I loved this author's first two series, so I was excited for this book when I heard about it. It was just okay for me, though. The zombie-esque plot was not my thing and not exactly what I was expecting when I started reading the book. However, the characters were great and the concept was interesting. I think fans of this author or fans or YA dystopian novels will gravitate towards this book. It wasn't for me, but it was a well written novel and I'm sure many people will love it.

Marie Lu can do no wrong. This is another great book. I love the diversity in this book. The main character has PTSD and uses signing to communicate. This was done well and I love to see representation in books. I love the world building and the found family. This is such an entertaining books that uses all the tropes we love and it doesn't get boring. This is the kind of book you read in one sitting. I can't wait for the next one.

What an amazing book. Marine Lu has done it again in her new novel Skyhunter. It was an absolute pleasure to read this book and I can't wait to fall back in with the sequel.

I LOVED every aspect of this book. Lu never disappoints. I appreciate that it's a stand alone, but that other books could easily be written in this world

I loved this WAY more than I anticipated!! I can’t wait to get to the second book. This is a classic YA story but with a nice spin

This book...WOW. I've always been in love with Marie Lu's writing and while I haven't read her entire catalog, I think this is one of her best books. The world that she has created, this sci-fi dystopia, is believable and heart-breaking. And yet there is hope and nuance and discussion of what it means to be a part of a country and what it means to be a refugee or immigrant. The otherness that this book explores hit home and I absolutely cried towards the end of this novel.

Not only does it hold your heart, its epic in scope and the tech that we get to read about is so so so cool!

I cannot wait to read the second book and read more of Marie Lu's beautiful world and her deep characters.

Skyhunter is set in a time when civilization has crumbled and a new one lives in its shadow. Many things are yet to be known but one thing is certain. The last free place to live is under attack and soon to be taken over. The people of Mara have come up with a force, the strikers, to combat the onslaught of monsters that the federation sends to destroy them.

Talin is a Striker who doesn't quite fit in to Mara because of how she looks and where she comes from. Her mother isn't even permitted in the gates. She still fights for Mara even though they discriminate against her and call her names.

I love how strong Talin and her mother are in skyhunter. They have been dealt a lot of tragedy and turmoil yet they still push forward and do what they need to in order to survive. never feeling sorry for themselves and always showing kindness even to the very people who put them down.

I was really impressed with the role of a sign speaking protagonist and was very happy to see her find a place that her "disability" has become an advantage.

Overall I loved this book and can not wait for the sequel. I love the authors use of so many different underrepresented groups. There is some love interests but I was glad that it didn't dominate the story and only added to the bond of the main characters and suspense in the end.

I honestly think this is her best work.

Also mute representation which I thought was really awesome and I loved the incorporation of sign language!

I loved Warcross and Wildcard but this world and these monsters, was fantastic and scary.

Talin was a great character, her backstory and her character was just a great choice on Marie’s part. The beginning was so gut wrenching losing your best friend like that. I couldn’t imagine the struggle.

The fact that everyone had to be quiet and learn sign language as a way to communicate was so great and inclusive. It makes me wish I took sign language instead of French in college.

Lately, I've been listening to the Legend series as audiobooks, and I was expecting Skyhunter to be similar to it, but instead, it felt like a completely different storyline, other than the similarities that many dystopian novels have, such as a corrupt government and downtrodden citizens without much hope. I was happy to see that she had some very original ideas in Skyhunter. I also was impressed that she did not develop Red and Talin's relationship into a romance right away, but let their friendship develop after the initial mistrust they have for each other. Also, having a main character who is mute made the story even more creative, as well as inclusive. The fact that sign language was used by the Strikers for stealth made it more acceptable for her to have this challenge, and thus it was an important part of the story without readers pitying her, or even the characters feeling sorry or scornful of her because she was different. The concept of the Ghosts was creepy, but it was disturbing also, from the perspective of a government turning its people into weapons, As always, Lu comes up with a fantasy world that is vaguely familiar in some ways, but completely original in others. I am already anticipating book two with enthusiasm!

This was my first Marie Lu book and she did not disappoint! After reading this sci-fi fantasy, it truly feels like I have a new found love for the genre. I adored everything from the sign language representation, the fast paced plot, and all the in-between.

I gave this book to my 14 year old daughter & she gave it two thumbs up. Will look for more by this author .

