morialkar's review against another edition
4.0
I had trouble getting into it, far to much calm at the start for something that starts with the MC as a force to be reckoned with, but ended up taking up the pace. The world building was hard to follow, thank god I listened to the audio book or I’d have put it down before the half. It ended up being pretty good once that was finished and the actual ceux of the book started.
megan_rose45's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
nemoremo1998's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
caitlinisbookish's review against another edition
4.0
“Because my mother taught me that, in spite of everything, I must choose goodness.”
Skyhunter follows Talin, a Striker for Mara, the last free nation warring with the Karensa Federation. Strikers are tasked to kill Ghosts, beasts that the Federation uses to attack Mara. But one day, a prisoner from the Federation is brought forth and Talin believes that there's more to him.
I really loved this book! I did find it a bit slow in the beginning, but it quickly picked up its pace.
One of the defining characteristics of this book is the characters. I think that they were all really well written, I could tell that Marie Lu put a lot of time into perfecting them.
The relationships between the characters were also great.
I loved the partner dynamic between Adena and Jeran. Adena's mechanical abilities paired with Jeran's deathdancer-ness was really nice to see.
The progression of Red and Talin's relationship wasn't forced at all, I think that it had a very nice balance from enemies to partners/friends to love interests. Red and Talin's relationship was my favorite *chef's kiss*
I also really loved to see Talin and her mother together! Typically in YA books, the parents are dead so it's nice to see at least one of them alive and not completely emotionally devastated! They had such sweet interactions with each other.
It was also interesting to see the communication between all of them.
With Red and Jeran speaking Karenese, Talin, Talin's mom, and Jeran speaking Basean, and all of them except Red using sign, it's very complicated. And, obviously, Red and Talin speaking through their link.
The trauma shown with both Red and Talin shown through flashbacks and link magic, it gave a very interesting perspective on their backstories. Jeran's traumatic relationship with his family and Adena's loss of her brother are all explored and adds that much more depth to their characters.
The writing was gorgeous. I think this is Marie Lu's most well-written book. The battle scenes were epic, it felt like I was reading a Marvel movie (how the heck?!?).
Overall, it was a really great read and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a YA dystopian novel with found family and "gotta save my country" troupes.
karmakit's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely loved this book! So well written. There were some rough patches, and yeah maybe this is nothing new, but by gosh I loved how it all came together.
brennalynne's review against another edition
2.0
Full Review on my blog: Devoured Reads
Now, I’m not usually the type to review a book I’ve decided to DNF, but at 213 of 371 pages, I can say that this book is not for me and I have some opinions.
I had a lot of interest and hope for this book. I read an extended excerpt of this before release and what I read had really interested me. The premise seemed intriguing and unique, but the more I read, the more I realized that this book lacks substance, development, and tension.
The best parts of this book are its moments talking about racism, the depiction of grief, and the books use of sign language with a main character who is mute - but even these could have... been more. I was always left wanting more with this book. There was great potential but... there was something missing for me.
The world is built up in an interesting way, and sounds really cool at the start, but you quickly realize as you read more that that’s it… what you get at the start is all you’re getting and it’s a lot more surface level than you thought.
While the characters seem interesting upon set-up, I quickly realized that these characters were not going to grow or develop in the interesting ways I know they could – rather they’ve been given tragic backstories and… that’s it. There’s little to no other personality or variance to be found here. I’m told they’re unique and have an interesting past and yet almost none of that comes through in their actions or dialogue and they come across as blank slates until it’s convenient for the plot that they react differently or have a different skill set.
This book is just chalk full of plot conveniences that remove any and all hope of tension and development for both plot and characters. Characters are being handed things on a silver platter, trust is being given too freely between them, and bonds just form out of nowhere with no actual work being done to form those bonds. How can I root for characters I’ve been told have lots of struggle and hardship and yet I’ve never witnessed it on the page. How can I root for a relationship where no effort went into it and there’s absolutely no chemistry...
I’m disappointed with this book and I can’t say I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a bit of tension, development or substance in their books. Newer/younger readers of the YA fantasy genre might enjoy this one as it does have an interesting premise, but anyone a bit more experienced and varied in their reading taste should probably steer clear.
Now, I’m not usually the type to review a book I’ve decided to DNF, but at 213 of 371 pages, I can say that this book is not for me and I have some opinions.
I had a lot of interest and hope for this book. I read an extended excerpt of this before release and what I read had really interested me. The premise seemed intriguing and unique, but the more I read, the more I realized that this book lacks substance, development, and tension.
The best parts of this book are its moments talking about racism, the depiction of grief, and the books use of sign language with a main character who is mute - but even these could have... been more. I was always left wanting more with this book. There was great potential but... there was something missing for me.
The world is built up in an interesting way, and sounds really cool at the start, but you quickly realize as you read more that that’s it… what you get at the start is all you’re getting and it’s a lot more surface level than you thought.
While the characters seem interesting upon set-up, I quickly realized that these characters were not going to grow or develop in the interesting ways I know they could – rather they’ve been given tragic backstories and… that’s it. There’s little to no other personality or variance to be found here. I’m told they’re unique and have an interesting past and yet almost none of that comes through in their actions or dialogue and they come across as blank slates until it’s convenient for the plot that they react differently or have a different skill set.
This book is just chalk full of plot conveniences that remove any and all hope of tension and development for both plot and characters. Characters are being handed things on a silver platter, trust is being given too freely between them, and bonds just form out of nowhere with no actual work being done to form those bonds. How can I root for characters I’ve been told have lots of struggle and hardship and yet I’ve never witnessed it on the page. How can I root for a relationship where no effort went into it and there’s absolutely no chemistry...
I’m disappointed with this book and I can’t say I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a bit of tension, development or substance in their books. Newer/younger readers of the YA fantasy genre might enjoy this one as it does have an interesting premise, but anyone a bit more experienced and varied in their reading taste should probably steer clear.
luna_rondo's review against another edition
3.0
MY GOD. I WANTED TO LIKE THIS SO BAD.
I can see the elements of what I really like - Talon was amazing, the writing was so smooth, the side characters. But literally every story point I could predict. I was like "ah, I see. so this is how this will play out" and then that's exactly what would happen. Also, it doesn't feel like a sci-fi It feels like a fantasy that has some space themes.
I'm curious about the next book, but me and Marie Lu haven't been clicking lately.
I can see the elements of what I really like - Talon was amazing, the writing was so smooth, the side characters. But literally every story point I could predict. I was like "ah, I see. so this is how this will play out" and then that's exactly what would happen. Also, it doesn't feel like a sci-fi It feels like a fantasy that has some space themes.
I'm curious about the next book, but me and Marie Lu haven't been clicking lately.
sophie_smthidk's review against another edition
4.0
a tiny bit corny at times but overall pretty fun