*posting 9/16/21

This was one of my favorite reads of the year! I took entirely too long to get to this. I was originally reading the sample from NetGalley but as soon as I finished it, I immediately ordered a copy of the book. It was that good!

First of all, I was totally in love with the concept of this book. I enjoy dystopians with rebellions so this one caught my attention right away. Usually dystopians tend to get paired with zombies these days and Skyhunter does kind of go down that path but they make them their own. Ghosts as essentially "zombies" but they're people that the Federation twisted into gruesome creatures they use against rebels. Like most modern zombies these days, Ghosts are incredibly fast and strong. The wet, grinding sound of their teeth gnashing into their gums often gives them away. They also travel in groups and turn others when bitten.

Instead of being completely helpless, however, the rebels have specially trained soldiers called Strikers to help protect them against Ghosts. Strikers work together in pairs much like Parabatai in the Shadowhunters universe, Strikers are more than just partners. They're best friends, family, your protector--they're your other half. Strikers call their partners their Shields because they protect one another and have each other's backs. I absolutely loved the concept! It was also fun seeing how the different partners were so well suited for one another.

The relationships in this book were another huge plus. Of course, I was a fan of Talin and Corian, but I think I really enjoyed seeing Talin and Red grow together. With Talin being mute, I thought it was perfect that Red didn't speak their language. It set them on kind of an even ground because they couldn't understand one another, but I also loved the irony of Talin understanding his situation. Until she joined the Strikers, the only person who could really understand her signing was her mother. I think the fact that Talin could relate to how he was feeling made them even better partners. This is definitely a book you should check out if you like the whole enemies to lovers/friends trope. That being said, they definitely face some challenges and spend a good deal of time learning to work together but I loved every moment of it. I also enjoyed the twist that unfolds later and brings them closer together.

To expand on Talin's condition: can I just say that I loved seeing a new type of character? Seriously, I don't think I've ever read a book with a mute character before or one that made such an active use of language. I really loved the diversity and the fact that every Strikers was required to learn how to sign. After feeling alone for so long, Talin finally had somewhere she could belong.

I also really enjoyed the world building. Basically, the world was set in a world much like our own. Throughout the book you basically piece together that the previous civilization was heavily reliant on technology (sound familiar lol?) and slowly destroyed their environment. It's not exactly clear what happened to them, but the general theory seems to be they might have left the planet and/or died. There's still remnants of the Old World everywhere (buildings, cars, planes, etc). By studying books and objects that survived, the Federation was able to make great leaps in technology. They conquer other nations in the belief that if they can unite all the nations they can succeed where the Old World failed and create a prosperous country. I liked the parallels and subtle nods to present day and I thought it made for an interesting setting.

Finally, I wanted to just touch briefly on the ending. I have to say that endings tend to feel rushed in a lot of duologies, but I didn't feel that way with Skyhunter. I thought it was great that we were not only able to see and learn more about the Federation but that we had such a great series of twists at the end. I didn't see them coming, but I loved them! The ending was so explosive and intense--I honestly can't wait to see hot it all plays out in the next book.

Skyhunter has to be one of my favorite duologies. I know i'm getting ahead of myself when the series isn't even finished yet but I loved this book so much I have a good feeling about the next one. I'm definitely going to have to check out and review Marie Lu's other series when I finish. Overall, this was a thrilling YA dystopian perfect for fans of enemies to lovers tropes, strong friendships, and books with rebellions.

This book had everything a dystopian reader like me was looking for and I enjoyed it so much. This story is about a girl named Talin who was forced to leave her hometown after being taken over by the Karensa Federation. She joined the legendary strikers once she was taken in by Mara. After a dear friend and fellow striker partner is killed by a ghost, a deadly monster once human, Talin faces many problems. She is about to find out that there is much more to fear of the Karensa federation than she could have expected.

This was another great book by Marie Lu! Such a talented author, she truly knows how to weave a good story. I will continue to read everything she writes.

While I appreciated the chance to read this excerpt, it sadly just didn't grab me enough for me to decide to buy the book. It might be something that I pick up if I catch a great sale, but for now, just not for me I guess.

Thank you for allowing me to read this extended excerpt from Skyhunter. While enjoyable, I have found that the author's writing is just not for me. I did like the premise and the characters were interesting but the writing style was just not for me. Thanks!

