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Weather Warden #1
Ill Wind
RIDER ON THE STORMThe Wardens Association has been around pretty much forever. Some Wardens control fire, others control earth, water, or wind--and the most powerful can control more than one element. Without Wardens, Mother Nature would wipe humanity off the face of the earth....Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden. Usually, all it takes is a wave of her hand to tame the most violent weather. But now Joanne is trying to outrun another kind of accusations of corruption and murder. So she's resorting to the very human tactic of running for her life....Her only hope is Lewis, the most powerful Warden. Unfortunately, he's also on the run from the World Council. It seems he's stolen not one but three bottles of Djinn--making him the most wanted man on earth. And without Lewis, Joanne's chances of surviving are as good as a snowball in--well, a place she may be headed. So she and her classic Mustang are racing hard to find him because there's some bad weather closing in fast....
337 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 2, 2003
432 people are currently reading
10871 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Caine
205 books19.4k followersRachel Caine was a pen name of Roxanne Longstreet Conrad.
She has also published as:
Roxanne Longstreet
Roxanne Conrad
Julie Fortune
Ian Hammell
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She has also published as:
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Julie Fortune
Ian Hammell
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,432 reviews
March 5, 2011
I tried...oh how I tried to like this book. After all, I was talked into buying the first 4 in the series at one time. Unfortunately, I just couldn't. I "sort of got through it". And, since I've already purchased the next 3 at the enthusiastic insistence of an employee of Books-A-Million (that's $35 I'll never see again) I plan to read them. But my expectations are not what I'd call high.
This book opened up fairly interestingly but rapidly deteriorated into a rambling romance that amounted to an extended car chase. The Book might have been called "A Girl and Her Djinn" I suppose. After setting out the "internal rules" of these "Wardens" dealings with the Djinn, the main character quickly proceeds to smash them to bits in her own dealings with the "rare" free Djinn she meets up with. Of course in a "blindingly original turn" the main character seems gifted in ways no one else must be...or maybe she's just wiser...or maybe her thoughts are being influenced, etc., etc., etc......
Oh, and some how for most of the book she often just doesn't seem to have a clue. And, she's one of these heroines who won't listen to anyone else, even when advised to do something she knows she needs to do...oh well. I think I've seen her before, possibly several times in other books. I believe she may have come from "Protagonists are Us".
Well, you can look forward to my reviews of at least 3 more of these (if I can take it)...the lesson here is, just because someone you meet loved a book (or series) it doesn't mean you'll like them.
This book opened up fairly interestingly but rapidly deteriorated into a rambling romance that amounted to an extended car chase. The Book might have been called "A Girl and Her Djinn" I suppose. After setting out the "internal rules" of these "Wardens" dealings with the Djinn, the main character quickly proceeds to smash them to bits in her own dealings with the "rare" free Djinn she meets up with. Of course in a "blindingly original turn" the main character seems gifted in ways no one else must be...or maybe she's just wiser...or maybe her thoughts are being influenced, etc., etc., etc......
Oh, and some how for most of the book she often just doesn't seem to have a clue. And, she's one of these heroines who won't listen to anyone else, even when advised to do something she knows she needs to do...oh well. I think I've seen her before, possibly several times in other books. I believe she may have come from "Protagonists are Us".
Well, you can look forward to my reviews of at least 3 more of these (if I can take it)...the lesson here is, just because someone you meet loved a book (or series) it doesn't mean you'll like them.
January 18, 2009
How to Write a Novel that Kriz1818 Will Dislike. Intensely.
Seat belts, please.
If there's one thing I don't like, it's a clue-resistant protagonist. If there's another thing I don't like, it's a protagonist whose identity is defined by (a) an unusual thing that she likes (in this case, hot rods), (b) an ordinary thing that she likes (in this case, clothes), and (c) her sex life.
I can't even add (d) her education and career, because quite frankly, this chick doesn't seem to have put any effort into being really good at what she does. It just sorta happened, apparently. And anyway, the one time her education is really discussed, the scene's about how she had sex for the first time in a science lab at college (okay, it did add a tidbit of actual useful info, too, but see below). Joanne Baldwin is a sexy, fast-talking cardboard cutout. Yecch!
If there's one thing I hate, it's a plot that depends on the protagonist being clue-resistant - amazingly competent in actually doing her work, clueless about anything else to do with it. If there's another thing I hate, it's a plot whose tension is three-quarters derived from withholding information from the reader and doling it out in little tidbits, only releasing the last crucial facts about three pages before the novel's climax. Oh, and if there's another thing I hate, it's a personal crisis slash critical problem at the climax caused by the clue-resistant protagonist refusing to do something morally iffy that she's been begged to do anyway, which decision of course proceeds to bite her on the ass at the right point in the plot. Which goes right along with her having accidentally made a bitter enemy (*the* enemy, in fact) through what seemed like a good, loving decision some years back.
I could, I really could, have coped with the novel being essentially one long chase scene. I overlooked the fact that Albany is NOT on the way from Connecticut to Oklahoma. I suspended my disbelief, with an effort, at the underlying concept that the weather (and for that matter the entire earth) is somehow sentient and extremely malignant, held in check only by the valiant efforts of a few specially talented people. Compared to that, the djinn were *easy* to believe in.
Which reminds me, if there's one thing I hate, it's a romantic interest who mysteriously turns up by the side of the road, but turns out to have been there on purpose because (drum roll) they've actually met before, in horrible circumstances crucial to the plot, which are all in that backstory that's slowly, slowly being doled out while the novel slogs along to the Big Climactic Not Exactly a Fight Scene.
Was there anything to *like* about this book? Well, this Caine can write. Which stands to reason, since she's apparently Roxanne Longstreet Conrad, author of what looks like 10 other novels (mostly mysteries, a couple horror). Nothing wrong with her prose. Her descriptions of the weather had me wondering if she was a meteorologist in a past life (but it turns out that she's from Texas). It's just the plot and characterization that reek like Limberger left out in the sun all afternoon.
I could go on, but I have to get ready for class. Would anybody like to pay me book-rate shipping cost for my copy of this wretched foray into contemporary fantasy?
Seat belts, please.
If there's one thing I don't like, it's a clue-resistant protagonist. If there's another thing I don't like, it's a protagonist whose identity is defined by (a) an unusual thing that she likes (in this case, hot rods), (b) an ordinary thing that she likes (in this case, clothes), and (c) her sex life.
I can't even add (d) her education and career, because quite frankly, this chick doesn't seem to have put any effort into being really good at what she does. It just sorta happened, apparently. And anyway, the one time her education is really discussed, the scene's about how she had sex for the first time in a science lab at college (okay, it did add a tidbit of actual useful info, too, but see below). Joanne Baldwin is a sexy, fast-talking cardboard cutout. Yecch!
If there's one thing I hate, it's a plot that depends on the protagonist being clue-resistant - amazingly competent in actually doing her work, clueless about anything else to do with it. If there's another thing I hate, it's a plot whose tension is three-quarters derived from withholding information from the reader and doling it out in little tidbits, only releasing the last crucial facts about three pages before the novel's climax. Oh, and if there's another thing I hate, it's a personal crisis slash critical problem at the climax caused by the clue-resistant protagonist refusing to do something morally iffy that she's been begged to do anyway, which decision of course proceeds to bite her on the ass at the right point in the plot. Which goes right along with her having accidentally made a bitter enemy (*the* enemy, in fact) through what seemed like a good, loving decision some years back.
I could, I really could, have coped with the novel being essentially one long chase scene. I overlooked the fact that Albany is NOT on the way from Connecticut to Oklahoma. I suspended my disbelief, with an effort, at the underlying concept that the weather (and for that matter the entire earth) is somehow sentient and extremely malignant, held in check only by the valiant efforts of a few specially talented people. Compared to that, the djinn were *easy* to believe in.
Which reminds me, if there's one thing I hate, it's a romantic interest who mysteriously turns up by the side of the road, but turns out to have been there on purpose because (drum roll) they've actually met before, in horrible circumstances crucial to the plot, which are all in that backstory that's slowly, slowly being doled out while the novel slogs along to the Big Climactic Not Exactly a Fight Scene.
Was there anything to *like* about this book? Well, this Caine can write. Which stands to reason, since she's apparently Roxanne Longstreet Conrad, author of what looks like 10 other novels (mostly mysteries, a couple horror). Nothing wrong with her prose. Her descriptions of the weather had me wondering if she was a meteorologist in a past life (but it turns out that she's from Texas). It's just the plot and characterization that reek like Limberger left out in the sun all afternoon.
I could go on, but I have to get ready for class. Would anybody like to pay me book-rate shipping cost for my copy of this wretched foray into contemporary fantasy?
June 5, 2012
Ill wind is an explosive debut about a group of wardens who maintain balance to the Earth, fire wardens, earth wardens, and weather wardens. Joanne Baldwin is a powerful weather warden who is running from the storm, looking for her powerful friend Lewis who is the only one who can save her from a demon mark.
The whole story is basically set out around a huge road trip, but it's a journey definitely worth travelling. The weather descriptions went over my head a little as they were a bit too scientific for my liking, but definitely makes it unique in a sense. Flashbacks are tied into the Joanne's road trip, fleshing out why she is running and looking for Lewis and the relationships she has with other characters.
When she meets a handsome hitchiker David, things get really interesting from there as he's not what he seems from the start.
I really enjoyed the writing, it is personable, down-to-earth, and does not try too hard to be descriptive or poetic. The author weaves complexities into the storyline really well. Both Joanne and David are extremely likeable characters, while they aren't perfect in any sense, they are void of any annoying character traits that are so common in PNR/UF titles.
I loved how the story unfolded and felt like I went on a little journey myself, reading about the circumstances following Joanne. The way the story was set out definitely led up to an explosive finale that had me gobsmacked with an ending I did not see coming.
The weather warden series is an interesting one, and I'll definitely pick up the next books in the series to see how things pan out.
Check out my blog here for more reviews!
The whole story is basically set out around a huge road trip, but it's a journey definitely worth travelling. The weather descriptions went over my head a little as they were a bit too scientific for my liking, but definitely makes it unique in a sense. Flashbacks are tied into the Joanne's road trip, fleshing out why she is running and looking for Lewis and the relationships she has with other characters.
