Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, Roaring Books Press, Marie Lu, Natalie Naudus (narrator), and Raymond J. Lee (narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to Steelstriker in exchange for an honest review.

Marie Lu's books are an auto-buy for me. I have met her in person, and she is such a gem. Every single one of her books is brilliant, and she has a gift with the ability to write in various genres under the young adult umbrella, including historical fiction, dystopian, fantasy, and science-fiction. While I have the print version of Steelstriker among my collection, I requested the audio version to see if purchasing audio of Lu's books in future would be a worth-while investment. My conclusion: yes! I absolutely loved the narrators for this novel! Natalie Naudus (Talin) and Raymond J. Lee (Red) brought the characters to life and were an absolute joy to listen to.

Steelstriker is the sequel to Skyhunter, and concludes the duology. Be warned, if you have not read Skyhunter, SPOILERS lie ahead!

The book begins close to where the previous book left off. After Talin's capture, she is made into a Skyhunter, meant to follow the Premier's orders as a protector and weapon. Talin manages to hold her mental connection to Red, but she is also now connected to the mind of the Premier, who can also feel whatever she feels. So she must tread carefully when it comes to communicating with Red.

Red, with the others who have managed to escape the fall of Mara, will do anything to get Talin back. He too, is a Skyhunter, so there must be some advantage there. 

Talin would seek escape, but the Premier holds one thing over her head: her mother. He also holds many of the strikers captive, exploiting shows for the people where the strikers fight ghosts (humans turned monster due to the Federation's experiments). Talin feels helpless when her mother's safety and the lives of her former comrades are at stake. There must be something she can do.

While this book didn't have quite the same exciting intrigue as the first, it was an excellent conclusion full of action and interesting character development. I think it's the fact that with the first book, the reader is still learning about Mara and the Federation, its history, and the mystery of the Skyhunter, Red. With Steelstriker, those elements are already established, and now it is about making the world they live in a better place through revolution. I greatly appreciate how the main character, Talin, is mute and must use sign language to communicate. It is interesting to see how Lu writes sign language and how Talin navigates the world.

If you have not read Skyhunter, please go do so now! You won't regret it. That fact that this is a duology is even better. I find that a two-book series has a more wholesome feel and conclusion than the stretched out trilogies or longer series. Yet another exquisite work of art from Marie Lu, a must-read!

I really enjoyed this series and I would really love to see spin offs for people in the past as well as the future of Mara. I think this story does an amazing job of showing how easily good intentions can turn into greed and how anyone who strives for power will ultimately be a person who shouldn't have it. Talin is a strong protagonist that also shows her soft side to the ones she loves and I love how she has developed as a character as well as her relationship with Red. The dynamic where they can both rely on each other instead of always needing to be rescued is something I really enjoy in this book. I was very happy with the ending but sad to see it end. I really love this world and am crossing my fingers for something else in the future.

I was not a fan of the Audio Book version as I feel like the voice was a little to robotic for me.

This is the second book in Marie Lu’s skyhunter duology, so you will need to read the first books, Skyhunter, before you read this one as it sets everything up.

Marie Lu shows what one woman will do to protect her family and friends:

Talin has become a Striker, it is now her job to protect The Premier at all costs or else her mother will suffer. Red is no stranger to the cruelty of the federation and the torture it takes to be transformed into a Skyhunter. Red is determined to free Talon, and free Mara and all the other countries that have been conquered by the Federation.Talin and Red want the same things, but the path is marred by difficult decisions and actions that need to be taken to make sure that the ones they love survive.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series and it really leave you on a cliffhanger so I have high expectations for this book by Lu and I will say that this book is quite different that the first book because of the setting. This book is much more political than the first book, it is about doing things behind the scenes in order to overthrow the Premier. That means there are less battle scenes involving both Red and Talon, so at times this does slow the book down.

I personally love the Strikers and the training that they have gone through to be such effective killing machines and would love to have their POV in a book or novella. They really are the highlight of the book for me, when they are fighting ghosts or sneaking about.

