Unknown (Outcast Season, Book 2)

Loved the follow-up book in the series. Lots of suspense, action, and tense/gruesome parts; but I was bit disappointed with the lack of promised romance/flirting. The couple in these books seemed a bit unnatural or forced, but I think I'm starting to warm up to them as a couple. Again, Caine's writing is on point, but I have to say the cover artist didn't seem to take the same care in relating the look to what is described in the book.

What's not to like? It's a new point of view, and I can't wait for the next one. Keep writing them, please! Look to the other reviews for the details, just know from this one, that it's worth buying. :-)

Great 2nd installment in this new series spinoff. I am sad to see the Weather Warden series ending this year but hope this one has a long run.

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.

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.