Let the Sky Fall

3.5/5 Stars

This was a weird read for me. I really struggled to get into. Granted once I did, I could not put it down and read the last 200 pages in one sitting. The basic plot is that Audra and Vane are thrown together after Raiden and his Stormers learn where Vane has been hiding for the last 10 years. And it is Audra's duty to protect Vane.

This book is about Vane coming into his windwalking powers, specifically those of being a sylph. The beginning of this book is very obscure in how you come to understand the lore behind sylph, for the most part you learn through what Vane is learning, but you also learn that there is more going on then what Audra is telling Vane. At times that was frustrating for me, but I understand why Shannon Messenger needed to keep us in the dark and leave us guessing.

After about 100 pages of this book, it became much more interesting and it began to pull me into the story of Vane and Audra. However, the beginning was quite slow and unappealing at times. The relationship between Audra and Vane was strange. Vane has been helplessly in love with Audra ever since he was 7 and she “saved” him. He has been dreaming about her for years. But as they train together that is definitely when their relationship starts developing further. While they grow closer, it becomes more apparent that Audra is keeping things from Vane in the hopes of keeping him motivated with respect to his training.

After finishing the book and digesting it, the beginning was lacking. But I'm glad I stuck with it (not that there was ever really a doubt, I finish almost every book I start). Vane and Audra are special and have both gone through very traumatic childhoods. I really liked the progression of their relationship in this book. The rest of this trilogy will be interesting to see what Audra and Vane do next.

"Screw the oath." I lean in until I feel her breath against my face, then I stop. I don't want to rush her. "You've done enough for them. You're protecting me. Who cares about the rest?""I do." She closes her eyes,and her jaw quivers. "I swore to get you safely through this-and I will. And then you'll return with the Gales and meet your betrothed.""They can take their betrothal and shove it. I want you."

I was kind of intrigued by the synopsis, but, to be honest, it was the cover that sucked me in. I didn't have high expectations because lately I've been reading a lot of popular YA books that were immensely disappointing. So I no longer think “This is going to be awesome!” just because it has high ratings or that it's highly recommended in the Booktube community. But still, I can't stop myself from continuing with the popular YA books experiment, because there's this idea in my head that what if this will actually be one of the great ones.

Let's take “Let the Sky Fall” for example. 3.92 is a pretty good rating, most of the people seemed to have really liked it. But I, personally, didn't.

First of all, some part of the characters' inner monologues were so disturbing at times that I wanted to reach through the book and smack the hell out of those characters.


Second of all, the plot was BORING. The pacing was so slow that I raided my fridge so many times looking for snacks that my stomach hurts. This is one of the signs when I'm not enjoying a book. A constant need to chew on something. On the other hand, when I'm really into it, I completely forget to eat, even if it takes me an entire day to finish it.

I liked the idea of Windwalkers and a war between them, but I hated the execution. After one particular chapter I was like, “Oh, this might actually get interesting.” I was wrong. I mean Sylphs mythology with all the Northerly, Easterly, Southerly, and Westerly winds was quite nice. If they had been integrated into a complex story with an suspensful conflict and likable characters then this book would be receiving a much different rating. But, unfortunately, I couldn't give a fluff about what was going on. Well, actually not much did on until the last 10% of the book and even then, the book still sucked.

Let's see the characters. Vane was so aggravating. He had multiple personalities. On one hand he was a sleazy creeper that kept obsessing about how Audra looked in her “skimpy dress” or “skimpy tank top”. Seriously, he sounded like a 50 year old man ogling an under age stripper and treating her like a piece of meat. Really disturbing and infuriating. On the other hand, he was very understanding when she revealedshe was to blame for the death of his parents.

Audra had multiple personalizes too. She was either this whinny, wounded, hungry bird or an “amazon” with a stupid hero complex.

And then there's the romance. Ick. Insta-love at it's worst. No. Just No.

The writing was off-putting for the most part of the book. The dialogue between the characters annoying and juvenile.

To wrap this up, please see below a tiny collection of my most “favorite” quotes (to be read bits of schizo inner dialogue).Btw, I stopped highlighting at about halfway throughout the book or else I would have never gotten to the end. My brain hurts and I just want take a pill and forget I ever read this.


Audra:

My stomach rumbles at the sight, shooting needles through my abdomen. Another side effect of the water. The longer we go without eating, the more our stomachs shrink. It's a painful process—and why most guardians end up giving in at least once a year to stop the hunger pains. Not me. And after ten years, my stomach had all but shrunk away. Now the water's revived my appetite, and the craving burns so intense, even the gruesome carcass or the rotting dates on the floor tempt me.

And now I'll protect the innocent people in these arid cities from the Stormers.

A flame of anger sparks, but I snuff it out. I deserve every hardship, every discomfort, and then some. My life doesn't matter. It might as well have ended that day in the storm. But I did survive. And earned my father's gift—though I'll always feel like I stole it.

Nothing but sculpted, tanned muscle and long, graceful limbs. Not to mention a face with chiseled, symmetrical features and the most stunning blue eyes I've ever seen.

Hot dream girl is real—check. Though her hair is back in a tight braid like it was at Yard House and she has her stuffy jacket and pants on again—all of which makes her look a lot less hot and a lot more intimidating. I much prefer that tiny dress she wore last night.

He laughs.I'm not the one who looked hot and bothered earlier.

My mind wanders back to her skimpy dress, remembering the way it clung in all the right places. It should be a crime to cover a body like hers with that thick, bulky uniform she had on today. In fact, if I ever become king Windwalker, my first act as ruler will be to institute a new wardrobe for the guardians and make Audra's dress even tinier. That might be worth the life-changing responsibility. Honestly, being with Audra makes the whole living-in-sylph-land-forever idea sound not so bad. I might be able to deal with it if I finally get to taste those full lips of hers. Undo that tight braid and run my hand through her silky hair as I move closer. Pressing every inch of her body against mine as she tangles her arms around me and slides her hands down my back, pulling me even closer. I have to go puke now.I risk a glance at her—and, oh man, she's hot. Lots of hair has escaped her braid, falling around her flushed face, and her jacket's gone, her black tank even tighter and tinier than I remember. I'm not sure “hot” is a strong enough word. “Smokin' hot” might be more accurate *Creeper alert!!!She sighs. Then pulls her hand away and starts undoing buttons. My heart beats double-time. I know she has a skimpy black tank on under there—but that isn't what makes the action so sexy. Well, okay, it helps. But it's way hotter watching her do something she wants to do for a change. *This was not actually a sexy scence. I think this was when she finally decided to eat a burger. LOL. What is that deal with skimpy this and skimpy that? Does Shannon Messenger have a fetish with girls with petite frames wearing tight clothes?Wave of nausea*