The Stats
đ BOOK REVIEWâ đ
BOOK: Skyhunter
AUTHOR: Marie Lu @marieluthewriter
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press @macmillankidsbooks
Stars: ââââ
Published: September 29th 2020
The Review
Talin is a Striker, one of an elite group of soldiers trained for absolute silence. Helps that sheâs mute, so sign language is an actual first language for her. Their prey: super-zombies called Ghosts, sent to hunt down the enemies of the Karensan Federation in the post-apocalyptic dystopia our civilization left behind when we⌠left? Wiped each other out? Ascended to a new plane of reality? Yeah, they donât get into that.
The Strikers manage to get a hold of a Karensan soldier, one that isnât wearing a uniform and is all too happy to be tortured to death. So, why is Talin standing up for him, and why does he suddenly have bladed cyberwings, and oh-gosh-golly-thereâs-death-everywhere!
The Title/Cover Draw:
I mean, it was pretty, but it was also kinda abstract, so it didnât really tell me much about what I was about to read. And, yet another sci-fi/fantasy title with âskyâ in it. Skyrim, Skyward Sword, No Manâs Sky⌠Kinda getting tired of the sky, letâs go to the seas or something.
What I liked:
The writing in this book was good. I got into the charactersâ viewpoints as things went, and enjoyed the ride. The characters were good, the adventures and politics were entertaining. I found the Ghost to be a pretty cool concept. I repeat, this book and its plot was enjoyable, despite stuff below that sounds like I hated it. However, not everything was excellent.
What I didnât like:
Though this is an original setting, so much of it feels… somehow trope-ish. It feels like someone took Attack on Titan and Divergent, put them in a blender, and pulsed it once or twice. Thereâs still chunks of other stuff in there. Good thing is, theyâre all good chunks. So, you have a bunch of things you like from other series, and a melange of concepts that blend them together, but nothing stand out original. Every time you look at something in the setting you like, it feels like it comes from somewhere else. And that just ends up making the whole thing seem uninspired.
The Characters:
The characters were a diverse and inclusive cast, which would normally get a thumbs up from me. Unfortunately, when you add it together with the uninspired feeling I got, it came out more as checking off diversity boxes than creating a story with a diverse point of view. If you left off where these characters were inclusive, they wouldnât really change. They were good characters, but with the exception of Talin, you didnât really feel the diversity permeate the skin.
Talin being mute was a great touch that worked well throughout the story. It depicted her âdisabilityâ as something that not only worked in her favor, but as something that made connecting to her fellow strikers that much easier. Red was interesting as a character, especially once he opened up. I was halfway expecting, however, for the mouse he carried around to actually BE his sister in a mouse body. No dice there, though.
I also liked the whole mind-linking thing, though I wish it was better explained in its mechanics. It was a great way to bond these two characters without forcing some romantic trist. YA likes to do this, and having these two main characters be partners without being partners was a good choice.
The Ending:
To be honest, I canât really remember how this ended. Thatâs kinda bad. Yeah, I know the climactic scenes, and I know the good wins in the end (because it always does), but I canât remember how. This should be memorable, but it isnât.
Consider if you like :
Attack on Titan. Divergent Series.
*****
Summary:
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 deathâtransformation 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 thereâs 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?
I voluntarily read a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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