Laura's review
Ill Wind (Weather Warden, Book 1) by Rachel Caine
This is Book One in Rachel Caine's "Weather Warden" series, and I'm still reeling from it. It's very fast-paced and quite a delight. The writing is excellent, as is the characterization and plotting.
What I liked most about it is the creativity the author used in this series. In most urban fantasy series you read about vamps, weres, Witches, and/or sups of all kinds. But Caine has centered her series around people who are talented at keeping the weather from destroying us. She calls them Weather Wardens. She also introduces Djinns (think Arabian Nights and genies in glass bottles) as the "helpers" of these Wardens.
This first novel was filled with tidbits about the weather, and what makes it behave badly. We also learn a great deal about Djinns, a sup I was not familiar with up to this point. All of this blends together to create a very enjoyable read, complete with a surprise ending.
I am already working my way through the second novel in the ser...more
What I liked most about it is the creativity the author used in this series. In most urban fantasy series you read about vamps, weres, Witches, and/or sups of all kinds. But Caine has centered her series around people who are talented at keeping the weather from destroying us. She calls them Weather Wardens. She also introduces Djinns (think Arabian Nights and genies in glass bottles) as the "helpers" of these Wardens.
This first novel was filled with tidbits about the weather, and what makes it behave badly. We also learn a great deal about Djinns, a sup I was not familiar with up to this point. All of this blends together to create a very enjoyable read, complete with a surprise ending.
I am already working my way through the second novel in the ser...more
I really enjoyed this first book, but I didn't much like the direction she took the series. By the fourth book everybody has nearly limitless power and there are a bunch of boring abstract magical battles.And Rachel Caine has a thing for cliffhanger endings. It's fine if you have all the books stacked up to read, but when you come to the last one it's annoying.
I'm just starting that series myself.
Eleanor, what you say is very interesting, and I am finding that to be the case as well. I am about 80 pages into "Heat Stroke" right now, and it's different, like you say. In fact it has made me think about why I write scenes the way I do in my novels, in that I try to avoid pages and pages of abstraction. I would much rather just say a Witch is viewing the spirit realm through her third eye and write a sentence or two about how she does that, rather than bore the reader with paragraphs and paragraphs of abstract feelings and descriptions, you know? I am hitting a lot of that in "Heat Stroke," and it is slowing the plot pace down quite a bit.
In fact it reminds me of what I didn't like about the "Greywalker" series by Kat Richardson. Pages and pages in every chapter of abstraction describing the grey realm. I guess I get bored easily in that case. The writing has to be wonderful/beautiful or the info has to be interesting. If not, the author has lost me (grin)!
Good to know about the cliffhanger endings. So far I have't been able to find the 3rd book in the series at my local B&N and have been wondering if I can just skip ahead to the 4th and 5th book (which I do have). Now after your comment I know I need to find that third book! Thanks. :)
I happened to see the six book on the series when I stopped by the book store a few nights ago to pick up a few of my other usual titles. It caught my eye and after reading the back flap, immediately hunted down the first book in the series and bought it. Nice to know someone else has read it already and my instincts to pick it up on a whim were right.
This seems to be a book I´d enjoy reading too.. snapps fingers... already on my to-read list! See how fast this goes...lol
Ha! No one ever said we Witches aren't FAST when we want to make something happen. Right, Inara (grin)?!!
BTW, check out my Goodreads library. I finished the second book in the series a few days ago ("Heat Stroke") and wrote a review about it. Sadly, I had to order the third novel in the series yesterday from my local bookstore, because they didn't have it. I already have the rest of the series. But several people told me this series MUST be read in order, so like a good little Witch (big smile), I am waiting for that third novel before I continue reading it.
Also, Inara, I know my latest urban fantasy novel "The Witches of Dixie" is on your to-read list. Check out the page for that novel on Goodreads when you get a chance. I posted some discussion topics a few days ago, including a sneak peek to tell everyone a little about the next novel in the series, "What Witches Want: Book Two of the Witchery Series."
Yes, we (book)witches are fast...especially when when we find something interesting to read..;-D
I´ve already read your review of the second book. So be a good little witch and stay in-line and don´t loose direction and read the books in order(Djinns can be tricky I was told...)
I´ll check out the page for your novel..promised!
I heard the same thing about Djinns (grin). I promise to be good. :)
I'll let you know what I think about the third novel in the series when it comes in, and I get a chance to read it!
