Shannon Messenger is currently one of my 4 favorite authors. She is amazing! Besides this series, she wrote one called Keeper of the Lost Cities which currently has 4 books with a 5th coming in November (can't wait!!!). Keeper of the Lost Cities is an AMAZING series. One of my students recommended them to me and lent me her copy. I couldn't put it down, zipping through the first 2. I couldn't wait for her to read the 3rd so I could borrow it, so I just ended up buying them all. Totally worth it. I've read them all to my boys who adored them. They can't wait for the next one to come out. I even read it to my 6th graders who also really, really enjoyed it. I even had a few boys who zipped through the series almost as fast I did. Those books are great for boys and girls of all ages. So when I saw Shannon Messenger had another series, only for YA, I had to read it!
Let the Sky Fall is set in one of the California Valley deserts where it is HOT all the time. The book is told by dual point of view, going back and forth between the 2 main characters, Vane and Audra, both 17 years old.
Vane is a miracle child. When he was 7, he was found unharmed after a category-5 tornado where his parents were killed. He has no memory of anything except one thing: a beautiful girl with dark hair and eyes. For the next 10 years, he dreams of her. Then one day he sees her, and he can't believe she's real. She tells him her name is Audra, and he's not human. He's a sylph, a windwalker, and so is she. Together they must stop the most dangerous sylph their world has known, Raiden. Raiden uses 3 of the winds to rule and destroy. His only goal is to have the power of all 4 so he can be unstoppable. However, each wind has it's own language, and only those who belong can share the language. Audra is an Easterly so she can control the East winds the best, though she is trained in the other two, Northerlies and Southerlies. Westerlies are the only winds that's language is unknown, and Vane is the only Westerly alive.
Audra has been charged for the last 10 years to protect and hide Vane, keep him from Raiden's grasp. When times starts to run out, Audra needs to train Vane, helping him to harness the languages of the winds so that he can stop Raiden. However, he doesn't remember anything of the Westerlies. They only have a few days to figure it all out, while also trying to deny their growing attraction to the other. Audra knows she can never have Vane because he is betrothed to another and will someday be the king, but Vane doesn't care. Audra is everything he has been dreaming about for the last 10 years (literally), and he's not about to give her up for someone else.
In the end, there is a battle as Raiden sends 2 Stormers to capture Vane and kill Audra, but Vane finally has his final breakthrough, remembering the language of the Westerlies and harnessing the power of all 4 winds, making him virtually unstoppable. There are also some twists and turns, secrets revealed, and bonds strengthened. It sets up nicely for the next book in the series.
What I liked: I love the way that Shannon Messenger writes. She's so visual and descriptive and so creative! I also liked the characters. Vane was a snarky teenage boy with pretty much one thing on his mind (Audra), but he's able to focus when his life and those he loves are threatened. He's strong, but he does have his weaknesses. Audra is also a great character, though not quite as likable. She's very strict about everything and has many rules and regulations. Vane slowly helps her to let them go, helping her realize that she doesn't need to punish herself for mistakes from long ago. Shannon Messenger also is great at leaving little clues throughout her books, hints of things not known yet, but it makes you just want to know more and keep reading.
What I didn't like: Nothing. This book was excellent!
I recommend this book for middle school and above, for boys and girls. This would not be a book I would read to my boys, but it would be one that my middle schoolers could read. There are no swear words, sex, or drugs, but Vane sometimes thinks about what he'd like to do with Audra. There are no specifics, but it's implied. Overall it is a fantastic book and one that I will need to get for my classroom.
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