Customer Reviews

Windfall (The Weather Warden, Book 4)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Joanne Baldwin has had a tough time in this series. She started out on the run, died, became a Djinn, became human again and linked to David in a way that will spell their destruction. Now Joanne is in Florida as a morning weatherman's assistant (read that as comic relief) and is trying to rebuild her life now that she is no longer a Warden and no longer Dead. But things just won't let her rest.

Joanne's boss is too luck predicting the weather. The powers that be think Joanne is tampering with the weather. David has almost completely degenerated into an iffrit. Head Djinn Jonathan wants her to cure David or else. Joanne's sister is in trouble and crashing at her place. A cop if following Joanne around. And then things get bad and complicated. Joanne's past is catching up to her. The death of Quinn in Las Vegas has long arms. The Djinn are now tired of the rule of Jonathan and slavery to the humans. War is breaking out and Joanne is always right in the middle of things.

Well, the story of Joanne and David finally sees a form of resolution but the ending, combined with the excerpt of book five, shows us that things are not going to calm down for awhile. Joanne loves fast and powerful cars and her life seems to parallel that love. Interludes between the chapters provide some much-needed information about the way the world works although it takes a while to be obvious. All in all a fast-paced read that stands well with the rest of the series (now if I didn't have to wait a year for the next one). If you have been enjoying the series, this one will not let you down.

Just when you think Rachel Caine cannot outdo her previous Weather Warden offering with action, twists and wit, she creates something so riveting you cannot put the book down even if you wanted or had to. Windfall is the fourth book in the Weather Warden series and the best one thus far. No sooner does Joanne Baldwin free herself from one conundrum than she lands in another. She quit her job as Weather Warden and now settles for a job as Weather Girl for one of the local stations. She has gone from saving humankind from the elements of Mother Nature to smiling in front of a camera wearing sun or rain costumes and getting soaked with water. But that is the least of her problems. Her sister crashes into her home after her husband dumps her, a vengeful cop won't leave her alone until she tells him what happened to his former partner Quinn (villain from Chill Factor), her sister starts to play house with Cute British Guy (the name Joanne and her friend use to describe him), and Joanne may be losing her powers, for David is becoming an Ilfrit and is feeding from her power. On top of everything else, there are rogue Wardens with demon marks chasing after Lewis and the Djinn have had enough and are killing Wardens in order to obtain their freedom. They have also separated into two groups and have begun what could well become a supernatural Civil War. There are many twists throughout the novel.

There isn't one single boring moment in this novel. There are so many twists and turns that you don't notice that you've almost reached the end of the book (or at least that's what happened to me). I wish it had been longer. There are so many awesome scenes and wonderful dialogue going on. The action-packed scenes are second to none and you picture high-budget film sequences as you read those parts. Of course, no film could ever take away the enjoyment of reading a book like this one! Joanne is as fun, quick-witted and cool as ever. She still loves fast cars and flirts with attractive men, despite loving David and doing just about anything for him. I love David, but his future is uncertain after reading this novel. I am loving Lewis though. The author keeps hinting at a possible rekindled romance between him and Joanne and that would be interesting to me. Great characters like Rahel and Jonathan are back, but there are some great new ones as well. I love Joanne's new friend and colleague Cherise. The pretty, fashionable, UFO-obsessed Weather Girl is the perfect complement to Joanne. I love their bantering! I also like Sarah, Joanne's sister, and I absolutely love bad boy cop Armando Rodriguez. I hope he will be featured in future installments. Eamonn is an interesting, three-dimensional villain and he will no doubt wreak some more havoc in future books. All in all, this is by far the coolest Weather Warden book to date, and they've all been great fun. We are left with several cliffhangers and I look forward to reading Firestorm with utmost anticipation. Keep these great installments coming Ms. Caine! You and Charlaine Harris have become my favorite fantasy authors.

Well, Rachel Caine has done it again with her latest installment of the Weather Wardens series. "Windfall" is a deeply visceral, emotional, and shattering thriller. Midway through the book, I wasn't sure what type of review I might write, because make no mistake, this is a difficult read for fans of the series. Hands down, it is the darkest so far, but also incredibly riveting, expressive and utterly heartbreaking in parts.

