Interview with Rachel Caine, author of the 'Morganville Vampires' series

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I am such a huge Rachel Caine fan. I loved battling storms and Dijn with Joanne Baldwin, gained some human perspective with Cassiel and most recently I've been enjoying the resurrection racket with Bryn Davis. But it's Caine's 'Morganville Vampires' series, and the awesome-foursome of Claire, Shane, Michael and Eve who I have a real soft spot for. 

I can't believe 'Morganville Vampires' is now into its 13th book, with the latest offering of 'Bitter Blood' setting up some very interesting curve balls for the Glass House residents.

I was actually lucky enough to catch up with Ms Caine last year, for a lovely breakfast (courtesy of Penguin Books Australia!) and I had a wonderful time picking her brain... so I couldn't pass up a second opportunity to find out the latest goss about one of my favourite authors!

If you would also like the opportunity to meet Ms Caine - check out her Aussie tour dates!

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Q: I understand that ‘Morganville Vampires’ will be ending with a whopping 15 books in the series – with the very last book, 'Fall of Night', to be released November next year. Have you started writing that book yet? Have you observed any writerly rituals to say goodbye to these characters that you first wrote into existence back in 2006?

Actually, FALL OF NIGHT will be the next-to-last book, released in May 2013 ... we haven't yet finalized the title for #15, but I'm leaning toward DAYLIGHTERS. I haven't started Book 15 yet, although I have done the outline -- I'm just finishing up FALL OF NIGHT at this time. (My publishing turnarounds are much faster than normal on deadlines, so Book 15 will be written after the first of the year.)

But when I get there, and start writing it, I think the reality will definitely set in. It certainly did when I finished the last book of the Weather Warden series in Urban Fantasy ... the reality that 9 years of living with those characters had come to an end. It's very much like moving neighborhoods ... you know you'll settle in, make new friends, but you always feel nostalgic for those you left behind.

As to rituals, I suspect that finishing Book 15 will be followed by an actual vacation -- the first I've taken in nearly 20 years. And I'll probably hoist a glass of ale to the road behind me, and the road still ahead.

Q: ‘Morganville Vampires’ was really your first foray into YA. Do you think you’ll ever revisit the young adult genre with a new series or stand-alone?

Absolutely! I've already finished a stand-alone novel called PRINCE OF SHADOWS -- you'll hear more about that as we get closer to 2014 when it's scheduled for release, but it's about Romeo and Juliet. I also have a new series, unrelated to anything else, that I'm putting down in the planning stages right now. So definitely there's more to come!

Q: ‘Morganville Vampires’ has come such a long way and taken so many twists and turns. Fans read the awesome foursome survive Bishop, the draug and Ada – we’ve seen good characters turn bad, humans turn vampire and we’ve had to say goodbye to a beloved few (Sam! *sniffle*). I wonder if you’re a ‘plotter’ or a ‘pantser’ – that is, do you plot your books meticulously or fly by the seat of your pants? And was there ever a time when fan influence had sway over the story (I know that many fans pushed for a Myrnin/Claire romance – and in recent books you have broached the subject…) furthermore, was there ever a time when you were really surprised by the direction the series took?

I definitely started my career as a pantser -- seat of the pants, going without a map. I wrote about ten books that way before I started publishing often enough that having that roadmap was essential -- not just for my sanity, but for business reasons for the publisher, who needed to design covers, write ads and copy, sell the book ahead into stores ... it isn't all about the book itself. So I was forced to try to find a compromise between the two. Now, I have a general outline of events, and then I find room to "pants" my way around and through them!

Hmmm, fan influence ... I try not to let anyone else's ideas influence what I do, but I had always intended for Myrnin to have a bit of a fatal fascination for Claire, and for him to be equally fascinated by her. It isn't a romance, per se ... in Myrnin's mind it probably comes closer, but it's really mostly deep admiration and trust. He's the world's worst candidate (well, next to a draug, probably) for boyfriend, because as sweet and fantastic as he can be, and as loyal as he is, he's also unpredictable and has a history of killing those he loves when he's out of control. This is not what you want in a sweetheart.

