Series: Skyhunter #2
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Released: September 28^th, 2021
Received: Own
Warnings: Graphic injuries, transformation, emotional abuse, torture

Steelstriker is the second and final novel in Marie Lu’s Skyhunter series. It feels odd to be saying goodbye to these characters so quickly, but I’d rather see the story get a proper ending.

Talin is and was a Striker – a soldier specifically trained to hunt monsters in complete silence. She lost her home at a very young age and didn’t think twice about signing up to protect her new home, Mara.

Only now, Mara has fallen. And Talin has fallen into the hands of the enemy. Which leaves Red desperate to find a way to save one of the few connections he has left in life. Together, they’re going to have to find a way to stop this war.

“You live life, certain it will always stay this way, until it doesn’t.”

I’ve been looking forward to the release of Steelstriker ever since I finished Skyhunter. That cliffhanger was brutal! Still, I was oddly hesitant to actually start reading Steelstriker, once it was in my hands. I’m always so bad about reading the last book in a series!

Yet, I finally did it. Steelstriker is a whirlwind of a read, putting both Talin and Red through so much over the course of nearly four hundred pages. Needless to say, there was a lot of ground to cover. Starting with what happened to Talin, and how Red was going to get her back.

Then there’s the war, which needed to be stopped, not to mention hundreds (thousands?) of people to save. Yet I can safely say that Marie Lu created an ending that does justice to the characters – and their fans – here.

Obviously, I will not go into detail about that ending because of spoilers. I will say that I was pretty happy with how it all wrapped up. It felt right. Not too rushed, and not a whole lot left out either. Though I am still sad to see this world (and those beautiful covers) go.