Chill Factor is book three of Rachel Caine’s Weather Warden series. This is a book series where reading the volumes in order is a must, otherwise you will be totally lost. Things happen to the main character in each installment that effect events down the road and characters come and go. This installment gets us back into the action and gives us some insight into Joanne’s (main character) past.
Background: Joanne was a weather warden. These are people who can use magic to manipulate the weather. They try to keep floods, tornadoes and all those other weather nasties from destroying humanity. But it is all a secret; no one knows that the wardens are out there protecting humanity.
Chill factor picks up where Heat Stroke left off, which is with Kevin, a teenager with a lot of power, taking off with the most powerful Djinn ever. They hole up in Las Vegas of all places and create a barrier so that no live warden can enter. And its up to Joanne to save the day, yet again. How much can this girl take? First, the Weather Wardens take from her, her Djinn and lover, David. Then they kill her (momentarily) so that she can enter Las Vegas to deal with Kevin. Someone has to stop him and she has a history, so to speak with the boy. While in Vegas, Joanne runs into a secret society that has been working against the Wardens called the Ma’at. They work by negating forces rather than by controlling them like the weather wardens do. They want to help Joanne defeat Kevin but only after they give her a good shocking, literally, for something that occurred in her past. Can Joanne keep a head of the game and figure out who is on her side and who isn’t, and can she stop Kevin before he destroys Las Vegas and perhaps the world? You will have to read the book to find out.
What I love about Caine’s books is that they are funny, witty, and full of action. They will suck you right into their world and keep you there. I have read most of her novels in one sitting. She also has a way with characters.
I absolutely love Joanne as a character. She is brash, doesn’t always think things through, but she always steps up to the plate. And she likes to stand on her own two feet. She a heck of a heroine. She is also funny, with her addiction to fast cars (she names each different fast car she has–seems like a different one in each book), loves designer clothes and has an eye for the boys even though she professes to love David the Djinn.
There are an array of other good characters as well. Lewis, the Warden with the most power ever who is in love with Joanne. Kevin the adolescent with too much power by half. Jonathon who is the most powerful Djinn ever. Rahel the Djinn with style that sometimes helps Joanne and sometimes doesn’t and who might be the beloved of Lewis. And David, the second most powerful Djinn and Joanne’s love. They are all unique complicated characters which is what makes these books so much fun.
These books can be a little complicated. Caine has created a new world and has to make up and explain the rules as we go along, but you will find plenty of action here, and plenty of good and complex characters to keep you going. She keeps us all wondering what will happen to Joanne next. This is an excellent Urban Fantasy series.