Q: In the last few ‘Morganville Vampires’ books you’ve started writing perspectives beyond just Claire’s. I, personally, have loved Shane’s insight – it’s really been a way to mark his growth from the angry young man in ‘Glass Houses’, to someone with a lot to lose (and fight for!) in ‘Bitter Blood’. What gave you the idea to offer up more perspectives in the latter-half of the series? And who have you most enjoyed writing for?

It started in BITE CLUB because there was no way I could pull off the plot without people understanding what was in Shane's head. I tried -- I wrote it all from Claire's perspective. But Shane came off horribly, and there seemed no way to make it work without more explaining than I was comfortable with doing. So ... I switched to Shane's perspective.

But once I'd done that, I realized that it really opened things up for the events that were coming with the draug, so I kept going, opening up the world more and more.

This continues in BITTER BLOOD, because (again) of the necessity to have other characters carry plot points. And you'll see it to a smaller extent in FALL OF NIGHT.

Q: In 13 books so far – what has been the hardest scene you’ve had to write, and what made writing it so difficult?

The toughest scenes are always the ones that you don't expect. I have no problem with action scenes ... once things are moving and the plot is charging along, the writing goes extremely fast.

It's the beginning of the book that is the toughest for me, every time -- getting established back in the world, allowing the characters to find their feet before the plot sweeps it all away. The structure and order is necessary as a contrast to the chaos that's to come, but it also can be challenging to write.

I also had to be careful of the big love scene between Claire and Shane in CARPE CORPUS, because I wanted it to feel real, sweet, exciting, awkward ... all the things that it would be in real life. It had to be more realistic than romantic, in my mind, and I probably rewrote that scene five or six times to get it right.

Q: ‘Fall of Night’ is your next book in the ‘Morganville Vampires’ series, and it’s the one before the big finale. Can you give us any clues about what we can expect from book #14?

It's WAY out of the Morganville box, as I mentioned before ... big changes for characters not only in geography, but internally as well. This is a pivotal book for Claire learning what she really wants and who she really is ... I strongly felt that Claire needed to become her own person and face some issues without the protection of the Glass House gang (at least initially), so this is what came out of that. It's a shock to her to find out that when you leave someone behind (her former best friend Elizabeth) the person they are when you see them again isn't the same ... and it can be dangerous to underestimate how much someone can change. We'll meet some new characters who'll play important roles in Book 15 as well.

Q: Are you aware of the many, many, many, many Morganville ‘mock trailer’ videos there are on YouTube? What do you think about fan’s fantasy casting (particularly the persistently popular Jared Padalecki as Shane?)

I think the mock trailers are GREAT! Honestly, the creativity of my readers just blows me away ... I saw one the other day that looked like an actual movie trailer, and it would've fooled me if I hadn't known better.

The casting is always fun, but in practical terms, Jared's done playing teens, and he wouldn't be convincing anymore as Shane at 18. I love him, and he's absolutely the right type, but I look at the type, not the actor. Because who's available and the right age when (IF) something comes about is usually completely different than your dream cast.

Q: Something I love about ‘Morganville Vampires’ is that you take what is, essentially, a sociological idea of a vampire-run town and turn it into something rather magnificent that fits beautifully into the vampire mythology. I think you did it again with your new ‘Revivalist’ series – which I read as delving into the world of big Pharma and corporate takeover – which fits very cleverly into a modern zombie mythology. Where did you first get the idea for the ‘Revivalist’ series, and what made you want to explore zombies?

Thanks! As you probably know from the news, the USA faces unusual issues in regard to health care -- we're a wealthy nation, and we have some great hospitals and doctors, but we also have traditionally not had the kind of healthcare safety nets other countries do. Our insurance has always been employer-based, with some private insurance available for purchase. Other than that, there is "charity healthcare" where you can be treated as a charity patient if you meet certain very strict income levels.

For many entrepreneurs (like me!) the struggle to get health insurance is a nightmare. I am a successful writer by any standards, and by small business standards especially ... yet the insurance companies will not insure me for any price, because I am not employed by someone else, and I have had health issues in the past. They have the ability to reject me for coverage, and do.

Living in that world, where no matter how much money you may be fortunate enough to have in the bank just means you're six months away from homeless if you have a car accident, serious illness, etc. -- it made me think about how much we're controlled by the very companies that save us. Our employers ... the insurance companies ... and the drug companies. Many people exist just a day or two away from death if they can't afford their medication.

I just held a science fiction mirror up to a real situation.

Q: On that note – what other supernatural creatures would you like to write about? Werewolves and witches perhaps?

I honestly don't know yet. I'm still letting things form in my mind! But I don't think it will be anything too easy to guess :)

Q: Can you give us any clues about the latest ‘Revivalist’ book?

In book 2, TWO WEEKS' NOTICE (you may have figured out the book titles are all a play on employment-related terms!) Bryn will have to face some deadly secrets about who's really behind the impending zombie war, and why ... and deal with her boyfriend Patrick's former relationship with Jane, who in many ways was Bryn 1.0: an original test subject for the nanites, with the unfortunate complication that it made her into a psychotic killer. Is it coming for Bryn, too? And is there any cure to death itself?

Q: I was such a HUGE fan of your ‘Weather Warden’ and ‘Outcast Season’ series. I think Jo & Co. got such an epic, befitting ending and I loved both ‘Total Eclipse’ and ‘Unbroken’. Have we most definitely read the last of the ‘Weather Warden’ universe and the Djinn? And how hard was it for you to say goodbye to those characters who you’d been writing for since 2003? Do they still occasionally ‘speak’ to you, even though their series’ are over for now?

Awww, thank you! I truly cried when I ended the cycle of those stories ... I tried to make it as big and epic an ending as I possibly could, because I felt that they were larger than life themselves, and deserved all I could do. It's a super fun universe, and I definitely will go back to it (possibly for novellas or e-releases) but I'm letting my brain cool off a bit before I jump back in. :) This is my first year without a Weather Warden book in, eep, more than 10 years if I count the time I spent writing ILL WIND! And yes, they definitely do speak to me ... especially as the powerful storms are lashing us in the USA. I think we might need the Wardens now more than ever!

Thank you for the chance to chat -- I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone at SupaNova in Brisbane and Adelaide, and at the upcoming signings in Sydney and Melbourne!!

'Unbroken' Outcast Season #4 by Rachel Caine

 Received from the Publisher

From the BLURB:

For millennia, Cassiel was a powerful Djinn-until she was exiled to live among mortals.  Now the threat of an apocalypse looms, and Cassiel is in danger of losing everything she has come to hold dear . . .

As the world begins to fall apart around her, Cassiel finds herself fighting those she once called her own: the Djinn.  With Warden Luis Rocha and the rescued child Ibby by her side, Cassiel struggles to find a way to protect those who are in her charge and come to terms with the leadership role she never asked for.

Cassiel is opposed by Pearl – a powerful Djinn bent on raising an army of kidnapped Warden children to bring about nothing less that the end of the world.  It will take everything Cassiel has to stop the Djinn from starting a war that will wipe all of humanity from the face of the earth.  She knows that this might not be a battle she can survive, but protecting those she loves is worth any cost . . .

Cassiel was once a powerful Djinn, until she took a stand and had humanity forced upon her. Since that time she has bared witness to imminent human destruction – experienced love, pain and loss, and gained an unbreakable connection with the human warden, Luis, and his niece Isabel.

When a deranged and ruthless Djinn called Pearl set out to kidnap warden children and harness their untapped powers for her own means, Cass was on the front lines with Luis – fighting to rescue young Isabel, but also to protect the human race.

Now Isabel is returned to them, much changed. And Pearl is not the only danger on the horizon – Mother is awake, and she is about to unleash her anger on planet earth, the likes of which humans, wardens and Djinn have never seen.

Lines have been drawn, the battle ground set. Cass has chosen her allies, and now she will take a final stand with them.

‘Unbroken’ is the fourth and final book in Rachel Caine’s ‘Weathr Warden’ spin-off series, ‘Outcast Season’.

It was with deep regret and duelling satisfaction that I read the final instalment in Rachel Caine’s phenomenal ‘Weather Warden’ series. Joanne Baldwin and Djinn David’s story ended in 2010, but the sting of their ending was somewhat lessened by Caine’s spin-off series, about a Djinn turned human called Cassiel. The ‘Outcast Season’ was a wonderful additional dimension to the brilliant ‘Weather Warden’ series, offering up more perspective about the Djinn world and an interesting new character in Cass, who was struggling as much with her unwanted humanity as her remnants of Djinn personality.