When she meets a handsome hitchiker David, things get really interesting from there as he's not what he seems from the start.
I really enjoyed the writing, it is personable, down-to-earth, and does not try too hard to be descriptive or poetic. The author weaves complexities into the storyline really well. Both Joanne and David are extremely likeable characters, while they aren't perfect in any sense, they are void of any annoying character traits that are so common in PNR/UF titles.
I loved how the story unfolded and felt like I went on a little journey myself, reading about the circumstances following Joanne. The way the story was set out definitely led up to an explosive finale that had me gobsmacked with an ending I did not see coming.
The weather warden series is an interesting one, and I'll definitely pick up the next books in the series to see how things pan out.
Check out my blog here for more reviews!
March 26, 2019
Earth, Wind and Fire.
Weather wardens.
Urban fantasy books are like craft beers. Take your run of the mill romances, westerns and thrillers. Budweiser, Miller and Coors. Standard yellow, fizzy and bland. Alcoholic. Cool is about all you can hope for. But urban fantasy is like walking into an out of the way pub where they don’t blast sports and CNN at you from fifty different screens. You might get an IPA, a stout, or some high gravity concoction that fits into no discernable category. You might get mead.
And I think urban fantasy writers are outside the box thinkers. Don’t want to go off the deep end into a full blown epic fantasy and neither do they want to churn out another action adventure – SEAL team seven invades Badmanistan or some other slapped on premise. No, the urban fantasy writers of the world are unique and they let their freak flags fly high and proud.
So we come to Ill Wind, the first entry into the Weather Warden books. Author Rachel Caine (pen name for Roxanne Longstreet Conrad) has written her fair share of urban fantasies (most notably the Morganville Vampire books). The Weather Warden series began in 2003 with Ill Wind and as of 2019 has ten books.
This craft beer comes with a side order of oysters – this one could also fit into the urban fantasy romance sub-genre – and that’s cool, if you’re into that kind of thing.
A ubiquitous theme in urban fantasies is that our hero is a part of a secret organization that stands in the breach to save the world, or keeping all of us mundane citizens safe from ourselves.
Caine does a good job keeping the action in front of us and has a really cool set of magic rules. The wardens are categorized as either wind, fire or earth with corresponding powers. The wardens are organized into a world network of magic people and there are also djinn to help them out.
Fun.
Weather wardens.
Urban fantasy books are like craft beers. Take your run of the mill romances, westerns and thrillers. Budweiser, Miller and Coors. Standard yellow, fizzy and bland. Alcoholic. Cool is about all you can hope for. But urban fantasy is like walking into an out of the way pub where they don’t blast sports and CNN at you from fifty different screens. You might get an IPA, a stout, or some high gravity concoction that fits into no discernable category. You might get mead.
And I think urban fantasy writers are outside the box thinkers. Don’t want to go off the deep end into a full blown epic fantasy and neither do they want to churn out another action adventure – SEAL team seven invades Badmanistan or some other slapped on premise. No, the urban fantasy writers of the world are unique and they let their freak flags fly high and proud.
So we come to Ill Wind, the first entry into the Weather Warden books. Author Rachel Caine (pen name for Roxanne Longstreet Conrad) has written her fair share of urban fantasies (most notably the Morganville Vampire books). The Weather Warden series began in 2003 with Ill Wind and as of 2019 has ten books.
This craft beer comes with a side order of oysters – this one could also fit into the urban fantasy romance sub-genre – and that’s cool, if you’re into that kind of thing.
A ubiquitous theme in urban fantasies is that our hero is a part of a secret organization that stands in the breach to save the world, or keeping all of us mundane citizens safe from ourselves.
Caine does a good job keeping the action in front of us and has a really cool set of magic rules. The wardens are categorized as either wind, fire or earth with corresponding powers. The wardens are organized into a world network of magic people and there are also djinn to help them out.
Fun.
June 4, 2008
In this alternate reality, a select few are born with the power to harness the weather (air and water), or fire, or Earth: wardens. They control the world by controlling the natural forces, taking the bite out of storms that would otherwise decimate cities, helping the land regrow after wildfires and so on. Their power is augmented by djinn who do their bidding, but they're not invincible.
Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden, and she's just had a Demon Mark forced onto her. Running for her life, she tracks down the only person she can think of to help her: Lewis, the most powerful warden and the only person in history with power in all five elements. A threat to the Association of Wardens himself, he took three djinn with him when he broke out: Joanne's only hope is that he'll give her a djinn who'll take the Mark from her before it destroys her.
But Lewis isn't home, and the djinn he left to guard it tells her to go to Oklahoma. With a viscious storm following her and someone of immense ability trying to skewer her with lightening bolts, Jo finds that friends aren't who they seem and neither are new allies - including the cute hitchhiker, David.
Ok, plus points - it's the only way to do this:
1. Jo: great narrator, great protagonist, fiesty, strong, flippant, quick-witted, independent, interesting, flawed, hopeful, down-to-earth, compassionate, tough - not so slow to piece things together that she gets frustrating (especially considering we learn as she learns); not so smart-mouthed that she's annoying; not so powerful and other-worldly that she's unrealistic and unrelatable - in short, she's a sympathetic character with charisma.
2. the concept: fantastic idea, very well executed. I especially appreciate that humans aren't controlling nature with no adverse side-effects or anything like that. It's subtle work, and they have to take into account things like how a storm cleared up in one place will only rebound with greater force elsewhere. Cause and effect, that kind of thing. Throughout the story the sense of a volatile, unpredictable energy force (i.e. nature) creates a tense, dangerous backdrop for a tense, sometimes dangerous plot. I didn't even mind the personification of storms - in fact, it would have felt wrong if they weren't personified.
3. the djinn: not usually a trope that I go out of my way for, but I've come across djinni in two other fantasy trilogies that I can think of: Chaz Brenchley's Outremer trilogy and Jonathan Stroud's Barthimaeus trilogy (both of which I recommend, especially the latter). I greatly enjoyed how they were used here, though I didn't realise that djinn would even be in this book, but it's a great extra dimension to include and helps create a more complex, intricate world.
4. narrative/prose: since it's written in first-person, it comes with Jo's personality and she really drives the story. I read it quickly because she's a bit of a storm herself. Things are always happening, and she's frank, not at all whiny, doesn't overthink things, and has an eye for sexy men. Nice. Especially David. Double nice. Oh he was a real sweetie. Where was I? Oh, right. The structure is tight, and neatly goes back and forth in time at just the right time, slowly revealing all the angles in the story. It begins in the middle, at least that's how it feels, and there's little extrapolation or background, you just get swept up in it and figure it out as you go (not that it's complicated, it's just new).
5. the ending: I had no idea how it was going to end - it seemed like an impossible thing to overcome, and in a way it was. The Demon Mark, that is, plus the situation with Star (her best friend and a former Fire Warden), Lewis, David and all the Wardens trying to catch and/or kill her. So the way it worked out was climactic, suspenseful and pleasing.
I don't actually have any negatives. Probably if I read other people's reviews or talked with people about this book, things would occur to me or I'd find myself agreeing with other people's criticisms, but I finished the book five minutes ago and am just coasting on the glowing aftermath of a finely written, entertaining, original story. As far as urban fantasy goes, this is a great addition to the genre. Loved it.
Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden, and she's just had a Demon Mark forced onto her. Running for her life, she tracks down the only person she can think of to help her: Lewis, the most powerful warden and the only person in history with power in all five elements. A threat to the Association of Wardens himself, he took three djinn with him when he broke out: Joanne's only hope is that he'll give her a djinn who'll take the Mark from her before it destroys her.
But Lewis isn't home, and the djinn he left to guard it tells her to go to Oklahoma. With a viscious storm following her and someone of immense ability trying to skewer her with lightening bolts, Jo finds that friends aren't who they seem and neither are new allies - including the cute hitchhiker, David.
Ok, plus points - it's the only way to do this:
1. Jo: great narrator, great protagonist, fiesty, strong, flippant, quick-witted, independent, interesting, flawed, hopeful, down-to-earth, compassionate, tough - not so slow to piece things together that she gets frustrating (especially considering we learn as she learns); not so smart-mouthed that she's annoying; not so powerful and other-worldly that she's unrealistic and unrelatable - in short, she's a sympathetic character with charisma.
2. the concept: fantastic idea, very well executed. I especially appreciate that humans aren't controlling nature with no adverse side-effects or anything like that. It's subtle work, and they have to take into account things like how a storm cleared up in one place will only rebound with greater force elsewhere. Cause and effect, that kind of thing. Throughout the story the sense of a volatile, unpredictable energy force (i.e. nature) creates a tense, dangerous backdrop for a tense, sometimes dangerous plot. I didn't even mind the personification of storms - in fact, it would have felt wrong if they weren't personified.
3. the djinn: not usually a trope that I go out of my way for, but I've come across djinni in two other fantasy trilogies that I can think of: Chaz Brenchley's Outremer trilogy and Jonathan Stroud's Barthimaeus trilogy (both of which I recommend, especially the latter). I greatly enjoyed how they were used here, though I didn't realise that djinn would even be in this book, but it's a great extra dimension to include and helps create a more complex, intricate world.
4. narrative/prose: since it's written in first-person, it comes with Jo's personality and she really drives the story. I read it quickly because she's a bit of a storm herself. Things are always happening, and she's frank, not at all whiny, doesn't overthink things, and has an eye for sexy men. Nice. Especially David. Double nice. Oh he was a real sweetie. Where was I? Oh, right. The structure is tight, and neatly goes back and forth in time at just the right time, slowly revealing all the angles in the story. It begins in the middle, at least that's how it feels, and there's little extrapolation or background, you just get swept up in it and figure it out as you go (not that it's complicated, it's just new).
5. the ending: I had no idea how it was going to end - it seemed like an impossible thing to overcome, and in a way it was. The Demon Mark, that is, plus the situation with Star (her best friend and a former Fire Warden), Lewis, David and all the Wardens trying to catch and/or kill her. So the way it worked out was climactic, suspenseful and pleasing.
