Customer Reviews

Firestorm (Weather Warden, Book 5)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I like the "Weather Warden" series a lot, so I snatched this right up and read it basically straight through. It was good, but at the same time I started getting nervous for the next in the series.

You see, the lead character in this novel goes through, well, Hell. In places almost literally. I'm beginning to get the feeling that I got while reading the Fisherman series, where after a while I just couldn't take the punishment anymore. The lead character in that series just takes beating after beating both physically and mentally, until he's a morass of guilt and psychological pain-- and the novel dwells on it.

Likewise the novels of Laurell K. Hamilton, which have grown from great adventure/horror/romance into page after page of egotistical males jealously growling at each other, or unearthly faeries playing high-handed politics. For what seems like the entire novel. I can't read them anymore, because I just got sick of it after a while.

The reason I bring these other series into this review (and I realize that Ms. Caine should be so lucky as to have a career like Hamilton's) is because they are examples of the flaw in "Firestorm"-- they lack balance. The mystery, the adventure, the description of new places and things, gets short shrift in the face of the punishment of the protagonist or an obssession with one single facet of the nature of people.

There's a lot of deus ex machina in "Firestorm." The lead character doesn't seem to be able to get herself out of a scrape-- she's always rescued just when she can't go on, used her last erg of strength, by her lover David or her daughter Imara, or typical love-triangle plot-thickener Lewis.

Caine has introduced a new type of supernatural being, called an Oracle, which she seems very excited about in the dedication of the book, but perhaps all the details about Oracles got edited out. They basically function as a McGuffin-- something to chase after, but which you never get to know the truth about.

Overall, a good book and I really enjoy the characters. I just hope the next book regains some of its balance, some of the humor and adventure of the earlier novels in this series.

I must be the only person who's reviewed this book so far who doesn't think it moved too fast or rushed through it. And I certainly don't think Joanne has become a bad character. FAR from it.

Well ok, Windfall (the previous book to this) is the best Weather Warden book to date, but this is my second favourite, purely because it has lots of Jo and David scenes in it. Windfall was lacking a lot of their relationship, so to have lots of them makes this book awesome.

If you've read the other reviews, you'd know the plot - it's continuing on from Windfall's exciting cliffhanger, and you get thrown in the deep end straightaway. If you didn't read Windfall, you won't have a clue what's going on. But here it is simply: Jonathan, the head Djinn of them all is now dead, and Joanne's lover David has taken his place. David told Jo to warn the Wardens that the Djinn/Warden relationship is now over and that the Djinn can no longer be claimed. Jo, along with her trusty sidekick Cherise heads for New York City to Warden HQ. Also accompanying her is her newly born Djinn child, Imara, who was born grown up and in Jo's words dresses like a Victoria's Secret fashion model (ie better then she does). Jo and Imara's relationship is just adorable - they are so cute together. They have the usual mother/daughter arguments but always get along. What happens to Imara in this book is heartbreaking, and you really feel for Jo.

There is also a sidestory of Jo's sister Sarah and her evil boyfriend Eamon - he'd kidnapped Sarah and will kill her if Jo doesn't get him a Djinn. You find out why he needs one later in the book. Jo has to put up with this along with the fact that the world might be coming to an end and she is the only one who can stop it.

As always, the characterization is excellent - Jo is (as always) our feisty fun heroine, and I don't think (as a previous reviewer said) that she is turning into a damsel in distress. She takes care of business in her own stylish way and she never gives up. All the favourite characters are back - David, Lewis, Marion, Cherise, Rahel and there's a couple of new faces. Jo and David's relationship, like I mentioned before, takes a place in the spotlight for this book and I love it. All the scenes where they are together are riveting reads, and one of my favourite bits is where they have an argument about Jo's car, it's very cute. Jo delivers her narration with wit and personality and keeps you reading.

The worst thing about Firestorm? The ending. It's another cliffhanger, and it's about a million times worse then Windfall's one. We have to wait till August to see what happens in Thin Air, and it can't come quick enough for me.

Overall, this is another strong Weather Warden book and a fine addition to this absolutely magnificant series. Rachel Caine is an amazing author (and a very nice person to boot) and it shows in this book. Bravo, Rachel! Another winner, a definite 5 stars from me.

All the Weather Warden books are good - okay, very good, excellent even - but this one just plain wore me out. From start to finish it is fast, furious, and doesn't let you, or Joanne (our herione) breathe.

