Do you find that your reading tastes change over time; that you go from one genre to another like romance to suspense? Or you find a book of a genre that you haven’t read for awhile interests you? I have always been a very eclectic reader; science fiction, fantasy, westerns, mysteries, suspense/thrillers, even true crime/serial killer books. I remember when I received my first paycheck my first book purchase was Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Asimov’s I’ Robot. I have always loved both science fiction and fantasy, even though I have drifted away from both genres in the last couple of years. The blurb for Rachel Caine’s Ill Wind stirred up that love of both sci-fi and fantasy genres.

Joanne Baldwin is one of the Weather Wardens. The wardens are people born with a talent to control the weather and keep it from being more chaotic and destructive than it already is. But now Joanne is at the center of a storm that she can’t control, a storm of accusations, of corruption and murder. So now she's doing the only thing she can do--run for her life.

Her only hope is her longtime friend Lewis, one of the most powerful Wardens of all. Unfortunately, he's also on the run from the World Council. When he stole not one but three bottles of Djinn, it made him the most wanted man on earth. And without Lewis, Joanne's chances of survival are not good. With the thread of corruption running through some of the most powerful wardens of the World Council, including the one who passed on a Demon Mark to her, Joanne has a hard time distinguishing the difference between friend and foe.

I'm always looking for something new in the whole paranormal/supernatural genre even though not a lot has appealed to me the last couple of years but Rachel Caine‘s Ill Wind had what I was looking for. A book with some action-packed fun, lots of magic, a decent mystery and a very likable lead character. As Joanne travels across the country she discovers that she is a stronger person than she thought. She won’t abuse her power and she won’t kill to save herself. With David, the hunky Djinn she picked up on the way, Joanne discovers that not everyone is who she believed them to be. Ill Wind has a few good twists that you won't see coming, with lots of action, and a bit of sexual tension. So if you are looking for an entertaining book to help you pass a rainy afternoon, this is one for you.

Reviewed by: Theresa
© May 2007