I thought this book was soild read. I really liked the characters and found the rag tag group of heroes to be a fun concept. I also thought he world was a fun one with a mix fantsay and also science fiction elements. I really liked the characters. I also though this book was super fast paced. But i struggled a bit with the plot and especially towards the end. I liked this book, it did not wow me. But i will still check out the sequel!!

Skyhunter is a book about Talin who is a Striker or basically a warrior from Mara, the last free nation in the world; and her journey in fighting off the ghosts from the Karensa federation who was the invader of all the other nations. Talin is actually just an outsider from Mara because her real home was already conquered by the federation. But even though she's just an outsider, her dedication to helping Mara to stay as a free nation is commendable. She even proved this even further when a mysterious prisoner from Karensa was brought to Mara's front. Talin sensed that there's more to this prisoner than what meets the eye. They don't really know if this prisoner is a spy from the federation, but Talin took a risk in finding out more about this prisoner. Then the wild, adventurous, and action-packed story starts from there.

As a Marie Lu fan, I can say that Marie Lu's writing style is still something that can still put me at the edge of my seat! This book has been mysterious enough that it kept me reading page after page, chapter after chapter. It has all the emotions I wanted to feel in a sci-fi dystopian. She did really well in building the world, introducing the characters, and making the reader build up much anticipation of what's gonna happen next. And if it isn't obvious yet, I really loved this book and I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

I've read all of Marie Lu's books and I think this is her best by far. Talin is an outcast who is completely dedicated to her role as an elite fighter protecting her home. Things change for her when she meets Red, a "mysterious prisoner," and decides to take the risk on the idea that he could change her world for the better. While the world and overall storyline are not cutting edge, it's still a great read because the book is full of fast paced action and entertaining secondary characters. I think you can see elements of Marie Lu's other books at play here with elements of a Federation run world (Legened), twisted future technology (Warcross) and questionable villains (Young Elites).

I used to think that I hated books with maps in them. Maybe I was burned by Lord of the Rings (fight me), because I’ve pretty much refused to read a book with a map in it since. Other worlds and fantasy/science fiction were never really my thing. Luckily, I was asked to join a book club where we discussed this book. I loved it.

We’re taken to the last known society, where The Federation has already conquered several nations, and Mara stands free. Talin, a refugee from a nation already overtaken by the Federation is a Striker, an elite soldier trained in silent hand to hand combat. The Federation has turned its fighting force into mutants, either Ghosts who walk on land and attack Maran citizens, or a new type of war machine that can take to the skies.

Yes, the typical YA tropes of “she doesn’t fit in,” “found family,” and “will they or won’t they” are present; but there’s so much more to this story that needs exploring. Talin and her friends are so badass, you forget they’re teenagers, and you can’t help but rally behind them as they try to save their land. The sequel comes out in October, so read this one before it drops!

I am very impressived with this world, the story and the characters, and I am so happy the romance does not feel forced! I do wish that this book was the start to a trilogy rather than a duology because I can tell I'm gonna absolutely love this world!

I was given a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Talin is a striker - an elite figher that defends the only free nation on earth - Mara. When her partner dies in an attack, she is paired with a new partner, an escaped prisoner from the opposing force. Excellent fantasy book that doesn't disappoint. Lot of action, imagery, excitement, etc. Can't wait for the next book. #netgalley #skyhunter #marielu

I struggled to become invested in SkyHunter, at least at the beginning. The start is very dark. I found the first 30% of the story or so to be incredibly heavy. As the story progressed and the mystery started to unfold, I became increasingly invested in the story and could not put it down. The story ends on a cliffhanger and now I’m patiently awaiting the next book in the series.

I would recommend SkyHunter for fans of the Hunger Games series and other heavy dystopian novels. It’s not for the faint of heart.

Sadly, this is a DNF for me. I got through about 30% of the book and I coudn't keep going. I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters and the writing fell flat for me. Keep in mind, this is just my opinion, I can see reasons why others would love this story!

Talin is a refugee in Mara and is a member of the Strikers--an elite fighting squad. When a prisoner of war is brought before the Strikers for execution, Talin ends up defending the man (Red) thinking there's more to him than first appears, and that he may hold the key to turning the tide of the war.

This was EXCELLENT! It had the thrilling feel of "Star Wars: Rogue One" with the great writing and characters Lu is known for. I really liked how sign language was used and how all the main characters fought against "othering" new people, and actively fight their own prejudices as well!