Marie Lu

"With her friends scattered by combat and her mother held captive by the Premier, Talin is forced to betray her fellow Strikers and her adopted homeland. She has no choice but to become the Federation's most deadly war machine as their newest Skyhunter."--

Steelstriker

Explosive action and swoon-worthy suspense collide in Steelstriker, the riveting conclusion to the Skyhunter duet from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu. As a Striker, Talin was taught loyalty is life. Loyalty to the Shield who watches your back, to the Strikers who risk their lives on the battlefield, and most of all, to Mara, which was once the last nation free from the Karensa Federation’s tyranny. But Mara has fallen. And its destruction has unleashed Talin’s worst nightmare. With her friends scattered by combat and her mother held captive by the Premier, Talin is forced to betray her fellow Strikers and her adopted homeland. She has no choice but to become the Federation’s most deadly war machine as their newest Skyhunter. Red is no stranger to the cruelty of the Federation or the torture within its Skyhunter labs, but he knows this isn’t the end for Mara – or Talin. The link between them may be weak, but it could be Talin and Red's only hope to salvage their past and safeguard their future. While the fate of a broken world hangs in the balance, Talin and Red must reunite the Strikers and find their way back to each other in this smoldering sequel to Marie Lu’s Skyhunter.

The potential in her words lingers with me, sparking in my heart. Never in my life have I been invited to create this kind of change.

Sometimes the mind is a curious thing when it tries to protect itself.

You grit your teeth and whisper a verse of forgiveness for everything wrong you've ever done. Ever innocent life you've ever taken. 

And as long as I have this life, I will dedicate it to you. I will be at your side in any battle, whether out there at the Palace gates or here, in this grove, in your heart. You saved me. I owe everything to you, Talin. Remember that.

"That's why I'm here," she says to me now. "Because I have a heart. Because action without heart is meaningless."

Sometimes I wonder whether I've done a terrible thing to her, making her stay alive.

The other voice in me chuckles. All these enhancements they gave you as a Skyhunter— and they didn't bother to take away your need for sleep? What a waste.

The other voice in me shifts uncomfortably.

The other part of me, the part that speaks into the hollows of my mind, echoes loudly through me now. 

You can't save them. It's the curse of your life. All you can do is run.

I hate the rush. I hate the feeling. And yet, every time it appears, I can't help but one more of it, hoping that if it swallows me completely, I'd never have to know the destruction I've created. Better to hide, right? Better to lose yourself.

It must be lonely, living in a world of your own lies.

If you let your people think too much, give them time to remember their humanity, you risk them realizing the horror of their actions. The blood of Innocence stating their hands. You risk them looking back to see the carnage they've left behind, the parts of themselves. They've destroyed in the name of the Federation.

We come to your borders and we break you and we take it for ourselves.

Goodness is a garden that provides life to thousands of blooms. It does not rule. It gives.

Think of all that a single person can do. All the indescribable good. All the unspeakable evil.

Couple goals right here, except maybe not

In spite of his grief, I feel safe in his arms, unbreakable.

When they are an embodiment of "I feel safe around you" ♡♡♡

This is home. This is what I've been searching for. What I stayed alive for.

Emily Klo

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

Jadyn Post

Sophie

Fatima Kadri 

Thanks a million to Fierce Reads and Marie Lu for sending me this e-arc. 
Everything amazing Skyhunter did, Steelstriker somehow did even better. If anyone who read the first book has doubts about whether they should read the sequel, please read it, you will not be disappointed. The character work and the prose were brilliant and there was never a moment I wanted to put the book down. This book was full of twists, shocking revelations, daring bravery, romance, angst, and such grittiness. I daresay Constantine might just be one of my favourite antagonists of all time solely because of how well his character was written. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect sequel and I will be recommending this duology to everyone until the end of time.

Reread: I think I'll leave it at 4.25 stars.  There were parts that dragged but there were also parts that reminded me of why this is my favourite duology of Marie Lu's.

4.25/5 stars.

Reread: I think I'll leave it at 4.25 stars.  There were parts that dragged but there were also parts that reminded me of why this is my favourite duology of Marie Lu's.

Sven Test

Marie Lu’s books deserve to be listened as audiobooks. This book has my heart racing a hundred miles an hour! It’s so action-packed, the plot is extensive, yet easy to follow, you don’t know who to trust. It keeps you on your toes!