As always, the writing shines. Descriptions of characters and situations literally bring the story to life before a reader's eyes. Heroine Joanne Baldwin continues to evolve and mature, while still holding to the kick-ass, make-no-excuses attitude that keeps her so unique a character. Fascinating new players are introduced here as well, from the fun and appealing Cherise (Joanne's partner in weather broadcasting hell) to some scary and intense new villains -- one of whom emerges in a twist that's both anticipated and still shocking enough to take your breath away. While I missed former players like Marion Bearheart and the mysterious Ma'at (who have a cameo appearance here), a healthy dose of uber-Warden Lewis and his ward, Kevin, helps to fill the void. I'm not convinced that Caine has resolved the Joanne-Lewis-David triangle for good just yet. Which only makes things more interesting. David junkies like myself will struggle with the awfulness of his transformation -- one which began in "Chill Factor" and that grows progressively worse in this installment. Through it, we get a greater glimpse of who the Djinn are, as well as a history of their union with the Wardens -- one that brings new meaning to the old saying that love hurts.

What's more, Windfall expands and intensifies the conflicts of the Warden universe. The author has been skillfully building these since the beginning of the series with a frightening inevitability that resembles nothing so much as a march to war. In the context of real world events, that makes these stories timely, and it's amazing the way that Caine evokes that kind of reality, even in a fantasy-based setting. And even though this novel left me craving a double martini and a hefty dose of Prozac at the end, I can't recommend it enough. Fans of the series will not be disappointed...

I have been putting off writing this review since February. Why? I didn't think I could put into words how amazing and fantastic this book truly is. It wipes the floor with the three previous Weather Warden books, which is a feat in itself as those books are among the best ever written. Windfall is even better.

But now I'm finally writing the review. Expect it to be rambling and full of me gushing about how much I love this series and this book in particular.

I love Windfall so much, I've borrowed it from the library four times in succession, and even got an overdue fine because I didn't want to take it back. The books aren't available to buy here, so I have to rely on the library. But it's worth the fines and the borrowing since the book is so damned good.

If you've read the other reviews, you'll know the basic plot - Joanne has moved back to her hometown of Florida after quitting the Wardens, has a new job as a TV weather girl at a local station, and is trying to find a solution to her problem. What's her problem? Her Djinn lover David is draining her power. In Chill Factor, he was turned Ifrit, and is slowly wasting away to full Ifrit state. On top of this, Jo has a police officer from the Las Vegas police department on her case (he wants information about his dead partner Quinn from Chill Factor), master Djinn Jonathan has given her an ultimatum - heal David or else, her older sister Sarah turns up homeless and wanting to shack up with Jo (and meets a "cute British guy" who is not what he seems), Jo is still pregnant with a Djinn child forced onto her by David and she is forced to wear stupid foam outfits at her job and is continually hit on her by her sleazy weatherman co-star.

All these plot elements add up to one fantastic story - and this is only the tip of the iceberg. This all escalates into something much larger as the book goes on. It seems like too many storylines to follow at once but it's all woven together easily and will keep you riveted.

On the character side of the things - all the favourites are still around. I was glad to see that Lewis still had a major part in this story, he's one of my favourites. I'm also glad Rahel is still in it, and I'm surprised at how much I like Jonathan (I hated him in Heat Stroke & Chill Factor). The new characters are great too - even though Jo's sister Sarah is annoying, it's hard to hate her. Cherise, Jo's sidekick in weather presenting hell is one of the best new characters introduced to the book in ages! She's cute, perky and hilarious. Her and Jo's banter lightens the more darker serious tone of the book (I'm so glad she's going to be in Firestorm!). Eamon, otherwise known as "cute British guy" (a name given to him by Jo and Cherise) is a two dimensional character who is very very interesting. What disappointed me is that Marion was left out of this installment, and that they brought Kevin back. Kevin REALLY annoys me, he's so tiresome.

Some scenes of Windfall left me in tears - especially most of the (limited unfortunately) scenes with Jo and David. I'm a David fan, so to see him transform into something horrible is just awful - their relationship is heartbreaking and one scene near the end of the book had me crying. I'm kind of worried that it's over for them now, but we'll find out in Firestorm. This book is much darker and much more serious then the previous books, and is full of action. It's non-stop, there's no boring scenes. The humour is still present - most of Jo and Cherise's adventures at their job are amusing, and the "great mall expedition of 2003" bit had me laughing.

