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Weather
Young Adult Steampunk. Loyalty will cost him everything he loves. Escape will cost him everything he is. Julian Lambert has protected those with supernatural abilities from enslavement and death his entire life. But there is more to Julian than even he suspects, and when his own powers surface, he finds himself as much at risk as his charges. Now he's no more than a useful tool, with nowhere to hide from the hideous fate that awaits him. He's saved others, but can he save himself?
236 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 9, 2013
I loved WEATHER. Julian, the protagonist, reminds me somewhat of Rupert Venables in Diana Wynne Jones's "Deep Secret" and since that is one of my all-time favourite books, "Weather" was bound to appeal! It was the characters that I admired most in this one. The story was great, with some familiar tropes/situations used with fresh and original twists. The situation of a young man who has no idea of his powers is always a winner and when he has to puppy-walk two beings of huge power and little worldly knowledge... well! What I liked about Julian was how his attention to duty balanced his inborn humanity and kindness. His uncommon ability to "make family" is heartwarming.
I realise this review says little about the plot, but I hope it addresses the tone. Read "Weather" if you're looking for a true cross-over, well-written and thoughtfully constructed. It's equally suited to YA and general readers. Oh- and it's funny and touching too - an unbeatable combination.
I realise this review says little about the plot, but I hope it addresses the tone. Read "Weather" if you're looking for a true cross-over, well-written and thoughtfully constructed. It's equally suited to YA and general readers. Oh- and it's funny and touching too - an unbeatable combination.
April 8, 2020
Love this book, I hope the author writes a sequel. Julian and all the incarnations were rad. I even liked Ivan (he is a dirtbag tho).
November 17, 2015
I was recommended this book by the editor, Sally Odgers. Always dangerous to take an editor’s recommendation. But the premise sounded so intriguing, I decided to take a risk on it anyway.
Julian Lambert is a Guardian: sworn to protect newly manifested incarnations against the depredations of hunters who want to use their powers or sell them to the highest bidder.
Incarnations such as Justice or Truth, Liberty or Chastity, Healing or Prosperity can take form as physical entities with abilities to influence the world around them. Ever since a slight disaster early in his career, Julian has been single-mindedly dedicated to his role. He’s a small weedy guy and fairly insecure. His self-esteem is not very high so it’s fortunate he gets on quite well with the two other Guardians: Harold, his junior, and Mrs Eavers who is in charge of the house defence.
After a near disaster assisting Liberty to escape hunters in post-Napoleonic alternate France, he entrusts her to higher-ranking colleagues and heads back to a safe house. Not long after, he saves a newly-incarnated Justice and his troubles begin. His position as senior Guardian in the safe house is under threat when Ivan Williams arrives, a more senior officer still. Julian’s insecurities bring out an unpleasant side to his character as Williams’ condescension continually grates on his nerves.
Williams reveals he wants to retrieve an incarnation of Truth from a nest of hunters before she is ‘marked’—a vile process which combines surgery and magic and which many incarnations do not survive. The marking ensures surviving incarnations will always obey orders, however much they go against instinct, lest they self-combust or descend into madness. Thus, for instance, Truth or Justice could be forced to convince a jury that a criminal was innocent, even when every shred of evidence was clear-cut and pointed otherwise.
Despite Julian’s inherent willingness to help rescue Truth, he knows he will be violating every rule of the Guardians to enter a hunters’ nest as Williams proposes. Apart from a close encounter with a massive preying mantis, all goes well. A little too well in Julian’s view.
Williams soon becomes more interested in Julian than in Truth. The safe house is very draughty—except when Julian is out. In fact, when Julian is stressed, the wind picks up considerably—and in his reports, there are several accounts of narrow escapes with incarnations simply because of a sudden gust of wild weather which obscured their passage.
Julian’s the last to be convinced that he’s a windmage. And that, in certain hunters’ eyes, the very rarity of windmages means he’s much more valuable than any incarnation.
He’s a danger to himself, a danger to the sagfe house and those in it—and it very soon becomes clear that Ivan Williams has been dead for six years. The imposter masquerading as Williams turns his attention from hunting incarnations to hunting Julian.
I enjoyed Weather immensely. The resolution—which relies heavily on a reading of what Julian’s real character is like—is very satisfying.
Julian Lambert is a Guardian: sworn to protect newly manifested incarnations against the depredations of hunters who want to use their powers or sell them to the highest bidder.
Incarnations such as Justice or Truth, Liberty or Chastity, Healing or Prosperity can take form as physical entities with abilities to influence the world around them. Ever since a slight disaster early in his career, Julian has been single-mindedly dedicated to his role. He’s a small weedy guy and fairly insecure. His self-esteem is not very high so it’s fortunate he gets on quite well with the two other Guardians: Harold, his junior, and Mrs Eavers who is in charge of the house defence.
After a near disaster assisting Liberty to escape hunters in post-Napoleonic alternate France, he entrusts her to higher-ranking colleagues and heads back to a safe house. Not long after, he saves a newly-incarnated Justice and his troubles begin. His position as senior Guardian in the safe house is under threat when Ivan Williams arrives, a more senior officer still. Julian’s insecurities bring out an unpleasant side to his character as Williams’ condescension continually grates on his nerves.
Williams reveals he wants to retrieve an incarnation of Truth from a nest of hunters before she is ‘marked’—a vile process which combines surgery and magic and which many incarnations do not survive. The marking ensures surviving incarnations will always obey orders, however much they go against instinct, lest they self-combust or descend into madness. Thus, for instance, Truth or Justice could be forced to convince a jury that a criminal was innocent, even when every shred of evidence was clear-cut and pointed otherwise.
Despite Julian’s inherent willingness to help rescue Truth, he knows he will be violating every rule of the Guardians to enter a hunters’ nest as Williams proposes. Apart from a close encounter with a massive preying mantis, all goes well. A little too well in Julian’s view.
Williams soon becomes more interested in Julian than in Truth. The safe house is very draughty—except when Julian is out. In fact, when Julian is stressed, the wind picks up considerably—and in his reports, there are several accounts of narrow escapes with incarnations simply because of a sudden gust of wild weather which obscured their passage.
Julian’s the last to be convinced that he’s a windmage. And that, in certain hunters’ eyes, the very rarity of windmages means he’s much more valuable than any incarnation.
He’s a danger to himself, a danger to the sagfe house and those in it—and it very soon becomes clear that Ivan Williams has been dead for six years. The imposter masquerading as Williams turns his attention from hunting incarnations to hunting Julian.
I enjoyed Weather immensely. The resolution—which relies heavily on a reading of what Julian’s real character is like—is very satisfying.
January 19, 2014
Sort of Steampunk, not much in the way of steam tech... More alternative historical in feel. Young adult, despite adult protagonist, but that is likely a category just relating to absence of buckets of blood or sex even being touched on in passing. The violence is mostly near misses.
Odd little book, but I loved this... No romance or (the bane of many YA offerings) love triangles (though I wondered if there might be something going on between Julian-the-protagonist, and a completely lovable incarnation of healing called Tobias... ) Fresh world building, lots of intrigue and backstabbing going on around the mostly oblivious and irritable hero. More please, Ms Winter!
Odd little book, but I loved this... No romance or (the bane of many YA offerings) love triangles (though I wondered if there might be something going on between Julian-the-protagonist, and a completely lovable incarnation of healing called Tobias... ) Fresh world building, lots of intrigue and backstabbing going on around the mostly oblivious and irritable hero. More please, Ms Winter!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews