Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Review from the book review blog, Book Faery, March 17, 2010
This review is from: Unknown (Outcast Season, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
Cassiel, a Djinn-turned-human, is faced with a huge predicament revealed at the end of Undone: give in to Ashan's demands and thus, become Djinn again, or fight Pearl--a malevolent force she destroyed thousands of years ago--but as a human this time.
Paired with Luis Rocha, the duo are constantly attacked by child soldiers trained by Pearl. Not only that, but more and more reports of missing children are popping up everywhere they turn. Isabel, kidnapped in the prior installment of this series, is still missing. Perhaps there is a link between these children and Ibby's disappearance?
I am in love. I thought that I enjoyed the Weather Warden series, but Cassiel's story definitely beats Joanne's in my books.
The slow and steady shift from Djinn to human is what intrigued me the most with this newest installment. Djinn in Caine's universe are cold and calculating, yet we see such warmth in Cassiel's character. It is a sudden, significant shift that occurred in Undone, and one that was written beautifully and explored further in Unknown. It is important to note, however, that while Cassiel is human and acts more human with each and every page, the Djinn in her still pops up here and there throughout the book. Reintroducing the cold and calculating back into Cassiel's character added a new and interesting twist for me. The shift between the two is both subtle and smooth, and the reactions from all the secondary characters are amusing, to say the least.
The strange physical attraction Cassiel felt towards the Earth Warden, Luis, in Undone has sparked romance betwixt the duo now. Said romance is not only believable, but also charming, hilarious, and absolutely "aww!"-worthy. Unknown ended on such a beautiful note, I squealed in delight and hugged the book to my chest in glee.
Wondering if you should start this series by Ms. Caine? I highly suggest you do.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Book Two of the Outcast series, June 26, 2010
This review is from: Unknown (Outcast Season, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
I love Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series - well, at least the first four or five books which I have read - but hadn't read any of her more recent offerings. When I picked up 'Unknown' I assumed it was a different series than the Weather Wardens, which indeed it is, but it has many links to that previous series and mentions many of the same characters.
I haven't read the first in the Outcast Season but that didn't appear to matter too much; I think I'd have found this book much more confusing if I didn't know of the basic structure of the Weather Warden series and some of the people in that. This book was rather darker and less character-driven than the others, focusing on Cassiel, a Djinn who is now something approaching a human, and who, with Earth Warden Luis Rocha, is trying to stop another ancient Djinn, Pearl, from destroying humanity (what else!)
This book is very fast-paced, like the Weather Warden series, with our heroine dashing from problem to disaster. Lots of people are caught up in the crossfire and she leaves a trail of dead bodies, most of whom aren't her fault. The book hints at a romance but this wasn't particularly developed. It was an enjoyable read but somehow I felt the action was taking over too much and I didn't really connect with any of the characters. Cassiel is clearly developing but I wasn't entirely sure how it would play out, and I also felt that Pearl was a bit too nebulous an enemy, and not knowing the extent of her powers made it hard to gauge the real level of jeopardy for Cass and humanity.
Although I enjoyed the book I was a bit disappointed by the ending which left most of the story hanging. I will probably want to read the next in the series but I did find this book a bit too unfinished for full enjoyment.
Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2010
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
To be human just makes things harder, February 16, 2010
This review is from: Unknown (Outcast Season, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
At the end of book one Cassiel had figured out and faced her ancient foe and almost died for it. The question now is how to stop Pearl and also figuring just what it is she is after and stop her. But it won't be easy. New players join the game, Rashid - a new Djinn with his own agenda; Agent Turner - FBI agent and Warden spy who seems to truly care about the children Pearl has taken; police and other government agencies - human groups that as a Djinn she'd never had to give a second thought to before.
Cassiel is learning more and more about being human, but instead of making things easier, they keep getting harder and more complex. And with her growing emotions towards Luis and humanity in general, and being hemmed in from all sides as each tries to push her to make choices she does not want, Cass has a long bumpy road road ahead.
As I do with just about everything from Rachel Caine, I tore through this book in just a few days. Fast paced, action packed, and full of subtle hints on both Djinn and human motivations, the plot gets deeper and deeper as more hints as to what might truly be going on are revealed. Watching Cass continue to try to deal with what she considers a diminished state is a lot of fun.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
