Review: Steelstiker Audiobook

Title: Steelstriker
Series: Skyhunter #2
Author: Marie Lu
Release Date: September 28, 2021
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Find it here: Goodreads
Synopsis from Goodreads: As a Striker, Talin was taught loyalty is life. Loyalty to the Shield who watches your back, to the Strikers who risk their lives on the battlefield, and most of all, to Mara, which was once the last nation free from the Karensa Federation’s tyranny.
But Mara has fallen. And its destruction has unleashed Talin’s worst nightmare.
With her friends scattered by combat and her mother held captive by the Premier, Talin is forced to betray her fellow Strikers and her adopted homeland. She has no choice but to become the Federation’s most deadly war machine as their newest Skyhunter.
Red is no stranger to the cruelty of the Federation or the torture within its Skyhunter labs, but he knows this isn’t the end for Mara – or Talin. The link between them may be weak, but it could be Talin and Red's only hope to salvage their past and safeguard their future.
My Review: I really enjoyed this book. I loved that Red's perspective was included in this book and that we got to explore his past a bit. I also felt that the relationship between Talin and her mother added a lot of depth to the story. It also made the characters more likeable. That being said I did feel like this book dragged a bit and just didn't have the oomph of the first one. The narrator for the audio version was fantastic though.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All opinions are my own.*