Ill Wind: Book One of the Weather Warden [Mass Market Paperback]

Rachel Caine (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 2, 2003 | Series: Weather Warden (Book 1)

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...

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Joanne Baldwin is a weather warden, who can control the weather and keep it from being more chaotic and destructive than it already is. She is on the run, though, for she is accused of killing a senior warden, which she did, sort of: a thread of corruption runs through some of the most powerful wardens, one of which put a Demon Mark on her and then died. Her only hope now is to get a djinn from her old friend Lewis, who stole three of them^B from the council of the wardens many years ago. As she runs, she picks up a hitchhiker who knows things an ordinary person wouldn't, and who offers help. With djinns and other wardens, including those sent to arrest her, all giving her conflicting information, Joanne never quite knows whom to trust in this romantic escapist romp rife with danger, excitement, and even classic cars. Regina Schroeder
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

A fun read. You'll never watch the Weather Channel the same way again. -- Jim Butcher, bestselling author of The Dresden Files

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Roc; Reissue edition (December 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451459520
• ISBN-13: 978-0451459527
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (145 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #332,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rachel Caine is the #1 internationally bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including the bestselling Morganville Vampires series, the Weather Warden series, the Outcast Season series, and the new upcoming Revivalist series. She was born at White Sands Missile Range, which people who know her say explains a lot. She has been an accountant, a professional musician, and an insurance investigator, and until very recently continued to carry on a secret identity in the corporate world. She and her husband, fantasy artist R. Cat Conrad, live in Texas.

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#47 in Books > Teens

#47 in Books > Teens

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

152 of 156 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Harry's female alter-ego February 6, 2004

By Lucinda A.

Format:Mass Market Paperback

If you are looking for an entertaining book to help you pass a dragging afternoon, this one might be it. Don't expect deep meanings or complicated character introspection, just lots of action-packed fun, lots of magic, a decent mystery and a very likable lead character -- which is better than I could say about many urban fantasy stories out there. Joanne is a Weather Warden with a big problem: she is running a race against time to rid herself of a Demon Mark inflicted on her by her former, corrupted boss. The mark is like a parasite: if she doesn't get rid of it fast, it will pervert her power and turn it into something impossible to control. If the other wardens get to her first, she will lose all her power, if not her life. The alternative is to pass the mark on to somebody else, preferably a djinn, and condemn him or her to a life of eternal torment. She thinks she knows her choices, but in fact she has no idea what her choices really are. As the story unfolds, friends and enemies become no longer easily distinguishable, even more so when willing friends are forced to turn into unwilling enemies. The one person that might have the key to it is nowhere to be found and doesn't seem that friendly after all.

If the plot structure sounds well-known to you, is because you've already encountered it (Jim Butcher's "Dresden files" series springs to mind, to give but an example). Hopefully, that won't prevent you from checking out the book: it makes good on its promises, with a nice twist at the end. If Harry Dresden charmed the readers with his dry wit and inborn talent of making a mess of just about everything, Joanne will appeal to the readers (some readers, anyway) with her disarming honesty about her likes and dislikes.... Frankly, I found it quite refreshing to come across a female character that fantasizes freely about men, enjoys fast cars and sexy cloths, and is not ashamed to admit it. The djinns are a nice and less explored alternative to vampires, werewolves and fey creatures (all of which seem to me quite over-used nowadays). Generally, the characters of the story didn't have too much "texture" and appeared a bit too simplistic for my taste - but hey, there's plenty room for future development. On the whole, the action is very nicely paced, with just the right amount of suspense and magical deeds. In short, a promising beginning and a definite page-turner. Read more ›

68 of 68 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An Unexpected Treat May 10, 2004

By Emma VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I'm always looking for something new in the whole paranormal/supernatural genre and so I picked up Ill Wind after I'd seen people talking about Rachel Caine online. I must admit to an initial hesitance, I read the back and was slightly interested.

I'm so glad that I forged ahead and picked it up to read because it's so much better than the back cover makes it out to be.

Weather wardens, Earth Wardens, Fire Wardens - I wasn't overly interested by the cover and yet, Caine introduces us to these wardens who protect the rest of us from the weather and the earth and other natural disasters with a really unique and interesting spin. That they are aided bu djinn only adds something else.

Joanne Baldwin is a weather warden who is on the run from a murder wrap, oh and she's bearing a demon mark too. Knowing that the only way to get rid of the demon that's been forced into her body is to force it on another human, which is against her moral code, or a djinn, who are rare but she knows who might have a spare or two. Jo drives all over the eastern seaboard and into the south with djinn, friends, foes and killer storms all popping in and out.

The results, rather than seeming scattered or disconnected, actually create a tight story and a macro universe from which many other stories can come (and I hear she's working on two more books now).

The story has a few good twists that you don't see coming and lots of action and a bit of sexual tension. All in all, a great recipe and a very readable book.

52 of 58 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected March 26, 2007

By Tracy

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I purchased this book based on the "Amazon" recommendation page. This was not a bad book, but it was not what I had expected either. I like science fiction/fantasy books and I thought this was going to be a little bit of sci-fi and mystery. Unfortunately, this ended up being more of a "romance" novel with a bit of sci-fi thrown in, if you can call it that. I liked the idea of weather wardens (people having the power to control the weather); I also liked the lead character Joanne. But, too much of this book focused on her sexuality and her attraction to the opposite sex. While I don't dislike this idea completely, it seemed out of place as the story progressed. It felt like Joanne was more concerned with her appearance and her love life than the fact that she was running for her life.

All in all it was not a horrible book and if you want a nice fluff piece with somewhat interesting characters this is an ok book. If you are looking for something with a little more depth and not in the mood for a "romance" type book, this is not the story for you.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Got suckered in November 24, 2009

By D. Garcia

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I read a short story by Rachel Caine that is a prequel to the Morganville Vampire series and liked it a lot so I tried this series. I liked the first book well enough, so I went and bought all the rest. What a waste. Each story seemed like more of the same, over and over, with the heroine making absolutely idiotic choices and never really DOING anything about the things that keep happening to her. Save your time and money and don't get started on this series.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars good but not great August 25, 2006

By Madame X TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

There were some things I liked about Ill Wind a lot, and others I liked less well. I think that the elemental magic is great, and Caine writes about weather in the most passionate, palpable way.

I liked the way that Caine added flashbacks to the characters' college years and childhood. I liked that the heroine was smart, powerful, and sexy. No apologies for it.

But I didn't think that the characters were fully fleshed out - and I was frustrated by the ending - a novel involving the paranormal, or fantasy, can only survive if the author resists the desire to create impossible situations and then cart out a deus ex machina.

Same thing with the Demon Mark. The heroine is so busy running around that she never stops to logically think through what is happening to her, or ask intelligent questions. And it seems like Caine sort of pushes events to this pace where it's almost impossible to keep track of what's going on.