#BookReview: Skyhunter (Skyhunter #1) by @Marie_Lu

Synopsis: In a world broken by war, a team of young warriors is willing to sacrifice everything to save what they love.

The Karensa Federation has conquered a dozen countries, leaving Mara as one of the last free nations in the world. Refugees flee to its borders to escape a fate worse than death—transformation into mutant war beasts known as Ghosts, creatures the Federation then sends to attack Mara.

The legendary Strikers, Mara's elite fighting force, are trained to stop them. But as the number of Ghosts grows and Karensa closes in, defeat seems inevitable.

Still, one Striker refuses to give up hope.

Robbed of her voice and home, Talin Kanami knows firsthand the brutality of the Federation. Their cruelty forced her and her mother to seek asylum in a country that considers their people repugnant. She finds comfort only with a handful of fellow Strikers who have pledged their lives to one another and who are determined to push Karensa back at all costs.

When a mysterious prisoner is brought from the front, Talin senses there’s more to him than meets the eye. Is he a spy from the Federation? Or could he be the weapon that will save them all?



Goodreads | Amazon

Rating: 4 Stars
My Review: This high stakes story was one I could not put down.  Just wow!! I really didn't care for Lu's other two stories but since Warcross I have devoured this books.  This one and the two Warcross stories were so freaking good!! This one was a great blend of science fiction and fantasy and I could not get through the pages fast enough.  LOVED IT!! 

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-The nation of Mara is fighting a losing war against the Karensa Federation and its superior technology harnessed from the Early Ones-a fallen civilization readers will recognize as our own. Mara was supposed to be a safe haven for Talin and her mother; instead, refugees are kept outside the city walls. Talin is proud of the features that signal her as Basean-light brown skin, "eyes green and slanted and long lashed," black hair that shines blue-though many Marans refer to refugees like her as rats. As a Striker on the warfront, Talin fights Ghosts-humans who have been horrifically re-engineered by the Federation to become monsters intent only on killing. When Talin saves a mysterious prisoner of war she may have also found the key to beating the Federation-but first she has to decide if the prisoner is a potential weapon or an ally. This post-apocalyptic sci-fi adventure is a visceral exploration of the emotional and physical costs of war. Poison gas scarred Talin's vocal chords leaving her unable to speak; she instead communicates with the sign language used by Strikers. Talin's narration is caustic as questions of allegiance and loyalty move the plot forward, with Talin and her friends struggling to save a country that offered refuge while withholding common decency. At the cliffhanger end of this book Mara's fate is far from secure, leaving readers to wait for answers in the conclusion to this duology. VERDICT Suspense and high-action fights make this plot-driven story both fast-paced and brutal.-Emma Carbone, Brooklyn P.L.α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

A New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller
"Cinematically imagined... An exciting, layered, action-filled tale." - Kirkus
"Paradoxes abound and readers will glory in them all." - Booklist
"Suspense and high-action fights make this plot-driven story both fast-paced and brutal." - School Library Journal
"Lu (The Kingdom of Back and Legend) creates a devastating, war-torn world, built upon the wreckage of a technologically advanced society. Readers will eagerly await a follow-up to this engrossing dystopian novel, which searingly interrogates traumas of war, immigration, and imperialism." - Publishers Weekly
"Lu ably balances lightning-fast action and stirring battles with romance, weaving in enough bits of cultural history to give the story some grounding... This hearty but small group of Talin, Red, and a few more allies face formidable odds in the next outing, and readers will likely eagerly await news on how they fare." - The Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books (BCCB)
"The high-stakes action (including graceful, deadly combat) more than once has readers fearing for the characters’ lives...In addition, Lu brings in themes of disability and prejudice to this science fiction tale with many of the markers of traditional fantasy." - Hornbook 

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Posted in: 4 Stars, Review, Roaring Brook Press, Young Adult