The adventures in Firestorm has a redundant pattern that seems unbreakable. Duty, distrust, anger, pain, horror, sadness. That challenge finished, go to the next where Joanne again faces duty, distrust, anger, pain, horror and sadness. No rest for the weary, the same ugly scenario plays over and over and over, each time becoming more and more intense. Seriously well-written, you feel every bit of pain and anguish Joanne does. Unfortunately, you never get a moment to weep or heal, the next crisis comes too quickly for that indulgence.

There were several points in this book where I just plain wanted to give up, and hoped the heroine would as well. If Joanne had, at any point said, "That's it, you've broken me, I'm jumping off this cliff, ya'all can go to hell in a handbasket without me.", I would have sighed and answered, "well, Duh, about time, let me hold your coat," and cheered her on. Trust me on this, for Joanne, suicide would be a step up on her happiness scale.

I honestly don't know if I'll want to read the next book in the Weather Warden series. If the ending of this one had been even vaguely hopeful, I would have at least felt it had been worth the struggle, but there is no ending, only the promise of more pain and suffering.

Reading so that I might again wallow in depression and futility has never been my shtick.

I am a huge, huge fan of Rachel Caine. She is so incredibly talented and gifted that it makes me jealous. I waited for months for this book, only to be so let down and disappointed. What made the Weather Warden series absolutely the best series of the current decade was the fabulous, deep characterization - Joanna, Sarah, Cherise, David, Imara, Alice, Lewis, Rahel, yes, even that little worm, Kevin. This book had all of named characters, but yet they were "on screen" so little you barely got to enjoy them before they were gone. Joanna ran from one place to the next, constantly chased, constantly being hurt, losing everything she loved and valued at such an fast pace, you couldn't even sink into the writing. The entire time I read the book, I felt as if I was speed-reading or skimming, instead of entering a deeply satisfying read. I might have been inclined to give this book 4 stars as others did, except for one thing - I despised the ending. The worst ending ever in a Weather Warden series. Just as if it looked as if Joanna was going to triumph, it was stolen from her. Do I still recommend this book? You betcha. As one reviewer stated, this seems to be the transition book you so often see in a series. Without this step, the first 4 are incomplete, and you won't be able to understand Thin Air in July of 2007. Just don't expect the same quality of plot, characters and scenes you have come to expect from Ms. Caine.

I wholeheartedly agree with many of the other reviewers here. I am a long time fan of this author and series and eagerly awaited the release of this book. For those other faithful readers out there, don't plan on a fun frivolous read, this is truly exhausting work, worth reading in order to follow the series, but hard going. In getting involved with the characters throughout the series, you really identify and in this book, you're on the edge the whole time, there is no relief, no resolution, I finished this book and was on the edge of my seat and had been stressed out the whole time! Even the end didn't have a satisfactory resolution, its a lead into the next book, but not a fun one. It makes me hesitant to even purchase the next one like I've done all the others. When I read paranormal fiction its truly a form of escapism, to let my mind go and generally have if not a happy ending, some kind of satisfactory resolution. -uh uh, not happening in this one. - i've ordered books from Amazon for years and always read other's review. This is the very first time I've felt compelled to write one myself. If you're purchasing this book for a fun read, I'd reccomend a different book. If you're reading this to continue the series, go for it, but be prepared for a bumpy ride.

I love this series. I think it is by far one of the most creative approaches to a fantasy series in print today. Given that, this is the first of Caine's novels where I was actually diappointed at the end. This book does not stand on it's own. It feels more like a connection between 'Windfall' and 'Thin Air' and reads like a crazed hurried trek through Hell that's created simply to bring a closure to the Mother Earth gone mad plot line. It's still a fun read and tons better than most books in this genre, but it doesn't live up to the rest of the series.

Joanne Baldwin is back and things are worse than ever. Joanne now has a grown-up daughter just a few days old, the Djinn are in revolt. and Mother Earth is waking up and wants to eliminate humanity. David is only partly in charge of the Djinn. As the Mother wakes, they come more and more under her control. To make matters worse, an old enemy is still out to get her and will go through her sister if he has to. But a desperate plan is hatched. There are things more powerful than the Djinn. Things the Djinn fear. They are Oracles and Joanne is going to have to try and appeal to one on behalf of the human race.

Natural disasters spin out of control as he remaining Wardens try to reduce their destructive power. Joanne gets caught up in one such effort and witnesses the birth of a full demon. But as Joanne tries to get to an Oracle, it seems the Demon Marks and Demons want to do so as well. The Oracles represent a direct link to the Mother and a Demon could kill her that way. As the final icing on the cake, Joanne discovers that there is actually a powerful group trying to bring about the destruction of the mother. Can even Joanne survive all of this?

