Having left the Wardens and with her powers rapidly diminishing, Joanne Baldwin is forced to take a job as a weather girl, posing in front of the cameras in a variety of dubious costumes while the main weather presenter, Marvin, gives the forecast. To make matters worse, Marvin's predictions seem to be way too accurate for any normal weatherman – surely he must be being helped by a weather warden.

Joanne's private life is no dream either. Her Djinn boyfriend is rapidly turning into an Ifrit (a creature who can only exist by absorbing the energy from other Djinn) and if that wasn't enough her sister has arrived on her doorstep, luggage in tow, having recently divorced her husband.

As the arrangement between the Djinn and the Wardens starts to breakdown and the Djinn begin to fight for their freedom Joanne finds herself in the middle of a supernatural battle that could destroy the world.

Windfall is the latest story in the Weather Warden series and follows the continuing experiences of Joanne Baldwin as she tries to stop the Djinn and the Wardens from destroying each other and leaving the world at the mercy of the forces of nature.

What I particularly like about this book is that the storyline isn't just concerned with the battle between the Djinn and the Wardens. There are a number of other sub-plots that add extra texture to the novel. Joanne is forced to try and resolve the conflict between the Djinn and the Wardens whilst being pursued by a police officer determined to discover if Joanne was involved in the disappearance of a fellow officer.

But despite all of the intertwined stories Rachel Caine manages to keep a humour running throughout the story that keeps you hooked right to the end. Joanne is a great character. Sassy and opinionated with a love of fast cars and designer clothes. She refuses to give in – even when it puts her own life in danger.

Go girl!

Joanne Baldwin has been accused of murder, a fugitive, dead, a Djinn, and human again all in the space of a few months. Now, she has been fired from the Weather Wardens. So, to make a living, she becomes a weather girl. Even though she's more capable than the station's poster boy forecaster, Jo finds herself wearing stupid costumes to dress up his dog and pony weathercast.

That's the least of her problems. Her sister is caught in adultery and lands on Jo's doorstep, broke and not very good at being broke. Jo herself is pregnant by magic, and there is a war going on among the Djinn and Wardens, just as a monster hurricane begins to brew. All the events set in motion in the first three books are coming home to roost, forcing Jo to make the most painful choice she ever has in order to save the world.

This series continues to improve with each book. Joanne's honest humor is witty and real, though she's often making jokes to keep from crying. Emotions powerful as the storm will keep you locked onto this book and hate for it to end.

Windfall, the forth book in the Weather Warden Series, finds Joanne turning her back and leaving the Wardens with David safely tucked away in his bottle. She knows the bottle is the only thing that is keeping him "alive" and his time away from the bottle is becoming shorter and shorter as he weakens. She also knows that the spark inside her, the "child" she and David created can only be born through death.

Joanne's life seems out of control despite her walking away from the Wardens and the Djinn. With her powers curtailed by the draw to keep David "alive", her crappy job as a weather bunny, to a really odd weatherman, her "perfect" sister showing up after a nasty split with her husband, a cop showing up investigating the disappearance of his former partner things just can't get any worse, can they?

Just when you think maybe things are looking up, Djinn politics and old fashioned human greed rear their ugly heads and that doesn't even begin to take into consideration the mother of all storms due to hit the Florida coast, no life is not dull around Joanne, and things are heating up bid time and soon she will know both heart rending agony, and unbelievable joy.

This is just one fabulous series, I wish I could say that I did justice to the books but there are so many story threads, some that culminate in each novel and some that unfold throughout the series. The story deals with a powerful love, but equally powerful forces that seem destined to allow that love only limited latitude, all the time spinning out a web of bone deep friendships, a passion to do what's right and the politics of the whole works. You have to read the series to truly appreciate the complexity and intertwining of the characters and their circumstances, Rachel Caine has done a fantastic job with this series. Truly a storyline to be enjoyed on many levels. Book 5 is due to be released in Nov 2006 and I wish it were a whole lot sooner.

Again, these books are available in both paperback and eformats and well worth reading.

Synopsis
Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin's stormy personal life is taking its toll on her patience-and her powers. But when the truce between the Wardens and the mystical Djinn starts to self-destruct, Joanne finds herself forced to choose between saving her Djinn lover, saving her Warden abilities-and saving humanity.