Julie Janis

Great conclusion! The struggles and growth the characters went through were good and I enjoyed the sweet romance between Talin and Red. Constentine was an incredible villain with q complexity to him that was great! Again though, this story didn't hook me like I wanted it to but it's still an interesting story with a great concept!

Livia

god... I can't believe I'm about to say this but this does not live up to my expectation. it's still fun and full of tension, and it's amazing how we get red's pov either, but I barely see Adena, Jeran, and Aramin when I was hoping for more of them. And when it comes to Constantine, I think he's a weak villain compared to Marie Lu's other series, where it blurs the line between good and evil and how she always twisted our mind with that, since anyone can be bad or good depending on their perspective. Constantine is just a tyrant who has no edge to him, no charisma nor clear ability for a position as high as that. He's just mean, a bully, and without literally everyone that he forced to be his playthings, he would literally be nothing. Which comes to my point of saying that the book is too dragged out.

What I really love is the bond between the characters, and how they keep fighting despite the odds (which is honestly not that much but in their eyes, it's massive).

caly

violentely sobbed while Talin was on the rooftop quite literally DYING. shattered me.

ralu 

Emi Gilmore 

2.5/5 stars

Honestly, this series isn't bad at all. If you like dystopians and Marie Lu's other books you'll love it. It's just not for me and I'm thanking God it's over. 

Maybe I'd round up to three stars if I felt any sort of attachment to the characters, but I feel more chemistry towards the rocks in my driveway then I do anyone in this book.

Pauline J

Luna

Absolutely fantastic! I loved this book. such a wonderful end to the duology. I will miss these characters so much. Thank you Marie Lu for once again bringing me into the worlds with this wonderful characters and great plot.

Kathryn

“Six months was all it took for my memories of a free, independent tomorrow to fade away. I’ve settled into the routine of life here, hope that things will stay the same, until I was reminded once again of how quickly everything can vanish. One instant, there’s a society, a set of steel walls, and a home. The next, there’s ash.”

Steelstriker is a fast-paced, dark dystopian that is perfect for any Hunger Games fan. 

Although at times it felt like things were progressing rather quickly, I thoroughly enjoyed this duology. It’s one I’m glad to own and one I’ll always recommend to someone who wants romance, a diverse found family and a dystopian that delivers. 

4.5 ⭐️

Lexi Davis

This was a fun adventurous sequel to Skyhunter. The character and relationship development could have been better, but I still like the characters. I don’t have much to say about this book except that I think the first book was better than this one, but I still enjoyed reading Steelstriker. 

I won't lie. Marie Lu is my utmost favourite author so I am unable to write a bad review about one of her books. But we all know that I don't have because she is amazing. The Skyhunter duology is not my favourite serieses of her's ,but the plot twist!!! She can write the plot twists. She was the one who invented the plot twist.
Damn this book was so unpredictable, and tense I was biting my nails while reading the last 4 chapters. I never would've imagined that Constantine is that cruel. And what happened to Tamlin at the end shocked me, I felt it. I had goosbumps all over my back.
Now I just want to learn how to fight and I want a striker jacket. And knives.


Kaele Perkins 

I’m simultaneously so happy to finally have the conclusion to this wonderful Duology and also so incredibly sad that’s it’s over. 😢 

Steelstriker is the finale in the skyhunter Duology and it definitely did not disappoint. I had no clue what to expect but I loved this story so much. There was more build up in this book than the first. The beginning was not slow by any means but it laid very strategic groundwork for where the plot would go, and around 60% everything dropped and I couldn’t put it down for anything. The action was nonstop, the stakes were higher than ever, and Red and Talin are the amazing couple I knew they would be. They are so sweet, I just love them. 

Marie Lu writes such amazing characters. The main characters are relatable, she gives us lovable side characters, and a villain that we both hate and pity at the same time. If you’ve read Skyhunter you know just how amazing Talin’s mom is, and she is amazing in this book too. I love having supporting parents who are there for and protect them. I love how Talin and Red are connected and they really understand each other. The dreams 🥺 

The story wasn’t rushed. Everything was wrapped up nicely. Questions were answered and explained. Would I read more in this world/series? Absolutely. But I am perfectly content with these two. The ending was amazing and the epilogue was perfect. I absolutely loved how both ended and then I immediately reread the last page because I already missed the whole crew. ❤️


This is my favorite Duology and if you haven’t preordered it, you definitely should. Comes out September 28th! 


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early release e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review!

Steelstriker

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