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143 of 146 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Harry's female alter-ego, February 6, 2004
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.
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64 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Unexpected Treat, May 10, 2004
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.
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49 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not what I expected, March 26, 2007
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.
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