I don't actually have any negatives. Probably if I read other people's reviews or talked with people about this book, things would occur to me or I'd find myself agreeing with other people's criticisms, but I finished the book five minutes ago and am just coasting on the glowing aftermath of a finely written, entertaining, original story. As far as urban fantasy goes, this is a great addition to the genre. Loved it.
June 7, 2009
I simply had no idea how much I would enjoy this book. First of all, it was very creative. Urban fantasy is full of powerful women. But Joanne stands out. She's a Weather Warden, meaning she can control an aspect of the weather. I thought the concept of Weather Wardens was really cool. That would be an awesome major and career path. If only. Also, this story starts with her in an very vulnerable position. The latest trend is to have heroines who can kickbutt and take names. Joanne can do that, but she is on the run for her life for most of this book. Actually she has a supernatural contract on her head. It's great fun to read this book and see how she will get herself out of this mortal fix she is in. Then there's the fact that the scenes in this book are so vivid and dramatic that they could be from a blockbuster action/sci fi movie, except Hollywood doesn't make movies this cool. Then there are the two sexy guys in Joanne's life. I can't decide which one I am most captivated with. The flashback scene where Joanne loses her virginity.... I mean, wow! Then there's the scene with David. Okay, it's not THAT kind of book. Those scenes are tastefully sprinkled and not at all distracting. Don't let me forget the djinn. How cool. Djinn are underutilized in urban fantasy. It's all about the faeries, the vamps, the witches, and the weres. But the djinni are the red-headed stepchildren of folklore when it comes to urban fantasy, although their powers are probably more than most of the other mythical beasties combined. And they are just intriguing to this folklore geek. Simply put, I just loved this book. The Weather Warden is definitely another series that I have to keep reading.
September 12, 2010
I just finished my reread of this book. I have two new books in the series - the final two books - and I want to be totally fresh for the conclusion, so I plan to read them all again. Reading this was almost like reading it for the first time again. I remembered the broad strokes of the story, but I had forgotten all the little details and twists that made it so interesting. I'm very pleased to report that my enthusiasm for this story has not dimmed with time!
I absolutely love the way this story is set up. We are dropped directly into the action. We know something bad has happened, because Jo is on the run, but we are not certain of the particulars. Things unfold slowly for us through flashbacks and conversations with other characters. We slowly get to see Jo's world and the situation she has found herself in. We also get introduced to some very interesting secondary characters.
I absolutely loved the way the author set up the world. I have never read anything else even remotely close to this. I find it all quite fascinating. We have the Weather Wardens, the Djinn they control, a conscious Mother Nature, etc. It all combined to make a fascinating new world.
The detail that the author includes about the way the Wardens manipulate the elements was absolutely phenomenal. I loved watching Jo work out ways to get hostile weather elements to disperse without disrupting the entire weather system and creating a backlash. I found it all extremely interesting. I'm very pleased that the author didn't just brush over these details.
We got a very nice introduction to several secondary characters. David was very intriguing, and genuinely nice. I also loved that we learned a little twist about his history with Jo. I thought that added a very believable slant to his initial reasons for approaching her. I also loved learning about Lewis. Kudos to the author for creating such an interesting character through flashbacks alone. We don't meet Lewis for most of the book, but we feel that we know him regardless. I loved getting to meet Alice and Rahel. The Djinn are so interesting, but you can also see the clear capability for cruelty beneath the surface. They are not a race to be toyed with lightly.
Unfortunately, I couldn't give this book a full five stars. The action feels high paced, and I love the fact that things are constantly happening, but it leaves the character development feeling a bit of a lack. The characters are fun and entertaining, but they aren't very deep. It didn't bother me, but it might bother some people. Also, the romance is very underdeveloped. It's a nice side element, but don't go into the story expecting this to be a huge focus.
I also felt that there were a few details that were much too hazy on the specifics. I brushed most of them aside and blamed them on the weakness of the 1st person pov, but they can't all be all be excused by that. I was expecting to be unclear about certain details. By its very nature, 1st person prevents the reader from getting a well rounded view of events. We only get to see what the narrator does, and we only get outside events specifically explained to us when someone's explaining things to the character. Unfortunately, some things are left a mystery here.
***SPOILERS***
How exactly was the "villain" of the piece throwing weather at Jo? That wasn't one of his/her powers. How did that same person capture and keep Lewis - who is super powerful? Also, how was that person controlling him at the end?
***END SPOILERS***
Other than those few gripes, I was pretty pleased. Even those irritants were easy to brush aside though.
The end was quite a big surprise for the reader. I'd recommend having the second book on hand when you read this one so you can start it immediately!
I absolutely love the way this story is set up. We are dropped directly into the action. We know something bad has happened, because Jo is on the run, but we are not certain of the particulars. Things unfold slowly for us through flashbacks and conversations with other characters. We slowly get to see Jo's world and the situation she has found herself in. We also get introduced to some very interesting secondary characters.
I absolutely loved the way the author set up the world. I have never read anything else even remotely close to this. I find it all quite fascinating. We have the Weather Wardens, the Djinn they control, a conscious Mother Nature, etc. It all combined to make a fascinating new world.
The detail that the author includes about the way the Wardens manipulate the elements was absolutely phenomenal. I loved watching Jo work out ways to get hostile weather elements to disperse without disrupting the entire weather system and creating a backlash. I found it all extremely interesting. I'm very pleased that the author didn't just brush over these details.
We got a very nice introduction to several secondary characters. David was very intriguing, and genuinely nice. I also loved that we learned a little twist about his history with Jo. I thought that added a very believable slant to his initial reasons for approaching her. I also loved learning about Lewis. Kudos to the author for creating such an interesting character through flashbacks alone. We don't meet Lewis for most of the book, but we feel that we know him regardless. I loved getting to meet Alice and Rahel. The Djinn are so interesting, but you can also see the clear capability for cruelty beneath the surface. They are not a race to be toyed with lightly.
Unfortunately, I couldn't give this book a full five stars. The action feels high paced, and I love the fact that things are constantly happening, but it leaves the character development feeling a bit of a lack. The characters are fun and entertaining, but they aren't very deep. It didn't bother me, but it might bother some people. Also, the romance is very underdeveloped. It's a nice side element, but don't go into the story expecting this to be a huge focus.
I also felt that there were a few details that were much too hazy on the specifics. I brushed most of them aside and blamed them on the weakness of the 1st person pov, but they can't all be all be excused by that. I was expecting to be unclear about certain details. By its very nature, 1st person prevents the reader from getting a well rounded view of events. We only get to see what the narrator does, and we only get outside events specifically explained to us when someone's explaining things to the character. Unfortunately, some things are left a mystery here.
***SPOILERS***
How exactly was the "villain" of the piece throwing weather at Jo? That wasn't one of his/her powers. How did that same person capture and keep Lewis - who is super powerful? Also, how was that person controlling him at the end?
***END SPOILERS***
Other than those few gripes, I was pretty pleased. Even those irritants were easy to brush aside though.
The end was quite a big surprise for the reader. I'd recommend having the second book on hand when you read this one so you can start it immediately!
December 6, 2011
Sometimes it’s good to be late to the party. I just started reading the Weather Warden series and it is so nice to know that the series is complete and that I won’t have to wait to read the next book. There are 9 books in the Weather Warden series and I plan to read them all.
The Weather Wardens has a unique premise: a group of people are tasked with controlling the weather and to keep it from destroying lives and property. These Weather Wardens are assigned beings known as djinns to assist them.
Ill Wind is the first book in the series and it focuses on Joanne Baldwin. Jo has been marked by a demon and is on the run accused of murder. Meanwhile, a storm is tracking her every move. Her only option is to find her mentor, Lewis Orwell. The story is told through Jo’s voice and flashes back to the past where bit by bit, the story is revealed.
I loved the beautiful, descriptive writing. The author managed to personify the weather as malevolent entities seeking destruction. She manages to neatly explain weather phenomena.
Ill Wind is action packed and as unpredictable as the weather. It was really hard to put this book down. I’m looking forward to reading the second book Heat Stroke soon.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
The Weather Wardens has a unique premise: a group of people are tasked with controlling the weather and to keep it from destroying lives and property. These Weather Wardens are assigned beings known as djinns to assist them.
Ill Wind is the first book in the series and it focuses on Joanne Baldwin. Jo has been marked by a demon and is on the run accused of murder. Meanwhile, a storm is tracking her every move. Her only option is to find her mentor, Lewis Orwell. The story is told through Jo’s voice and flashes back to the past where bit by bit, the story is revealed.
I loved the beautiful, descriptive writing. The author managed to personify the weather as malevolent entities seeking destruction. She manages to neatly explain weather phenomena.
Ill Wind is action packed and as unpredictable as the weather. It was really hard to put this book down. I’m looking forward to reading the second book Heat Stroke soon.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
September 3, 2010
" No good morning?" I asked. "What so fascinating? Cheerleaders practising naked in the parking lot?"
I had high hopes for this book since I love Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampire series. Thankfully Ill Wind didn't disappoint. It was an action packed, witty and unique read that left me craving more.
Rachel Caine writing is never slow, the action starts from page 1 and doesn't stop. She also knows how to surprise you throwing in plenty of twists and turns that you never see coming. The character are interesting and instantly likeable. Joanne is an awesome character - strong, independent, witty and doesn't take any crap. She is easily going on my favourite female character shelf. And David he is a interesting character that left me wanting to know more. I kind of got a bit of a crush on him after the hot tub scene. I loved the romance in this book too, it wasn't the main focus and also was steamy without being smutty. The only problem I had was I found the weather talk a little bit confusing at first but as the book went on it got easier to understand.
Random Thought for my friends at Bookers: I'm not sure what year this book was published but in the story Joanne buys some velvet purple pants (I kid you not) and every time they mentioned (which was quite a lot) all I could think of was this http://images.buycostumes.com/mgen/me... thanks to Kim :)
Overall, I really enjoyed this first instalment and I now off to buy the rest.
I had high hopes for this book since I love Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampire series. Thankfully Ill Wind didn't disappoint. It was an action packed, witty and unique read that left me craving more.
