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A review by dennis_j
Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
2.0
Interesting concept and fresh myhtology. With sylphs and air magic this book had all the potential for a truly original paranormal romance, but the originalty stops there. The romantic storyline is cookie cutter. The bickering between the love birds that is intended to be charming gets old before is starts.
The wax-on wax-off style training sessions make up the bulk of the story, and even though I liked the idea of calling on the winds of the four directions to use for flying, fighting, etc., I really thought all the explaining, the nagging and the back and forth "I can't do it!"/"but you have to!" diluted the plot to the point where I worried the adventure would never even take off. And that I would never get a perspective other than Audras confessions or Vanes flashbacks. Sure, they were the POV-characters, but seeing as all they do is train, nothing actually happens until the Baddies show up. (No, the breakthroughs as plot hooks were not enough for me. Especially since reaching them mainly involved meditation.)
As for the characters: Even though what they did annoyed me, they were not bad protagonists. Sure, they're huge stereotypes (Audra as the quintessential I'll-never-let-myself-love-again Stoic Warrior and Vane the Unwilling Chosen One), so that won't really add anything to the story, but somehow I could look past that. Maybe it was the amazing voice acting in my audio book version. I did like that Vane was very much a teenager the way he lusted after Audra. I haven't read a lot of YA, and even then it's usually a lovestruck girls pov. Refreshing and actually pretty believable.
I also appreciated the effort to make the language and imagery "airy". The author made it both subtle and overt and pervasive.
The wax-on wax-off style training sessions make up the bulk of the story, and even though I liked the idea of calling on the winds of the four directions to use for flying, fighting, etc., I really thought all the explaining, the nagging and the back and forth "I can't do it!"/"but you have to!" diluted the plot to the point where I worried the adventure would never even take off. And that I would never get a perspective other than Audras confessions or Vanes flashbacks. Sure, they were the POV-characters, but seeing as all they do is train, nothing actually happens until the Baddies show up. (No, the breakthroughs as plot hooks were not enough for me. Especially since reaching them mainly involved meditation.)
As for the characters: Even though what they did annoyed me, they were not bad protagonists. Sure, they're huge stereotypes (Audra as the quintessential I'll-never-let-myself-love-again Stoic Warrior and Vane the Unwilling Chosen One), so that won't really add anything to the story, but somehow I could look past that. Maybe it was the amazing voice acting in my audio book version. I did like that Vane was very much a teenager the way he lusted after Audra. I haven't read a lot of YA, and even then it's usually a lovestruck girls pov. Refreshing and actually pretty believable.
I also appreciated the effort to make the language and imagery "airy". The author made it both subtle and overt and pervasive.