Ill Wind: Weather Warden, Book 1

By: Rachel Caine

Narrated by: Dina Pearlman

Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's Summary

Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden. Usually, all it takes is a wave of her hand to tame the most violent weather. But now, she's trying to outrun another kind of storm: accusations of corruption and murder. So, she's resorting to the very human tactic of running for her life.... Her only hope is Lewis, the most powerful warden known. Unfortunately, he's stolen not one but three bottles of Djinn - making him the most wanted man on earth. Still, she's racing hard to find him - before the bad weather closes in fast.

©2010 Rachel Caine (P)2010 Audible Inc

Easy to listen too

What did you love best about Ill Wind: Weather Warden, Book 1?

The story was intriging and easy to follow with enough twists to make it very interesting

Who was your favorite character and why?

David - you'll have to read the book

Which character – as performed by Dina Pearlman – was your favorite?

They were all very good.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but it was also easy to break it up into smaller portions and not lose track

Not overwhelmed

Ok but wont be reading anymore from this series, far better books in this genre for me. All a bit fluffy. I prefer a bit more humour, romance , blood and tension as you get with Jeaniene Frost or Jaye wells

Great Start to a new Series

Joanne Baldwin is a weather warden, on the run for a crime she kinda didn't commit and is on the hunt for a djinn the only thing that will save her.
Joanne was easy to like, this is a fun story, with lots of magic, heaps of action and just a hint of mystery thrown into the mix.
No the story is not that complicated, but it doesn't take away from the story it is a perfect choice for an easy listen but one which you want to enjoy.
At times I thought the narration could have been better, getting into the narration of the story was hard at the beginning, thank goodness for a long journey and one where I only had this book with me otherwise I may have missed out.

My advice is stick with it if you are having trouble, the story is engaging and soon takes over.

Anyone who like the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher then this is right up your street.

Give it a go I bet you won't regret it.

Ill wind blows good 'reading'

A superb story to listen to. I love the idea of weather wardens controlling Earth's more extreme weather. This is a great opening story and promises an excellent series. Told by Jo, the central character, with humorous comments and a gradual revelation of the terrible event that catapulted her into a desperate race trying to evade violent weather storms and the warden posse chasing in order to save herself and her friends Louis and Star. The addition of Djinn maverick magical beings spices up the story even further and I found myself listening in the car, in the kitchen and even in the bathroom - like not being able to put a book down, I just couldn't stop listening as the breathtaking finale unfolded. I fell in love with David too and can't wait to download and start listening to Book 2!

Hooray for strong female characters!

This is a novel I'd previously read before buying as an audiobook, and the narration does not detract from a great story.

Joanne Baldwin is a feisty heroine who has been through more than her fair share of life-or-death ordeals and yet maintains a sense of humour, a set of super powers, and a kick-ass dress sense.

There is plenty of romance, with a guy who is both incredibly strong (think genie-of-the-lamp strong), and yet not above being rescued once or twice by his tough, resourceful, never-gives-up girlfriend.

The story races as fast as Jo drives, keeping up the energy and tension all the way through, while promising more to come in the sequels.(Yes, I've read those too, and they're all equally entertaining.)

Give it a try, because if you like this one there are a total of 9 in the Weather Warden series (6 of which are currenty available on audiobook), as well as another 3 novels in a spin-off series called Outcast Season that I hope Audible will also make available. Think how many hours of listening pleasure that will be!

Nothing happens.

I badly wanted to like this, but I couldn't even finish it. I got about halfway through.



Once the novelty wears off from the idea of the weather magic (this happens sooner than you might think) the entire journey boils down to -



Heroine drives. Has a lot of racy thoughts and ideas about every man she sees/thinks about. Some kind of attack happens. Heroine staves off the attack, and continues.



This pattern simply repeats on a loop. The frequency and similar nature of every attack reminded me of being plagued with random encounters in J-RPGs; I began to think of the car journey like Rock Tunnel full of Zubat.

The only thing breaking the monotony is occasional revelations about the past that led her to this point, but they are unsatisfying and repetitive, not giving enough information to make me curious enough to read on. Eventually, the tedium of the repetitive actions, the lack of likeability of the heroine, and the elusive nature of the larger plot combined to overwhelm my curiosity and made me put it down.



Audible kindly refunded my purchase of the other books in this series, since I didn't even get past this first one.

Chick Lit fantasy with meteorology

Generally a fun listen. This is not Great Literature (as other reviewers have pointed out). Also there was an annoying slightly resonant quality to the recording due I imagine to poor acoustics in the recording booth. But Joanne is an appealing character, and the reading is spot-on. I thought the world-building was good, with a believable premise - that Mother Nature is a homicidal maniac bent on the destruction of the human race and held in check only by the Wardens - humans with power over earth, fire, or (in the case of Weather Wardens) air and water. I wasn't that happy with the ending, but that's largely a matter of taste. I recommend this as a great book to while away a long journey or a rainy Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!

interesting concept

a bit hard to get into at first, wasn't sure how I was going to get on with it but in the end really enjoyed it. looking forward to the rest of the series.

love Rachel Caine

love Rachel Caine work read this book twice and first time listening still great

Great story

Really enjoyed the book. Good characters and suspense. I like Joanne as a character and want to see more of her - have also got next book. Liked the science interwoven too so felt like I learned something.

Meteorology, fashion, fast cars and djin

Joanne Baldwin is a gripping character. I am now on the third audiobook in this series and am beginning to feel that she is a close friend. The weather information I found fascinating although the manipulation of it is fantasy the facts are credible. Fashion and fast cars are not really my thing but Joanne's passion for them are part of her totally real character. There is excitement, danger, magic and sex here.
I usually listen while driving and found myself wishing for longer journeys. Dina Pearlman reads this beautifully and, while I was occasionally diverted by a US pronumciation, it is all in keeping with Joanne's character.
I wholeheartedly recommend this series for anyone who likes total immersion in their fantsy.