Rachel Caine writing is never slow, the action starts from page 1 and doesn't stop. She also knows how to surprise you throwing in plenty of twists and turns that you never see coming. The character are interesting and instantly likeable. Joanne is an awesome character - strong, independent, witty and doesn't take any crap. She is easily going on my favourite female character shelf. And David he is a interesting character that left me wanting to know more. I kind of got a bit of a crush on him after the hot tub scene. I loved the romance in this book too, it wasn't the main focus and also was steamy without being smutty. The only problem I had was I found the weather talk a little bit confusing at first but as the book went on it got easier to understand.
Random Thought for my friends at Bookers: I'm not sure what year this book was published but in the story Joanne buys some velvet purple pants (I kid you not) and every time they mentioned (which was quite a lot) all I could think of was this http://images.buycostumes.com/mgen/me... thanks to Kim :)
Overall, I really enjoyed this first instalment and I now off to buy the rest.
August 25, 2015
[3 Stars] I went into this book knowing that it probably wouldn't impress me as much as other urban fantasy books have lately, but I still wanted to pick it up because the premise just sounds so interesting. I wanted to read an urban fantasy book that didn't have shapeshifters, vampires, or fae in it, and this really scratched that itch for me. It was probably my least favorite first urban fantasy book in a series (that I've read so far), but I still enjoyed it and see its potential.
First lets talk about the good stuff. The world building is so freaking cool! I loved the entire weather warden society. I loved getting to know about the weather wardens through Jo's flashbacks. I loved the djinn in the story, and yeah it was really freaking cool. It was different. I also really loved the way we got to know about the world: through Jo's flashbacks. You got to know about the world and also about Jo's character. It was a clever way for the book to keep from having info dumps everywhere. I also thought some of those scenes were really entertaining like, for example, when Jo gets her first kiss.
Now, let's talk about the not so good stuff. I really don't care that much about the characters and our main character is a bit frustrating. She is wild, stubborn, and pretty hmmm aware of her sexuality? It is a character I both am familiar with and am not familiar with. She got on my nerves but at the same time I kinda appreciate that she is so aware of her sexuality. She likes sex. She likes dudes. She is not quiet about such. At the same time, I felt like the romance progressed far too quickly in this, and I'm afraid of Jo becoming a bit of a Mary Sue. HOWEVER, Stuff that happened at the end makes me SO CURIOUS about Jo's character. In short, Jo both frustrated me and intrigued me. The other characters are kinda meh right now, but this is the first book in a series so I'll let it slide.
The other thing some people might find annoying is that not much really happens in this and it is all about getting to know Jo and this ling roadtrip. I didn't really mind it, but I think some people might be disappointed that it isn't more action packed and that the romance moves pretty quickly. I also feel like sometimes the weather stuff got too technical. I wish it was explained juuuuuust a touch more.
Allllllll that being said, I definitely enjoyed this one. It was well written and the world building was super cool. I'm going to be reading the second book pretty soon, and hopefully it will make me a little more invested in the series. If it doesn't who knows if I'll continue on or drop this one.
First lets talk about the good stuff. The world building is so freaking cool! I loved the entire weather warden society. I loved getting to know about the weather wardens through Jo's flashbacks. I loved the djinn in the story, and yeah it was really freaking cool. It was different. I also really loved the way we got to know about the world: through Jo's flashbacks. You got to know about the world and also about Jo's character. It was a clever way for the book to keep from having info dumps everywhere. I also thought some of those scenes were really entertaining like, for example, when Jo gets her first kiss.
Now, let's talk about the not so good stuff. I really don't care that much about the characters and our main character is a bit frustrating. She is wild, stubborn, and pretty hmmm aware of her sexuality? It is a character I both am familiar with and am not familiar with. She got on my nerves but at the same time I kinda appreciate that she is so aware of her sexuality. She likes sex. She likes dudes. She is not quiet about such. At the same time, I felt like the romance progressed far too quickly in this, and I'm afraid of Jo becoming a bit of a Mary Sue. HOWEVER, Stuff that happened at the end makes me SO CURIOUS about Jo's character. In short, Jo both frustrated me and intrigued me. The other characters are kinda meh right now, but this is the first book in a series so I'll let it slide.
The other thing some people might find annoying is that not much really happens in this and it is all about getting to know Jo and this ling roadtrip. I didn't really mind it, but I think some people might be disappointed that it isn't more action packed and that the romance moves pretty quickly. I also feel like sometimes the weather stuff got too technical. I wish it was explained juuuuuust a touch more.
Allllllll that being said, I definitely enjoyed this one. It was well written and the world building was super cool. I'm going to be reading the second book pretty soon, and hopefully it will make me a little more invested in the series. If it doesn't who knows if I'll continue on or drop this one.
October 14, 2015
OMG!!!!! Did you guys hear?!?!?! Rachel Caine just announced she is going to write another Weather Wardens Novel!!!!! Next to BDB this is one of my all time FAVORITE series!!! I can't even right now!!!! *update added 10/13/15
Wow where do I begin. Sometimes you just fall into a series of books that take you away. In this case I was taken away in an all American heavy metal car that that can kick ass. Joanna Baldwin is a weather warden, with a flick of her hand the weather above can move and change to help the world stay safe from natural disaster. But when an evil force tries to frame her Joanne hits the road taking it by storm.
When Joanne meets a handsome hitchhiker by the name of David things really heat up. This is a Djinn laden urban fantasy. Friendships are changed, loyalties are tested and the world as we know it will never be the same. The back story of characters are rich and flow seamlessly in Rachel Caine’s writing. No skim reading here. Fast paced and gritty I was hooked on book one Ill Wind and was sad when it ended.
Story Line 5*****
Charaters 5*****
Romance level 3***
Sizzle factor 5*****
"Power calls to power—always has, always will. " -Rachel Caine Weather Warden Series
For more reviews check out http://ktbookreviews.blogspot.com/
Wow where do I begin. Sometimes you just fall into a series of books that take you away. In this case I was taken away in an all American heavy metal car that that can kick ass. Joanna Baldwin is a weather warden, with a flick of her hand the weather above can move and change to help the world stay safe from natural disaster. But when an evil force tries to frame her Joanne hits the road taking it by storm.
When Joanne meets a handsome hitchhiker by the name of David things really heat up. This is a Djinn laden urban fantasy. Friendships are changed, loyalties are tested and the world as we know it will never be the same. The back story of characters are rich and flow seamlessly in Rachel Caine’s writing. No skim reading here. Fast paced and gritty I was hooked on book one Ill Wind and was sad when it ended.
Story Line 5*****
Charaters 5*****
Romance level 3***
Sizzle factor 5*****
"Power calls to power—always has, always will. " -Rachel Caine Weather Warden Series
For more reviews check out http://ktbookreviews.blogspot.com/
October 23, 2014
Not really a 4 star book because it's just another paranormal, kick-ass chick with an attitude & a big problem who keeps making dumb decisions to prove how thick-headed she can be & still manage to get by. I'm afraid I've about reached my limit with the character type, though. So, I'm bumping it 1 star because I think my ennui is driving my reflex rating down & the story had its moments.
The magic was quite different. I don't know enough about the weather to know if all the science was right, but it sure sounded good, although where Joanne gets all the power to do what she does is a question at times.
The author took some chances with characters that I liked, too. She's not afraid to twist s around. The writing was pretty good & I liked the way we were told the back story. She didn't do an information dump, but took advantage of driving time & situations to feed me & let me guess ahead.
I may get the next book in the series, but I'm not in a rush. If you're not burned out on this sort of book, I'd recommend it & be interested in what you think of the next.
The magic was quite different. I don't know enough about the weather to know if all the science was right, but it sure sounded good, although where Joanne gets all the power to do what she does is a question at times.
The author took some chances with characters that I liked, too. She's not afraid to twist s around. The writing was pretty good & I liked the way we were told the back story. She didn't do an information dump, but took advantage of driving time & situations to feed me & let me guess ahead.
I may get the next book in the series, but I'm not in a rush. If you're not burned out on this sort of book, I'd recommend it & be interested in what you think of the next.
May 28, 2010
As I was reading this book I was curiously divided on how I felt about it. One the one hand I was wildly in love with the premise. OTOH, I was not wildly in love with the protagonist. Even up to the very end of the book i was never sure if I wanted to seek out and read the follow up book.
So I decided to do a list of What worked and what didn't:
What worked:
1) The premise. How frickin awesome was the idea behind the main paranormal element in this book? Nature is not our friend. It is a living, breathing, entity with emotions and needs and sometimes it just really likes to destroy things. Fire, earth, wind, rain -- all chaotic systems out to destroy humakind and to stave off that destruction there exists Weather wardens to keep stuff under control. The weather is still presented as a system that is based on physical processes and cause-effect cycles. But there is this extra filament added to it that makes it seem almost sentient. I was so stoked as I was reading this because it was just fascinating. Also it is just so nice to read a UF that doesn't include vampires and werewolves. I also love the inclusion of the Djinn. Not a mythological creature one reads about a lot of in Paranormal/UF.
2) The writing. Caine is undeniably talented and the writing is very strong. I especially love when Joanne (the main character) is musing on he nature of the elements. When Caine writes about the fire or the storms the words simply crackle and pop right off the page. She is really in her elementa (ha ha) when she's describing the "emotions" of the storm or the hunger of the fire. They are at turns malevolent, mindless, driven or even playful. The weather and other natural phenomena become another, fully realized character in the series. I also loved the flashbacks. That is where I think the tone of the book becomes almost that of a storyteller telling a good yarn. The flashback interludes is where the writing moves into a very natural groove. Which brings me to....
3) The structure. I was a little bit off stride when I began the book because she little drops you in media res. Joanne is on the run and you have no idea really why or what happened. The present timeline with Joanne's escalatingly bad situation forms the framework of the narrative and is interspersed with flashbacks that form the meat of the story that fills in the framework. The present timeline had the effect of holding the suspense of the story. You keep reading because, well, what the frak is going on? But the flashbacks are incredibly interesting. They could serve to stop the story but they don't. I really enjoyed this structure. One other book pops into mind immediately, The Lies of Locke Lamora, that used this same structure very effectively as well.
