Steelstriker (Skyhunter, #2)

by Marie Lu

Explosive action and swoon-worthy suspense collide in this riveting conclusion to the Skyhunter duet from #1 New York Times–bestselling author Marie Lu

As a Striker, Talin was taught loyalty is life. Loyalty to the Shield who watches your back, to the Strikers who risk their lives on the battlefield, and most of all, to Mara, which was once the last nation free from the Karensa Federation’s tyranny.

But Mara has fallen. And its destruction has unleashed Talin’s worst nightmare.

With her friends scattered by combat and her mother held captive by the Premier, Talin is forced to betray her fellow Strikers and her adopted homeland. She has no choice but to become the Federation’s most deadly war machine as their newest Skyhunter.

Red is no stranger to the cruelty of the Federation or the torture within its Skyhunter labs, but he knows this isn’t the end for Mara – or Talin. The link between them may be weak, but it could be their only hope to salvage their past and safeguard their future.

While the fate of a broken world hangs in the balance, Talin and Red must reunite the Strikers and find their way back to each other in this smoldering sequel to Marie Lu’s Skyhunter.

• ISBN10: 1250221722
• ISBN13: 9781250221728
• Publish Date: 28 September 2021
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Steelstriker is the second and final novel in Marie Lu's Skyhunter series. It feels odd to be saying goodbye to these characters so quickly, but I'd rather see the story get a proper ending.

Talin is and was a Striker – a soldier specifically trained to hunt monsters in complete silence. She lost her home at a very young age and didn't think twice about signing up to protect her new home, Mara.

Only now, Mara has fallen. And Talin has fallen into the hands of the enemy. Which leaves Red desperate to find a way to save one of the few connections he has left in life. Together, they're going to have to find a way to stop this war.

"You live life, certain it will always stay this way, until it doesn't."

I've been looking forward to the release of Steelstriker ever since I finished Skyhunter. That cliffhanger was brutal! Still, I was oddly hesitant to actually start reading Steelstriker, once it was in my hands. I'm always so bad about reading the last book in a series!

Yet, I finally did it. Steelstriker is a whirlwind of a read, putting both Talin and Red through so much over the course of nearly four hundred pages. Needless to say, there was a lot of ground to cover. Starting with what happened to Talin, and how Red was going to get her back.

Then there's the war, which needed to be stopped, not to mention hundreds (thousands?) of people to save. Yet I can safely say that Marie Lu created an ending that does justice to the characters - and their fans – here.

Obviously, I will not go into detail about that ending because of spoilers. I will say that I was pretty happy with how it all wrapped up. It felt right. Not too rushed, and not a whole lot left out either. Though I am still sad to see this world (and those beautiful covers) go.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks