Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
Published by: Simon Pulse, ARC received via trade
Release Date: 3-5-2012
Reviewed by: Middle
Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say: A
tempest of turmoil, treachery and tethered loyalties
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.
In a world full of gales, tempests, and squalls
The sylphs live in secret, within closed walls
But there’s one with the power to change their fate
Can he take back his life before it’s too late?
Audra’s the guardian who will stand and fight
But will she fall prey to Raiden’s dark might?
Caught in a net of betrayal and lies
How will she fight the storm in the skies?
It’s all up to Vane and the powers he claims
Will he save his world or will it end up in flames?
The winds whisper secrets of a past he once lost
But he will fight for his love, no matter the cost.
“But I feel a change in the winds. They whip with more urgency, their songs
clipped and rushed.
They know.
The Stormers are coming.”
ARC, pg 311
Blasted with passion and treachery, Shannon Messenger
creates a world that will lift you off your feet. Overblown with suspense, inundated with
desire, and riddled with mystery, Let The
Sky Fall is tempest of emotion. So
close your eyes and throw caution to the wind as it sweeps you away to a place
where the air really does whisper in your ear.
Let the Sky Fall
was my most anticipated read of 2013, and it did not disappoint. This book starts out with a boom, and from
there, it’s a steady mix of suspense, action and romance. Shannon blended her world seamlessly with
ours, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us in the next few books.
The writing was peaceful at just the right times and rocky
and jagged when the situation called for it.
I found myself taking note of quotation after quotation for my Teaser
Tuesday because Shannon is one of those authors whose words capture your
attention and make you say, “Wow.” Her
words are rife with ambiguity, but even so, she never gives anything away. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!
You know I love a book when I gush about the heroine. Like I’ve said before, it’s easy to write a
swoony guy, but a tough yet vulnerable girl who doesn’t annoy or frustrate a
reader? That is a rare feat, but Shannon
met that storm head on, and the result was the powerful Audra. Bound by oath, broken by her past, and beaten
by her circumstances, Audra is a sylph on a mission; and she will complete her
mission no matter the consequences. I
admired her courage and her determination—she wouldn’t give up, and she
wouldn’t let her heart get in the way.
Though I found myself cheering for her to throw caution to the wind, I
still admired her bravery to stand in the face of temptation and danger.
Vane was charming and funny, and his personality had me
swooning. Not to mention he’s got abs of
steel! He’s different than other guys in
YA. He’s deeply caring and at times a
bit wimpy, but when the moments count, he stands up with his armor of
bravery. Usually a guy that’s doesn’t
have a bad boy bone in his body would annoy me, but Shannon pulls it off with
Vane. I think it’s his charm that does
it—when he makes a move, it’s deliberate and charismatic, and I couldn’t help
but smile!
And then there’s Audra’s mother. GRRRR!
She made me so angry with her nonchalant and apathetic attitude toward
Audra. She’s this super powerful sylph,
but she has withered away because of the losses in her past. There were times when I just wanted to smack
her and scream, “She’s your daughter!
Care!” I had an extreme emotional
reaction to her, so Shannon definitely did her job.
And
Then
The
Ending!
OMG…I didn’t see it coming!
I was so swept up in the romance and suspense that the ending caught me
completely off guard. It was brilliant and compelling ending, and I really
liked that Shannon didn’t end it with one of those break-your-heart
cliffhangers. It was poignant and
answered many questions, but there are still many more things that are left to
be revealed in the future books. I was a
huge fan of the ending, and it just made me wish the next book would come out
sooner.
Let the Sky Fall
is perfect for teenagers and adults alike, and I highly recommend it to fans of
YA literature. So if you’re tired of the
same old same old in YA and you need a change in the winds (hehe), then check
this one out! Enthralling and
chaotic—Shannon’s world is charged with love, pierced with anger, and
overflowing with deceit.
“Her face looks pale as she stares into space, ignoring
me. She tosses the dove into the sky,
its wings flapping in my face as it flies away..
‘Tell me what’s wrong,’ I beg.
‘We just ran out of time,’ she says, finally meeting my
eyes.” ARC, pg 299