4) The characters: The book is populated with very memorable characters, especially the supporting characters. I especially thought Lewis was very fascinating in his powerful elusiveness. I thought Bad Bob was just about the right amount of villain without being over the top. I loved Rahel's bitchy sassiness. Pretty much everyone that Joanne came into contact with stood out in some way. Which brings me to...
What didn't work:
5)The (main) characters: I never warmed to Joanne. Ever. I think it has to do with the narration. As it typical of many Paranormal/UF book, it is first person narration. I do have to commend the author on staying in Joanne' head. I know in an effort to give the reader a visual of the character sometimes an author will find a way to have the character describe themselves in a way that simply doesn't happen in a person's own mind. For instance, I don't contemplate the color of my own eyes and the fall of my own hair in my mind. So a first person narrator shouldn't either. I actually liked that there were no long drawn out descriptions of Joanne. I actually didn't get a real sense of what she looked like until almost the very last page after Joanne connects Rahel's often used "snow white" in relation to Joanne. So yay. But still I was very disconnected with Joanne's voice. As I noted above the only time her voice really spoke to me was when she was either talking about the elements or when she went into storyteller mode in the flashbacks. But really she came off as a more a narrator of events than a full fleshed character to me. And some of that spilled over onto David who really should have resonated more with me. I did like his character but his persona was very elusive and very much bound up in Joanne's 'present' narration so I never truly connected with him either.
6) The romance. I love romance. But I wish she hadn't shoved it so quickly (almost brutally) into this story. This is a series and the romance could have developed over time. The romance element didn't have exist for what happens in the end to occur. The writing had strongly established a reason why both needed/wanted to protect and save the other. I who am a romance lover, actually didn't want the romance here. Weird.
7) The trope. This is a minor niggle and is more my hang up than any real failing of the book. But when I first started reading it I almost closed the book to never pick it up again. Why? Because Joanne was a loner, bad-ass chick with a lot of raw power and snarky attitude. Sigh audibly. Been there, done that too many times. I think if I had bought the book back when it was published this wouldn't have been a problem. Back then the field wasn't over saturated with this type of character.
With all that I think the 'What works' far outweighed and more heavily influenced my enjoyment of the book that the 'what didn't work.' I do plan to read the next book because I love the idea of the series so much. And the ending was pretty darned cool.
I recommend.
So I decided to do a list of What worked and what didn't:
What worked:
1) The premise. How frickin awesome was the idea behind the main paranormal element in this book? Nature is not our friend. It is a living, breathing, entity with emotions and needs and sometimes it just really likes to destroy things. Fire, earth, wind, rain -- all chaotic systems out to destroy humakind and to stave off that destruction there exists Weather wardens to keep stuff under control. The weather is still presented as a system that is based on physical processes and cause-effect cycles. But there is this extra filament added to it that makes it seem almost sentient. I was so stoked as I was reading this because it was just fascinating. Also it is just so nice to read a UF that doesn't include vampires and werewolves. I also love the inclusion of the Djinn. Not a mythological creature one reads about a lot of in Paranormal/UF.
2) The writing. Caine is undeniably talented and the writing is very strong. I especially love when Joanne (the main character) is musing on he nature of the elements. When Caine writes about the fire or the storms the words simply crackle and pop right off the page. She is really in her elementa (ha ha) when she's describing the "emotions" of the storm or the hunger of the fire. They are at turns malevolent, mindless, driven or even playful. The weather and other natural phenomena become another, fully realized character in the series. I also loved the flashbacks. That is where I think the tone of the book becomes almost that of a storyteller telling a good yarn. The flashback interludes is where the writing moves into a very natural groove. Which brings me to....
3) The structure. I was a little bit off stride when I began the book because she little drops you in media res. Joanne is on the run and you have no idea really why or what happened. The present timeline with Joanne's escalatingly bad situation forms the framework of the narrative and is interspersed with flashbacks that form the meat of the story that fills in the framework. The present timeline had the effect of holding the suspense of the story. You keep reading because, well, what the frak is going on? But the flashbacks are incredibly interesting. They could serve to stop the story but they don't. I really enjoyed this structure. One other book pops into mind immediately, The Lies of Locke Lamora, that used this same structure very effectively as well.
4) The characters: The book is populated with very memorable characters, especially the supporting characters. I especially thought Lewis was very fascinating in his powerful elusiveness. I thought Bad Bob was just about the right amount of villain without being over the top. I loved Rahel's bitchy sassiness. Pretty much everyone that Joanne came into contact with stood out in some way. Which brings me to...
What didn't work:
5)The (main) characters: I never warmed to Joanne. Ever. I think it has to do with the narration. As it typical of many Paranormal/UF book, it is first person narration. I do have to commend the author on staying in Joanne' head. I know in an effort to give the reader a visual of the character sometimes an author will find a way to have the character describe themselves in a way that simply doesn't happen in a person's own mind. For instance, I don't contemplate the color of my own eyes and the fall of my own hair in my mind. So a first person narrator shouldn't either. I actually liked that there were no long drawn out descriptions of Joanne. I actually didn't get a real sense of what she looked like until almost the very last page after Joanne connects Rahel's often used "snow white" in relation to Joanne. So yay. But still I was very disconnected with Joanne's voice. As I noted above the only time her voice really spoke to me was when she was either talking about the elements or when she went into storyteller mode in the flashbacks. But really she came off as a more a narrator of events than a full fleshed character to me. And some of that spilled over onto David who really should have resonated more with me. I did like his character but his persona was very elusive and very much bound up in Joanne's 'present' narration so I never truly connected with him either.
6) The romance. I love romance. But I wish she hadn't shoved it so quickly (almost brutally) into this story. This is a series and the romance could have developed over time. The romance element didn't have exist for what happens in the end to occur. The writing had strongly established a reason why both needed/wanted to protect and save the other. I who am a romance lover, actually didn't want the romance here. Weird.
7) The trope. This is a minor niggle and is more my hang up than any real failing of the book. But when I first started reading it I almost closed the book to never pick it up again. Why? Because Joanne was a loner, bad-ass chick with a lot of raw power and snarky attitude. Sigh audibly. Been there, done that too many times. I think if I had bought the book back when it was published this wouldn't have been a problem. Back then the field wasn't over saturated with this type of character.
With all that I think the 'What works' far outweighed and more heavily influenced my enjoyment of the book that the 'what didn't work.' I do plan to read the next book because I love the idea of the series so much. And the ending was pretty darned cool.
I recommend.
January 11, 2018
A firm 3 stars to the start of this series. I like the idea behind the weather wardens and the twist at the end has actually made me more interested than I would have been to carry on reading this series.
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March 31, 2024
Eh... this had an interesting premise, but it turned out to just be okay.
The heroine is a Weather Warden - someone with elemental powers - who's been cursed to die quickly unless she can find a way to save herself. The whole book is basically her running up and down the East Coast and through the Midwest as she desperately tries for a solution. This could have been fun, but her personality just never really grew on me. She's insanely shallow - all those minutes I spent reading about her ruminations on the perfect bikini are minutes of my life I'll never get back - and I really feel like she should've spent more time being wary of the strange hitchhiker she picks up on the side of the road, rather than being so sexually liberated she decides to sleep with him the same night.
The heroine is a Weather Warden - someone with elemental powers - who's been cursed to die quickly unless she can find a way to save herself. The whole book is basically her running up and down the East Coast and through the Midwest as she desperately tries for a solution. This could have been fun, but her personality just never really grew on me. She's insanely shallow - all those minutes I spent reading about her ruminations on the perfect bikini are minutes of my life I'll never get back - and I really feel like she should've spent more time being wary of the strange hitchhiker she picks up on the side of the road, rather than being so sexually liberated she decides to sleep with him the same night.
February 8, 2024
Mother Nature is schizophrenic and homicidal, and the only thing that stands between you and hideous, painful death is a couple of thousand people worldwide hanging on by their fingernails.Ill Wind is a fun introduction to Caine’s world of Weather Wardens: people who can magically manipulate the weather, and do so professionally to ward off environmental catastrophes.
Caine convincingly combines meteorological terms into her magical weatherworking — at least for a layperson like myself — to ground it close to the realm of a kind of magical realism. We’re still talking about demons, Djinn, and otherworldly forces, but I appreciate the effort Caine made nonetheless to ground the uncanniness as much as possible.
I had plenty of powerful tricks up my sleeve, but they didn’t include breaking and entering. The kind of power I possessed, over water and wind, could destroy a house but not open a door.Our protagonist, Joanne Baldwin, is on the run from her fellow Wardens after killing one of its senior members. What follows is an extended road trip leaden with exposition and flashbacks.
It’s not so much that the flashbacks exist as it is there placement. Often the information they provide comes right as or after it would have been useful; the specifics of Joanne’s crime — the inciting incident of the story — is left up in the air until way too long, for instance. I honestly think that flashback should have been page one.
Sometimes in medias res is more trouble than its worth, and when it forfeits measurable stakes for most of the book, that’s usually a good sign you shouldn’t use it.
Due to the roundabout of flashbacks, we don’t get a good sense of one particular character’s motivations until right before their betrayal, and by that time the character’s trajectory is a foregone conclusion. There’s not enough time to care about the character for us to be devastated at the sudden turn of events.
While I love the idea of Weather Wardens, the way the weather as a whole is characterised was its own journey for me as a reader.
Jo’s penchant for hyperbole can make you think she’s antropromorphising the storm chasing her. She refers to it as “self-aware” and I read that as someone is directing it. If someone isn’t, then its a consequence of her power attracting it like a lightning rod.
But by the end, the storm is acting “surprised” and keeping its “own wary counsel”, so I’m thinking I’m wrong and there’s actually some sentience there — which, I suppose is a weird thing to get hung-up on in a series with magic, but conniving storm clouds just sound silly.
Then there’s the Djinn.
Weather Wardens enslave Djinn — sentient creatures by every reasonable metric — to help them with protecting the world. This magically coercive relationship is too dire a violation to be left so underwritten here. The closest we get to a conversation about it is between Jo and Rahel, where Rahel (a Djinn that happens to be black) argues it’s not actually enslavement because they’d be doing what they’re forced to do anyway — which begs the question of why they force them in the first place.