You cannot help but feel sorry for Talin in this book, she is doing everything in her power to protect her mother but fails multiple time as she cannot sit by while the Premier hurts her friends. However, she does do horrible things to people she does not know even though it weighs on her. I’m not sure if Lu was intending to have a philosophical question in this book, but it is very much kill one to save the rest or kill them all. Talin’s inability to see the bigger picture in this case causes more harm to herself, mother and the rest of the people under the Premier’s control. Do I fault Talon for this? No, she is a teenager who is just trying to protect her mother, her friends, but it is a question to ask oneself as you read the book.

This is the first complete series that I have read by Lu and I enjoyed the world building that she does as well as Talin as a main character. I look forward to reading other series by Lu.

Enjoy!!!!

I enjoyed reading Steelstriker by Marie Lu at the end of 2021 after rereading Skyhunter. It was exciting and adventurous without the boring travel bits that come with a quest-type of adventure. The characters all had great arcs that matched the length of the duology and I loved all the characters. Talin and Red both grew to be more balanced people, understanding more sides of the narrative being given to them.

Overall, I gave this book four stars. It wasn't the most amazing read and didn't feel like it brought anything new to the genre, but it was a good story. The word I would use the most is comfortable. This duology made for a comfortable and quick reading experience that I wouldn't mind rereading or keeping around to recommend to others. I would especially recommend these two novels to young adult readers (14-18).

Thanks to the publisher for providing the audiobook version of Steelstriker in exchange for an honest review.

BHIRNFFKLN I'm of the firm belief that its impossible for me to have mediocre opinions on Marie Lu books. Their either incredibly or a chore to get through but maybe I need to extend that to only applying to series over all because this one was just boring? I feel like there was definitely a big pacing disconnect between this and Skyhunter and honestly, I don't think there was enough material here to necessitate it being a sequel. Skyhunter could have been a super cool standalone but unfortunately, that was never meant to be.

Ghost-hunting, sign language representation, political fantasy and a found family has lent this duology to become one of my favourites.
Talin lost the ability to use her voice following a childhood trauma, and she uses sign to communicate. I am a sign language user myself, so I loved this aspect of her character in the first book. In this second installment, her character growth made her one of my favourite YA characters of all time. Her and Red were an incredibel duo, even if I felt their story was slightly rushed towards the end of book 2.
I definitely predicted the ending, but that didn’t make the reading experience any less amazing. I’m not somebody who values unpredictability in books though, so that might be something to consider if you do.

A playlist for this duology:
Soldier // Fleurie
Make Up Your Mind // Florence + the Machine
Inner City Blues // Marvin Gaye
Murder Song (5,4,3,2,1) - Acoustic // AURORA

This is a story about forged courage.

I really enjoyed #skyhunter last year, but I’m always hesitant going into sequels- 2nd book syndrome is real! But I’m happy to report this was wonderfully done. One of my favorite elements is the search for “artifacts” that are weapons that presently exist and have the potential for irreparable harm- what a clever plot element in a dystopian. I also love the ongoing thread of forbidden connection- these have the exact(read: minimal 🤣) amount of romance that I want in my sci fi.

Thank you so much netgalley Macmillan & Macmillan audio for the eArc & alc! The dual narration was excellent.

Having LOVED Skyhunter, Steelstriker was one of my most anticipated releases of the year.
Did it live up to my personal hype? No, not really... But then again, the final installment in a series nearly never does! I think it is just the nature of the beast. We always want more, we always want some kind of brilliance that knocks us off our feet, some twist we didn't see coming, and yet still all ends neatly tied in a bow. It's a tall order!
All that being said, I greatly enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, full of action and emotion and I just really enjoyed the spark between our two main characters. Marie Lu really did a great job with this duology and I will be sad to leave Tallin and Red behind!
I listened to the audiobook version and thoroughly enjoyed the narration, beginning to end.

Mara has fallen, plunging Talin into her own worst nightmare. The former striker is now a puppet for the Premier, controlled by the love she has for her mother. Now the Federation’s most deadly war machine as their newest Skyhunter, will Talin be able to help those she loves despite her dire circumstances?