Alas, all good things must come to a (definite, conclusive and unmistakable) end; such is the case with ‘Outcast Season’. Rachel Caine has always maintained that Cass & Co. had a definite story arc in this spin-off series, and their tale would be told in four books. With ‘Unbroken’ released this February, we are now at the absolute end of the ‘Weather Warden’ world. And, like with ‘Total Eclipse’ that concluded Jo & David’s story, ‘Unbroken’ is such a befitting conclusion to a radical series that, as a fan, there is no bitterness to be found in this swan song. . .

When the story begins, Isabel is newly rescued from Pearl’s clutches, but Luis and Cass are only just beginning to fathom the extent of Isabel’s abuse. With her newly tapped power, Isabel has a maturity beyond her six years, and she will not stand being treated like a child any longer. She does something awful and destructive to herself, the ramifications of which will be felt for the rest of her life. And that’s how ‘Unbroken’ kicks off – absolutely hitting the ground running and throwing readers right into Isabel’s delicate psyche, as well as Luis & Cass’s predicament not only as her guardians, but as wardens trying to harness this young child’s power.

Also making an early appearance is everyone’s favourite bad-ass and buck-naked Djinn, Rashid. I was so happy that he made a reappearance in this final instalment, and his scenes are brilliant, particularly for how they impact on Isabel;

Isabel grabbed on to me and hugged me, wordless and shaking. I hugged her back and looked over at Rashid, who inclined his head just a tiny bit.
“You’re sane,” I said.
“Well,” he replied, with a sharp-toothed smile, “that is not a common opinion. But I am no longer a puppet of the Mother’s will. Only of hers.” He cast a dark look at Isabel, and my arms tightened around her in reaction.
“You are well aware how I feel about such things.”
“Don’t,” I warned him. “She’s a child.”
“Old enough to hold my bottle,” he said. “Though that was your doing, my sweet dear cousin, sticking me in one. For the second time. There will come a reckoning. Soon.”

Also along for the finale is Esmeralda – the snake/human warden whose power warped her and imprisoned her in a partial reptilian body. ‘Es’ cannot be trusted, but has become fast (and unlikely) friends with Isabel. I loved these two together! They are a fantastic, if chilling, team – and even though their scenes have a lot of unlikely camaraderie, reading them will also set you on edge because you just know that Es could snap at any moment. . .

One wonderful thing about ‘Unbroken’ is that the ‘Outcast’ timeline is made to match up with the ‘Weather Warden’ series – after being out-of-sync for three books now, ‘Unbroken’ is on the same timeline trajectory as ‘Total Eclipse’. And, best of all, Lewis Orwell, Jo Baldwin and David Prince all make lengthy cameos in ‘Unbroken’. Even better is that most of their scenes are alternatives to what happened in ‘Total Eclipse’ – so while we were following Jo’s narrative in that book, in ‘Unbroken’ we get to read what was happening with David and Lewis in certain scenes. Brilliant!

Of course one big drawcard of Cass’s story has been her romance with the Warden, Luis. Let me just say that these two are epically adorable in ‘Unbroken’ – and a big focus of this book is on the redemptive and restorative powers of their love. Another big ‘spiritual’ focus of the book is on how Cass is experiencing a very human emotion and conundrum – the absence of hope. As the world ravages itself and Mother turns on her children, Cass is left to question everything she has known and truly understand what it is to be human, and succumb to doubt and despair. It makes for some intense, poignant scenes;

The enemy of my enemy. . .
“Mother,” I whispered, close to tears. “How could you desert us? How could you bring us to this?”
But the Mother had never spoken to me, not directly, and she did not do so now. There was only darkness, and silence.

Rachel Caine’s ‘Weather Warden’ series was one of the best and most original fantasy series of recent years. Beginning in 2003, ‘Weather Warden’ draws to an absolute final close in 2012, with the end of its spin-off ‘Outcast Season’ series. As with Jo and David, Luis and Cass have been on one hell of a ride, and Rachel Caine gives them an explosive and wonderfully befitting send-off in ‘Unbroken’. I absolutely urge any and all ‘Weather Warden’ fans to dip into this spin-off series, if you haven’t already.

