Talin is a refugee from Basea who now lives in Mara, the last free nation not residing within the Karensa Federation’s control. Losing her voice and her home to the Federation, Talin now fights as a Striker against Ghosts, the Federation’s monstrous war experiments, to keep them from taking over Mara. When Mara’s defeat seems inevitable, Red, a mysterious runaway from the Federation, is caught and sentenced to be executed. Talin, however, sees more to this prisoner than meets the eye and saves him from his fate, only to be tied to him in more ways than one. Now Talin and her friends, Jeran and Rooke, work to discover how to save their country and how Red might be the key to saving them all.
At this point, I have learned to read (and love) anything that Marie Lu has written and Skyhunter was not an exception. It was full of what I have come to expect and love about Marie Lu’s books – amazing characters, a strong female protagonist, superb worldbuilding, a fast-paced and action-filled plot, and crazy sci-fi elements. I really enjoyed this book and I truly did not want it to end.
The Worldbuilding
Marie Lu’s worldbuilding in this novel was simply incredible (as always). I do not know where she comes up with such unique, vivid, and believable dystopian worlds, but I hope that she never stops. The world is so masterfully crafted that I truly felt like I was there, and I could picture the world around the characters with ease. I really enjoyed the sharp and distinct contrast that was made between the Early Ones and the people now as well as between Mara and the Federation and the Inner and Outer Cities of Mara, which really worked to demonstrate how different things are in terms of wealth, living conditions, and technological advancements during and within various times, locations, and people. The dynamics and history behind the world of the novel were also well-executed and I really enjoyed learning about both the world in the present and in the past.
The Characters
Like with worldbuilding, Marie Lu has a gift when it comes to creating characters in that I cannot help but love literally all of them. I absolutely loved all the characters that Marie Lu introduced in this book. They were all so unique and different, with such varying personalities and backgrounds that I really enjoyed. All of the characters also had multiple sides to them and other things going on in their lives that really helped to create and develop their characters, even if these events were not upfront the entire time.
Talin: I absolutely LOVE Talin. She is such a strong character who is willing to fight for her country and do anything to protect it, even if that same country shows no love for her. I love the relationship that she has with her mother and how they are both willing to do anything to protect each other. I always adore strong mother-daughter bonds, and this is one of the best that I have read in a novel before. I also really enjoyed Talin’s relationship with Corian and his role in her life as someone who believed in her, despite being seen as someone “lesser” and not worth the time. I also loved her relationship with Red and how they go from enemies, to allies, to friends, to perhaps something more. There is so much chemistry between them both on the surface and underneath and the bond between them (both literal and physical) is so sweet, I love them both so much! This is also the first time that I have read a book where the protagonist cannot speak and uses sign language to communicate and I really liked seeing this sort of representation in a young adult novel. The use of sign language also played a big role in the world of the novel, which I enjoyed as well.
Red: I love Red so much! Like most of the characters, he had a lot of layers that Talin uncovered throughout the story and I enjoyed learning more about him as Talin did. I enjoyed seeing him slowly open up to Talin about his past and his family. I also love that he literally has a pet mouse (but it needs a name, please Marie Lu give the mouse a name!) and how the mouse reminds him of his younger sister killed me. I only wish that we got to learn more about his family as opposed to getting a few things here and there and that Red’s relationship with them was developed more, especially since they played such a major role in his life before fleeing to Mara. Like I mentioned previously, his bond with Talin is so sweet and her kindness and sense of purpose literally gave him a reason to live to fight for her and Mara, which I found adorable.
Rooke: Like Talin, Rooke is such a strong female character. I mean, she literally spends her time making and improving weapons, how cool is that? I enjoyed seeing different elements of her personality - the daring fighter, the mom friend, the smart weapon improver/inventor, the one afraid to slit the throat of a fellow Striker attacked by a Ghost, and the vulnerable girl still dealing with the loss of her brother. I loved her relationship with Talin as well as with Jeran (their banter is hilarious). I also greatly enjoyed seeing her shifting relationship with Red and learning to see him not as an enemy (but of course I totally get why she did not like him at first because of the death of her older brother at the hands of the Federation), but as a friend and fellow Striker.