Steelstriker did not deliver as much of a punch as the first book, Skyhunter, perhaps because of the repetitive nature of the story. The points in the plot led in a predictable direction, with too much attention paid to the relationships between the characters.

I am especially disappointed in the author's decision to add an epilogue to the novel. Science fiction and fantasy novels are best when the ending remains elusive, leaving it up to the reader's imagination.

All of that said, the narration of Steelstriker by Natalie Naudus and Raymond J. Lee was entertaining. I am not sure I would have finished the book if I had not chosen the audio version. Overall, this was not my favorite series by this author, but I look forward to more by Marie Lu in the future.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Audio Copy of Steelstriker, by NetGalley and the publisher, Macmillan Audio. The decision to listen to and review this book was entirely my own.

I was so incredibly excited for this book after loving Skyhunter. However, the fact that this author, who literally writes about a post-apocalyptic world destroyed by climate change decides it's a great idea to exploit teenagers through NFTs for their next series is deplorable. I'm done with this author. Bye.

Okay, if this is a duology, this was a good ending. I think even if this is a trilogy, it’s a good second book. The one difference I noticed in this book that I liked was that Talin is a lot more human in this book than he seemed in the first book. I actually really liked that character shift.

3.5 stars
I really appreciate that this was a duology. I think the entire story was well told in 2 books. It did feel like an entire story and it had a very nice ending.
I liked the timeline, we kind of watch as Talin is morphed into a Skyhunter, but that isn't really the main focus. So we get several months in a short amount of time and then the real action kicks in. Honestly though, I found my attention lacking a little bit throughout the first part. I just kept zoning out. In the second half, my attention was really grabbed though and I did really enjoy the ending and thought it was nicely wrapped up.
I still really enjoyed Talin's character, she goes through so much in this book and watching her struggle was so heartbreaking. We also get Red's POV in this one which I really liked. It was awesome to see both sides of the story and very much needed to show the whole thing in my opinion. I just didn't really connect as much with Red or his part of the story.
Overall, this was a really solid sci-fi dystopian duology that I would definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved that Red's perspective was included in this book and that we got to explore his past a bit. I also felt that the relationship between Talin and her mother added a lot of depth to the story. It also made the characters more likeable. That being said I did feel like this book dragged a bit and just didn't have the oomph of the first one. The narrator for the audio version was fantastic though.

A thoroughly satisfying, action-packed conclusion to the Skyhunter duology!! In this book Red and Talin have switched places with Talin being held captive by Premier Constantine (think Snow from the Hunger Games) and transformed into a Skyhunter (think Wolverine level transformation with steel wings). Ren on the other hand has teamed up with the rebel Steelstrikers, who are trying to liberate Talin and overthrow the Federation.

There were a LOT of Hunger Games similarities in this book: Talin's mother is held hostage as leverage to get her to perform evil deeds at the behest of the Premier. She also has to participate in gladiator/arena like battles.

Though separated Talin and Red still share an unbreakable bond and are able to communicate in their dreams. I loved the romance between these two characters and how hard Red fought to get back to Talin.

If you aren't a big fantasy fan this one, with its relatable characters and A+ narration, was easy to become invested in. Amazing on audio with Natalie Naudus returning to voice Talin and a new male narrator, Raymond J. Lee, to give voice to Red, who has much more of a first person voice in this book. I couldn't put this down and read both books back to back. Highly recommend, especially for fans of Star Wars or the Hunger Games. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC!

Thank you to @macmillan.audio #RoaringBrookPress for the ALC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
Awesome! Steelstriker is the second and final book to the Skyhunter duology and it was a superb ending. The audiobook was really good, especially since @natalienaudus is a fave! One of the things I appreciated about this book was that even the secondary characters and details stayed relevant and active. Lu kept us interested in every character in this book, primary or secondary, even tertiary. This was full of action: brutal and violent but, well written and exciting, made me want to workout 😬. Talin, the main character, was mute, and the way Lu wrote her turmoil frustration and trauma were so believable and relatable. After having listened to Skyhunter, I couldn’t wait to jump into this one and I was not disappointed. A satisfying conclusion.

