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Ill Wind (Weather Warden #1)

3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 · rating details · 10,100 ratings · 947 reviews

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 kno...more

414 pages

Published April 28th 2008 by Allison & Busby (first published December 2nd 2003)

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Jun 05, 2012 Jeann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-uf, own, favourite-series, magic, buddy-reads

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 scien...more

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Sep 03, 2010 Nic rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, adult, urban-fantasy

" 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...more

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Dec 25, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-list-2010, urban-fantasy

This is the first book by Rachel Caine I have read and I must say I enjoyed it. Ill Wind is the first book in the Weather Warden series, where the world's weather is controlled by warden's who each control the different elements of Earth, Wind, Water and Fire.

Joanne is a weather warden and she has the ability to control water and wind. She's also on the run from the World Council as she's been accused of murder. I really like Joanne. She's certainly not a girlie girl as she likes her cars and dr...more This is the first book by Rachel Caine I have read and I must say I enjoyed it. Ill Wind is the first book in the Weather Warden series, where the world's weather is controlled by warden's who each control the different elements of Earth, Wind, Water and Fire.

Joanne is a weather warden and she has the ability to control water and wind. She's also on the run from the World Council as she's been accused of murder. I really like Joanne. She's certainly not a girlie girl as she likes her cars and drives a Mustang (who she talks to as though it's a person), likes to drive fast and take a few risks. But on the other hand she does really like her purple velvet trousers... What a great combination: a feisty chick who's not afraid to get down and dirty but who also loves to look good. I must say, I can relate!

Although I didn't quite manage to get into the book from the first chapter due to a few passages that dragged a little, mainly the descriptions of the weather, my interest certainly piqued with the introduction of David, a very sexy hitchhiker Joanne picks up along the way and who turns out to be something totally different. There's also great sexual tension between the two of course, and who doesn't like a bit of that!

About two thirds of the way into the book the pace picks up considerably and battles ensue. There are lots of twists and turns, which, for me, were a little predicable as I saw them coming a mile off, but they kept my interest all the same.

I also enjoyed the flashbacks to Joanne's past: how she became a Weather Warden, her friendship with Star and Lewis (both weather wardens) and her problems with her boss Bad Bob, who she didn't like and is accused of killing. I felt I was getting to know her slowly but surely as the book progressed.

Verdict:

After a bit of a shaky start, I thoroughly enjoyed Ill Wind. It's quite a fresh take on the urban fantasy as there's no vampires or werewolves, instead we have wardens and Djinn (genie). I look forward to reading the next book in the Weather Warden series.

I actually gave this 7/10 on my blog, but Goodreads still doesn't offer half stars!

(less)

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Jun 03, 2008 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: elemental-magic, urban-fantasy

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, s...more 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.(less)

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Sep 16, 2012 Naoms rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nook, paranormal-urban-fantasy, read-in-2012, witches-magic-users-shamans

I really enjoyed this book. It is very different from other UF stories out there. I love the idea that magic users, help control and guide the weather. That they protect us from the really intense stuff and that as horrible as some storms can be it would be 10x worst without the Weather Wardens.

Ill Wind follows Joanne, a Weather Warden who is on the run. She is charged with killing a big wig in the Warden universe and everyone has it out for her. More importantly the weather has it out for her....more I really enjoyed this book. It is very different from other UF stories out there. I love the idea that magic users, help control and guide the weather. That they protect us from the really intense stuff and that as horrible as some storms can be it would be 10x worst without the Weather Wardens.

Ill Wind follows Joanne, a Weather Warden who is on the run. She is charged with killing a big wig in the Warden universe and everyone has it out for her. More importantly the weather has it out for her. I really like the way this story is structured. Through a series of well timed and placed flashbacks, we learn about Joanne's past, the supporting characters and what exactly happened in the incident that has her on the run. This book is action packed and nonstop rush of adrenaline.

This book would have been 5 stars, but unfortunately, I didn't really like the end. It makes me sad, because the first 90% I loved and enjoyed but the end didn't ring true for me. In the rules of the world that the author set up, brilliantly, it didn't make sense to me that the villain should be that big of a threat. Difficult? Yes, but earth shattering and deadly? No. I didn't understand how the Villain amassed the power to really do the things that they ended up doing and be the threat they ended up being. It seemed to unrealistically break the rules that the author had set.

