Let the Wind Rise by Shannon Messenger

Series: Sky Fall (bk. 3)

Genera(s): Paranormal Romance

Subjects: sylphs, weather, elementals, abilities, mythology, supernatural, love

Setting: in the desert of Southern California, and on Mount Washington and in Nebraska and Oklahoma

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense, rotating between Vane and Audra

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 407 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Simon and Schuster: Simon Pulse

Summary/ product description: “Vane Weston is haunted. By the searing pull of his bond to Audra. By the lies he’s told to cover for her disappearance. By the treacherous winds that slip into his mind, trying to trap him in his worst nightmares. And as his enemies grow stronger, Vane doesn't know how much longer he can last on his own.

But Audra’s still running. From her past. From the Gales. Even from Vane, who she doesn't believe she deserves. And the farther she flees, the more danger she finds. She possesses the secret power her enemy craves, and protecting it might be more than she can handle—especially when she discovers Raiden’s newest weapon.

With the Gale Force weakened by recent attacks, and the power of four collapsing, Vane and Audra are forced to make a choice: keep trusting the failing winds, or turn to the people who've betrayed them before. But even if they survive the storms sent to destroy them, will they have anything left to hold on to?”

My Review:  Let the Wind Rise is the 3^rd and final book in the Sky Fall trilogy. I waited so long to finally read this series. I decided to series-binge it. I had copies of the first 2 books autographed and sitting on my shelf for a long time. I bought the 3rd book. I picked the perfect time of year to read this because it's set in summertime, in the desert of Southern California. If you have not read Let The Sky Fall and love paranormal romance and fantasy, then check it out. It’s very unique, since it’s about Sylphs, which are wind elementals. There’s a lot of cool Air-bender stuff, like controlling the winds and making tornadoes.

The series is told from the perspectives of two main characters, Vane and Audra. I really like Vane. He reminds me of Ethan Wate from Beautiful Creatures, or David from Steehert (The Reckoners) by Brandon Sanderson, and Percy Jackson or Magnus Chase from Rick Riordan’s series. He’s a Westerly and wasn’t aware of it for the last ten years until Audra triggered a break though and told him. Audra is pretty awesome too. She’s a tough fighter, a guardian and an Easterly. They fall in love, even though Vane is betrothed to a princess named Solana. There’s this evil sylph named Raiden who killed her parent and took over they’re castle. Vane must help Audra and the Gale Force defeat him. This series has a lot of action and humor and fantasy elements. I especially love Vane’s inner monologue and his dialogue. He is hilarious. I wish I could get a boyfriend like him. I wouldn’t want him to be lazy, but Vane’s defiantly not that lazy anymore. Audra is such a bad-a, and totally got his butt into shape.

If you have not read the series, then stop reading this review now.

In this final book, Audra is now Raiden’s prisoner, as well as Gus, a young member of the Gale Force and Vane’s new guardian. Audra bonded with Vane through a kiss at the end of the first book and through that bond she knows the Westerly language that Raiden desire to learn. Audra decides to break that bond to protect the language and it works. She forgets Westerly completely. She’s also afraid that breaking her bond will affect Vane’s love for her.

Meanwhile, Vane is planning with the Gale Force and now the leader, Os, decides he wants to teach them the power of pain, which means ruining the wind, breaking it. This is because the wind spikes that Vane wove with the power of four didn’t seem to be defeating the living storms, so Os have to break a Northerly within it to make it work. Vane is completely against this evil power of pain stuff. He wants to find a better way, or at least someone who won’t become a crazy power addict using it. So he seeks out Aston, an ex-Gale and ex-captive to Raiden and his awful torcher. Aston has experience with the power of pain and really wants Raiden dead. They also need Arella, Audra’s criminal mother, and Solana to help them. Vane, Solana, Aston, and Arella plan a rescue mission to save Audra and Gus, while Audra and Gus are trying their best to find a way to escape on their own.

And the escape is only part of the book. The rest of the book is an action-packed finally that will keep your heart racing till the very end. Will Vane be able to kill Raiden? Will Audra ever forgive her mother? Will Vane and Audra restore their bond? So many questions. Trust mean, the ending will leave you breathless. Will Vane and Audra get what they deserve? I will say I am pleased with the ending.

