The Raintree Trilogy
Raintree: Inferno by Linda Howard
Raintree: Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones
Raintree: Sanctuary by Beverly Barton
I’d first learned about this series from Paperback Writer, who recommended Raintree: Haunted. I’d been keeping an eye out for these books, but I’d had no idea they were part of the Nocturne series until I stumbled across them last week. I’m sure my squeal of delight could be heard in the next county. PBW was, after all, the first one to point me in the direction of Rob Thurman. (You can read my own raving about her books on the Favorite Fiction page.)
So I bought all three and promptly started the first. I’m almost finished reading the second one (which you may recognize from the RITA finalist list), and I’m definitely hooked. The first two books at least take place over the same time period, and there are small interconnections between the two heroes in the form of phone calls. For some reason, this unifying technique intrigues me. I’d heard about something similiar, of course, but I’d never actually come across it, and I find it creates a more realistic world for me. I’m not sure why, but it does.
The only quibble I have with this technique is that I’m expected to believe that two brothers both find love during the exact same week. Yes, I know, much stranger things can happen, and I’m definitely willing to suspend belief for most anything if the story’s good. Heck, I’m even buying the whole controlling fire and lightning thing. Totally with you on that. So why the timeline would be an issue with me, of all things, I don’t know, but it’s small enough that I just shrug and go with it anyway.
Raintree: Inferno was a quick, eager read for me. Linda Howard, having the first of the trilogy, was therefore responsible for setting up the world and its rules. You have to have a lot of faith in another writer, I think, to lay so much responsibility on another, and Ms. Howard does it beautifully. The world is seamless, and the process of laying it out doesn’t interrupt the pace of the story. I enjoyed both characters, and I look forward to seeing their possible appearance in the third book. The story ends on a cliffhanger, which would have gotten to me if I didn’t have the other two already waiting on my bedside table. 
The second one, Raintree: Haunted, has a deeper quality, and I can see why it was nominated for a RITA. I don’t know if it was because Linda Winstead Jones didn’t have to spend as much time world-building, or if it’s just her natural voice, but both the main characters strike a more intimate cord with me. Again, the pace is good, but the story is a bit more introspective, more character-driven and poignant.
The writing also has a very strong visual aspect to it. While reading the story, I’ll periodically find myself wishing that someone would make a movie of this. The lightning, the beach, the ghosts…it’s all so very tangible that I would love to see it evolve into a well-done film.
I haven’t started Raintree: Sanctuary, but I’ve already learned a bit about the heroine from the previous two books, and I look forward to hopping into her head for a while.
The long and the short of it is that this series is a definite must-read. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it so far, and I already know it’s going to be one of those series that I hate to see end. So go forth! Buy! Enjoy!