Something I really despised was the idea of the Djinn. They're basically slaves and I just can't stand reading about stuff like that. Especially, when you read about a free Djinn and you know that they experience emotions, have consciences and have their own opinions on life. I hope this series ends with humans realizing it's not cool to keep them as slaves, etc.

I liked Joanne and rooted for her the entire time, but parts of her I found unrealistic and even stupid. I didn't buy how easily she trusted and loved David. I wonder if the rest of the story is going to be a love triangle between David and Lewis. Because they spend so much time building up Lewis, the encounter that made him take a step back from her and gave them sort of a sad interrupted romance, that I hoped would end with them together and happy, but then we're introduced to David. We finally get introduced to Lewis and he's basically a useless character. I don't understand what the point of him was in this story, because in the end it's David who saved her in his way.

This was a good read and I intend to continue with the series, despite my disappointment with the end. (less)

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Apr 02, 2012 Moira rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Není to čistých pět, přesto...
Přesto tuhle knihu zbožňuji! Jak to, že jsem ji doteď nečetla?!

Kniha mě chytila hned od začátku a nepustila mě až do konce. (Což se mi děje zatraceně málo.. xP) Nápad je originální a špičkově zpracovaný. Správci mě nadchli, jelikož přesně tohle je typ témat, které miluju. Proč jen více autorů nepíše podobně dobře?

Dostáváme se do světa, kdy lidstvo od záhuby chrání jen Správci. Správci počasí, země, ohně... Protože Matička příroda je zatracená mrcha, která by nás s...more Není to čistých pět, přesto...
Přesto tuhle knihu zbožňuji! Jak to, že jsem ji doteď nečetla?!

Kniha mě chytila hned od začátku a nepustila mě až do konce. (Což se mi děje zatraceně málo.. xP) Nápad je originální a špičkově zpracovaný. Správci mě nadchli, jelikož přesně tohle je typ témat, které miluju. Proč jen více autorů nepíše podobně dobře?

Dostáváme se do světa, kdy lidstvo od záhuby chrání jen Správci. Správci počasí, země, ohně... Protože Matička příroda je zatracená mrcha, která by nás s největší radostí pozabíjela. Vypálila, spálila, utopila či rozdrtila. A Správce nenávidí ještě více. Smekám nad promyšleností, kterou autorka vložila do popsání Správců počasí. Nice.
Kniha oplývá tolika originálními nápady, je tak nápaditá a plná fantazie... Nechápu. Vážně nechápu, jak to autorka dokázala, ale ve Smolném povětří se píše o věcech, které jsem snad ještě nikde nečetla. Smekám.

Styl Caineové mi sedl, vážně mě bavil a četlo se mi strašně dobře. Postavy mě bavily, byly dobře podané, hlavní hrdinka vtipná a v pohodě, celkem i originální. Vedlejší postavy jsou ještě zajímavější a některé až tajemné...
Žádné trojúhelníkování, na druhou stranu zajímavé retrospektivní výlety do hrdinčiny minulosti. A děj... děj vážně stojí za to!! :)) Za celou dobu jsem se nenudila snad ani jednou, což je výkon, a ke konci jsem četla tak hltavě, že jsem pravděpodobně jen přelétala očima přes řádky jen abych věděla, jak to sakra skončí.
V ději byly zvraty, které jsem nečekala, byly tam okamžiky překvapení, bylo tam namixováno vše, co by v dobré fantasy knize mělo být a to ještě ve vyhovujícím poměru. A konec..

Pravda, konec nebyl tak bezvadný, jak bych na knihu řekla, přesto byl dost dobrý. Jsem z této knihy nadšená a sháním druhý díl. Jen... kniha končí celkem jako uzavřený celek. Nevím o čem bude další díl. V ději se stal převrat, který mi rozbil všechny mé malované zámky a já ani zdaleka netuším, o čem by další díl měl být. Což se mi nestává moc často, vlastně bych ty případy spočítala na prstech jedné ruky.