Cover Art Review: The cover is kind of cool, but the type choice seems to conflict with the image. It almost feels like a cover from a fantasy book from a decade or more ago. Or even more like a middle grade book.

Let the Storm Break by Shannon Messenger

Series: Sky Fall (bk. 2)

Genera(s): Paranormal Romance

Subjects: sylphs, weather, elementals, abilities, mythology, supernatural, love

Setting: in the desert of Southern California

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense, rotating between Vane and Audra

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 381 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover originally, now in Paperback

List Price: $17.99/$9.99

Publisher: Simon and Schuster: Simon Pulse

Summary/ product description: “Vane Weston is haunted. By the searing pull of his bond to Audra. By the lies he’s told to cover for her disappearance. By the treacherous winds that slip into his mind, trying to trap him in his worst nightmares. And as his enemies grow stronger, Vane doesn't know how much longer he can last on his own.

But Audra’s still running. From her past. From the Gales. Even from Vane, who she doesn't believe she deserves. And the farther she flees, the more danger she finds. She possesses the secret power her enemy craves, and protecting it might be more than she can handle—especially when she discovers Raiden’s newest weapon.

With the Gale Force weakened by recent attacks, and the power of four collapsing, Vane and Audra are forced to make a choice: keep trusting the failing winds, or turn to the people who've betrayed them before. But even if they survive the storms sent to destroy them, will they have anything left to hold on to?”

My Review:  I waited so long to finally read this series. I decided to series-binge it. I had copies of the first 2 books autographed and sitting on my shelf for a long time. I bought the 3rd book. I picked the perfect time of year to read this because it's set in summertime, in the desert of Southern California. I read the first book, but decided to just do a full review of the second book.

If you have not read Let The Sky Fall and love paranormal romance and fantasy, then check it out. It’s very unique, since it’s about Sylphs, which are wind elementals. There’s a lot of cool Air-bender stuff, like controlling the winds and making tornadoes. I’m not a fan of tornadoes, but I would definitely like it if I could control them. I definitely recommend it if you like books about people who can control the elements or do magic.

I love the characters. There are not many of them, so they are very easy to keep track of. The series is told from the perspectives of two main characters, Vane and Audra. I really like Vane. He reminds me of Ethan Wate from Beautiful Creatures and Percy Jackson. He’s a Westerly and wasn’t aware of it for the last ten years until Audra triggered a break though and told him. Audra is pretty awesome too. She’s a tough fighter, a guardian and an Easterly. I like the romance between them. It’s sweet, although it’s forbidden.

Audra can now understand Westerlies though her bond and seems to suddenly have the same aversion to violence that Vane has because of his Westerly nature. Audra is searching for something. She flew off somewhere and has been gone almost a month. Vane’s worried. He keeps having nightmare caused by Raiden (the evil Northerly who wants to capture him and torture the Westerly language out of him) and because of this he’s forcing himself to stay awake.

He’s got two Gale’s guarding him Feng and Gus. Gus is closer to his age and much more laid back and has a sense of humor. Feng trains Vane in fighting with Northerlies. I really like Gus too. He reminds me of Jace from the Mortal Instruments kind of. Vane’s adoptive parents now know about the Sylph, and are very supportive but also worried. Vane’s mother especially. Os, the leader of the Gales offers to take Vane to someplace where he can sleep without Raiden invading his dream, but it turn out to be a not-so-great place. Not dangerous for him, but it also holds a prison cell for a murderer.

When he gets back, he finally meets Solana. The Gale Force (the sylph military and guardian) seems to expect him to bond with Solana, the last descendent of the royal line and a Southerly. Vane and Audra already bonded though a kiss in the last book, and Vane is madly in love, so when he meets Solana, he kind of throw a fit. Vane’s stubborn and doesn’t want the Gale’s telling him what to do and who to love.

When Audra returns, everyone must prepare for battle against Raiden. Raiden now has an even darker power up his sleeve. One that turns Gales into weapons for his own use. When the battle begins, there’s no telling who will be left standing. This action-packed sequel will knock the wind out of you leaving you breathless and your head swirling for more.

