I was sitting down, really eager to read this book. I was looking forward to it. The synopsis sounded perfect and I did enjoy Marie Lus writing before, so this was going to be a perfect weekend.
Only to find that what was made available here on netgalley was only an extended excerpt. I was really annoyed because it was not clear when requesting it. So how am I going to rate the book then?
The excerpt was fun and I am really looking forward to reading the end of the book. I am hooked and am trying to find it in a library right now. But I am unable to give a proper review on here because I only was able to read the first 3 chapters.

Marie Lu knows how to build unique and fantastical worlds, and this book is no different.
Though the character development seemed to stutter partway through, I still enjoyed this book overall and can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

I think I should preface this by saying Skyhunter is the first Marie Lu novel I have ever read. Therefore, I am reading this story with fresh eyes, without comparison to any of her other works.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed Skyhunter - I thought it was a nice sci-fi/fantasy blend of a world built upon ruins, and it integrated and tackled social commentary well. We have Talin, a young Striker, who has had to fight for her place in a society that looks down on her as a "rat". She's a refugee from the nation of Basea, having fled her homeland when the Federation conquered it. It's a pretty honest take to show that just because you are in a position of esteem or recognition, does not automatically negate your "otherness", people can still perceive you as less than. The relationships in the story are what made it for me, our primary cast consisting of Talin, Red, Jeran, and Adena are likeable characters who each bring their own personalities and vulnerabilities, which help to enrich the story.

Another thing I realized, that I am beginning to see more of in recent YA novels, is the prevalence of parent(s)/guardians. They are not simply dead or never discussed to enable the young protagonists to prevail in their stories. Talin's parents, and the parents of some of her friends play key roles in their development and story arcs. I think care was taken with these relationships and we can see the variances and how they play out and affect the characters. Let's just say that I appreciated Talin's relationship with her mother and it reminded me of my mom.

Now, while there was conflict and danger, it was lacking for a novel set in a post-apoclypotic, semi-dystopian society. I believe Talin and crew got away with a lot with little consequence, leaving certain events to seem very impractical, or not aligned with the seriousness of critical situations. I had the impression that Marie Lu was trying to be honest and raw with this story, and maybe it's the limitations of YA, but I thought it could have dug dipper. There could have been more strife, anguish, loss, and desperation, because it would have been representative of the world and the current situation. I may be biased however, because I do fancy a dark tale, with just enough hope to keep you out of an utter pit of despair.

The story was enjoyable, a pretty quick read, and kept me engaged. I will definitely return to see what is in store for the sequel. Without spoiling anything, I appreciated that the story leaves you wanting more, but also gives you some closure to hold you over until the next installment is released.

Marie Lu wrote another winner with Skyhunter. I love her character development, how she paces her books and moves her plot forward. Skyhunter has been a huge hit with my students in book clubs and just to read. Lu's writing is lush and beautiful. Talin is a very real character that my students and I fell in love with.

I have been a fan of Marie Lu’s work since the publication of her Legend series and her latest novel, Skyhunter, seems to exceed my high expectations so far. After reading the provided chapter sampler, I am very interested in learning what happens next. I especially like the characterization of Talin and cannot wait to see how she grows throughout the novel. This book has definitely been added to by TBR!

Marie Lu is one of my go-to authors and she has produced another excellent title that is the beginning of an exciting series. I have learned over time that I enjoy fast-paced plots over character-heavy slower reads, but Marie Lu provides both--compelling plots and well-developed characters. Recommended for fans of The Hunger Games and Ember in the Ashes.

I didn’t realize this was only an excerpt. I also didn’t realize this wasn’t a space book. I LOVE Marie Lu and I’m trying to get into this book. It’s a little hard to Iike the main character Talin. I don’t dislike her, but I’m not extremely invested in her either. The circumstances are interesting if odd. The way Talin is treated and her mother. I would recommend this book.

