Review: Gale Force - Rachel Caine

Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin is taking a vacation from her duties when her idyll is interrupted by her worst nightmare: a reporter from a legitimate newspaper.  The last thing Joanne needs is someone exposing the supernatural world she inhabits.

The sun chases the clouds away when her Djinn lover, David, asks Joanne to marry him.  She's thrilled to answer yes, but there are certain parties - some human, some otherwise - who will be less enthusiastic.

Joanne's premarital bliss ends when a freakish devastating earthquake hits Florida - and this time, she won't be able to ask David and his kind for assistance.  The cause of the quake is unlike anything Joanne has ever encountered, and it is fueled by a power even the Djinn cannot perceive...

The Weather Warden Series:
Ill Wind
Heat Stroke
Chill Factor
Windfall
Firestorm
Thin Air
Gale Force
Cape Storm
Total Eclipse (August 2010)

Visit Rachel Caine's Website for more information.

Review:
Gale Force is book 7 in the Weather Warden series and I would strongly recommend reading the series in order.  I think if you tried to read this as a stand alone book you'd probably be missing too much of the back story to get the full enjoyment from the book.  I'm really enjoying this series though so I'd definitely recommend checking it out starting with Ill Wind.

The story starts with Jo on a well deserved vacation - not that she actually wants to be there, she'd much rather be getting stuck into her job as a Warden than sat around doing nothing.  When David proposes she is thrilled and begins planning the wedding but not everyone is happy for them - in fact there are a lot of people who are prepared to stop the wedding at any cost.  Ashan and the old Djinn are determined to stop the wedding but the wardens aren't too keen on it either.  After events in the previous books relations between Wardens and Djinn are still volatile with the Djinn harboring a deep seated resentment for the thousands of years of slavery they have suffered at the hands of the Wardens.  The Wardens are still wary of the Djinn after seeing so many of their friends die in the war between the 2 races.

In the midst of planning the wedding of the year Jo is also being chased by reporters who want to know more about the Warden organisation.  On top of that when a devastating earthquake hits Florida it soon becomes clear that they are facing an enemy unlike anyone they have faced before.  Worse still is the fact that David and the Djinn are completely unable to detect the danger and unable to help in the fight.  With the wedding ceremony planned as a way to bring out their enemy are Jo and David actually going to make it down the aisle?  Even if they do will they survive to enjoy their wedding night?

Events in Thin Air made book 6 in the series a very different read than the previous books in the series, I still enjoyed it but not as much as I had enjoyed the previous books.  I'm very pleased to say that with Gale Force the series is back on top form and was a thoroughly enjoyable read.  I still love Jo as a heroine - I like the fact that she is prepared to fight for what she believes in no matter what the personal cost.  She has a lot to deal with in this book but I thought she coped admirably.

I absolutely love David - who wouldn't want this gorgeous Djinn as their own? - and I really liked the development in his and Jo's relationship throughout the book.  I also really like Jo's best friend Cherise and loved her in this book.  It's great to have a supportive female character who is human with no supernatural abilities but still has an important role to play in the story.  The plot is fast paced and has so many twists thrown in you'll feel like you're on a roller coaster ride.  With past characters making re-appearances and old friends making devastating betrayals it is hard to tell who Jo can trust.  Although some of the plot lines are tied up at the end things are left wide open for the next book & I can't wait to get my hands on Cape Storm.  I really am struggling to work out how Rachel Caine is going to be able to resolve things between the Djinn and the Wardens but also how they are going to be able to fight this new enemy. 

If you're a fan of the series then I'm sure you'll enjoy Gale Force, even if you weren't keen on Thin Air I'd definitely recommend giving it a try.  If you haven't started the series yet then I'd recommend it to urban fantasy fans but you really should start with book 1 Ill Wind.

Source: Library

Other Reviews:
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