Knihu doporučuju každému maniakovi do fantasy, která oplývá akcí, zvraty, dobrými postavami a kdo má rád kouzla. Vážně jsem ještě nečetla nic podobného a to si o sobě troufám tvrdit, že trochu toho z fantasy písečku už načteného mám. :)) Tahle kniha vážně stojí za to, nenechte si ji ujít. x))

PS: knihu jsem četla okolo šesti hodin. Nemá zas tolik stran, na druhou stranu jsem četla až do dvou do rána, kdy jsem byla k smrti vyčerpaná,a le musela vědět, jak to dopadne. Tak. Toto by vás mělo potřebně nakopnout. :D(less)

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Mar 05, 2011 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy

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...more

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Dec 17, 2011 Wicked Incognito Now rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-ebook

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....more

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Dec 13, 2011 gigi pryce rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-read, urban-fantasy-reads, weather-warden

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 t...more

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Jan 23, 2010 Kimber rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-scifi, read-in-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 vulnera...more

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May 18, 2011 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-fantasy, author-gender-female, publisher-penguin, genre-romance, misc-poorly-edited-ebooks, read-in-2011, author-nationality-usa, creatures-demons, creatures-original, creatures-genies, genre-urban-fantasy, pov-first-person, rating-3-stars, set-in-multiple-locations, set-in-usa, tense-past, reviewed-by-iamfantastikate

Should I read it? Possibly. It's not a great book, but it's not horrible, either. Regular urban fantasy fans will enjoy this the most.

What's the short and skinny of it? Joanne Baldwin has the ability to control weather patterns. She’s one of a few thousand on earth known as the Wardens, who have this or a similar ability--and, more importantly, the responsibility--to keep Mother Nature from killing her fragile human inhabitants. (Think Hurricane Andrew was bad? It could have been much worse with...more

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Feb 17, 2009 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, demons

I'll try to write this without any spoilers.

I struggled with this book at first. The beginning was confusing and the author dolled out information one grain at a time. I was extremely frustrated and considered quitting the book more than once. But I forced myself to continue and I wasn't disappointed. I would have given this 5 stars except for my frustrations with the beginning.

My only other (slight) complaint would have to do with the weather descriptions. Some were boring and some were so fa...more

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Dec 01, 2008 Anita rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy

This is a paranormal action-adventure with a little bit of romance where the superpowers are control of the earth, sky (wind and water), or fire. These people are called Weather Warden. The book is fast paced and pretty well written, though I get the impression that Rachel Caine must have been a meteorology student in her former career - the descriptions of how the heroine (Joanne Baldwin) uses weather to fight are very detailed. I gave up trying to follow all the changes in barometric pressure....more

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May 21, 2008 Angie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

So I finally got around to picking up my first Rachel Caine book. I have to say I really like the cover design and artwork on this series. Simple, classy lines accompany the smooth, witching weather artwork making the overall package quite pleasing. I'm looking forward to how they'll look all lined up nicely on my shelf.

Joanne is a weather warden, one of a few hundred people on Earth gifted with the ability to control the elements. Jo's gift is over water and air. She can summon up a storm and...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Dia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 09, 2010 Gaijinmama rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

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...more

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Sep 26, 2008 Kathleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Took me a little while to really get into it (partly because the story was in first person, but the narrator wasn't telling things she knew--comes off as a bit "coy" on the part of the author, in my opinion), but I liked the story and the way it was resolved. The "romance" verged on explicitness in a couple of places, by the way, and she was a little more obsessed that way than I could really relate to. Interesting world and magic system. Makes me wonder if she mentions some of the nasty earthqu...more

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Oct 01, 2007 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: supernatural fiction fans, fantasy fans

Shelves: supernatural

This was a fun and somewhat frenetic read! The heroine, Joanne Baldwin, is a weather wizard of a sort, and after a terrible experience, is on the run from the Weather Wardens she works for. She finds a number of enemies and allies along the way, and it soon becomes difficult to tell which is which. On top of being a lot of fun to read, the book set the stage well for future books (which I'll definitely be reading). Did anyone else notice that the heroine is named Joanne and loves old cars, much...more

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Aug 20, 2007 Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At first I thought this book was going to be just some cheesy sci-fi/fantasy book that would be usefull to pass the hours while I'm at work, but it actually turned out to be really interesting. The plots twists were entertaining, and even though I knew how the book was going to end (I read the preview for the second book) I was still greatly intrigued by how everything developed. While this was no where near the greatest book I've read this summer, it was still a lot of fun and I plan on reading...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Jenn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really wish you could do half stars because I'm stuck between 3 and 4. I had some issues that keep it from being a 4 but loved it enough to not want it to be a 3. Seriously Goodreads...1/2 stars.