Marie Lu is one of my absolute favourite authors, and every time I read another of her books it only intensifies this love. Skyhunter was a wonder YA sci-fi book unlike any other I've read before. Marie Lu had been falling in love with her characters from page one, and was breaking my heart by page two! It only goes to show how incredible her writing is that I was so invested in these characters from the start. The story, world, romance and characters were all done so well, I am in love with this book and cannot wait to read the sequel. Marie Lu just cannot write a bad book!

This sadly wasn’t for me and I ended up not finishing it. I do think it’s worth a try for any sci-fi fans though beca It’s well written and well thought out. The characters just didn’t grab me, sadly.

One of the best books I have ever read, hands down. Without spoiling anything, here's a short list of some of the MANY elements that made Skyhunter impossible for me to put down (and why I read it twice in a row, just to make absolutely sure that I had soaked up all the phenomenal details that brought it together):

--a relatable, realisitic main character that isn't a trope or forgettable
--WORLDBUILDING at the level of fantasy masters like Brandon Sanderson and George R. R. Martin
--conflict that was organic and natural, not forced or coincidental
--relationships, relationships, relationships! (and not just focused on romance, which I appreciated)
--Lu matches the prose to the character or theme that is central in each passage, which is insanely difficult to do and makes the entire story so much richer

I really liked this book. The setting was imaginative and the characters were memorable. Thank you for the ARC, I will definitely recommend this book and this author to my peers.

This is probably one of the best if not the best book Marie Lu has written. What a phenomenal start to an epic series. Marie Lu has always been an author I’ve been exceptionally pleased with when it comes to anything, romances, heartache, thrilling adrenaline filled plots and side characters. She isn’t an author I’ve been disappointed by and of course, skyhunter was another incredible edition to ML’s brilliant backlist.

I love science fiction and Marie Lu isn’t one to shy away as we’ve seen from her previous works and once again this did not disappoint and die in fact live up to the expectations I was hoping it would. I really enjoyed the concept and I loved Talin as a main character. I enjoyed how she would point out things that were already super obvious but that’s what made her strikingly special.

This was my first Marie Lu novel and I was initially drawn in by the cover. I'm so glad I was, as this was a great read.

I really really loved the beginning of Skyhunter!
We start off with a pretty action packed and emotional beginning and I was instantly hooked and wanted to find out what would happen with Talin and Red. The world is pretty interesting and well described and I can’t wait to read the whole book!

I really enjoyed this extended excerpt and just like the rest of Marie Lu’s work, this one was enthralling to follow! Can’t wait for the sequel

I love the Marie Lu's books, the story is so great, I really love them. This isn't different, I'm intend read all this book as soon as possible, because this preview was so good.

This book was a masterpiece and I enjoyed every second I spent reading it. I've already preordered the second book and I'm so excited to read it, and find out more about the character's journey!

This book is so good! Once again, Marie Lu does not disappoint. This action packed adventure is a fast paced YA dystopian novel is exhilarating and unpredictable with lots of twists and turns.

I will definitely be recommending it to my friends and family.

I binged through a bunch of samples today and this one was super fun! I'm excited to pick up where I left off after that cliffhanger.

I honestly think this is her best work.

Also mute representation which I thought was really awesome and I loved the incorporation of sign language!

I loved Warcross and Wildcard but this world and these monsters, was fantastic and scary.

Talin was a great character, her backstory and her character was just a great choice on Marie’s part. The beginning was so gut wrenching losing your best friend like that. I couldn’t imagine the struggle.

The fact that everyone had to be quiet and learn sign language as a way to communicate was so great and inclusive. It makes me wish I took sign language instead of french in college.

Simplemente todo lo que escribe Marie Lu es mágico, hay que leerlo y disfrutarlo. Sus historias me resultan siempre novedosas y muy distintas entre sí. Me enamoro de sus personajes y de la acción que los rodea, ese libro no fue la diferencia.

Ansiosa de leer la parte 2.

This book definitely was a showstopper for me. This was a non stop dystopian adventure. Talin and her fellow friends and comrades have to defend their nation Mara - and they fight for Mara non stop. There is a big development called the Federation who they are defending their land against. This is a sci fi novel that I wasn't sure I would enjoy, but I have enjoyed novels by Marie Lu such as Warcross and Wildcard, and I am glad I gave this a chance. I loved it. This was action packed which made me fly through the novel.