Review: Let the Storm Break by Shannon Messenger

Let the Storm Break

Shannon Messenger

(Let the Sky Fall #2)

Publication Date: March 2014

Hardcover, 381 pages, Simon Pulse

Genres: YA, Paranormal

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Whirlwind romance and breathtaking action continues in the sequel to Let the Sky Fall, which Becca Fitzpatrick called “charged and romantic.”

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

It feels like I read Let the Sky Fall years and years ago. But it’s only been a little over a year and a half ago. Surprisingly, I remembered a lot of what happened in the first book, so reading this one wasn’t that difficult. Kudos to you, Shannon Messenger. I love it when an author can make a book memorable enough between the gaps of series release dates.

However, I wasn’t as sucked in to this book as I was with the first one. I loved the characters Audra and Vane. They each had their own fantastic back stories, yet they were still able to grow into semi-new people by the end of the book. With this book, I didn’t see a lot of character development happening. Vane and Audra pretty much did whatever they wanted to do, regardless of the consequences. I was disappointed in them.

Also, Vane was supposed to be the king of his entire race, yet he was constantly getting injured, or getting in the way of things. I understand that he can’t get violent, but I don’t understand why he had to be so inept at everything.

This book felt like it was simply an introduction to the villain of the series—since he didn’t show up in the first book. It had a major case of second-book syndrome.

Although I had some issues with the book, it was still a good read. It just didn’t have as much character development as the first book. It had a little more world-building, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have, had it been written more in-depth.

All in all, Let the Storm Break is a good book, but not a great continuation of the series.

*Note: I purchased this book myself.