Cover Art Review: I do like the old cover. It reminds me too much of the Hush, Hush series though. The newer cover is kind of cool, but the type choice seems to conflict with the image. It almost feels like a cover from a fantasy book from a decade or more ago. Or even more like a middle grade book.

Flock by Wendy Delsol

Series: Stork (bk. 3)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Mythology, Norse mythology, storks, mermaids, magic, Minnesota, supernatural, fantasy

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 394 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $16.99

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Summary/ product description: “The climactic conclusion of a supernatural romantic trilogy starring a savvy, sharp-tongued heroine who taps into ancient Norse secrets.
After surviving her (shall we say) intense adventure in Iceland, Katla is psyched to be back for a blissfully uneventful senior year of homecoming and fashion explorations. But her hopes of dodging unfinished business are dashed by the arrival of two Icelandic exchange students: Marik, an oddly alluring merman-in-disguise, and Jinky, a tough gypsy girl. It seems Katla not only enraged the Snow Queen by rescuing her boyfriend, Jack, she also was tricked into promising her frail baby sister to the water queen — and Marik has come to collect. What’s worse, Katla doesn’t dare confide in anyone lest she endanger them, so even her soul mate, Jack, is growing suspicious. And now Katla’s stork dreams, her guide for matching babies with mothers, have become strange and menacing as well. Hold on for a thrilling finale as the heroine of Stork and Frost calls on her wits (and her wit) to protect those she loves and face a final mythic disaster.”

My Rating: êêêêê

My Review: An epic finale to one of the more unique, creative paranormal romance series I’ve read. I’m gonna miss Kat, Jack, Penny, Jinky and even Marik. Not to mention Afi, with all the funny comebacks that you’d never expect from a grandpa. This series has been so fun. I want more Norse mythology in YA.

In this book, Katla’s trying to save her baby sister, deal with Jinky and Marik being exchange students, and a ton of other stuff. There’s a lot of action, some romance, and a ton of humor. Katla’s narration is funny as always. There’s also the design project. I can relate to the start-up business branding because I’m actually doing that in my Graphic Design 3 class. I think it’s cool how the author incorporates high school into the series. I wish I had this much fun in high school. There are some crazy natural disasters that happen in the book. Katla believes that Brigid may be the cause. There’s some really scary stuff. Katla escapes death multiple times, with the help of Jack.

I think Marik is ridiculous, but Penny’s crush on him is pretty cute. I wish he could go all merman in the book, but he was learning the culture of humans and trying to keep the deal with Katla. He loves everything and everyone loves him. He’s an awesome foreign exchange student, even if he’s not really off this world.

I want to mention the setting. I know the towns are made-up, not real. Walden, MN is not a college town. Norse Falls was made-up. But I love the setting of Minnesota. I’ve camped there multiple times in the summer. I think the setting is in Northern Minnesota, probably in between Minneapolis and Duluth, but more to the west. Or close to Iowa. Not sure. If you’re read the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, you’d remember that there’s a lot of forestry in MN. I really loved it up there.

How do you guys feel about this series being a movie or TV show? I feel like it would work better as a TV show. It had an episodic tone. Maybe the 2^nd book felt more movie-ish.

If you love PNR or mythology in YA, and have not read this series, you are really missing out. Great series. I recommend you get all the books, clear out you schedule, or read all 3 during the holidays. Perfect series for Christmastime.  

Cover Art Review: I liked the cover for Frost better. This one has Penny on the cover. I wish the girl’s photo was higher quality. I’m not sure if I like the title being pink. I feel like there’s a color clash. I love the opalescent paper stock that the jacket’s printed on, though.

 

~Haley G

Survive by Alex Morel

Genera: Survival-Contemporary

Subjects: Survival, suicidal depression, mountains.