Jo eventually comes to a hesitant moral judgment about the whole enslavement thing when she decides David shouldn’t be a slave to anyone, so maybe no one should. It's that selfish kind of personal growth I understand for a lot of things in life, but slavery shouldn't need to directly affect you to appreciate its immorality.
Another issue I have is how every important man in Jo’s life is pining away for her. Hot people problems are very real, and while I’m sure it must be a torturous reality for hot people everywhere, having to read the exact same character dynamic is equally so. Thankfully, Paul and Lewis are footnotes.
It’s Jo’s relationship with David that drives the story. As relationships go, they move from 0 to 100 really quick: by the end of the book, they’ve known each other less than a week. And while I don’t really believe Jo actually loves David, or vice versa, just yet, excessive guilt (on David’s part) and desperation (on Jo’s) is more than enough of a foundation for it.
I found the ending a little disappointing. I haven’t learned enough about the Wardens to feel comfortable having Jo transition to something else so soon.
April 23, 2020
***A bitter, begrudging 3.5***
Well, okay. I was excited until the last... maybe 40 pages. Star was the big bad, Jo was racing to fight her off. Star had David, which was heartbreaking. Star also had Lewis, which was... well, I still don't understand how. Because Star's power was broken, right? How in hell was she able to hold Lewis? Marion was on Jo's tail to OKC...
... and let's pause here for a minute to say, seriously, fuck those guys. Marion and her cronies, Paul, the whole lot of Wardens. They are giant idiots who are also giant douchebags. Bad shit is happening right in front of their faces, and they are oblivious, but they glom onto Jo like white on rice, and even keep accusing her of causing these incidents. Right. Because she totally brewed up a big storm to CHASE HER AND SHOOT HER OWN CAR UP WITH LIGHTNING BOLTS. Clearly, no one ELSE could POSSIBLY be causing these things, you brainless turds. Seriously, fuck those guys.
So the idiot brigade is chasing Jo to OKC for the big show-down. They don't even give her points for shutting down the uber storm that was about to kill everyone - they bitch at her about that too. Fucking tools. Then she shows up at Star's, and Star is evil and David is evil, and Lewis is evil (wtf mate? can someone explain how star was controlling him?). And they sort of throw down, but not really, it was all very anticlimactic. And then... Jo dies. And Star, I guess, dies... in a fire she had the power to start but apparently couldn't, you know, RUN THE FUCK AWAY FROM. And Lewis is just fine, and despite being The Most Powerful Human Being To Ever Grace This Planet, contributed less than nothing to the overall story and why the fuck was he even here, again? And the Demon Mark, eh, whatever.
And Jo died. And sure, she's a djinn now, but I feel ripped off. She was, it seemed, a particularly powerful human being, she had some strange yin/yang thing happening with Lewis that I wanted to know about, and now she's something completely different, not a weather witch anymore, because hey, djinn are basically all mini-Lewises - they seem to have all the elements in their control. But I don't want a Mary Sue. Where's my weather witch? Why was she so powerful? Was she really a counterpart to Lewis? Why was he able to pull power through her? What were they supposed to be?
And also, she's supposed to live, so she can tell those Warden fucks to all do the world a favor and go fucking die, because they are all clearly to fucking stupid to have uber-powers, seeing as they can't see OBVIOUS VILLAINS. Bad Bob? Really, with a name like that, you can't see that dude is a villain? And wtf with them not being able to see Demon Marks because they don't ask to? Are we seriously supposed to believe that the entirety of the Warden's Association is too fucking stupid to ask their djinn to allow them to see Demon Marks?
And can someone PLEASE explain Lewis? He... what? Could vibe from wherever the fuck he was that Star had a Mark and was eating djinn, but never clued the fuck in to Bad Bob? Really? And he was held prisoner for ... forever... by Star. And beat people up at her whim. And was then just fine, and cool as a cucumber, and hey, those Warden idiots he had been hiding from for years? No big. They all went out and had a beer or something. Maybe roasted marshmellows around Star and Jo's flaming corpses. What the fuck?
See all the ranting? I told you guys I curse like a sailor. I can't help it, I really liked this book, and was really disappointed by the ending. Disappointed and boggled.
Well, okay. I was excited until the last... maybe 40 pages. Star was the big bad, Jo was racing to fight her off. Star had David, which was heartbreaking. Star also had Lewis, which was... well, I still don't understand how. Because Star's power was broken, right? How in hell was she able to hold Lewis? Marion was on Jo's tail to OKC...
... and let's pause here for a minute to say, seriously, fuck those guys. Marion and her cronies, Paul, the whole lot of Wardens. They are giant idiots who are also giant douchebags. Bad shit is happening right in front of their faces, and they are oblivious, but they glom onto Jo like white on rice, and even keep accusing her of causing these incidents. Right. Because she totally brewed up a big storm to CHASE HER AND SHOOT HER OWN CAR UP WITH LIGHTNING BOLTS. Clearly, no one ELSE could POSSIBLY be causing these things, you brainless turds. Seriously, fuck those guys.
So the idiot brigade is chasing Jo to OKC for the big show-down. They don't even give her points for shutting down the uber storm that was about to kill everyone - they bitch at her about that too. Fucking tools. Then she shows up at Star's, and Star is evil and David is evil, and Lewis is evil (wtf mate? can someone explain how star was controlling him?). And they sort of throw down, but not really, it was all very anticlimactic. And then... Jo dies. And Star, I guess, dies... in a fire she had the power to start but apparently couldn't, you know, RUN THE FUCK AWAY FROM. And Lewis is just fine, and despite being The Most Powerful Human Being To Ever Grace This Planet, contributed less than nothing to the overall story and why the fuck was he even here, again? And the Demon Mark, eh, whatever.
And Jo died. And sure, she's a djinn now, but I feel ripped off. She was, it seemed, a particularly powerful human being, she had some strange yin/yang thing happening with Lewis that I wanted to know about, and now she's something completely different, not a weather witch anymore, because hey, djinn are basically all mini-Lewises - they seem to have all the elements in their control. But I don't want a Mary Sue. Where's my weather witch? Why was she so powerful? Was she really a counterpart to Lewis? Why was he able to pull power through her? What were they supposed to be?
And also, she's supposed to live, so she can tell those Warden fucks to all do the world a favor and go fucking die, because they are all clearly to fucking stupid to have uber-powers, seeing as they can't see OBVIOUS VILLAINS. Bad Bob? Really, with a name like that, you can't see that dude is a villain? And wtf with them not being able to see Demon Marks because they don't ask to? Are we seriously supposed to believe that the entirety of the Warden's Association is too fucking stupid to ask their djinn to allow them to see Demon Marks?
And can someone PLEASE explain Lewis? He... what? Could vibe from wherever the fuck he was that Star had a Mark and was eating djinn, but never clued the fuck in to Bad Bob? Really? And he was held prisoner for ... forever... by Star. And beat people up at her whim. And was then just fine, and cool as a cucumber, and hey, those Warden idiots he had been hiding from for years? No big. They all went out and had a beer or something. Maybe roasted marshmellows around Star and Jo's flaming corpses. What the fuck?
See all the ranting? I told you guys I curse like a sailor. I can't help it, I really liked this book, and was really disappointed by the ending. Disappointed and boggled.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2015
Excuse me while I babble.
This book is really hard to rate. On one hand I didn't really enjoy the story overall (which is not to say I didn't like it, but I wasn't impressed by it) but on the other hand the storyline was really original-especially when compared to whats on the market at the moment. I mean c'mon, this book had genies! (Can you say awesomesauce?)
I don't think Jo makes a good Urban Fantasy MC—I don't even know if this book should be classified as an Urban Fantasy. She is one of those girls-in love with every man she meets and frivolous about love. When I read Urban Fantasy I was to see kick ass protagonist, not a love sick puppy. So I'm giving this book 2 stars for the plot, but an additional star for originality. And the genies, can't forget the genies...
This book is really hard to rate. On one hand I didn't really enjoy the story overall (which is not to say I didn't like it, but I wasn't impressed by it) but on the other hand the storyline was really original-especially when compared to whats on the market at the moment. I mean c'mon, this book had genies! (Can you say awesomesauce?)
I don't think Jo makes a good Urban Fantasy MC—I don't even know if this book should be classified as an Urban Fantasy. She is one of those girls-in love with every man she meets and frivolous about love. When I read Urban Fantasy I was to see kick ass protagonist, not a love sick puppy. So I'm giving this book 2 stars for the plot, but an additional star for originality. And the genies, can't forget the genies...
August 29, 2015
Interesting and different plot idea. The four elements are manipulated by wardens with magic abilities. Our heroine is a weather warden, capable of manipulating air and water. She is a fugitive, running for having murdered someone. She bears a demonic taint and is pursued by evil forces, creating a malevolent storm, tracking her every movement.
The main storyline is interspersed with flashbacks of her previous life, providing some world building, giving her a backstory and slowly catching up to the current plot.
Not bad, but not as gripping as I thought, based on the book blurb and not a funny and snarky as I expected, after reading a short story set in the same universe. And why do the wardens have to manipulate the weather at all?
I am not so happy about the instalove either. I liked the story and the characters, but it did not grip me. I would not mind reading the next book in the series, but all in all this was meh, despite the good writing.
The main storyline is interspersed with flashbacks of her previous life, providing some world building, giving her a backstory and slowly catching up to the current plot.
Not bad, but not as gripping as I thought, based on the book blurb and not a funny and snarky as I expected, after reading a short story set in the same universe. And why do the wardens have to manipulate the weather at all?
I am not so happy about the instalove either. I liked the story and the characters, but it did not grip me. I would not mind reading the next book in the series, but all in all this was meh, despite the good writing.
May 25, 2010
The first half of the story was sort of 'meh', but mid-way though things picked up. I think it's really more of a 3.5 star book, but the ending bumped it on up to a 4 star for me. I sure didn't see THAT coming. Also, I think I've developed a crush on David, so it looks like I'm going to have to continue reading this series.
July 25, 2011
This book has won the dubious honor of making it onto my very short list of books I have started reading and not finished.
It begins in medias res, with plenty of hints at supposedly exciting things that happened before the book began. It flashes back to them at seemingly random points through the book, and when it does, the action is pretty underwhelming when you consider how long the reader had to wait for it.
