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katiemarie8943's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
jasperdotpdf's review
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
So this was the first Marie Lu book I ever read, and I really loved it!
The worldbuilding was great, and Talin‘s characterisation as well. I love how she handled her grief throughout the book, and how it was a constant factor that she carried with her even to the end of the book. It felt very realistic to see her remember Corian even when she‘d bonded with Red. It was also really interesting to see a mute MC, which I‘m just gonna take as disability rep even though it isn’t a huge hindrance for Talin.
I did have a bone to pick with how this was handled, however.For the majority of the book, we‘re told that Talin lost her voice during the siege of Basea because of poison gas, however the reveal towards the end of the book rubbed me the wrong way. It feels like it‘s a setup for her to regain her voice in the sequel, which I really wouldn‘t enjoy. It was great to see a main character with a disability that wasn‘t painted as something they needed to overcome, and I fear that it‘s going to become a plot point in Steelstriker, despite there not being a major struggle throughout Skyhunter that would make this feel rewarding in any way, shape or form.
The pacing was a little fast for me, especially how the developing of relationships between the characters was handled. But this definitely had the usual upsides of faster pacing — namely that this book was a breeze to read through and managed to keep my attention fairly well.
The way Marie Lu handles the setup for the climax was nothing short of captivating and it did make me tear up a little bit.
The end, as well as some small parts of the story were a little predictable, but I‘m not one to dislike any and everything that doesn’t have schock value. Despite the predictability of these moments, the way I grew to care about the characters still made them pay off.
Apart from some small redundancies/repetitions in writing, and my wish for a little slower pacing this book was absolutely amazing.
The worldbuilding was great, and Talin‘s characterisation as well. I love how she handled her grief throughout the book, and how it was a constant factor that she carried with her even to the end of the book. It felt very realistic to see her remember Corian even when she‘d bonded with Red. It was also really interesting to see a mute MC, which I‘m just gonna take as disability rep even though it isn’t a huge hindrance for Talin.
I did have a bone to pick with how this was handled, however.
The pacing was a little fast for me, especially how the developing of relationships between the characters was handled. But this definitely had the usual upsides of faster pacing — namely that this book was a breeze to read through and managed to keep my attention fairly well.
The way Marie Lu handles the setup for the climax was nothing short of captivating and it did make me tear up a little bit.
The end, as well as some small parts of the story were a little predictable, but I‘m not one to dislike any and everything that doesn’t have schock value. Despite the predictability of these moments, the way I grew to care about the characters still made them pay off.
Apart from some small redundancies/repetitions in writing, and my wish for a little slower pacing this book was absolutely amazing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Moderate: Medical trauma
Minor: Ableism and Racism
steffandbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I think I've just found my favourite read of the year. This book is utterly amazing and I don't understand why this is not talked about more. If you like dystopian and/or sci/fi books, please go read it.
The book had me hooked from chapter one and it actually already made me cry. How good is an author with words if characters can already make you cry only after a few pages, when you didn't have long interactions with them and the chance to build up a relationship with them? I say, absolutely amazing. Marie Lu may have become one of my new favourite authors and, naturally, I have to go read her other books now as well.
Although this series is a duology, I immediately wanted to go back to the start and read this book all over again.
I am in love with the characters, with the setting, with the world, with the plot. It's everything. This book also made me want to learn sign language.
How the characters are all part of an elite soldiers group made me think of special forces like SEALs and I do enjoy TV shows about special forces as well, so I was intrigued to see how the "war" setting can be put into words. But Marie did not have any problems with that. I was able to follow every single scene and was able to let it play out in my head.
And what I found even more amazing is that the FMC wasn’t the center of attention, wasn’t the overpowered girl that needed to save the rest of the country. While Talin is a very, very good soldier and also very likeable character with many obstacles to overcome, her other friends and main focus in the books were also equally amazing at something particular and haunted by their own demons. And then we got Red. He is the overpowered character, the hope of everyone to save the world. But we did not get his POV, so everything was told from Talin‘s POV, which is why this whole thing was so refreshing. I know this might change due to how the book ends, but I am sure Marie will be able to find a perfect way to unpack it in the second one.
It also didn't feel like YA to me at all. The character are all 18 years old and older, Red even 22 years old and just the content did not scream YA to me. Although the romance was rather an undercurrent and we focused more on the plot, the interaction between the love interests was described in a more adult way, I would say - but don't get me wrong, there was no explicit content, but it also wasn't fade to black or like "oh my god he touched me, what am I going to do now" kind of thing.
All in all, this book is just amazing and I hope the second one can live up to the first's standards.
The book had me hooked from chapter one and it actually already made me cry. How good is an author with words if characters can already make you cry only after a few pages, when you didn't have long interactions with them and the chance to build up a relationship with them? I say, absolutely amazing. Marie Lu may have become one of my new favourite authors and, naturally, I have to go read her other books now as well.
