Mo‘s review of Undone (Outcast Season, Book 1) by Rachel Caine
Urban fantasy released by ROC 3 Feb 09

Cassiel, a fallen Djinn, is now in a human body and working for the Wardens. She must partner with one because she cannot produce her own energy and needs to absorb it from a Warden. She is partnered with Manny Rocha, an Earth Warden, and they are attacked by unexplainable forces that are out to get them. Hurricanes, fires, electrical issues, and sandstorms are only some of what they face.

Cassiel ends up taking a road trip with Manny’s brother Luis, and investigating missing children and a creepy place called only “The Ranch”. I think the most disturbing thing there has to be the malicious child army of ‘rejects’. The Ranch is a cult-like compound that is preparing for something that will change the course of humanity. Undone offers no resolution to the storyline, but does reveal the cause of Cassiel’s banishment at the end.

I almost abandoned Undone. For the first twenty pages, Cassiel drove me batty. She was arrogant, rude, and ungrateful. She looked at humans as a commodity and an annoyance, and when she refused to obey an order from a superior, she was punished by being put into a human body. Cassiel did not stop complaining about it, and it was very hard to push past those pages. I had to remind myself that Cassiel was the equivalent of a fallen angel, and that her reactions were understandable, given that she had never truly interacted with or empathized with humanity in the past. It also helped that she started to understand humans and that she discovered hidden truths about herself as well. Over the course of the book, she redeemed herself in my eyes.

I had some difficulty reading the book because I had not read the Weather Warden series and was not familiar with some terminology that went unexplained in the book. I knew that Djinn were like genies, but they seemed to act more like angels to me, so that was confusing. The “aetheric” I believe was referring to Heaven, or some plane of existence not accessible by humans. For a while, I didn’t understand the different types of Wardens, where their powers came from, or what they did with them. None of that information was explained. There were some hints and vague references scattered throughout the book, but never any straightforward explanation.

Overall the book was good. The pace was fast, the action intense and creative, the world colorful and complex. There were some minor sticking points, but I did enjoy the book and am looking forward to the next novel in the series, Unknown.

Grade :B

Summary:
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“I was one of the Old Djinn, the First Djinn, who came before any human walked the earth. I was a spirit of fire and air, and Ashan cast me down to this heavy, crippling flesh…”
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Once she was a powerful Djinn. Then Cassiel defied her ruler, Ashan, who tore her very essence away and reshaped her in human flesh as punishment. Forced to live among mortals, Cassiel has found refuge among the Weather Wardens—whose power she must tap into regularly, or she will die.
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Cassiel earns her keep by assisting the Earth Warden Manny Rocha on his missions—which she finds much easier than coping with the emotions and frailties of her human conditions especially her growing affection for Manny’s brother, Luis. But when Cassiel encounters a malevolent force that threatens the Rocha family, she discovers that her perceived human weaknesses may be her greatest strengths….
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Read an excerpt.

C2 started it off, but I’ve got a list as well!  (And my choices are way better than hers.)  2008 was a great year for books, but here’s my top 10:

The Outlaw Demon Wails (The Hollows, Book Six) by Kim Harrison
Urban fantasy released by EOS 26 Feb 2008

Kim Harrison keeps this series going storng with an entry that solves a lot of ongoing questions and to open new ones. The paperback is now available with a bonus story just in time to reread for the release of White Witch, Black Curse.

Dark Needs at Night’s Edge (The Immortals After Dark, Book Four) by Kresley Cole
Paranormal romance released by Pocket 1 Apr 08

It was a toss-up between this and Dark Desires After Dusk. With this year’s releases, Cole set the bar high for Kiss of a Demon King. Seriously, any paranormal romance fan needs these two on their shelves.

Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception by Maggie Stiefvater
Young adult fantasy released by Flux 1 Oct 08

This debut has faeries, violence, music, and romance. What more can one ask for?

Dreaming Again edited by Jack Dann
Speculative fiction anthology released by EOS 30 Sept 08

Australia’s literary scene rocks hardcore. Here some of its best authors serve up 35 excellent stories. This anthology contains no misses.

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
Paranormal young adult released by Hyperion 6 May 08

Zombies, high school, and sociology come together for a humorous novel that will stay with you for awhile after you finish.

Madhouse (Cal Leandros, Book Three) by Rob Thurman
Urban fantasy released by ROC 26 Feb 08

Just read this series. Please.

Delicious by Sherry Thomas
Historical romance released by Bantam 29 July 08

Another author with two brilliant releases to choose between -this and her debut Private Arrangements. Both are terrific, but only this one makes me hungry. Food porn and romance is a winning combination.

Embrace the Night (Cassandra Palmer series, Book Three) by Karen Chance
Urban fantasy released by ROC 1 Apr 08

This series really hit its stride with this book. Chance also debuted anther series with the excellent Midnight’s Daughter.

Undone by Brooke Taylor
Young adult released by Walker Books for Young Readers 22 July 08

Taylor’s debut is emotionally strong, which any romance reader can appreciate.

Paper Towns by John Green
Young adult released by Dutton Juvenile 16 Oct 08

Green understands the nerd lifestyle, strong females, and what makes a good story. I don’t know if the man is capable of writing a book that isn’t made of win.

Honorable Mentions

Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready
Urban fantasy released by Pocket 13 May 08

Smith-Ready makes her urban fantasy debut with a series that takes an inventive approach towards vampires and adds to the genre.

Tarnished Beauty by Cecilia Samartin
Literary fiction released by Atria 18 Mar 08

This is not self-important literary fiction. It’s simply a beautifully written story.