Marissa Lupe Author
Written on Mar 29, 2023
A broken world.
An overwhelming evil.
A team of warriors ready to strike back.
#1 New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu is back with an adrenaline-laced novel about the lengths one warrior will go to fight for freedom and those she loves.
Talin is a Striker, a member of an elite fighting force that stands as the last defense for the only free nation in the world: Mara.
A refugee, Talin knows firsthand the horrors of the Federation, a world-dominating war machine responsible for destroying nation after nation with its terrifying army of mutant beasts known only as Ghosts.
But when a mysterious prisoner is brought from the front to Mara's capital, Talin senses there’s more to him than meets the eye. Is he a spy from the Federation? What secrets is he hiding?
Only one thing is clear: Talin is ready to fight to the death alongside her fellow Strikers for the only homeland she has left . . . with or without the boy who might just be the weapon to save―or destroy―them all.
Loyalty is life.
- ISBN10 1250221684
- ISBN13 9781250221681
- Publish Date 29 September 2020
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint St Martin's Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 384
- Language English
Reviews
Jordon
Written on Jan 3, 2021
When I first read the plot for Skyhunter it sold me on the fact that it sounded like a monster hunting story. The plot had been written making it seem like the main focus of the story was conquering the Ghosts that roamed the land, hunted in packs, and devoured human flesh. Our main protagonist is a strong girl that is a part of the Elite fighting force for Mara called the Strikers, she is one of the best in the force, she moves quickly, silently and is deadly. This sounded super exciting to me. I picked it up thinking this was what I was going to be reading.
Unfortunately for me, this is not what the story is about at all. This summary must have been one of the first summaries written for the book before it was published, and I didn't read it again before I read this book. The Ghosts are a very small part of the story, and you barely see any monster hunting. I was SO disappointed! The first few chapters of the book were great, the Ghosts appeared, and it's exciting and thrilling! Then it became about the prisoner and the war between Mara and the Federation, I kept reading thinking the story would get back to the monster hunting, but it never did.
This summary has now been replaced with the current summary, and the current summary much more accurately describes what the book is actually about.
This story wasn't a bad story, but it wasn't the one I thought I was going to read. If I had seen the new summary, I don't think I would have been interested in reading this book. I got pretty bored in the middle then I ended up skimming the end of the book just to see how it ended. I couldn't seem to push my way through to properly read the last few chapters, but I was so close that I didn't want to DNF it.
Skyhunter isn't a monster hunting story, but there are for sure monsters that are in it. The idea of the Ghosts was pretty intriguing, the world that Talin lives in is an interesting one full of decrepit futuristic buildings that collapsed many centuries ago, the knowledge and power long-lost to the people that live in the world today.
Skyhunter is about a small nation of people fighting for the good against the corrupt and cruel people of the Federation. The main protagonist is pretty badass and the other characters are well-rounded and interesting, I really liked Talin's Striker friends that fight alongside her (Yes, I totally can't remember their names), and Red is mysterious. If you're looking for this kind of story, you should pick this up!
For me, I was looking for a survival story with monster hunting, I was expecting a bit of an adventure story with Talin and her friends having to fight for their lives from packs of Ghosts through the barren lands south of Mara. So in light of what I was expecting and what I actually got, I was pretty bored.
alindstadtcorbeax
Written on Oct 7, 2020
*RE-READ 09/25/2021— 5 STARS ALL THE WAY! I AM OBSESSED W/ THIS BOOK ! No idea why I deducted a half star the first time around. Oh well who cares! 5 stars
Quirky Cat
Written on Sep 28, 2020
I received a copy of Skyhunter in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Once again Marie Lu is creating a new fantasy world worth diving into, Skyhunter. The first title of the series also happens to have the same name, and it comes alongside one of the most striking covers I've seen to date.
The world has been broken by war. Humans fight humans, tearing apart lives and cities for the sake of orders and greed. Refugees flee, only to find walls blocking their best chance of sanctuary. When in truth, everyone should be working together to have the best chance to survive.
Talin has lived through it all, and yet she still decided to become a Striker – an elite soldier specifically trained to take on the monstrosities that the enemies send out. These monsters are known as Ghosts, and they are as infectious as they are dangerous.
Unfortunately, that is far from the only problem that Talin has to deal with, as prejudice is abound, and the war is getting ever closer to the city she has made her home.
“Their faces are white as ash, their skin split with deep cracks that expose scarlet, rancid flesh underneath”
Warnings: As the description of this novel might have indicated, Skyhunter contains examples and themes surrounding abuse, gore, refugees, prejudice, and racism.
Wow. Skyhunter is one of those rare whirlwinds of a read books. It's intense and fast-paced, and is going to demand all of your attention. From the moment you start it, right up until the very end. It's a captivating yet dark world.
What caught my attention right from the start had to be the Strikers – a force that works out on the edge, in the most dangerous circumstances. From there, I found myself enthralled in Talin's voice, in all of the struggles she's faced, and all the troubles waiting down the road.
There is a major surprise early on in the book, and then from there it really does feel like Skyhunter doesn't take any time to breathe. To be clear, that is not a complaint. I love fast-paced novels such as this, even if I do fly right through them. It's worth it, every time.
I lost count of how many surprises Marie Lu managed to weave into this book. It seemed like there was one after another, tearing apart any semblance of predictability. Again, that is not a bad thing. I love it when a novel keeps the promises made, and yet still keeps me on my toes.
The romantic subplots and tones added an extra touch as well, making everyone feel just a bit more human, in a world where it would have been so painfully easy to lose any semblance of humanity.
On that note, the conclusion to Skyhunter has me reeling – and counting down the days to the release of the next novel in the series (which doesn't currently have a title, according to Goodreads). Time to play the patience game?
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
tweetybugshouse
Written on Aug 30, 2020
Talin is not a native to Mara she only became a striker cause her partner wanted her and the king agreed to it. Once she looses him she fears she will be stripped of her striker position and thrown out or killed. Instead she rescues a federation prisoner from being killed and ends up being paired with him. Which leads to a whole series of events that will keep you reading up to the very end. What would you do to rescue those you love, allow yourself to be turned into a monster? At the end of book one you will be on the edge of your seat as Talin is forced to make some very difficult choices.