5/5 

Rachel Caine for Breakfast!

Hello Darling Readers,

First of all – Happy Mother’s Day!

And now onto more important things . . . (I kid, I kid! I love you, Mama!)

After reading and envying many Aussie book bloggers, it was finally my turn to meet Rachel Caine for brekkie. Finally!

I travelled down to Camberwell to have a breakfast with Ms. Caine and two other book bloggers. We got to talk about vampires, tornadoes and Charlaine Harris-impressions over coffee and pancakes. Heaven!

First off, Rachel Caine is an absolute delight. Truly, she is lovely and charming and it was a pleasure to pick her brain while downing a cappuccino.

We talked a lot and randomly. We discussed Southern slang, ya’ll (and I did my Sookie Stackhouse impression, thank you very much!). Rachel also showed us a horrifyingly cool picture of her husband decked-out as a vampire (contacts, fangs and all!). And we even discussed our crush on vintage Pacey Witter (it was all about the Caesar haircut!). But in-between I did manage to slip in a few pertinent questions about her books;

OUTCAST SEASON

Rachel actually said that she got up at 6:30AM this morning to write a thousand words for the fourth ‘Outcast Season’ book. This fourth book will be the last in the series, and will most likely put to rest the entire ‘Weather Warden’ series (apparently matching-up series timelines is a real headache!).

The good news is that my favourite character, Rashid, definitely makes an appearance in the final book. Fingers crossed he’s naked for most of the novel!

WEATHER WARDEN

I know this series is done and dusted, but I couldn’t help pointing out to Rachel how spookily predictive the series has been! She started the ‘Weather Warden’ series back in 2003, and she was inspired by the fact that Texas has many tornado/hurricane warnings throughout the year. But since then we’ve had floods in Queensland, earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan as well as crazy volcano activity and the awful Hurricane Katrina.

MORGANVILLE VAMPIRES

I actually saw a Word document on Rachel’s computer! That’s right; I saw the words ‘Last Breath’ on the screen! But that’s all I saw. I promise.

By the sounds of it there’s going to be a lot of twists, turns and surprises in 'Last Breath' – naturally, this is Morganville after all!

Monica Morell has a few big, bullying scenes. We might be finding out why Texas was Amelie’s chosen location for the vampire town experiment . . .

Rachel is also aware that some fans were lobbying for a Myrnin/Claire romance ... but says it's highly unlikely (what with Myrnin being wacko and all. When he considered putting Claire's brain in a master-computer it was pretty much a deal-breaker). Sorry ladies, it doesn't look like Claire will be sharing Myrnin's bunny slippers anytime soon...

And Rachel Caine would be more than happy to continue the series, beyond the 13th book she is currently contracted for (and which is untitled at the moment). Rachel (like her fans) is not at all tired of Morganville and she is keen to keep writing – but it all depends on sales. So if you haven’t visited Morganville yet, I suggest you climb onboard the fan-wagon!

Oh, and Rachel Caine is more than aware of the fan-girl lobbying of Jared Padelecki for Shane. She thinks he would have been good in the role during his Gilmore Girls days, but that he’s a little bit too old to play Shane now . . .

REVIVALIST

I am so excited for Rachel’s new series! It’s set in a funeral home / morgue and it sounds spooky-cool, like ‘Six Feet Under’ with a paranormal bent. I can’t wait! It comes out August this year.

♥

I had a delightful breakfast with the wonderful Rachel Caine. She was bubbly, funny and an all-round fantastic chick.

I'd like to give a big THANK YOU to the lovely Felicity Vallence for organizing the breakfast (and agreeing that Pacey Witter was a hottie in his hey-day!).

♥

'Unseen' Outcast Season #3 by Rachel CAINE

From the BLURB:

After Cassiel and Warden Luis Rocha rescue an adept child from a maniacal Djinn, they realize two things: the girl is already manifesting an incredible amount of power, and her kidnapping was not an isolated incident.

