Series: Sky Fall #1
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: March 5th 2013
My Rating: 4.5 cups
Source: Free read on Pulseit
Blurb (from Goodreads):
Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.
Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.
When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.
I read this book during the #31 days of reading event on Pulseit.com. I've had that book on my TBR based solely on the awesome cover and when I saw it was included as a free read in the event I decided to read it right away.
I have to be honest and say that ever since I've read about the book, I've had Adele's song stuck in my head. After reading this book I kind of think the song fits with it. Not just because of the title, but the lyrics as well.
The first thing that I noticed about this book and that I loved with all my heart was that it was written from two POVs, Audra's and Vane's. This helped me get not only the two perspectives, but also a full view of the story, both the past and the present. And I felt that it was done in such a great way, it didn't confuse me, it didn't feel rushed or choppy in any way.
From the very beginning I thought Audra was very sad and very lonely. I couldn't quite understand why at first, but she just seemed lonely. My heart broke for her a few times reading this book. She was a fun character though and I really liked her a lot. She was also very strong and loyal and I felt that her pain fed that strength. I hated her mother immediately and I wanted to strangle her a few times.
Vane was a very funny guy. Oh sure, at times I wanted to smack him silly, but he's a teenage guy, so it wasn't THAT surprising. He's very loyal and I liked seeing him grow as a character. I also liked the fact that he genuinely loved his foster parents. He can be difficult at times, though. He is very smart too. I liked at the end when he figures out who the bad guy is.
Another character I absolutely adored was Gavin. I know, he's a bird, but I loved him. I think that if he could talk, he'd be a real smart-ass. I also have a thing for birds, so maybe I'm biased here.
Vane and Audra have a very complex relationship and while at first it seems a bit weird, as the story moves forward you figure things out and you understand it better. It makes sense ultimately and I liked seeing them together. They do know how to annoy each other sometimes, so that is fun to watch as well. But I do think they're great for each other. Vane helps Audra break out of her shell, become a better version of herself and not be so sad and lonely all the time; Audra makes Vane be more disciplined, which at first might seem difficult.
I did suspect a bit of what happened and who one of the bad guys might be and, honestly, this is one of those rare occasions when I'm happy it went down the way it did. I would've been a bit disappointed had it not, which is weird for me, I know. I also loved the ending. Vane knew exactly what Audra needed and he gave it to her, which I thought was simply amazing.
Another thing that I loved was the world. I liked the idea of controlling the wind and it was a first for me. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series. I am hooked and I hope you give it a try if you haven't already.
