Talin is a Striker, one of an elite force defending the Mara peninsula from invasion by the Karensa Federation. When she is summoned to witness the execution of a Federation prisoner, Red, she senses something unusual about him and asks that he be spared. In retribution, Talin's commanding officer assigns him to her to replace the combat partner whose death she is still grieving. Red is hostile at first but soon reveals why he fled the Federation -- and why saving him might be Mara's only hope of holding off the Federation's invasion. Red's mysterious abilities include a mental link that binds him to Talin, leading to the beginnings of a tantalizing romance. The high-stakes action (including graceful, deadly combat) more than once has readers fearing for the characters' lives as the closely bonded crew of Strikers get themselves in over their heads. In addition, Lu brings in themes of disability (Talin has mutism and communicates using signs) and prejudice to a science-fiction tale with many of the markers of traditional fantasy. This series opener brings Talin to a devastating choice, setting up a potentially thrilling sequel. Anita L. Burkam January/February 2021 p.108(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 7 Up--Talin is part of a fighting force that helps defend the last free nation of the world. Because she is a refugee, she understands the terrible things the Federation has done to nation after nation. Soon after losing her partner, she steps up and defends a prisoner who has been brought to Mara's capital. She doesn't know who he is and what secrets he might have, but he is now her partner and her responsibility. In Lu's sci-fi series launch, life happens in the middle of a war; there are many fight scenes and hard choices to make. Talin is a fierce fighter, yet no one is perfect, and she must come to terms with what she is willing to do to save the ones she loves. Lu leaves listeners with a satisfactory ending instead of a cliffhanger, but fans will still be looking for the next installment when it is released. Natalie Naudus's narration is languid and may confuse listeners who expect a more active reading style for such an action-packed book. VERDICT The strong story means that Lu's latest will make a good addition to a middle school, high school, or public library collection.--Elizabeth Kenyon, Merrillville H.S., IN

A group of young soldiers defend their home against the evil Karensa Federation. Talin is a Basean refugee in Mara, treated with xenophobic cruelty by many but recognized for her skill by her battle partner, Corian, and friends Rooke and Jeran. The capture of a former Federation fighter named Redlen with magnificent, strange abilities forces her into new territory and life-altering decisions. Redlen exposes details about the Federation's genetically engineered army of Ghosts, zombielike creatures, leading Talin and the rest to hatch a desperate scheme to infiltrate their stronghold and sabotage their production--against explicit orders. Their mission and its aftermath help Talin understand more about her role in Mara and her reasons for defending a nation where she is often persecuted. In this cinematically imagined dystopia, Talin uses sign language to communicate since early trauma in her homeland at the hands of the Federation resulted in the cessation of her speech. In a deftly plotted first-person narrative that is both expansive and detailed in its depiction of the setting and includes quick-moving battle sequences, Talin's trajectory is convincing. In a few instances, her earnest realizations about her own motivations can feel a bit pat, but this is a mostly nuanced and poignant story that is left wide open for a welcome sequel. Characters have a range of skin tones; one male character is in love with another man. An exciting, layered, action-filled tale with a cast of sympathetic characters. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

When the Karensa Federation invaded Basea a decade ago, Talin Kanami and her mother fled north to Mara. Now 18 and using sign language due to emotional and vocal cord scarring from that night, Talin is a Striker, the sole refugee on an elite squadron deemed "the last defense Mara has against the Federation." Strikers battle Ghosts, formerly human "monstrous war beasts" whose bites inflict transformation. Despite rampant xenophobia, Talin is determined to protect "the last free nation on this side of the sea." But when Talin protests an execution order for Federation defector Redlen Arabes, her commander, the Firstblade Aramin Wen Calla, imposes a punishment: Talin must take Red as her Shield, a fighting partner bonded for life. As Talin gets to know Red, she learns he is the Federation's greatest experiment: the Skyhunter, a "half-man, half-machine weapon." Soon, Talin, Red, and fellow Strikers Rooke Min Ghanna and Jeran Min Terra devise a plan to destabilize the empire. Lu (The Kingdom of Back) creates a devastating, war-torn world, built upon the wreckage of a technologically advanced society. Readers will eagerly await a follow-up to this engrossing dystopian novel, which searingly interrogates traumas of war, immigration, and imperialism. Ages 12--up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Sept.)

Disgraced Maran elite warrior Talin is assigned to partner the Karensan prisoner of war, Skyhunter, after she saves him from being sacrificed. Despite their differences, their goal is the same: take down the Empire before they defeat Mara, the only remaining free country on the continent. As details about Skyhunter's military modifications emerge, the strikers learn of the super-human army being created to finish them. A desperate mission to Karensa to stop the experiments fails, but not before the forced bond between them becomes much more real. The whimsy of a pocket pet, the brutality of human experimentation, the headiness of impossible love stories--straight and gay--all are elements of Lu's latest outing. Talin narrates the tale, which is in itself smart writing, since she is also mute from poison gases. Her clear, if unheard, voice is the vehicle for pacing and for emotional impact. Talin's world is identified as postapocalyptic, with ancient records related to technology evidence of its downfall as well as the source of its new inhumanity. Paradoxes abound and readers will glory in them all.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Lu's books are impossible to keep on the shelf, and a new series guarantees a fresh barrage of requests.