The Sky Fall Trilogy by Shannon Messenger

The quick cut: A boy who survived a terrible storm discovers he is a wind creature with a powerful origin.

A real review:

Who we are and our identities can so often we wrapped up in where we're from and who cares about us. For Vale, he discovers that his origin isn't nearly as human or ordinary as he thought.

Vale survived a storm that left him an orphan, but with visions of a beautiful girl. He discovers that the girl he's seen isn't a hallucination or a dream but a girl who has been his guardian. Why? Because he's a sylph: a wind creature who has powerful abilities. His people are in a war with one of their own who have twisted the winds into something terrible. Can he lead them to a win? Or end it all?

Sometimes it's nice to just read a series start to finish, especially since often you start a series and then need to wait for the next release. This one is a fun, somewhat lighter series that doesn't get as complex as many fantasy series out there. If you want something easier to get into, this series is a great option!

Vane starts out as a guy who you sort of detest because he's very self centered. Once he learns who he is, he learns over the three books to embrace that and do what it takes to save his people. He grows to understand how powerful and important he is.

Audra is a powerful girl who has gone through so much pain and heartache. She's a force to be reckoned with, but you can see her strength and unique voice break down throughout the series. By the end, she felt a lot less loveable than in the beginning when she knew what she needed to do.

The entire series is told in a dual narrative, which felt organic and necessary for the first two stories. In the first book, you see Audra as a guardian and Vane as a guy who learns what he is. In the second book, they're separated and working towards different goals. In the third, it feels pointless because the reason for the different perspectives isn't as essential.

That ending of the third book seemed pretty rushed. I read the final sentence and went "really?!?!" So many unanswered questions and curiosities about where they all end up.

A fun fantasy trilogy that is easy to get into.

My rating: 3.75 out of 5