Another excellent book in the series. I will warn that it ends in a cliff hanger. That coupled with the excerpt from the next volume (THIN AIR due out in the Summer), you are going to want to race right into the next one. So if you have a little self-control you may want to wait until the next one comes out (although there is no guarantee there won't be another cliffhanger). If you can't wait, then don't. This series started fast and has yet to slow down. Check it out.

Although I didn't really like the way the last book ended, I could see where she was going with it. However, in this book, the first 3 quarters were build up, build up, build up and then, in my opinion, a rather large let down. The writing style is the same, which is sometimes inspiring while at others repetitive. I like the characters, but not really where they're going.
The story progresses slowly and the end of the book, not only is the main plot 'catastraphe avoided' a let down, but as far as the series goes, there is no overall progress. You learn no more than you already know and can make logical assumtions to conclusions about on your own. No evolution of characters, no major revelations.... Jo, the main character, has become a somewhat vain, majorly whiney, guilt ridden heroin/damsel in destress. It seems more like a soap opera script than a book. No one is allowed to be happy for too long, a main character thats confident and powerful one minute and has self-esteem issue and questions her abilities the next. Too much drama for me.
All in all, not as good as t first 2 books, but not the worst read I've had. Hopefully, just a bump in the writing road for Rachel Caine, but I'm not sure I'll bother with the next one to find out.
I'd actually give it a 2 1/2 if I could.

I was so thrilled to see it in the bookstore. I was so disappointed by the time I was finishing it. Sigh.. There's a blurb on the cover comparing Rachel Caine to LKH, and sadly, it is true. Like Laurell, she started out with a wonderful character, a fascinating world with lots of potential and some really intriguing plotlines, but now, like Laurell, I think she has started padding and repeating herself to extend the series. Some exciting things do happen, don't get me wrong, but Joanne racing from one disaster to the next bigger disaster, constantly being kidnapped and assaulted by the djinn, human psychos or her fellow wardens(not so much this time) it is starting to feel repetitous, just a little. I want to know what is going to happen with the djinn/Warden relationship, the Ma'at and with the Mother/humanity problem, and it just feels like one step forward, three steps off in unrelated directions. Maybe it's just me. I have no idea where I got the idea that this would be the final book in the series and the author gives no clue on her website. I'll read the next one, though probably with more caution and if is just another baby step along the path I guess I'll do what I did with LKH and stop reading till there is a book that is a conclusion(if one ever comes) and then start again. I guess I'm not a fan of never-ending stories.

Why did I give Firestorm 5 stars? Why do I love it so much more than some of the other reviewers? First, I do not necessarily like my books soft, sappy soap operas that always have a 100% happy ending. I love adventure, adversity, excitement, humor, depth of character and a plot that encourages me to read the novel again and again to catch the nuances I missed the first time (and let's not forget sheer paranormal coolness - reading about the "magic" of the earth, fire and weather wardens is hair-raising fun). FIRESTORM has all of the characteristics I love in a paranormal fantasy and more.

Second, Joanne, David and to a lesser extent Lewis grew in this book because Rachel Caine didn't spend so much time fleshing out side characters. Don't misunderstand me, I adore Rahel and Paul, and I loved Jonathan and so many others (you hear the "but" coming, don't you?) but I was tired of the continuously growing list of characters that detracted from Ms. Caine's ability to develop Joanne, David and Lewis and the world in which the Wardens and Djinn live and the (now changing) rules by which they operate. In each of the previous books, we learned more and more about the side characters - enjoyable, of course - leaving less time for the key characters and long-range plot development.

In Firestorm, Ms. Caine is getting back to basics and that's a Good Thing. You will be amazed at the changes in the Warden & Djinn Rulebook (my phrase, not hers). Remember those commercials in the 70s with the catchphrase "It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature!"? That phrase should be the subtitle of Firestorm. I stand in awe of Ms. Caine's imagination and creativity in this novel - she's changing the rules on us, but the new rules are so fascinating I not only don't mind, I'm looking forward to reading the new playbook. Personally, I love the tension in the Weather Warden series - in fact, it's easy to see why Jim Butcher (the Harry Dresden novels, and quite possibly my favorite author) loves Rachel's books - since his books are similarly action-packed.

I also recommend visiting Ms. Caine's website, where you can read what appears to be two chapters in the sixth book, Thin Air, due August 2007. Although part of this work is contained at the end of Firestorm, more is found at Ms. Caine's website. It's worth reading, especially if you're like me and can't wait for August to arrive.

Lastly, some good news - I believe ROC has agreed to publish three more Weather Warden books after Thin Air. Go Rachel, you deserve it!