Book: Ill Wind by Rachel Caine

Published December 2003|Published by Penguin Group|352 pages|Purchased for my Nook

Part of a series? Yes, Weather Wardens #1

Genre: Adult: Paranormal/Fantasy

Find out more at: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Rachel Caine’s Website

Goodreads.com Summary: 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…

I am such a big Rachel Caine fan, and after reading most of the Outcast Season series, I knew I had to read Ill Wind, the first book in her Weather Warden series.  I really liked it, and it’s a series I’m really looking forward to reading.

I love the idea of a secret agency that helps out Mother Earth by making the weather not so bad, and having mad skills with the elements.  I love the idea of weather wardens, and the idea that the weather (mostly storms) would be a lot worse without them to guide the weather.  I also love what she did with the dijinn and their connection to the wardens.  They definitely have a life of their own, and the dijinns in Ill Wind (and Outcast season) are definitely interesting.

Some of the descriptions of the weather went over my head, but it definitely made Ill Wind really interesting, and it really added to the book.  I also liked the flashbacks, because we got to see how Joanne became a Weather Warden and her relationships with some of the other wardens.  I also liked seeing them because we learn about why she’s on the run and in the situation she’s in.  We do start off right in the middle of things, which was great things got going really fast.

I wasn’t expecting that ending, but Caine is great at writing endings I don’t expect.  I liked the characters, and there’s definitely a lot of potential for the characters.  I really loved all the relationships between the characters, and how connected the wardens seem to be.  The world was pretty familiar because of the Outcast Season series, so it’s nice to get the background for that series.

As much as I love Rachel Caine, Ill Wind wasn’t quite up to the standard she set with Outcast Season and Morganville Vampires.  But I think it’ll get better as the series progresses.  I really did enjoy it, and it was a fun read.

Final thoughts: I loved what Caine did with the weather and all the mythology and magic surrounding the magic and structure of the Wardens.  I enjoyed it- not as much as the Morganville Vampires and Outcast Season- but it was a fun, easy, quick read. It gets 4 stars.