Skyhunter is a tale that embraces what it means to be strong, brave, vigilant, and rebellious in a world that has turned their back on you.
When Basea is invaded by the ruthless Karensa Federation, young Talin Kanami and her mother have no choice but to flee to Mara, the last free nation in the world. Now a decade later and 18 years old, Talin is a muted outsider in a xenophobic country who uses sign language to communicate. However, that is not all she is. She is a Striker, a soldier on an elite fighting force that acts as Mara’s “last defense against the Karensa Federation”. Strikers are trained to fight the Federation’s Ghosts, monstrous creatures who seek the blood of the innocent and wreak destruction to anything that stands in their way. As the clock seemingly ticks toward what should be the end of Mara, her friends, and all she loves, a former Federation soldier named Red is captured at the warfront, who Talin believes could be the key to their salvation or ultimate destruction.
This story is exhilarating, unpredictable, and will have you on your toes almost the entire time. Marie Lu does this with nearly all of her books, giving readers twists and turns that make it a rollercoaster of a reading experience while getting you excited for the next books to come. The aspects that made Skyhunter so strong were the tone, worldbuilding, and the characters and their development from beginning to end. The main downside that this book has is it steers in the direction of the stereotypical YA dystopian sci-fi novel. It features a rebellious hero hellbent on saving the entire world from inevitable destruction, including the villain that you hate with all your heart, and supporting characters that make you feel all soft and fluffy on the inside. I was hoping for something a bit more out of the box given by simple observation of the book cover and the title, but was pleasantly surprised, nonetheless.
What can immediately be noted from reading the first few chapters is how the tone and mood set the rest of the book. From the first chapter alone, a dark and ominous vibe is already felt. Talin narrates in the first-person point of view, and this suits the tone of this story perfectly because it helps immerse readers even more into this corrupted, dystopian world. Mara is a country surrounded by enemies on all fronts and are driven into silence to avoid the Ghosts. The silence gives a very eerie and depressing vibe, and it almost gives this departed and lifeless meaning to the environment. Because of the violent and gut-wrenching scenes that come throughout the novel (there is no way I am about to spoil this for you), I found it so smart that Lu set the tone almost immediately in the beginning. Flashbacks of happiness remove the sadness for just a bit, but this book overall is brutal and horrific especially for the YA genre.
When thinking of a Dystopian YA novel, a desolate war-torn world is what often comes to mind. This is exactly what Lu does and the worldbuilding in this book is very visual. Taking into account that Mara is the only free nation in the ENTIRE world, the rest of it is currently drowning in an absolute dictatorship. Mara itself is also corrupt, with refugees from past thriving nations barely fighting to survive on the outskirts of Newage (the capital city of Mara), while the privileged, wealthy, and important people live a lavish lifestyle on the inside acting as if everything is okay. Oh, and let’s not forget that teenagers are out risking their lives to ensure the safety of an entire country. If that is not entirely backwards, I don’t know what is. Outside of Mara is the Karensa Foundation, where everything is bigger, better, and technologically advanced. The Karensan soldiers are unpleasant and show no mercy against resistance, while the inhabitants just seem dead inside because of how little control they have over their lives (especially those from other nations who were not fortunate enough to escape).
The characters and their development are fantastic, and it is almost guaranteed one of them will be your favourite by the end of the novel. Talin, Jeran, Rooke, and Red (and dearest Aramin) are all very likeable characters with likeable personalities and traits. Although they have contrasting personalities, the result is a strong team that communicates well, and their chemistry is not out of balance. Nothing seems forced and the conversations between them seem to flow quite naturally. Each of them holds a back story that can touch the heart in which you can truly resonate with, and I feel that this is one of the best details a writer can add to get readers coming back for more.
Skyhunter is a wonderfully done piece. For fans of the The Hunger Games, Lu’s other works, and dystopian in general, you will not be disappointed with this unique and captivating story!
Skyhunter is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 29th 2020.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
A broken world.
An overwhelming evil.
A team of warriors ready to strike back.
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.
#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.