So what did I love. The concept. The idea of weather wardens is fantastic. At least I know who to blame for our -40˚C winters but thanks for those Chinook breaks! And the Djinns...these are no singing blue genies who sound a lot like Robin Williams. I like Joanne (popular UF heroine name) who's a litt...more I really wish you could do half stars because I'm stuck between 3 and 4. I had some issues that keep it from being a 4 but loved it enough to not want it to be a 3. Seriously Goodreads...1/2 stars.

So what did I love. The concept. The idea of weather wardens is fantastic. At least I know who to blame for our -40˚C winters but thanks for those Chinook breaks! And the Djinns...these are no singing blue genies who sound a lot like Robin Williams. I like Joanne (popular UF heroine name) who's a little flaky, a little fun and a little tough and a little slutty. She gets around (bit not in an Anita Blake way) and everyone seems to want to get into her pants. (This seems to be something I'm noticing a lot lately in UF books - that the heroine is soooo sexy and soooo hot that everyone wants to do her and is in love with her...please...no.)

David is (not so) mysterious. I mean come on...figured out who/what he was within a minute of meeting him. How Joanne missed those vital clues is beyond me. Is he memorable to me? Enh... *wobbles hand back and forth* Not quite. I keep getting him mixed up with a hero in another book I just read.

So what is keeping this from being a solid 4 for me? A lot of the story seems to be forgettable. And I just finished it yesterday. I find myself going: wait no, that happened in the next book I read. No, that's the guy in the next book I read. Wait? Who? I want to be able to remember the story and the characters (not just the concept) so I pick up the book again a year down the road.

And then there's the Paul thing. Paul is kinda her boss...but kinda not... And she's kinda in love with him. She kinda kisses him. And then a few pages down she's kinda lusting after her hitchhiker and all those emotions she had just shown us in regards to Paul are forgotten. (Please tell me there won't be a love triangle...yet another plot device that seems to be cropping up a lot.)

None of this has prevented me from buying book two (full price at that! faints) to find out what happens next.(less)

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Jan 18, 2009 Kristen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

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 int...more 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?(less)

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Jan 01, 2009 Paul Genesse rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been wanting to read Ill Wind for a while, after reading a teaser chapter a long time ago. Finally, I got it off the shelf and read it over the span of three days. I really enjoyed the book. The voice of the main character was really fun. Jo is a Weather Warden, basically a wizard of sorts, who manipulates the weather, making sure it doesn't get out of hand. She belongs to an organization with other Wardens who keep Mother Nature from killing lots of people and destroying property all over...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Angela Oliver rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, fantasy, paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy

This is a fun and action-packed paranormal/urban fantasy that takes elements from other authors that I like (Kelley Armstrong, Kim Harrison, Nalini Singh, Jim Butcher) but has taken a fresh and original track of its own, and Caine has created her own mythology/way the world works. The Weather Wardens are elemental magicians - more or less - being able to manipulate the elements of Air and Water, and thus have some control over the weather. The Earth itself, is a sentient entity, one that often s...more

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Jan 09, 2013 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I very much enjoyed Ill Wind, the first of the Weather Warden Series - stories of djinns and weather magic. The series is loosely part of the urban fantasy genre - something that I've only recently begun to explore. (Though with a vengeance.) This is somewhat a departure from the norm in that it features djinns and weather magic rather than the usual vampires, zombies and were-wolfs. That's refreshing in itself, but what I really enjoyed was telling the story in the form of a road trip. Joanne B...more I very much enjoyed Ill Wind, the first of the Weather Warden Series - stories of djinns and weather magic. The series is loosely part of the urban fantasy genre - something that I've only recently begun to explore. (Though with a vengeance.) This is somewhat a departure from the norm in that it features djinns and weather magic rather than the usual vampires, zombies and were-wolfs. That's refreshing in itself, but what I really enjoyed was telling the story in the form of a road trip. Joanne Baldwin, a young weather warden, is fleeing a disaster, driving cross country towards a desparately hoped for haven, persued by deadly foes, encountering curious people and events along the way, and her back story gradually revealed through flashbacks. It's a classic story structure, though not one I've read recently, nor particularly common to what I've seen of the genre. The constant need to be on the move provides a sense of constant urgency that fuels the book's energy. Plus danger comes in the form of massive lightning bolts and tornado strength winds.