Although this series is a duology, I immediately wanted to go back to the start and read this book all over again.
I am in love with the characters, with the setting, with the world, with the plot. It's everything. This book also made me want to learn sign language.
How the characters are all part of an elite soldiers group made me think of special forces like SEALs and I do enjoy TV shows about special forces as well, so I was intrigued to see how the "war" setting can be put into words. But Marie did not have any problems with that. I was able to follow every single scene and was able to let it play out in my head.
And what I found even more amazing is that the FMC wasn’t the center of attention, wasn’t the overpowered girl that needed to save the rest of the country. While Talin is a very, very good soldier and also very likeable character with many obstacles to overcome, her other friends and main focus in the books were also equally amazing at something particular and haunted by their own demons. And then we got Red. He is the overpowered character, the hope of everyone to save the world. But we did not get his POV, so everything was told from Talin‘s POV, which is why this whole thing was so refreshing. I know this might change due to how the book ends, but I am sure Marie will be able to find a perfect way to unpack it in the second one.
It also didn't feel like YA to me at all. The character are all 18 years old and older, Red even 22 years old and just the content did not scream YA to me. Although the romance was rather an undercurrent and we focused more on the plot, the interaction between the love interests was described in a more adult way, I would say - but don't get me wrong, there was no explicit content, but it also wasn't fade to black or like "oh my god he touched me, what am I going to do now" kind of thing.
All in all, this book is just amazing and I hope the second one can live up to the first's standards.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, War, Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Racism
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Grief, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, War, Ableism, Death of parent, Violence, and Blood
niksbrie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, War, and Racism
Minor: Ableism
mschmitz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Wow, I really enjoyed this book. I have a hard time reading YA as I get older because the characters always seem to be the same - they have the same appearances, they are quite whiny, powerful people fall head over heels for them for no reason, and they are all-powerful and special for no good reason. I'm really tired of it tbh. This story has a diverse mix of characters and the author did a great job developing all of them. The MC is from a fictional land, but I think her appearances are reflective of maybe south Asian people's appearances. Also, she is part of the disabled community, which is really cool since we don't see a lot of representation of that community as a leading character.
It was also very refreshing to finally read a book about warriors where there is no sexism. Like not once. It's not even mentioned passively. Loved that.
It's not a romantic story, and I am not sure if it will go in that direction in the next book, but I kind of have a feeling it won't. So if you are looking for some romance, then this book probably won't satisfy you. I do however recommend it if you are looking for a somewhat unique dystopian fantasy. The world building is clear and done well, and the characters are nicely written. I became quite invested in their feelings, their traumas, their relationships, and their growth. I look forward to reading the second book.
It was also very refreshing to finally read a book about warriors where there is no sexism. Like not once. It's not even mentioned passively. Loved that.
It's not a romantic story, and I am not sure if it will go in that direction in the next book, but I kind of have a feeling it won't. So if you are looking for some romance, then this book probably won't satisfy you. I do however recommend it if you are looking for a somewhat unique dystopian fantasy. The world building is clear and done well, and the characters are nicely written. I became quite invested in their feelings, their traumas, their relationships, and their growth. I look forward to reading the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Colonisation, Xenophobia, and Ableism
emdashenthusiast's review against another edition
I could not get through this book. The idea was very interesting, but everything was way to coincidental, even for a YA book. The science of things didn’t make any sense and things kept being repeated two or three times like the reader isn’t trusted to understand what was said a paragraph earlier. when Talin and Red formed their bond i was incredibly disappointed by the lazy work around for the communication barrier between them
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism, War, and Violence
gabykyu's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I had never heard of this book until I went into this little bookstore in the Denver airport while I waited to go back home to Florida. I walked around and read quite a few summaries of the books there, and then walked around again but something about this book kept pulling me back to it so I bought it and only this book did I buy.
I… was NOT prepared for the utter SUSPENSE and the great emotional rollercoaster this book put me through. I won’t put any spoilers because honestly, it’s worth you reading it yourself and discovering it all. I’ve never noted down quotes and scenes of a book but I noted down a good amount from this one that either made my weak-to-shipping-canon-lovers heart cry or made goosebumps rise on my arms at the magnitude of meaning behind the words on the pages.
I’m so glad I bought the second book knowing I was loving the first one so now I can just continue on with the story. I’m also going to look up more by this author because holy crap I love her ;-; Please read this book, it’s my first 5 star read of the year and it’s like my fourth book.
I… was NOT prepared for the utter SUSPENSE and the great emotional rollercoaster this book put me through. I won’t put any spoilers because honestly, it’s worth you reading it yourself and discovering it all. I’ve never noted down quotes and scenes of a book but I noted down a good amount from this one that either made my weak-to-shipping-canon-lovers heart cry or made goosebumps rise on my arms at the magnitude of meaning behind the words on the pages.
