I'm lucky to be alive. At least, that's what everyone keeps telling me... 
 Seventeen year old Vane Weston has no real memory the F5 tornado that killed both of his parents, although he knows enough to know that he shouldn't actually be alive right now. After all, the twister threw him several miles and yet he somehow came out of the situation with nothing more than a few scratches and bruises. Try as he may, Vane can recall nothing about that night, except the memory of a dark haired girl that has since haunted his dreams each and every night since his parents died. 
 And then, I see her. Dark hair. Dark eyes... 
 Nothing could prepare Vane for the day that he would actually encounter the mysterious link from his past as she appeared to him in the flesh, standing before him as if she hadn't just starred in his nightmares for over a decade. She says her name is Audra and she is a sylph, assigned to be the Guardian of Vane -- who just so happens to be the last surviving elemental with the ability to control the Westerly winds. 
 Audra is hiding a secret so horrible that she can never reveal it to Vane, but she must at least let him know of the tragic mistake that has now compromised their safety. Vane must be mercilessly trained over the next few days to prepare for a battle more dangerous than any in the past -- one waged against the Stormers, who have nearly infinite control over the most damaging of the twisting winds. 
 I've sworn an oath to protect you with my life, and I intend to keep it. No matter what. 
 No matter what they do, though, Vane and Audra must be careful never to do the one thing that might threaten the future of the rest of the world -- fall in love. The future has already been decided, but it may take a sacrifice that Audra never hoped to enact -- but one that she has been prepared to give for all of her life... 
 I was actually pleasantly surprised by LET THE SKY FALL -- after reading so many paranormal young adult stories starring vampires, werewolves, and other typical creatures of the darkness, it was a refreshing new twist to read about teenagers with a mystical ability to control the wind. I commend Messenger for bringing a new perspective to an old genre -- one that proved to be both interesting and fun. 
 I enjoyed the characters of Vane and Audra and I think the forbidden love story gave the plot an element of intrigue that added a nice depth to the relationship. At times, though, I did think the story felt very slow -- not in that way in which characters are being developed painstakingly over time, but in a manner in which it felt like things were just progressing extremely slowly and even a bit repetitively at times. I think we, as readers, got the picture several chapters before the author was done illustrating it, which really ended up being my only real criticism of the story. 
 The last several chapters really brought a burst of excitement, leading to a climax full of betrayal that will keep you reading up until the very last page. I enjoyed the ending and thought it was very fitting for the rest of the book. 
 If you're in the mood for something a little different when it comes to paranormal fiction, give LET THE SKY FALL a chance! Just be patient -- it feels a little long in places, but it is worth it in the end.