Well, I did ramble and say how much I loved this book. I truly do. It's the best of the series (maybe to be surpassed by Firestorm?), and Rachel Caine continues to impress me with her writing skills. The Weather Wardens are my favourite book series of all time, and Windfall definitely is one of the best books I've ever read. You absolutely need to read the previous books before cracking into this one, they provide backstory for the events of this one.

I'm eagerly anticipating Firestorm (September 5th!), and more from our fiesty heroine Jo. Well done Rachel Caine!

I both loved and hated this fantastic novel. I loved it because Caine has truly mastered the art of storytelling, weaving a wonderful plot, interesting characters, and thrilling action throughout the book. I hated it because I couldn't put the darn thing down even though I had an awful lot of more important things to do.

So here I am all bleary-eyed, tired, and swilling coffee so that I can tell the world that if you liked the Weather Warden series even a little, you absolutely, positively, undoubtedly gotta buy this book. It's by far the best of the lot, a significant accomplishment considering the high caliber of the other offerings.

You probably already know the plot, but just in case you haven't read any of the other reviews here's a brief synopsis: Our hero Joanne has quit her job as Weather Warden and is now working as the assistant weather girl for television station in Florida, wearing outrageous costumes, getting soaked with water, and being sexually harassed by her slimy boss. But that is the least of her problems... Her older sister shows up broke with no place to live, Detective Quinn's former law enforcement partner Rodriguez shows up inquiring about his death, Quinn's former drug dealing buddies show up looking for the djinn he stole, Joanne's sister's new boyfriend (she just met) makes himself at home, Joanne is losing her powers, and last, but certainly not least, her djinn lover David is becoming an Ilfrit (and draining her power to stay alive).

Oh, and let's not forget the demon-marked rogue Wardens who are trying to kill Lewis and Kevin or the fact that the djinn have had enough of captivity and are beginning to kill Wardens in order to obtain their freedom. And, if all that isn't enough, the storm of the millennium (the very one that destroyed Atlantis and has been trying to wipe out the earth ever since) is back and becoming sentient again...

There's more twists and turns than a first rate roller coaster all leading to a cataclysmic showdown that foreshadows a killer fifth book in the series. I can't wait for the next installment. Even if it's half as good as this one it'll be worth the read. But I digress. Buy this book now; you'll love it!

Extraordinarily highly recommended!!!

This book is the cause of great tiredness today - I tried to stop reading it at 11pm last night when wanting to go to sleep but it had become so exciting that I couldn't sleep and had to pick it up again, finally finishing it at 1am.

Book 4 of this excellent series is slightly different in that some time has passed since the end of book 3, rather than it being a non-stop roller-coaster ride of Joanne's life. She's now working as a sidekick on a weather channel, living in a nondescript flat and not using her weather powers at all to prevent a power lobotomy. David, her seriously weakened lover/Djinn, has to spend almost all of his time in the bottle as he's draining her powers and is on the verge of becoming an Ifrit.

This story focuses rather more on Joanne and how she deals with different situations without using her powers. The usual list of characters are there - Lewis, Jonathan, Paul, Rahel, Alice, David and Ashan, but we also meet her sister, her sister's new boyfriend and a policeman who was a former partner of Quinn's.

There's a kind of subtext in this book about good and evil - yes, Quinn was evil but he also had some good. Another character who appears good turns out to be evil, but he also has some redeeming features. Although overall this series might come across as a battle between good and evil that's not always the case - yes, the wardens are manipulating the weather to prevent loss of life and damage through natural causes, but we learned in the last book that the Ma'at believe that the wardens have actually increased the problems from the weather due to their interference. We learn more about this at the end of the book as we discover the underlying reason that things are going wrong.

The romance between David and Joanne is still there in this book, as is the little surprise that David left for Joanne in the last book, but the story focuses more directly on Joanne. When the book finished I found myself breathless, waiting for what was coming next (I have several more months to wait for it to be published, unfortunately) but also slightly disappointed in the direction Rachel Caine had taken with a couple of the main characters. I shall wait and see how the follow-up pans out and if she brings these new threads into the story in a satisfactory way. Somehow I think she well, she hasn't let me down so far.

Overall this is a very good book; the dialogue is perhaps a little less sparkling than normal, but there's plenty of action and the characters keep growing, including Djinn who are so difficult to understand, Jonathan being the most impenetrable of them all. I recommend this series highly, although I think it's probably best to read them in order.