I’m so glad I bought the second book knowing I was loving the first one so now I can just continue on with the story. I’m also going to look up more by this author because holy crap I love her ;-; Please read this book, it’s my first 5 star read of the year and it’s like my fourth book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, War, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Blood, and Genocide
Minor: Body horror and Torture
owlsreads's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I must choose goodness.
Personally, Skyhunter was a pretty light and entertaining read. Marie Lu's writing was engrossing as always and I really very much enjoyed the world-building here and how it was developed. I also liked that the author didn't shy away from the horrors of war and how they affected other people.
Talin's perspective was engaging and I really liked how determined and brave she was. I was so pleasantly surprise that she was mute and communicated through sign language; the way that was incorporated into the world-building itself was also really nice and I loved that this, in no way, defined who Talin was as a person.
I had quite a few theories while reading this book and pretty much all of them panned out. A lot of the twists were typical YA plot reveals and some of them were very convenient to boot. Around the halfway point I already pretty much knew how everything was going to go and there were only one or two surprises left for me as the story progressed.
The ending was interesting despite the predictability. Talin was in a very difficult situation and made a choice that was not easy for her to make, but that left me really curious about the sequel. I really want to know how that's going to go--even though I already have an idea of what's going to happen lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Death of parent
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: violence, descriptions of blood and gore, torture, public execution mention, family abuse (physical and emotional), death of a parent, medical horror
"My name Talin. I am a Striker of Mara, the last free nation on this side of the sea. We are legendary bringers of death, assassins of monsters."
Skyhunter by Marie Lu is the first book in the Skyhunter duology. I loved this book! It had been a while since reading any scifi, and this one didn't disappoint. This is also my first Marie Lu book, and I am firmly in love with her writing now.
We follow Talin, a Basean refugee in Mara, who can't speak and uses sign language. She is a Striker, fighters in am elite force tasked with killing Ghosts, people who have been turned into monsters in a lab by the enemy Federation. The Federation is trying to take over the whole continent, and only Mara is left to conquer, but Talin and her Striker friends, Adena and Jaren, are determined to stop them. When a runaway from the Federation makes it to Mara, he becomes bound to Talin.
This was a fast paced story that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time! Talk about tension and raising the stakes! The descriptions of the battles and fight scenes were so exquisite, it made me want to see them on tv. The world building was interesting as well. We learn about the Old Ones, the civilization that came before and left ruins all along the continent. The Old Ones were more technically advanced than the people we follow, but destroyed themselves. I'm hoping we learn more about this next book.
The characters in this were wonderful! I loved Talin's friendship with Adena and Jeran. We must protect Jeran, my abused baby. Red and Talin's relationship is definitely of the slow burn variety and I'm here for it. I love that she was finally able to fully communicate with someone. Their bond is very intimate. Also Red has a pet mouse who just chills in his shirt pocket and makes it through many intense situations.
We get themes on the cruelty that refugees face, the cost of imperialism and tyranny, and how the cowards in power will be the death of freedom. I can not wait to read Steel Striker!
"My name Talin. I am a Striker of Mara, the last free nation on this side of the sea. We are legendary bringers of death, assassins of monsters."
Skyhunter by Marie Lu is the first book in the Skyhunter duology. I loved this book! It had been a while since reading any scifi, and this one didn't disappoint. This is also my first Marie Lu book, and I am firmly in love with her writing now.
We follow Talin, a Basean refugee in Mara, who can't speak and uses sign language. She is a Striker, fighters in am elite force tasked with killing Ghosts, people who have been turned into monsters in a lab by the enemy Federation. The Federation is trying to take over the whole continent, and only Mara is left to conquer, but Talin and her Striker friends, Adena and Jaren, are determined to stop them. When a runaway from the Federation makes it to Mara, he becomes bound to Talin.
This was a fast paced story that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time! Talk about tension and raising the stakes! The descriptions of the battles and fight scenes were so exquisite, it made me want to see them on tv. The world building was interesting as well. We learn about the Old Ones, the civilization that came before and left ruins all along the continent. The Old Ones were more technically advanced than the people we follow, but destroyed themselves. I'm hoping we learn more about this next book.
The characters in this were wonderful! I loved Talin's friendship with Adena and Jeran. We must protect Jeran, my abused baby. Red and Talin's relationship is definitely of the slow burn variety and I'm here for it. I love that she was finally able to fully communicate with someone. Their bond is very intimate. Also Red has a pet mouse who just chills in his shirt pocket and makes it through many intense situations.
We get themes on the cruelty that refugees face, the cost of imperialism and tyranny, and how the cowards in power will be the death of freedom. I can not wait to read Steel Striker!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Torture, Child abuse, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent