Author: Shannon Messenger
Published: March 5th, 2013
Series: Sky Fall #1
Genre: YA paranormal
Publisher: Simon Pulse
POV: 1st person, present tense, alternating
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4 out of 5
"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."
Highlights: The world building regarding sylphs is top notch, detailed, and very fascinating. The dual points-of-view are similarly well done, as Messenger gives both Vane and Audra their own distinct personalities / voices. Audra was especially an incredible, badass, easy-to-love character, but I did equally enjoy Vane's sarcastic nature (and his concern for his family). Messenger's writing has a nice flow to it, making her novel an easy story to breeze through in a matter of hours. The romance, despite being a bit quick, is surprisingly believable and sweet. All in all, LET THE SKY FALL is a highly enjoyable and gripping story.
Lowlights: Despite Messenger's creativity with the slyph lore, she lets the actual story fall into the structure of your typical, clichéd young adult novel. The plot is familiar to those who read a lot of YA, so it's easy to see where everything is going (but there are a few twists that I'm sure many readers will find very surprising). I wish the secondary characters had been included in the story a bit more.
I would give this novel a 4 out of 5 rating. Packed with plenty of action, humor, and imagination, LET THE SKY FALL is a lively start to what could be a terrific trilogy. I have high hopes for the sequel, LET THE STORMS BREAK!
I would give this novel a 4 out of 5 rating. Packed with plenty of action, humor, and imagination, LET THE SKY FALL is a lively start to what could be a terrific trilogy. I have high hopes for the sequel, LET THE STORMS BREAK!