This Djinn-aided by her devoted followers-is capturing children all over the world, and indoctrinating them so she can use their strength for herself. With no other options, Cassiel infiltrates the Djinn's organization-because if Cassiel cannot stop the Djinn's apocalyptic designs, all of humanity may be destroyed.

It has been months since Cassiel ‘Cass’ was ripped from the Dijn world to have humanity thrust upon her. Since then Cass has witnessed the slaying murder of her Weather Warden, Manny, and his wife, Angela. She has seen their little girl, Isabel, be kidnapped and used as a ticking time-bomb weapon of mass destruction. Cass has fallen in love with Manny’s Warden brother, Luis. And Cass has been shamed by the fact that a fallen Dijn sister called Pearl was behind Isabel’s kidnapping, and the kidnapping of hundreds of other talented Weather Warden children . . . because Pearl is building an army. An army of future Weather Wardens who can control earth, fire, wind and water. And she will use them to execute the most awful take over imaginable, unless Cass can stand in her way.

‘Unseen’ is the third book in Rachel Caine’s spin-off Weather Warden series.

Caine’s Weather Warden series came to an end last year with the final book ‘Total Eclipse’. I was both sad and elated to read the last instalment to Jo Baldwin’s harrowing adventures . . . but I have to admit, the sting is lessened somewhat by Caine’s continuing ‘Outcast Season’, and the journey of former Dijn, Cassiel.

I love, love, loved ‘Unseen’ because it’s a book of big concepts and dramatic changes. The first of these revolutions is in Cass’s relationship with Luis Rocha . . . for two books now; Luis has been uneasy and somewhat horrified by his attraction to Cassiel. He would be fighting his lust one moment, and throwing barbed comments the next. But in ‘Unseen’ Luis has his wanting under control. He and Cass have been through too much – Manny’s slaying and Isabel’s kidnapping – and he has come to trust her completely. They share some intimate and transformative moments, and their sweetness rivals that of even Jo Baldwin and Dijn David.

But there is also a backlash to these character revolutions. Cass is slowly starting to understand and embrace her humanity, the good and the bad. This book is really about Cass coming to terms with the limits and dismal aspects of being human. She realizes that when you open yourself up to love, you also welcome heartache. She finds that caring leads the way to losing what you care about. And being mostly human means she is dispensable in this grand battle.

For all of their sweet moments, Cass and Luis also experience an incredible turn-about in their relationship. One that will leave you gob-smacked and pained on Cass’s behalf.

“Cass . . .” He sighed. “Damn, girl, I never know which way to jump with you. When it’s all action and danger, we’re synced like a sound track; when it’s just you and me, I never know what you’re thinking, or what you’re feeling, if you’re feeling anything. I look at you and you just . . .”

“Just what?”

He shrugged, frowning. “You just reflect,” he said. “Like steel.”

That surprised me, and it hurt a little. “I am not steel.” I said. “I am human. Blood and bone and muscle, heart and feeling and vulnerability. Don’t I show that?”

“Not even a little. Not here.” He sounded almost apologetic about it.

I also loved ‘Unseen’ because Caine brings back a favourite secondary character we first met in ‘Unknown’. Rashid is a mysterious Dijn who is fascinated with Cass and currently under command of an unknown master. He is as beautiful as a Greek God, and has a penchant for wearing his birthday suit around Cass, because he loves flustering her. I am so smitten with Rashid! I was thrilled to read his return in ‘Unseen’. He’s like dark chocolate – wickedly good and bitter. I can’t figure him out, but I love reading his interactions with Cass. I would love it if, when the ‘Outcast Season’ comes to an end, Rachel Caine could do a spin-off of a spin-off and write Rashid’s story!

‘Unseen’ also marks the beginning of the end. This book reveals a lot about Pearl and her grand plan . . . and it’s spine-tinglingly awful. Caine is definitely setting up Pearl’s long-game, and preparing Cass and Luis for an epic battle. I don’t want to give anything away, but Pearl’s devilish plan is chillingly villainous.

