A review by haley_b
Skyhunter by Marie Lu

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This isn’t my first Marie Lu read; I read Legend and Warcross with my high school book club, but neither was particularly memorable. I discovered Skyhunter in my search for something to read after catching up on the Attack on Titan anime. The two are working with a lot of the same thematic and worldbuilding elements from terrifying monsters, walled cities, and an elite force of heavily armed teenagers to colonialism, trauma, and family secrets. Attack on Titan sets a notoriously high bar, and although Skyhunter did not reach that same level of storytelling, it did scratch my itch for the genre. 

Talin is a strong protagonist and easily my favorite character. She’s moody and reserved, and her cast of side characters complement her well. I appreciate that Talin’s reliance on sign language is more often an asset than a struggle in her position as a striker living among others fluent in sign. I found her mind link with Red a bit of a cop out, but I see the way their relationship (and the plot) would have stalled otherwise. 

Speaking of plot, there were a few moments of true heart, suspense, and action that kept me reading. The plot kept pace with the characters and worldbuilding, but there were instances in which I anticipated a climactic moment only for the story to move on from it. The ending was unexpected and suspenseful, yet not a true cliffhanger. It sets up a clear path to the second book in the duology. Skyhunter is a solid YA dystopian, and the best I’ve read from Lu yet.