Let The Sky Fall
Author: Shannon Messenger
Release: March 5th 2013
Genre: Supernatural, Paranormal, YA
#1 in the Sky Fall trilogy
Sequels: Let The Storm Break (#2), Let The Wind Rise (#3)
Plot:
Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.
Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.
When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.
Review:
Well, well. This book, huh. This book.
I wanted to love this. Wanted it to be amazing. I went into this with such high expectations, especially seeing as I have been really wanting to read this for weeks. So maybe that's why this turned out to be a little disappointing.
What annoyed me the most about the book was the pace. Or, for that matter, the structure. Nothing happened during the book until the last sixty pages, and even then, the "climax" wasn't that climactic, because it was crystal clear what exactly was going to happen. The only plot twist was the reveal of the villain, or well maybe not the villain but another villain, but that was also something that I had already suspected, anyway. So it's not like that was the shocking, big reveal it was supposed to be.
So, yeah, nothing really happened, it was just, like Black City, complete fluff and mush. Although I do have to admit that this wasn't quite as painful and childish. However, after a while, the whole "No-I-can't-be-with-you-even-though-I-really-really-want-you" stretched thin. Too thin. I started rolling my eyes. When the two protagonists weren't fighting with hormones in close quarters, they were just training to control winds, which wasn't as interesting as I hoped it might be, sadly. The whole concept of the novel, what with the air elementals, was mesmerizing and very intriguing and I thought it was something more unique. It wasn't, because that one creative thing it has going for it isn't really developed that much and it almost feels like it's being pushed into the background in favor for the relationship. Sigh.
Now, the characters, though. I truly liked them. Vane was a really swoonworthy guy, that, for once, actually was a real guy. The boy fantasized about a hot girl in the shower, tried not to stare at her boobs — he got to keep his balls. There are a lot of boys nowadays that are just too unrealistically "perfect", it was so nice to see a boy act how they really do in our modern time. My expectation bar is too high up anyway already. I also just enjoyed being in Vane's head so much, his POV was very fun to read and I just liked his character and attitude. Even though he was a guy as we know them, he wasn't a complete douche and was still gentle and sweet to the girl he liked. Props for that.
Audra was very kind and determined, and I admired her strong emotions and her ambition. I felt sympathy for her because of her past, and everything she's done ever since that one incident that's changed her life forever, and she was just very inspiring — always trying to do what is right, not for her, but for the greater good. Pushing her own needs and feelings aside, so she can concentrate on the big picture in the long run. She was such an energetic young lady with so many good intentions borne out of crushed dreams and a broken self-image, wanting to right all her wrongs. She wasn't selfish, although I did shake my head at her stubborness more than once. Still, and I feel like I'm constantly repeating myself, she was a great character and I liked her very much. Not as much as Vane, but that's not really a surprise.
Another thing I'll gladly give Shannon Messenger is her writing style. It flowed beautifully over the pages and was so delightful to read. The two POVs didn't sound the same, she succeeded where most authors fail. The only thing wrong with this book really was just the pace and structure, otherwise, I'm sure this would've been a fantastic, outstanding novel. But I guess this is just meant for people who want Paranormal Romance more than actual plot.
Anyways, I'm still hoping that, maybe, things will pick up more in book 2, so I am quite sure I'm going to read it. Plus, I was completely furious at how the book ended. Gah.
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