Marie Lu wrote this. That was enough for me. Known for writing powerful action-packed reads with dynamic characters, I just had to get my hands on this book.
Let's start with the main character, Talin. A refugee working as a "Striker". If you read the book then you'll get an 'in-depth' of what a striker does but for sure I can say they gotta deal with these scary things called the "Ghosts" and they are no joke. So, she's a striker in Mara which is the last free nation that has not been vanquished by the Karensa Federation. A unique aspect about Talin is that she is mute due to a horrific incident and so sign language is an important tool used throughout this story. It also gives way to valuable discussions about what the character goes through navigating her life in a world that sees and treats her differently because she is not only a refugee but also because of her communication barrier. It's also lovely to note that Talin is surrounded by allies that developed a way to communicate with her. A great message.
Talin meets with a war prisoner that she soon defends and in doing so realizes that he comes with a few secrets. Those secrets will be revealed. I'll stop there. To think, this is only book one. I am too excited for what the other half of this tale has in store for us.
It's fast-paced, has plenty of good characters, and has a great storyline. It checked all the boxes I wanted from this book. Big on Sci-fi. Dystopia. A "young adult" read with dynamic characters. Unique traits in a character/characters. Lastly, if there has to be romance keep the "typical and cheesy" to a minimum. I really enjoyed this book. I think you will too.
Thanks to Marie Lu and to Roaring Book Press for my copy of this book won via giveaway. I received. I read. I reviewed this book honestly and voluntarily.
Let's start with the main character, Talin. A refugee working as a "Striker". If you read the book then you'll get an 'in-depth' of what a striker does but for sure I can say they gotta deal with these scary things called the "Ghosts" and they are no joke. So, she's a striker in Mara which is the last free nation that has not been vanquished by the Karensa Federation. A unique aspect about Talin is that she is mute due to a horrific incident and so sign language is an important tool used throughout this story. It also gives way to valuable discussions about what the character goes through navigating her life in a world that sees and treats her differently because she is not only a refugee but also because of her communication barrier. It's also lovely to note that Talin is surrounded by allies that developed a way to communicate with her. A great message.
Talin meets with a war prisoner that she soon defends and in doing so realizes that he comes with a few secrets. Those secrets will be revealed. I'll stop there. To think, this is only book one. I am too excited for what the other half of this tale has in store for us.
It's fast-paced, has plenty of good characters, and has a great storyline. It checked all the boxes I wanted from this book. Big on Sci-fi. Dystopia. A "young adult" read with dynamic characters. Unique traits in a character/characters. Lastly, if there has to be romance keep the "typical and cheesy" to a minimum. I really enjoyed this book. I think you will too.
Thanks to Marie Lu and to Roaring Book Press for my copy of this book won via giveaway. I received. I read. I reviewed this book honestly and voluntarily.