Jeran: Jeran is literally my son and if anything happens to him, I am going to cry because I LOVE him so much! I swear that I fell in love with him as soon as we met him, and I never stopped! I really enjoyed witnessing the two sides of his character – the ruthless, tactful fighter and the clumsy, loyal, and sweet friend. I liked his ability to speak and understand multiple languages (which worked well with the climate of the story) and how it impacted Talin and Red’s ability to communicate early on. I felt so bad for him about how his father and brother treat him like dirt and abuse him just because he was unable to test into the Senate and is not up to their “standards.” I loved his relationship with Talin and Rooke and their whole friendship dynamic is superb, I want to be in it! I do wish that we saw more of his relationship with Aramin, especially since we see little of the two of them together despite how close they are described to be.
The lesser characters such as Aramin, Talin’s mother, the Premier, etc. were also really interesting, I just wish that we saw more of them and learned a little bit more about their backgrounds. I hope that we get to see more of these lesser characters in book two!
The Action & Adventure
This book was definitely fast-paced and full of action and adventure. I really enjoyed the pace of the novel, it was set in tempo with the overall plot which worked well for the story, I literally could not put this book down! I liked the contrast between the high-action fight and battle scenes on the war front and the more subdued ones where the characters just hung out and talked. I also enjoyed the elements of suspense as well as the twists and turns that the novel brought and found that they added a lot to the overall story. And that ending though! I cannot wait to see what happens next and what is in store for the characters in the following book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to Marie Lu lovers as well as those who generally enjoy dystopian/science fiction novels. I cannot wait for the sequel!
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| Stars and Smoke | Icon and Inferno | Skyhunter | Steelstriker | Rebel | |
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| Read them all! | A superstar. A secret agent. A once-in-a-lifetime mission. | New sparks. Old Flames. And a mission that's playing with fire. | In a world broken by war, a team of young warriors is willing to sacrifice everything to save what they love. | The riveting conclusion to the Skyhunter duology full of explosive action and swoon-worthy suspense. | The grand finale about love, loyalty, and forgiveness set in the unforgettable world of Legend. |
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Reviews with images
Fabulous Sci-fi thriller
It would be remiss of me to start this review and not gush over the absolute perfection of this dust jacket and book cover. If that purple tie-dye doesn't scream sci-fi dystopian novel I don't know what will!Skyhunter is a sensationally written novel that explores the synergy between magic and science. Readers are transported to a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by the Federation's mutated beings called ghosts, and the only thing stopping them is the Strikers-"We are legendary bringers of death, assassins of monsters. And the only thing standing between our home and annihilation.”While I admit Skyhunter featured phenomenal world-building and an enthralling plotline, the real winner for me was the characters. Marie Lu was so strategic in her approach with Talin (MC), at first glance we see her at her lowest, a rat of Mara, broken and alone yet somehow, despite all this despair, she manages to maintain her humanity.Not many authors can toe this line with female characters who are jaded and battered by life's experiences but not so much they completely lose their moral compass and I applaud Marie for such flawless execution.Talin was also a novelty for me as she was penned as mute. This may seem like a handicap for some, but Talin has this innate grit and determination and such a strong sense of self that she does not let this factor define her. Yes, she is mute, but she is also so much more, a daughter, a fighter, a soldier, and a friend.The relationship between Talin and Red, a rat and a prisoner of war, who eventually become the unlikely hope of Mara was heartwarming. They become connected by a mysterious thread that got me thinking about how interlinked the events of our lives are, one moment from our past, one decision can change everything." Marie Lu has woven such an interconnected story that will leave you shocked to your core.Rooke and Jeran and their story of forbidden love was so romantic and added the right amount of "how sweet are they" amongst the doom and gloom.As readers become immersed within this desolate world, the story starts becoming more morally grey and it brought an interesting dilemma to the forefront- "Can you become a killer but still be kind?"I also wish people would read the target audience for books before they pick them up, I have seen tons of comments about this being impractical as the main characters are all teenagers but to those persons, I ask you, "If the target audience is 12-17 and it's being advertised as a YA novel, what did you honestly expect ?????"