The book is not without flaws. The flashback device, for example, plays out a bit awkwardly, not always easily merging with the real time story, and too often annoying in how it holds back important information. But for all that still a generally engaging manner of laying out a fairly extensive back story. On the whole, Ill Wind does better than most first books in a series at not overwhelming the story of the moment while laying out the greater premise of the series.

There is a romance and sex component to the story that worked pretty well for me here. However, I suspect it will be more pronounced, pehaps obtrusive, in future stories. (I found out about this series through Felica Day's Vaginal Fantasy book club - which is specifically oriented towards paranormal romances with strong sexual components. So I have reason to expect a substantial turn towards romance.)

This is not great literature. But I found it to be a fun read that will indeed lead me to continue with the series.(less)

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Jan 01, 2013 Nathan Burgoine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jo is a weather warden. Basically, there are folk in the world who are capable of touching - and manipulating - the elements of fire, air, water, and earth. Jo is has air and water (which very often go together), and is one of the strongest weather wardens around, as she uses her abilities to calm weather patterns, stop as many storms as possible, that sort of thing.

Or at least, she did before all the rest of the Wardens in the world starting hunting her, since she just happened to kill someone...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a strong well written urban fantasy novel. The pacing was good. I don't remember reading a book before where the Djinn were more than tools that lived in bottles. They have individual personalities here. And the characters manipulate the weather on a macro and micro scale. A couple things bothered me. First, the main character, Joanne, starts out on the run because of a mystery event. We are left hanging, wondering what happened for the first half of the novel. When we finally learn why...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Tanisha Peck rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 07, 2012 Mrs. S rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My taste in reading material pretty much encompasses various genres. One of the most interesting is the paranormal/supernatural genre. It's been a while since I read from this genre (I have to be in the mood). I picked up this book based on the reviews at Amazon. What an interesting concept! The book revolves around Joanne, a Weather Warden. They are people who have special abilities that control the weather and keep humans safe from all types of natural disasters. They do their job, behind the...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Hilari rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Hilari by: Vaginal Fantasy

Meh. While I appreciate a good fantasy story, this one hit on some of my major pet peeves.

1) you have a woman who is written as smart, accomplished and fast-talking. Then she proceeds to make some of the dumbest decisions ever.

2) aforementioned woman has an instant connection to some "random" guy but pushes him away for half the book. He does something nice for her, they have mind-blowing sex and she's in love. I'm always left flipping back through the story to figure out what exactly it is she...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Ayse rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I had such high hopes for this book. I had meant to read it for a while and finally picked it up because of vaginal fantasy. Though I enjoyed the video chat by the girls and don't regret the experience, I really did not like this book at all. So much so that I am seriously reconsidering reading the author's other books. I don't think there was anything I liked about it other than that the writing was good. Though I hated basically all the characters and the love story was unbelievable and ridicu...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
LEWIS or DAVID?	17	73	Feb 16, 2013 02:46pm
Vaginal Fantasy H...: * Ill Wind Discussion Thread Spoilers	222	559	Sep 26, 2012 02:14am
Vaginal Fantasy H...: QUESTIONS FOR TUESDAY HANGOUT! POST HERE!	50	241	Aug 30, 2012 03:30am
Vaginal Fantasy H...: which warden would you be?	51	251	Aug 28, 2012 02:53pm
Vaginal Fantasy T...: August Hangout	2	11	Aug 23, 2012 01:53pm
Vaginal Fantasy H...: Next Hangout: August 28th TUESDAY 8pm PST	1	554	Jul 30, 2012 09:47pm
What urban fantasy series do you think would translate best to a television series?	3	16	Jul 03, 2012 02:57pm

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About Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine is a pen name of Roxanne Longstreet Conrad.

She has also published as:
Roxanne Longstreet
Roxanne Conrad
Julie Fortune
Ian Hammell

Her Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/rachelcainef...

More about Rachel Caine...

Books by Rachel Caine

Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires, #1)

Feast of Fools (The Morganville Vampires, #4)

Midnight Alley (The Morganville Vampires, #3)

The Dead Girls' Dance (The Morganville Vampires, #2)

Carpe Corpus (The Morganville Vampires, #6)

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“People talk about nature as a mother, but to me she's always been Medea, ready and willing to slaughter her children.” — 73 people liked it

“Me and normal have never really been on speaking terms.” — 11 people liked it

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Ill Wind (Weather Warden #1)

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