Steelstriker (Skyhunter Duology)

What I Loved: Marie Lu’s characters are fully developed with the ability to make the audience ache for their suffering. We see that especially with Talin. The time has finally arrived that the Karensa Federation has won the war against Mara. Talin had the choice to become a Skyhunter and the personal guard to the Karensan leader, Constantine Tyrus, or watch her mother die. The choice was no choice and six months later the only thing that hasn’t been completed is a full mind link with Constantine. He can’t force her mind to do his bidding but if she misbehaves her mother is punished. Talin suffers even in her own mind, unable to shut him out. The best she can do is try to become emotionless and detached. It is gut-wrenching for her to be one of the most powerful beings in creation and have so little control over her life.
Red is with the surviving steelstrikers. They attempt to cause some damage to the Karensan establishment only resulting in some being captured due to Talin’s choices. The only way anyone can win is if they can free Talin from her untenable position. Talin is faced with difficult choices. If she chooses hope it could cost her mother her life. If she doesn’t, everyone else loses. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few intellectually sounds easy enough but put a family member you cherish and that isn’t so easy to justify.
What Left Me Wanting More: At the end of the last book Red was defeated because more Skyhunters had been made. Yet, in this book, they are nowhere around until they conveniently appear for the final showdown. This is such a strong plot and lushly developed world that I wish they had been a bigger part of the unfolding story so that it was more natural when they had to be faced again.
Final Verdict: I enjoyed the references to the previous civilization that had me wondering if this is a future Earth and looking for the familiar in the unfamiliar world depicted. Marie Lu did a fantastic job diving into the complexities of human emotion and attachment to make Talin and Red feel real. Definitely recommend this duology to Marie Lu fans and those that love a good dystopian story.