Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skyhunter | 2020 | Marie Lu | Buy |
| 2 | Steelstriker | 2021 | Marie Lu | Buy |
Skyhunter (2020) and Steelstriker (2021) form Marie Lu’s duology about Talin, a refugee who fights for the last free nation in a world overrun by a Federation that converts its enemies into monstrous weapons. The series combines military fantasy with themes of displacement and resistance.
Talin is mute, and Lu uses sign language and physical expression to drive communication throughout the story. In Skyhunter, Talin encounters a mysterious prisoner from the Federation’s experiments, and their uneasy alliance shapes the first book’s conflict. Steelstriker picks up with higher stakes as the war escalates and both characters face impossible choices.
Lu is best known for her Legend trilogy and The Young Elites series. Skyhunter occupies a darker, more militarized corner of her work, and the two-book format gives the story a tight structure without the pacing issues that longer series sometimes encounter.