‘Unseen’ is yet another brilliantly thrilling instalment in Caine’s ‘Outcast Season’ spin-off series. Jo Baldwin and ‘Weather Warden’ may be done and dusted, but Caine’s still got a lot to offer in Cassiel and Luis. This is a transformative book for all characters – Cass comes to terms with the downfalls of humanity, and Pearl reveals her villainous grand-plans. It is epically glorious, and exactly what fans have come to expect from Rachel Caine’s brilliant paranormal pen.

5/5

'Unknown: Outcast Season #2' by Rachel CAINE

From the BLURB:

For a millennia, Cassiel was a powerful Dijn. But then she defied her ruler, who cast her out and reshaped her in human flesh as punishment. She found refuge among the Wardens - and discovered that her perceived human weaknesses may be her greatest strengths.

Living among mortals, Cassiel has begun to develop a reluctant affection for them--especially the intriguing Warden Luis Rocha. As the mystery deepens around the kidnapping of innocent Warden children, Cassiel and Luis are the only ones who can investigate within both the human and the Djinn realms.

But the more Luis and Cassiel search, the more dangerous the trail becomes, reaching not only into a fanatical splinter group, but into the highest ranks of Cassiel's immortal kin. As outcast from her own kind, Cassiel must now rely on her own limited earthbound powers to save young Wardens...if it's not already too late.

This is Rachel Caine’s second book in her Weather Warden spin-off series.

I love the whole concept of this spin-off. In the ‘Weather Warden’ series the Dijn (genies – but more ruthless, scary and powerful than we know them) are mostly secondary characters that readers learn about through protagonist, Joanne Baldwin. Joanne’s HEA, David Prince, is a Dijn himself – but by his own confession he is unusual among his kind because he loves and respects humanity.

In this spin-off series Caine has a former-Dijn as the protagonist. Cassiel refused to destroy humanity and as punishment she was made human and mortal. Cassiel is a wonderful narrator because she’s so foreign and bizarre. Though she is now a human, she still sees the world through Dijn eyes and is slowly learning about humanity. The Dijn are a very powerful, frightening race – they think of humans as blips on their radars and care little for the trials and tribulations of the human race.

Cassiel keeps getting more and more interesting. She was noble and conceited in ‘Outcast Season’ book #1, but in ‘Unknown’ we see a huge transformation in her outlook. Cassiel has come to care for the Warden family she was assigned to, and in particular Earth Warden Luis Rocha. Cassiel has also started to question the arrogance of the Dijn race – particularly when she comes face-to-face with a Dijn called Rashid who is the embodiment of Dijn egotism.

Cassiel’s transformation is fascinating to read – and makes for a fulfilling spin-off because it sheds so much light on the original ‘Weather Warden’ series.

My one complaint has to do with the slow progress of Luis and Cassiel’s relationship. Where the ‘Weather Warden’ series has Joanne and David getting hot-and-heavy in every book, and a David/Joanne/Lewis love triangle – by comparison Cassiel and Luis are moving at a snails pace. In this book the two freely admit their feelings for one another, but don’t act on them. To be fair they have a tough romantic road ahead of them – Luis isn’t exactly trusting of the Dijn (for good reason) and Cassiel is still adjusting to her humanity (and all those complicated hormones that come with it). But these two are so darn cute I want them to hurry it up already!

There’s lots of drama in ‘Unknown’. Villainous Dijn, Pearl, up’s the ante and focuses her attack on Cassiel. Caine writes drama so damn well – from a motorcycle pile-up to an FBI blow out, all of her action leaves you on the edge of your seat.

Halley shrugged. “Always wondered is all. You Wardens, you’re practically gods, what with all the slinging lightning bolts and healing the sick. Bea ain’t religious. So I just wondered.”

“We’re not any kind of gods, big G or small,” Luis said. “Ain’t even angels, man. We’re just people. Smart Wardens know that better than anybody. You play God, people die.”

I love Rachel Caine and I love her ‘Weather Warden’ series. I am really liking her spin-off series, mostly because (as well as being a genuinely interesting story) it offers new insights into the ‘Weather Warden’ world. Dijn are thoroughly frightening and interesting and in the ‘Outcast Season’ books we get one as a protagonist.

If you haven’t yet, I strongly recommend you read the first ‘Weather Warden’ book ‘Ill Wind’, and actually anything written by Ms. Caine is worth-while.

4/5