The main character is incredibly annoying. She seems obsessed with guys, and is forever looking around to notice who might be checking her out (and checking people out in return). During the course of the book (or at least the first half or so), she randomly has flashbacks to what seems like every one of her previous dating or romantic encounters. And her morals seem a tiny bit on the loose side. She also appears to have the vocabulary of a 13 year old (about when kids are young enough to still be pretty dumb and old enough to begin thinking swearing is really cool). Also, she does virtually nothing interesting for way too many chapters. All she does is drive, and think complaining thoughts to herself. And by the way, I got really tired of the endless descriptions of how greasy her hair was from being in the car for weeks, and how her general hygiene was at a low point. It made me want to go take another shower myself. Ew.
There was also one really unintentionally funny hypocritical moment on her part. She stops at this restaurant, and makes a snarky mental comment about the guys eating there having "the physique of people who drive all the time and eat nothing but HoHos." This from the girl who has done nothing but drive for the entire book, and eaten...lets see: pizza, cheese puffs, candy, and a greasy cheeseburger. Nothing healthy in that list! But she supposedly still looks good in a bathing suit. Oookkay.
Speaking of looking good, I died laughing when she went to the mall, came out, and her super hot new outfit was "low rise purple velvet pants, and a purple velvet jacket." Really, Rachel Caine? Is that what's hot these days? Really?
Maybe it will turn out that she is actually severely schizophrenic and this has all been a deranged hallucination inside her head. If so I have completely misjudged the nature of this book, and apologize to any I may have offended. Otherwise, I stand behind all my comments and my one star rating.
It begins in medias res, with plenty of hints at supposedly exciting things that happened before the book began. It flashes back to them at seemingly random points through the book, and when it does, the action is pretty underwhelming when you consider how long the reader had to wait for it.
The main character is incredibly annoying. She seems obsessed with guys, and is forever looking around to notice who might be checking her out (and checking people out in return). During the course of the book (or at least the first half or so), she randomly has flashbacks to what seems like every one of her previous dating or romantic encounters. And her morals seem a tiny bit on the loose side. She also appears to have the vocabulary of a 13 year old (about when kids are young enough to still be pretty dumb and old enough to begin thinking swearing is really cool). Also, she does virtually nothing interesting for way too many chapters. All she does is drive, and think complaining thoughts to herself. And by the way, I got really tired of the endless descriptions of how greasy her hair was from being in the car for weeks, and how her general hygiene was at a low point. It made me want to go take another shower myself. Ew.
There was also one really unintentionally funny hypocritical moment on her part. She stops at this restaurant, and makes a snarky mental comment about the guys eating there having "the physique of people who drive all the time and eat nothing but HoHos." This from the girl who has done nothing but drive for the entire book, and eaten...lets see: pizza, cheese puffs, candy, and a greasy cheeseburger. Nothing healthy in that list! But she supposedly still looks good in a bathing suit. Oookkay.
Speaking of looking good, I died laughing when she went to the mall, came out, and her super hot new outfit was "low rise purple velvet pants, and a purple velvet jacket." Really, Rachel Caine? Is that what's hot these days? Really?
Maybe it will turn out that she is actually severely schizophrenic and this has all been a deranged hallucination inside her head. If so I have completely misjudged the nature of this book, and apologize to any I may have offended. Otherwise, I stand behind all my comments and my one star rating.
January 27, 2016
3.5
“People talk about nature as a mother, but to me she's always been Medea, ready and willing to slaughter her children.”
This unusual Urban Fantasy has a modern day world where there are special people who possess the power to control the elements. They work together to make sure the weather never gets too out of control, to where Mother Nature isn’t a trustworthy beast that regulates on her own; instead she poses a threat of breaking apart our world any time, so subtle control is always needed to keep things in store and balanced.
As with most stories where there's a governing group, corruption has nestled in the ranks. Joanne as the main character is one of the more powerful, young and on the run, suspected for something not her fault, seeking out another renegade who may be able to help her out of her tricky predicament.
“Me and normal have never really been on speaking terms.”
Some of the plot surprises I had guessed ahead of time, one or two I hadn’t. A lot goes on in the pages, the story is complex with characterization, tension, and ending, but I do think it took a little too long to get there. Joanne was on the run and internally musing for awhile, flashing back often on the story of how she got there, which works to small doses but not as the entire first half the book! This is the main reason for the 3.5 star rating over a 4.
The genies are intriguing and I’d love to learn more about them. Joanne is a worthy main character who comes across realistically portrayed, easy to sympathize with, and a suitable main for an Urban Fantasy series. The villains made sense in their motivations and were awesome with their battles.
Using the wind, earth, and fire as weapons in fights and plots is effective. There’s just something in our nature attracted to these elements and stories surrounding them. The battle at the end is especially brilliant when the different powers battle each other.
I liked the end, for there is a large transformation for the main character. I’m curious where the rest of the stories are heading.
December 17, 2011
Urban fantasy series about an organization (the Weather Wardens) that use specialized powers to keep the weather from destroying the world (along with Earth and Fire Wardens) and the Djinn that they use to assist them.
I love the tone the writer uses. Very fast, witty and quippy. Very big on the "I'm a kick-ass woman who loves muscle cars, sex, and driving fast, but I still love pretty clothes and designer coffees." Several clever turns of phrase here.
The story starts out in the middle of action. Which several reviewers here complained about. I found it engaging. By starting with the action, we dispense with all that boring build-up of setting and rising action and get right to it. The author dropped informational nuggets into the story in the form of flashbacks to get us up to speed, in the meantime...the reader is treated to an action-packed romp.
I love the tone the writer uses. Very fast, witty and quippy. Very big on the "I'm a kick-ass woman who loves muscle cars, sex, and driving fast, but I still love pretty clothes and designer coffees." Several clever turns of phrase here.
The story starts out in the middle of action. Which several reviewers here complained about. I found it engaging. By starting with the action, we dispense with all that boring build-up of setting and rising action and get right to it. The author dropped informational nuggets into the story in the form of flashbacks to get us up to speed, in the meantime...the reader is treated to an action-packed romp.
September 9, 2010
I breezed through this one (pun absolutely intended!).
It was fun, creepy, kinda hot in places, and thoroughly absorbing.
For me, well-written dialogue is one of the most important aspects of a book and Caine does not disappoint. There's a lot of snappy, sarcastic banter and it definitely works.
The characters, too, are compelling and believable. Joanna, our
protagonist, is smart, vulnerable, powerful (she can make a life-threatening hurricane go bye-bye, folks!) and funny as hell. The villains aren't caricatures, either. You know, they're twisted and evil but they have their reasons. Oh, and then there's her beau, David...as one of the characters says, Que Lindo!! (that means yummy in Spanish)
It was fun, creepy, kinda hot in places, and thoroughly absorbing.
For me, well-written dialogue is one of the most important aspects of a book and Caine does not disappoint. There's a lot of snappy, sarcastic banter and it definitely works.
The characters, too, are compelling and believable. Joanna, our
protagonist, is smart, vulnerable, powerful (she can make a life-threatening hurricane go bye-bye, folks!) and funny as hell. The villains aren't caricatures, either. You know, they're twisted and evil but they have their reasons. Oh, and then there's her beau, David...as one of the characters says, Que Lindo!! (that means yummy in Spanish)
January 24, 2010
OK, the ending! I won't say anything but WOW did not see THAT coming.
I loved this book. It was a fun, easy, popcorn read, but still witty and smart. and If you are a dresden fan you will certainly like this book. Love the characters, love the original story idea.... I couldn't put it down and was sad it was over and that doesn't happen too often!
I felt for the character like I knew her and pulled for her and hated it when things didn't go her way. I love that she is both strong yet very vulnerable and weak at times, made her very real.
I don't like that it ended so suddenly.... I wanted more followup to what happened to everyone... but I guess the 2nd one will make that ok. Hopefully the rest in the series will be as good.
I loved this book. It was a fun, easy, popcorn read, but still witty and smart. and If you are a dresden fan you will certainly like this book. Love the characters, love the original story idea.... I couldn't put it down and was sad it was over and that doesn't happen too often!
I felt for the character like I knew her and pulled for her and hated it when things didn't go her way. I love that she is both strong yet very vulnerable and weak at times, made her very real.
I don't like that it ended so suddenly.... I wanted more followup to what happened to everyone... but I guess the 2nd one will make that ok. Hopefully the rest in the series will be as good.
December 15, 2013
First books in series don't generally rate as a 5 star book. You've got the world-building, getting to know the MCs, whether you like the MCs etc etc
This book just blew me away it was so original. We have Weather Wardens, controlling the elements and trying to control mother nature and storms, which can have sentience ie intelligence. Helping the Wardens are Djinn, but not willingly, they seem to be enslaved.
Can't believe I haven't read this series already. Luckily I have all the rest of the series and the spinoffs. This was good people, if you haven't read it yet, why not?
This book just blew me away it was so original. We have Weather Wardens, controlling the elements and trying to control mother nature and storms, which can have sentience ie intelligence. Helping the Wardens are Djinn, but not willingly, they seem to be enslaved.
Can't believe I haven't read this series already. Luckily I have all the rest of the series and the spinoffs. This was good people, if you haven't read it yet, why not?
February 13, 2020
Original Review @ Naomi’s Reading Palace
4.5 Stars
I was so excited to get into Ill Wind, because I was honestly looking for a good urban fantasy and really, the books I've read lately have been just ok. I needed something with a good storyline that would leave me thinking about it while I wasn't reading, and always excited to come back to it. Ill Wind certainly delivered and I cannot wait to read more.
Joanna was in a pickle right from the opening chapters. I soon realised she trusted the wrong person and was willing to succeed, which lead her to the situation that she was in. She was willing to do anything to get out of this mess and was looking for an old friend to help her. I enjoyed getting a lot of the back story through Joanne as she travelled across multiple states. She ran into some trouble on her journey and always managed to get her way out.
I loved Joanne's sense of humour, and her fashion sense was unique and hilarious! She tackled everything as best as she could and really took in her surroundings. I enjoyed the weather element that she manipulated and how the other wardens were able to control different elements as well. Then there is David... SWOON! It was interesting seeing him come into Joanne's life and the impact he had on her and how the story unfolded.