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 259 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Penguin (Razorbill)

Summary/ product description: “Hatchet meets Lost in this modern-day adventure tale of one girl's reawakening
Jane is on a plane on her way home to Montclair, New Jersey, from a mental hospital. She is about to kill herself. Just before she can swallow a lethal dose of pills, the plane hits turbulence and everything goes black. Jane wakes up amidst piles of wreckage and charred bodies on a snowy mountaintop. There is only one other survivor: a boy named Paul, who inspires Jane to want to fight for her life for the first time.
Jane and Paul scale icy slopes and huddle together for warmth at night, forging an intense emotional bond. But the wilderness is a vast and lethal force, and only one of them will survive”

My Rating: êêê

My Review: This book was good, but it just felt too short. It was a very quick read. It wasn’t dystopian or sci-fi. It was survival. Like Bear Grylls’ Man vs. Wild, but will a suicidal teenage girl and a snowboarder boy. I didn’t like Jane’s obsessive planning an attempt at suicide, but I did like that once the plane crash she tried to stay alive. This is a book with a good message and theme. There’s action and mountains and blizzards. I recommend this to people who like survival stories. If you read and like the following books: On A Dark Wing by Jordan Dane, which has mountaineering in it, or This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers, which had a suicidal girl surviving in it. If you like survival movies like Vertical Limit or 127 hours, you might like this. It’s great to find a non-sci-fi/paranormal/fantasy book that I was able to enjoy. It just felt to short and kind of incomplete. There should have been more Paul in it. There wasn’t much romance, sadly. It is a stand-alone, just to clarify.

Cover Art Review: I love the colors, but there’s a mistake in the title. The first V was improperly sliced. It was erased incorrectly. I wonder if the designer noticed this. I doubt it was done on purpose. Other than that, it’s good.

 

~Haley G

Frost by Wendy Delsol

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Series: Stork (bk. 2)

Genera: Paranormal Romance/fantasy

Subjects: Mythology, Iceland, the Snow Queen, Magic

Length: 376 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

Summary/ product description: “After the drama of discovering that she’s a member of the Storks, a mystical order of women endowed with powerful abilities, Katla Leblanc is finally settling into her life in chilly Minnesota. In fact, the ex-California girl even hopes for a white Christmas. So when the snow starts to fall on a romantic sleigh ride with her boyfriend, Jack, it seems like the perfect present. However, before she knows it, Katla's wintry wish spirals out of control, turning into the snowstorm of the century.
The unusual weather draws unexpected attention. Environmental scientist Brigid Fonnkona is runway gorgeous, utterly charming, and far too interested in Jack for Katla's comfort, especially after Jack is singled out to help with Brigid's research. Between Stork duties, rehearsals for the school production of The Snow Queen, and checking off items on her bedridden, pregnant mother's to-do lists, Katla has zero time to investigate, even as she notices Jack's long hours in the lab and the growing tension between the two of them. Then Brigid selects Jack to accompany her on a research expedition to Greenland, and Jack's cold good-bye leaves Katla wondering where they stand, but when Jack goes missing above the Arctic Circle, Katla knows she's the only one who can find him.
In this sequel to Stork, Wendy Delsol take readers back to Norse Falls and beyond, as Katla finds the grit and spirit to rescue the boy she loves.”

My Rating: ê ê ê ê ê

My Review: This sequel has to be one of the best, most fulfilling sequels I have ever read. I wasn’t really disappointed about anything. It was a funny, exciting read, especially since it’s winter. So much happened in this book, that it took me a few days to read it because I had to soak it in. Most of the book is in Minnesota, but later it’s in Iceland and gets even more exciting and adventurous. You get to see even more of this mythological secret world that the author created. This book it less about the soul delivering and more about love’s trials and limits.

Kat is funny and quirky as ever. I had a laugh at least every page or so, sometime many times a page. These books remind me a bit of the Need series because Katla’s humor is similar to Zara’s (or the authors’).

Jack become infatuated with Brigit (but not “in love”) He’s obsessed with the climate work they’re doing, and he’s not around Katla a lot. I felt like they were gonna break up, but he’s probably just so memorized that he’s forgetting. I’m not gonna spoil it because some of it’s pretty obvious. It’s a great book, even better than the first.

Over all I recommend it because it surpassed the 1^st book and it’s awesome to read during winter.

Cover Art Review: Sparkly plastic paper. The icicles are gorgeous in purple, and that lady looks just like they described Bridget aka the Snow Queen. The actual hard cover is so pretty if you have it in real life, not just a photo.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

~Haley G