Let the Sky Fall, 1 (Sky Fall, #1)

by Shannon Messenger

[layawaydragon]

Pros
Liked Audra
Though I couldn’t stand them, Vane and his mom are realistic characters
Interesting concept & magic system
Different, not many books about sylphs (wind elementals)
Enjoyed unraveling the mystery behind Vane’s missing memory

Cons
Disliked spoiled, pushy, entitled Vane
Hated Vane’s mother who treated Audra like she’s tarnishing her perfect baby boy
Plot holes
Won’t take no for an answer “seduction” driven by insta-lust and called love
Wind terms sylphs use aren’t explained (There’s no time!) and wanted more than a novel length swish and flick (gif) minus all the charm
Heavy-handed chastity promoting justified by bizarre magical bonding; Might as well say simply breathing on each other cause spiritbonding marriage, it makes as much sense.


Recommendation: No. But if you gotta have a disrespectful, entitled boy who whines that no girls will kiss him and nags a girl until she relents; insta-love where one’s driven by lust and the other by guilt and loneliness; and don’t mind having to avoid story-killing plot holes, you’ll at least have a different magical element and a decent mystery to unravel.

I read Let the Sky Fall for free on Pulse It while it was available.

Weathering through Vane and Company

My hatred of Vane can be explained with three quotes. One, where he defends invading Audra’s personal space and doesn’t give a fuck:
"She’s probably referring to the fact that I’ve rested my head in her lap. Hey, when I see an opportunity, I take it."

Two, is when he’s way past just pushing her buttons and just nags her for like half the book:
"Yes, you can. If you can eat a cheeseburger -and enjoy it - you can let yourself love me. You can do anything want. You just have to want to."

This is seriously condescending and dismissive of what Audra’s going through. He’s lead a great life where he’s been able to get something just because he wants it with the sole exception of girls because you know, they’re people so he assumes it has to be just as easy for her.

Furthermore, he doesn’t accept that she doesn’t want to. She’s chosen differently, which is just intolerable. He doesn’t care that she weighs the consequences and risks that she’ll bare (and not him because male Chosen One) more important than the tingly feeling in his pants.

This isn’t about being a prude, disgust of male lust thoughts or not understanding the pain of unrequited love. This is about Vane feeling fucking entitled and demanding Audra accommodate him while disregarding her. He doesn’t treat her like a person. She’s a thing, an ideal to obtain. For instance, he tells her:
“This is Audra. Not the fierce guardian always ready to fight. Just the girl from dreams.”

WTF? She can’t be both? She fucking is both! Why is it so important to make Audra a non-fighter to him? Why does he want to break her down? He sounds emasculated because she can kick his ass (for now, remember: The Chosen One’s powers will kick in eventually) and desperate to change her to please himself. In short, he’s an asshole.

Supporting characters aren’t any better. His mother babies the fuck out of him, is paranoid like a Fox News viewer and worries about Audra corrupting her precious baby boy.

Dad’s absent or distance with the largest contribution being “get a job” and “boys will be boys” in the vein of “be a man” toxic masculinity. It’s so white, retro-idealized and middle class it feels disconnected from reality or at least oblivious to it.

Thank fuck for Audra. Even with the interesting side trip down memory lane, I wouldn’t have made it through without her. She had information on the magic, sylph’s society, and backbone. I felt so irritated with how Vane treated her and couldn’t celebrate the ending. She had little choices beforehand and then she’s forced to go another way. It doesn’t feel right to applaud when she’s pensive, hesitant and regretful.

Audra’s yearning for a connection with someone is believable but I never bought her attraction to Vane. How free is your choice when there are no other options? They could’ve rebelliously gotten together and saved the day without the romantic deus ex machina. Instead, Audra remains a tool.

Vane could’ve respected her while defying others. Saying “I won’t pressure you into choosing me. My choice remains the same, I won’t be with another” then giving her time and proving that (perhaps into the next book when the sylph society comes into play) would’ve been admirable. I’d happily rejoice if Audra chose him after that instead of what happened, which feels skeevy as fuck.

Not to mention that the deus ex machina doesn’t even make sense. What little we learned of sylphs and their magic’s suddenly negated. Hell, the whole story is because if it worked like that Vane wouldn’t need training in the first place. Then there’s how it’s never convincing why Audra’s the only guardian for Vane. I was willing to overlook that until it kept barreling downhill running over all charity I had to give.

Adding more people would’ve been a welcome addition that creates wonderful opportunities to show non-asshole Vane (if he exists), provide Audra opportunities and maybe even demonstrate their supposedly mutual feelings. Instead, an interesting fantasy world and mystery is bogged down by terribly executed tropes, an asshole protagonist, and objectionable romance.