Honestly, this is the first Rachel Caine book I have read, and I am kicking myself that it has taken me so long. I enjoyed the way that she slowly created and built up the world, and the introduction of characters had me intrigued. I am really looking forward to picking up the next book!
4.5 Stars
I was so excited to get into Ill Wind, because I was honestly looking for a good urban fantasy and really, the books I've read lately have been just ok. I needed something with a good storyline that would leave me thinking about it while I wasn't reading, and always excited to come back to it. Ill Wind certainly delivered and I cannot wait to read more.
Joanna was in a pickle right from the opening chapters. I soon realised she trusted the wrong person and was willing to succeed, which lead her to the situation that she was in. She was willing to do anything to get out of this mess and was looking for an old friend to help her. I enjoyed getting a lot of the back story through Joanne as she travelled across multiple states. She ran into some trouble on her journey and always managed to get her way out.
I loved Joanne's sense of humour, and her fashion sense was unique and hilarious! She tackled everything as best as she could and really took in her surroundings. I enjoyed the weather element that she manipulated and how the other wardens were able to control different elements as well. Then there is David... SWOON! It was interesting seeing him come into Joanne's life and the impact he had on her and how the story unfolded.
Honestly, this is the first Rachel Caine book I have read, and I am kicking myself that it has taken me so long. I enjoyed the way that she slowly created and built up the world, and the introduction of characters had me intrigued. I am really looking forward to picking up the next book!
April 14, 2010
Ill Wind starts off with a thunderous bang!
Joanne Baldwin, is one of the Weather Wardens and she's running for her life, being accused of murder and all. Nothing but her and her sweet midnight-blue '71 Mustang-Delilah- in search for the only man she can think of who can save her life. Only he's in more hot water then she is.
This is one road-trip-straight-to-hell that is not like any other as Joanne fights to save her life, the people that she's meet on the way, while trying to figure out who she can trust...
I swear, Rachel Caine can do no wrong in my eyes. I seem to have an instant love when it comes to her books! Already a HUGE fan of her Morganville series, I was curious about her Weather Warden books. So I'm not surprised that I adored this book!!
Ill Wind is a fast, fiery and fantastic book that I simply couldn't get enough of.
I mean...WoW!
The plot concept is terrific! Special people with the powers to control the four elements is crazy, add Djinn's to that element and you end up with one of the most unique and kick-ass storyline out there!
This book as just about everything. Action punched, leaped suspense, crazed intrigue and just enough romance to make you gush!
Joanne Baldwin has got to be one of thee best characters I've ever read. She's a no-crap-taking-girl, but with so much heart.
David? In one word...delicious! I'm not to familiar with Djinn's in my other reads but I absolutely adore this element! It just really works in these books.
The writing of course is perfect, with humor and wit that only Caine can deliver when it comes to her characters. It felt familiar but fresh.
She set an amazing pace to this book. Taking us through Joanne's world, past, present, they way she and the other Wardens can manipulate the wind, water, earth and fire. It was a thrill to read those scenes. There was just the right amount of mystery to keep me guessing without wanting to cry from frustration, and I couldn't get enough of the ways the elements took force. But I think I loved the fact that there was just so much sass in these pages that I had to smile. I simply adore Caine's style.
I can go on and on about how much I love, adore, worship this book, but you get the picture;)
Fun, Sexy, Smart! I had an about blast reading Ill Wind. Now, I just have to get my hands on the next eight books:)
A Must Read for any Rachel Caine fans out there! Your going to want to give this series a go!
Joanne Baldwin, is one of the Weather Wardens and she's running for her life, being accused of murder and all. Nothing but her and her sweet midnight-blue '71 Mustang-Delilah- in search for the only man she can think of who can save her life. Only he's in more hot water then she is.
This is one road-trip-straight-to-hell that is not like any other as Joanne fights to save her life, the people that she's meet on the way, while trying to figure out who she can trust...
I swear, Rachel Caine can do no wrong in my eyes. I seem to have an instant love when it comes to her books! Already a HUGE fan of her Morganville series, I was curious about her Weather Warden books. So I'm not surprised that I adored this book!!
Ill Wind is a fast, fiery and fantastic book that I simply couldn't get enough of.
I mean...WoW!
The plot concept is terrific! Special people with the powers to control the four elements is crazy, add Djinn's to that element and you end up with one of the most unique and kick-ass storyline out there!
This book as just about everything. Action punched, leaped suspense, crazed intrigue and just enough romance to make you gush!
Joanne Baldwin has got to be one of thee best characters I've ever read. She's a no-crap-taking-girl, but with so much heart.
David? In one word...delicious! I'm not to familiar with Djinn's in my other reads but I absolutely adore this element! It just really works in these books.
The writing of course is perfect, with humor and wit that only Caine can deliver when it comes to her characters. It felt familiar but fresh.
She set an amazing pace to this book. Taking us through Joanne's world, past, present, they way she and the other Wardens can manipulate the wind, water, earth and fire. It was a thrill to read those scenes. There was just the right amount of mystery to keep me guessing without wanting to cry from frustration, and I couldn't get enough of the ways the elements took force. But I think I loved the fact that there was just so much sass in these pages that I had to smile. I simply adore Caine's style.
I can go on and on about how much I love, adore, worship this book, but you get the picture;)
Fun, Sexy, Smart! I had an about blast reading Ill Wind. Now, I just have to get my hands on the next eight books:)
A Must Read for any Rachel Caine fans out there! Your going to want to give this series a go!
November 19, 2009
Ill Wind is the first installment in the Weather Warden series by Rachel Caine. I'm already a fan of her YA series(The Morganville Vampires). I recently read Undone; which is a branch off of the Weather Wardens series. And I really enjoyed that book, so I decided to get into the Weather Wardens series and was really glad I did.
Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden, with power over wind and water. She's beautiful and impulsive and full of surprises.
Currently, she's on the run from a murder wrap and unfortunately she's bearing a demon mark too. It Start's out with Joanne traveling to find old pal Lewis, because he may be the only one who can help her out.
The other Wardens are told to bring her in if found and she cannot chance being caught. Even before this incident her Warden supervisors considered her something of a wild card. She has power's of unusual strength and because she's undisciplined and tends to not always listen she's usually inclined to act first and think later.
On her journey to find Lewis she meets with somewhat of a hiker. Her first impulse is to ditch him as soon as possible, but she finds that ditching David is easier said than done.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. The book had lot's of action, a good amount of twists and a bit of sexual tension. I really loved the idea of the Weather Wardens and cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
Synopsis:
Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden. Usually, all it takes is a wave of her hand to tame the most violent weather. But now, she's trying to outrun another kind of storm: accusations of corruption and murder. So, she's resorting to the very human tactic of running for her life... Her only hope is Lewis, the most powerful warden known. Unfortunately, he's stolen not one but three bottles of Djinn-making him the most wanted man on earth. Still, she's racing hard to find him-before the bad weather closes in fast...
Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden, with power over wind and water. She's beautiful and impulsive and full of surprises.
Currently, she's on the run from a murder wrap and unfortunately she's bearing a demon mark too. It Start's out with Joanne traveling to find old pal Lewis, because he may be the only one who can help her out.
The other Wardens are told to bring her in if found and she cannot chance being caught. Even before this incident her Warden supervisors considered her something of a wild card. She has power's of unusual strength and because she's undisciplined and tends to not always listen she's usually inclined to act first and think later.
On her journey to find Lewis she meets with somewhat of a hiker. Her first impulse is to ditch him as soon as possible, but she finds that ditching David is easier said than done.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. The book had lot's of action, a good amount of twists and a bit of sexual tension. I really loved the idea of the Weather Wardens and cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
Synopsis:
Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden. Usually, all it takes is a wave of her hand to tame the most violent weather. But now, she's trying to outrun another kind of storm: accusations of corruption and murder. So, she's resorting to the very human tactic of running for her life... Her only hope is Lewis, the most powerful warden known. Unfortunately, he's stolen not one but three bottles of Djinn-making him the most wanted man on earth. Still, she's racing hard to find him-before the bad weather closes in fast...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2011
This is what goodreads has to say about Ill Wind-
First in the new Weather Warden series...
Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden. Usually, all it takes is a wave of her hand to tame the most violent weather. But now, she's trying to outrun another kind of storm: accusations of corruption and murder. So, she's resorting to the very human tactic of running for her life...
Her only hope is Lewis, the most powerful warden known. Unfortunately, he's stolen not one but three bottles of Djinn-making him the most wanted man on earth. Still, she's racing hard to find him-before the bad weather closes in fast..
What I thought- I loved, loved, loved this book. My boyfriend got me turned on to this book and from the moment I started it I couldn't put it down it's just that good. I started listening to the audio book but the narrator while being good just didn't hold my attention so I ended up reading it instead and I'm so glad that I did. I love the fact that you are dealing with an entirely new paranormal being that doesn't get written about a lot and that is the Djinn(basically genies) I also think that it was amazing that you have an urban fantasy book without so much as a mention of a vampire or werewolf. That just seemed unheard of. I will definitely be reading the entire series and I recommend it to everyone. Read the weather warden series you won't be able to put it down.
First in the new Weather Warden series...
Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden. Usually, all it takes is a wave of her hand to tame the most violent weather. But now, she's trying to outrun another kind of storm: accusations of corruption and murder. So, she's resorting to the very human tactic of running for her life...
Her only hope is Lewis, the most powerful warden known. Unfortunately, he's stolen not one but three bottles of Djinn-making him the most wanted man on earth. Still, she's racing hard to find him-before the bad weather closes in fast..
What I thought- I loved, loved, loved this book. My boyfriend got me turned on to this book and from the moment I started it I couldn't put it down it's just that good. I started listening to the audio book but the narrator while being good just didn't hold my attention so I ended up reading it instead and I'm so glad that I did. I love the fact that you are dealing with an entirely new paranormal being that doesn't get written about a lot and that is the Djinn(basically genies) I also think that it was amazing that you have an urban fantasy book without so much as a mention of a vampire or werewolf. That just seemed unheard of. I will definitely be reading the entire series and I recommend it to everyone. Read the weather warden series you won't be able to put it down.
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