Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Let the Sky Fall (Sky Fall, #1)

by Shannon Messenger

Vane Weston should have died in the category-five tornado that killed his parents. Instead, he woke up in a pile of rubble with no memories of his past—except one: a beautiful, dark-haired girl standing in the winds. She's swept through his dreams ever since, and he clings to the hope that she's real.

Audra is real, but she isn't human. She's a sylph, an air elemental who can walk on the wind, translate its alluring songs, even twist it into a weapon. She's also a guardian—Vane's guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect him at all costs.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both their families, Audra has just days to help Vane unlock his memories. And as the storm winds gather, Audra and Vane start to realize that the greatest danger might not be the warriors coming to destroy them, but the forbidden romance between them.

Reviewed by Ashley on

3 of 5 stars

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Nose Graze — Young Adult book reviews

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Let the Sky Fall. There were several things I didn't like about this book, but there were a few things I did like. Ultimately, I wasn't left with a sense of either love or hate. For the most part, I'm kind of indifferent.

I half liked, half disliked Vane. On the one hand, Vane definitely had the most personality of all the characters. I could feel him coming off the page (for better or for worse). He had a distinct voice that made him easily recognizable. A lot of the time I enjoyed his sarcasm and casual, informal speech. He sounded exactly like what he was: a teenage boy. But, Vane also had a tendency to be excessively and annoyingly obsessed with skimpy clothes on women. I laughed at the first few comments, but then they just kept coming and coming and coming. I felt like I was being hit with a hammer again and again. I JUST WANTED IT TO STOP!

I shift my weight, leaning at an awkward angle, but I manage to stay upright as Audra starts unbuttoning her jacket.
Man, I hope whatever she has under there is thin and lacy.
[..] she slips the heavy coat off her shoulders, revealing a plain black tank and a whole lot of creamy skin. Not exactly the sexy bra I'd been hoping for, but at least it's tight and cut low.
—Page 167


"Either way, you need to stay grounded, so it's safer to stay away from temptation."
The only temptation I'm feeling is to run my hands along the sliver of midriff peeking from the bottom of her tank top.
—Page 168


Audra on the other hand, felt like an empty shell. Vane had all the personality, but I felt like Audra had none. Maybe it's because she was so weighed down with guilt and self-loathing, but she always came off as so... monotone and robotic. She was lifeless. It made me wonder why the heck Vane liked her. I saw no personality from her, so what was there to like??? And honestly her whole "Vane will hate me! I killed everyone! Waaa" attitude really started to bug me. I mean, yes, it was sad and there were some scenes where I really felt for her, but this was something she complained about throughout the entire book and it just got so old.

And that brings me to my final point: the romance. I felt absolutely zero chemistry between Vane and Audra. And on top of that, their relationship was a little insta-lovey. They know each other for like four days and then they're in love?? Ugh. What's a bummer is that I felt like if there was actual chemistry between them, I think I would have loved the romance. It was one of those all encompassing, "I'd do anything for you" romances. If those are done well, I usually love them. But since this one had no chemistry and too much insta-love I couldn't connect to it at all, so the whole thing was ruined for me.

But that out of the way, I did mostly enjoy the plot of Let the Sky Fall. I was pretty into the whole wind thing, the battles, and the sense of impending doom. Let the Sky Fall was not very fast-paced (until the end), but at least the book kept me going and wanting to find out how things would get wrapped up. I really liked the antagonist who was revealed at the end Audra's mother. That's the kind of character that I love to hate! It's the kind that drives you nuts and you want them to get what's coming to them.

So, ultimately, Let the Sky Fall was only okay for me. I think I would have enjoyed it massively more if I was a fan of the romance.

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Reading updates

  • 6 June, 2013: Started reading
  • 10 June, 2013: Finished reading
  • 11 June, 2013: Reviewed