I love this series.Last week, we had scorching hot weather in my part of the world. What better way to cool off than to find a book with a “cool” title? Chill Factor by Rachel Caine fit the bill nicely. Chill Factor is the third book in Ms. Caine’s Weather Warden Series, one of the more unique and original urban fantasy series out there. What are Weather Wardens? The Weather Wardens are specially trained people that control the weather with the aid of Djinns. Together, they take the energy of weather systems and disperse it safely with minimal damage to humans. They are not always successful as evidenced by hurricane damage, but they do help out a lot. Chill Factor starts off immediately where Heat Stroke left off. I liked how the author had a short, one page prologue by the main character that recapped the previous book and brings the reader up to speed. It was nicely done, without feeling repetitive. A little warning to people who like to read “just one more chapter” – chapters in this book are very long. Plan those bathroom breaks well. Jo and David are on a road trip heading to Las Vegas where they plan to catch up to Jonathan, the most powerful Djinn. Jonathan is holed up in a Las Vegas hotel with Kevin a petulant, pimpled teenager with some issues of his own. Jo needs to take control of Jonathan, but it won’t be easy. At the same time, corruption runs rampant throughout the Weather Wardens organization. There is also a group that wants to free the Djinn. Why do I love this series?The weather is described in anthropomorphic terms. It has personality, malevolence, and a purpose. The weather systems are strong and powerful and carry a grudge. The description of the aetheric. Ms. Caine’s describes the aetheric plane down to the molecule. It is absolutely beautiful. This is where the Djinn reside in their real forms.The characters. Jo is snarky, but she also has a character that you can root for. She is tough, smart, and has strong morals. The Djinn – You don’t often see Djinn depicted in urban fantasy. And David…so wonderful for Jo. And Lewis, wow. I am gushing about these characters.The action and pacing. All I can say is that it was very hard to put this book down and take a break. After reading this book, I’m ready for a road trip of my own to Vegas. I can’t wait to read the next book Windfall. Favorite Quotes:“You’re so expendable they practically fired you out of a circus cannon.”“Hey,” I said as he shuffled me past a storefront full of reproduction Egyptian furniture, “you know what all villains have in common? They don’t shop. They’re too busy being evil to shop. You guys need to learn the fine art of browsing.”Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