Steelstriker is the conclusion of the Skyhunter Duology. It answers all the questions from book 1 and adds many more layers to Talin and Red's story. This book is action-packed. You won't want to put it down. I listened to the audiobook version. The narrators @natalienaudus and @raymondjlee did an amazing job lending life to the characters and adding to their stories.

I kinda set myself up for failure with this one because I only remembered the big moments from Skyhunter and one of the things that Marie Lu does brilliantly is keep the small things alive and relevant - but of course I kept missing them or getting confused by them because I didn't remember.

But one of the other things that I loved about this series in particular is the fact that one of our MCs is mute. She cannot speak. And we get to see how she in all of her power and battle prowess and head for strategy is controlled simply by limiting who in any situation she can communicate with. The frustration she feels and the miscommunication that inevitably arises just added so much to her torment - while also giving an abled reader a glimpse of what that feels like.

Lu is brutal but efficient in scenes of violence and pain and torture (CW for violence, torture, gore, chronic pain, scarring) it's not just about the pain but what those specific decisions mean. Like if a character has fingers broken or removed, it limits the sign language they're able to do. And she always gives you just enough to see into the distance to what that means. Every action by every character comes on a thread from where they've been to what they want. No character acts aimlessly, even as these threads get tangled and snap. It's brilliant.

Talin is alone, her friends are scattered and her mother is being held captive. After being forced to become a Skyhunter all she can do is be a servant to the Premier to keep her mother safe. Red on the other hand is free and will do anything to reunite with Talin and the cruelty of the Federation.

We return for the finale of Skyhunter! I have been waiting for this book for what feels like forever! Once I got my hands on it I wasn't able to put it down. I was invested from start to finish and think Marie Lu does such an incredible job at bringing worlds to life.

The characters are probably my favourite part of this series. They are so alive that their emotions and conflict feel so real, which makes it so easy to fall headfirst into the storyline. I love Talin, she is such an incredible and unforgettable character. Red is of course amazing and I am in love with him, but I was specifically so excited to see his perspective.

The new/side characters were also really fleshed out and rememberable. The found family trope really makes me emotional and happy at how well it was done. The romance was also so great, the bond and connection between Red and Ralin had made my heart scream. I usually don't like mother/daughter relationships but Talin's relationship with her mom had me crying.

Marie Lu is so great with Antagonists, which makes me so happy. Premier Constantine isn't just bad, he has a story, relationships, desires that turned him into the person he is. I loved seeing Talin's perspective on him from behind the scenes, it really showed a different side of him that made his character all the more intriguing and brutal.

Overall I thought this was a great conclusion to the series. I thought the ending was quite predictable but that seems to be how young adult books go. Other than that though it was such a unique and beautiful story that I will never forget. I highly recommend this!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I received an audiobook arc of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it! We had two narrators for the two main characters and they both did a fabulous job. Each character had their own voice and it was super easy to distinguish between everyone. Highly recommend this as the way to go if you’re looking to start this duology!

As for the book, I really liked it. It felt like a perfect conclusion to everything that was built up in book 1. I was satisfied with everything that occurred, all of the questions I had were answered and all of the loose ends were neatly tied up!

Marie Lu just has such a talented way of telling a story— you really get sucked into her worlds and characters journeys! I’m glad this was only a duology, it was the perfect length to tell Talin’s story.

If you’re looking for a series with epic battle scenes, creepy monsters, forbidden love in a dystopian style world and with great disability rep!— check out the Skyhunter duology for sure!

4/5⭐️

TW: medical procedures, medical torture, torture, death, murder, blood, gore, violence.

What an amazing conclusion to this duology!!!

I loved having Red's POV along with Talin's, it brought mot only a refreshing aide to the story but helped with the connection between the characters. The story kwpt giving me vibes of the mockingjay which is a good thing since I love that book, but it brought so many original elements it is a whole thing on its own. It was beautifully wrapped and the only reason I want more it's because I loved it and not because it lacked.