Windfall is book four in the Weather Warden series, a wonderful and fascinating series that revolves around the Wardens, a group of humans with the ability to manipuate the weather, earth, or fire. This group is resposible for keeping the earth from destroying us with terrible storms, fires, and earthquakes.

In this installment, Joanne has quit the Wardens, tired of being used as a pawn in other people's plans, and takes a job as a local weather girl. It's an often embarrassing job, but at least it keeps her fed and away from the Wardens. Unfortunately her Halcyon days away from danger could not last forever. A terrible storm starts building off the coast, a war is brewing among the Djinn, and if that wasn't bad enough her divorced sister arrives, needing a place to stay. While dealing with all of this, she worries about her sexy Djinn lover, David, who is slipping closer and closer to becoming one of the dreaded Ifrit and Joanne has no idea how to help him.

With this many plot elements you might expect the story to be scattered, but Rachel Caine deftly weaves these elements into an intruiging story where seeminly unrelated events start to form a coherent picture.

With each book, Rachel Caine creates an even more fantastic world, upping the risks and complexity, and following through superbly. I strongly recommend this for anyone who has enjoyed previous books in this series, or anyone who enjoyed a wild ride into the realm of the paranormal.

I loved this edition to the Weather Warden series! I was a little hesitant about paying the eight dollars after the last one which had interesting moments but on the whole rather was just so so, but I'm so glad that I did.

Whenever I think the stakes can't be raised anymore, they are. In Windfall, Joannne is trying to survive as an ex- Warden whose powers have been seriously depleted from her Djinn/Ifritt boyfriend. The simplest weather trick is beyond her ability and she spends the majority of the book on the verge of dying from having all her life sucked out of her by David. Their relationship had me shedding more than a few tears and only appeared more ill fated as the book progressed.

Not only does her relationship seemed doomed, but so does all of mankind. The war between the djinn has split into two groups: one side that would rather see all humans, especially the Wardens, die; and the other side which appears to be rather indifferent as to the fate of the human race. Joanne has to do what she can with her limited amount of power to keep her sister and herself alive as the war gets worse and the deadliest storm since the beginning of the Djinn's enslavement to the Wardens races towards them to destroy them all.

Book 4 of the Weather Warden series is quite simply awesome. Rachel Caine should hold classes on how to write strong females, sexy heros and nonstop action.

Poor Joanna. Her life really sucked - and that was on its good days. In book 4, Joanna is busy - very busy - can't take a breath busy - befriending a 22 year old co-worker, who is a perpetual cheerleader type; loathing and despising her boss at the weather station, who by the way is forecasting the weather at a ridiculous rate of success; trying to heal her boyfriend David, who finally turns into an Ifrit; takes in her self-centered sister, who starts a love affair with an English psycho; is stalked by a friend of Quinn's, who was in with major drug dealers; loses David's bottle; and tries to keep her pregnancy going. Trust me, this is only part of the book. Caine is a tremendously gifted writer, who involves the reader on the first page and holds them in thrall until the very last word. When you are finished, you go over different things in your mind for several days, and anyone who is a reader knows you only do that over the really incredible keepers. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Weather Wardens books, you are missing out on one of the great all times series. These books are not stand alone. You should read them in order. Get them now because Caine's readership is building at a fast pace, and pretty soon you won't be able to get copies of earlier paperbacks without paying tremendous amounts of money. Two complaints - books these good should start in hardbacks (and I only say that about LKHamilton and JDRobb), and Caine writes too darn slow. Weather Warden Book 5 (Firestorm) is not due out until September 2006.

No longer a Weather Warden, Joanne Baldwin is stuck as "Weather Girl" to FL weather forecaster, Marvelous Marvin. That includes wearing the 'Sunny' and 'Rainy' day costumes and getting 'snapped' when she wears a bikini.

She's also being tailed by Rodriguez, a detective friend of Quinn, who she killed several books back. Plus, her perfect sister Sarah has moved back--now divorced and penniless and taken up with Cute British Guy.

And, David's gone. The djinn baby in her hasn't been born yet, so he's going to have to die to make that happen.

This novel is better paced than its predecessors and generally keeps things moving quite well. Overall, a good and satisfying read.