This book was surprisingly the first Marie Lu book I read and I thoroughly enjoyed the excerpt and am interested in reading ahead!
The characters and plot did not have much time to develop in the few chapters I read but they sounded intriguing and peaked my interest.
The world building started off at a medium pace which allowed me to absorb the information without much problem. I am excited to read more of Marie Lu's work!

WOW WOW WOW

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. I love Marie Lu's writing and liked the sound of the book but did not expect to become completely obsessed. Also the beautiful design off the cover really drew me in!

This book was so well written it is absolutely five stars. I can not wait for the sequel! The character development, world building, storyline, subtle hints of science fiction and just a dash of romance. I was sucked in from the very beginning and couldn't stop reading. That ending blew my mind! I was not prepared! I need more Skyhunter!!!

I really enjoyed this book by Lu. Talin was a flawed character who had depth. The story line wasn’t especially unique but I enjoyed the characters and the story worked.

Ok so this didn’t work for me. I could kind of tell from the beginning that this was going to be slow and the main characters voice was pretty generic, but I kept hoping it would turn around. But it only got more and more cliche. The internal narration also got so repetitive as the story went on. There was really nothing about this that worked, except for the stunning cover.

A book that many fans were waiting for, if you like the dystopian worlds that marie lu creates with her characteristic style, you will like this one, it is a new adventure of those great ones that the author creates, and with Legend she gave me to understand that dystopias they are his thing, he doesn't overwhelm you with romance, there are but not so cloying, and the story isn't hard to follow.

Marie Lus new adventure takes you on a wild space ride! I didn't realize i would love this book the way I did. it had so many unexpected twists and the plot blew me away. i adored all the characters and cannot wait to see what she does next

Thank you @netgalley for this extended excerpt of Marie Lu’s Skyhunter. It was just enough of the story for me to desperately NEED to read the entire book. 😭 I’ve only read one other Lu book, but this one seems to be a great fantasy read. Terrible monsters, a mysterious enemy kingdom, and I love that our hero is a strong young woman who cannot speak. I look forward to reading the rest of the book as soon as I can get my hands on it!

I didn't realize this was an excerpt when I made my request. Thus I waited to make my review after I read the full book.

If you love Marie Lu books, you will love this book! It is written in her normal style using a dysentopia world that has sci-fi and fantasy.

Talin and her teenage friends are Strikers and Shields which protect their city from science lab created ghosts. They go on a mission to help save their city with their new weapon Red/Skyhunter.

This book is fun and keeps you interested the whole time. There are no major plot twists that you don't see coming, but that didn't make me like this book any less. I did appreciate that this YA book didn't turn into romance between two characters. It was there, but it didn't take over the whole book which a majority of YA books seem to do.

"Skyhunter" is my first book written by Marie Lu. I've always been very curious about her books, so I am really excited. The writing style works well for me, and I like the descriptions. Can't wait to fully dive into this book!

Marie Lu is a genius and she has done it again. While this book doesn't wow in a way that brings new things to the genre, we love the genre for a reason. She has brought all the tropes we love (hello brooding love interest and found family) and gives it to us and a sleek, page-turning read. I loved this book and I can't wait for the series to continue.

When I downloaded this from NetGalley, I didn’t realize it was just an excerpt. These first few chapters have me completely hooked. I read it in about an hour and have the rest of the book on hold through my library.

I love the concept of this book. I have been needing to change up my reading and this will give me the perfect opportunity. I’ll definitely be recommending this one.

This book brought me back to when I first started reading! The vibe and setting reminded me of some of my favorites growing up. While I do love a good Sci-fi/Fantasy/Dystopian, I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this one. From the world building to the diverse characters to the plot twists I didn't see coming, I quite enjoyed Skyhunter. I loved that we had a dynamic MC who was mute! It's rare to have a MC with speech/hearing impairments. I loved the twists and turns, the descriptions of characters that made me feel like I was seeing them come off the page, and the overall story. This definitely was a favorite read from this year that I recommend trying.
4.5/5 stars.