cannot wait to see where Marie Lu takes us in the Skyhunter world in the future!

Skyhunter was my first experience with a Marie Lu book and now I want to go read them all!

This is the first book in a bit that gripped me and had me feelings things from the very start. Literally 5% into the book I was shocked and trying to figure out what was happening. From then on, I was completely invested with this story.

First off, a five star for me means I loved the characters, connected with them and was terrified for their lives. From the very start, I was drawn to our main character, Talin and her partner. As the story went on, I found myself being attached to all of the side characters and was so nervous for them every step of the way. Even though there were definitely some budding relationships in this book, they were completely out of the focus and didn’t take away from the story and Talin wasn’t made to fall head over heels for her main interest like most YA novels. That felt very refreshing to me, especially since I don’t enjoy insta-love!

Skyhunter definitely gave me dystopian vibes but felt very original even though I could predict certain elements coming up since I read a lot of YA. There also wasn’t any huge plot twists which was a bummer since I live for them BUT I loved the creativity with the creatures and monsters in this story and also the element of sign language and also a small bit of LGBTQ rep!

I adored the fast paced writing style of Marie Lu’s! This story never dragged for me and kept me interested from start to finish! I’m so excited to see where Lu takes our girl Talin next!