I originally heard of this book when a lot of people on Twitter started talking about it. Then Literary Rambles did an interview with the author. I read the interview and loved what the author had to say about how she came up with the idea for her story and what it was like writing the characters. I knew I wanted to read this book and was very excited when my library ordered it. But then I saw a tweet that Pulseit, the website I recommended on Friday, was offering a free reading of Let the Sky Fall! Score! I signed up with the website and started reading. Here's my summary:
Vane Weston is a "miracle child." He survived a category 5 tornado that killed his parents and didn't have a scratch on him. But he has no memory of his life from that day or before. He was quickly adopted and moved across the country where he has a great relationship with his new parents. But every night he is haunted in his dreams by a dark-haired girl. Vane doesn't know if she's real but he feels connected to her. So much so that he can't seem to have a successful date with any other girl. Then one night, determined to have his first kiss, he instead gets caught up in a wind storm and meets Audra. She tells him she is his guardian. Vane is not human. He, like Audra, is a sylph--an air elemental. Sylphs can control the wind, understand it's languages, and shape it into a weapon. Audra needs Vane to start training because the Stormers, the people who killed both their families, are coming for them. Vane has to learn the 4 languages of the winds. He is the last West and if he can master all the wind languages he will be the most powerful sylph. He will take his place as King and hopefully defeat Raiden, the Stormer who is slowly killing all the guardians. But in order to teach Vane what he needs to know, Audra must unlock Vane's memories--memories that once he get's back, might forever change the love he feels for her. And Audra doesn't want this; she's falling in love with Vane too.
**I loved this book! Messenger has created a story unlike anything I have ever read. The sylph mythology is unique and interesting and the way she writes about the air is like poetry. Vane is your typical teenage boy that just wants to be normal and kiss girls. And Audra is so realistic that I felt like I knew her! She's experienced some tough things in her life but instead of wallowing she put up a wall up and became the best guardian she could be. I loved how dedicated she was to her job and to Vane. I thought her character was made even more interesting in that she didn't even realize she had feelings for Vane. We got to see her discover that and come to terms with the things her feelings have made her do and the consequences of acting on those feelings. And Vane was so sweet in letting Audra figure everything out and deal with her demons. He pushed her just enough to get her to realize how she felt but not so much that it caused her to close up even more. I can't wait to see where Vane and Audra end up in the next book and to learn the repercussions of all the events that transpired in Let the Sky Fall.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment below and I will see you tomorrow.
Usually when I do a post over a trilogy of books I include a summary of each. This is hard to do without giving away spoiler-y details but I try my best. I'm not going to do that here.
Let me start by saying that Cassandra Clare is my absolute, all-time favorite author. I first heard of her Mortal Instruments books not long after I finished the Twilight books. EW did a review on the last book in the trilogy and said they were must reads. Well EW is never wrong for me so since the final book was out and I knew I wouldn't have to wait to read all of them, I checked them out at my library. I was blown away. Couldn't put these books down, devoured them in a weekend, in love. I told my sister she had to read them ASAP. She did and thus started our complete marvel and adoration of all things Cassie Clare (we seriously can discuss her books for hours). When the Mortal Instruments trilogy ended I was satisfied. Sad to leave the world Clare had created, but satisfied. Then wait! She announced she was writing a new trilogy set in the same world but about 150 years earlier. YAY!! Since then, I've been painfully and patiently awaiting each release of The Infernal Devices, buying them as soon as they came out and tearing through them in like 2 days. I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of Clockwork Princess thanks to a Literary Rambles contest. I had to put off reading it for about a week but I just finished it this morning. Clare did not disappoint. She wrote a beautiful conclusion to an amazing story. I cannot wait for the last book in the Mortal Instruments series (which didn't stop after the first three after all but went on to include three more) because I know Clare will do it justice like she did Clockwork Princess.
So you're probably asking: What are the books about?
Well I will briefly sum The Infernal Devices up here:
Tessa Gray leaves New York in 1877 for London in search of her brother. What she finds when she gets there completely changes her life. Tessa is not entirely human. And there is a whole world of secret people and creatures she never knew about. From faeries, to demons, witches, warlocks, angels, vampires, werewolves and even Shadowhunters: the half-angel, half-human (Nephilim) secret society that protects mundanes (humans) from the things that go bump in the night. Tessa ends up at the Shadowhunter Institute and meets Will and Jem, amongst others, and slowly gets caught up in not only a fight for her life, but a fight for her new family her old family and even the world. Eventually Tessa learns just who and what she is. She finds love and feels loss. But her story doesn't end there--she'll go on in the lives of other Shadowhunter characters for generations to come.
If you read any YA books in your life, you have to read Cassie Clare's books. You don't have to like paranormal romance to like her stories. She brilliantly intersects her two series in a way that is so much fun for the reader to experience. You don't have to read one series to read the other but it's all the better if you do. Clare is a master writer who can foreshadow like no other. She geniusly drops puzzle pieces all over the place that once put together will have you envious of her amazing storytelling skills. These are books that you can read again and again and each time you do, you will discover something you missed. Her characters feels so real that when you talk about them with other fans, you feel as though you are talking about actual people. You will breathlessly, with your heart pounding, tear through these books and want to share them with everyone you know.
Thanks for stopping by! I could probably write about my love of all things TMI and TID all day long but I'll stop here (: Feel free to comment below!
Giveaways are a great way to spread the word about a new book while entering for a chance to win your own copy. I enter these contests as much as possible because the requirements are usually pretty simple, like posting a comment or following a blog. Sometimes they want you to tweet and "like" on facebook. This is a great way to promote an author's work and I'm always up for helping out. If you win you might get a signed or free copy or an ARC of a great novel! Here's some contests going on right now:
From the Literary Rambles website: link (http://www.literaryrambles.com/)
To celebrate the sites reaching 3000 followers, the hosts are giving away three prize packages. Prize package #1 goes to two winners a free copy of one of eleven book choices. Prize package #2 goes to twelve winners one free book or ARC from a list of twelve choices. And prize package #3 is a 5 page critique of your work. To enter, go to their site and click on the link for the 3000 FOLLOWERS MEGA, MEGA GIVEAWAY and follow the guidelines for entry. Deadline is March 9th.
Carrie Harris giveaway: One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of BAD TASTE IN BOYS and another lucky winner will receive a signed copy of BAD HAIR DAY. To enter go to the site and click on the link and follow the rules for entry. Deadline is March 9th.
Shannon Messenger giveaway: Two lucky winners will receive a copy of LET THE SKY FALL. There are two ways to enter to win. Go to the site and click on the link and read on to find out how. Deadline is March 16th.
Anna Stanisewski giveaway: This one didn't say how many winners but I'm guessing it's two because Anna's publisher is donating a copy of MY VERY UNFAIRY TALE LIFE and EPIC FAIRY TALE FAIL for the giveaway. Go to the site and click on the link and follow the guidelines for entry. Deadline is March 16th.
From Writer's Digest: link: (http://www.writersdigest.com/)
There are frequent book giveaways from authors on the Writer's Digest site. They're usually with the posts that have author interviews where the author discusses their book, gives advice, tells their success story, etc. All you have to do to enter to win is register at Writer's Digest then leave a comment within two weeks of the posted interview. There are several giveaways right now for adult novels but I'm only going to include the YA one here.
Debut Author N. Griffin: one winner will receive a copy of her book THE WHOLE STUPID WAY WE ARE. Deadline is the March 12th.
Thanks for checking in!
