Windfall (The Weather Warden, Book 4)

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 - espe

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!!!

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 utm

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 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.