I thoroughly enjoyed this story whose MC Lizbeth Rose is about as badass as they come. And Eli Savarov (Prince Ilya Savarov) really complements her in his role.

As far as the world building, the alternate history the author created is believable in the realm of what it is meant to be. I'm guessing that if I had read book 1 first (sadly, I didn't but will now) I would've understood their alternate universe even quicker. The story began with action when Lizbeth's new crew was hired to take cargo and deliver it to Dixie, but things went awry quite quickly (no spoilers!). The crate (cargo) goes missing so now Lizbeth's job is to find what they "lost." No one knows what is in the crate, and for me it was a need-to-know!

There is so much magic, death/resurrection (but you won't know who), disappearances. It's a good thing that Lizbeth is so intuitive and quick on the draw as well. She does have to defend herself and others she cares about when she is searching for the crate.

I hope that others will read this book but start with book 1. I do think that although book 2 is easily understood on its own, it's likely it would be even more appreciated after reading book 1.

*NOTE: Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery / Saga Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An alternate 1920s American South, complete with racial tensions, railroad travel, and conventional roles for women, forms the backdrop for this delicious mystery/thriller/urbanfantasy/romance in true Charlaine Harris style.

Lizbeth Rose is a gunnie, a hired gun, and she’s part of a crew who have been employed to transport a mysterious, crated object and in the process prevent anyone from stealing it. Their method of transportation is railroad, and it comes as no surprise that the train is sabotaged, resulting in much bloodshed, and in the wreckage that follows, the leader of the crew, badly wounded but holding on to the box, is murdered.

Lizbeth teams up with an old flame, Eli Savarov, a magic-wielding “grigori” wizard otherwise in service to the Holy Russian Empire. They’re forced to remain in the town of Sally, Louisiana, until the box is recovered and the mystery solved. Step by step, they are drawn deeper into the layers of oppression, from the social pressure on Lizbeth to dress and behave like a submissive woman to the casual lynching of blacks.

The first person narrative echoes the “Sookie Stackhouse” novels in tone and diction, but that is part of their charm. Both Lizbeth and Sookie convey savvy, sass, and depth of emotion in deceptively simple language. They’re not the same character, however, and neither are they the author, who demonstrates her deep understanding of Southern American culture with all its shadows and strengths.

A fast-paced, engaging read with quirky world-building and compelling characters that left me hungry for the next installment.

I love reading Charlaine Harris books, but this one brought some mixed emotions out for me. I loved the character, Lizbeth. She's pretty awesome. A kick-A kind of woman that you'll love reading about. I love this reimagined world with such an eclectic mixture of genres. I found the beginning exciting, and then the story just slowed down terribly. There is still a lot of action happening, but it was just a bit off for me. I will, however, continue reading the series to see what happens next!

Lizbeth Rose, recovered from the events and injuries she sustained in An Easy Death, is hired by a new crew. Gunnie is a gunslinger in dangerous modern America, one in which the country split into independent nation-states. The split was precipitated by the assassination of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Even the Holy Russian Empire has a foothold in what was formerly California and Oregon. The crew is protecting a crate being sent into Dixie, one in which there seems to be much interest. The long train ride has been mostly uneventful until the very end when a gunfight erupts, and the train is blown up. The crew leader is injured but alive and is left to guard the crate while Gunnie tries to help survivors. When she returns, the crew leader is dead, and the box has disappeared. Surprisingly, an old friend, Ilya (Eli) Savarov, a "Grigori" (magician) who has his own interest in the crate, one that he refuses to disclose. Gunnie and Eli join forces to search for the container. Gunnie never wanted to go to Dixie, and the reality is as awful as she imagined. Slavery no longer exists, but Jim Crow, racism, sexism, and religious fervor are the norm. An unaccompanied woman, wearing trousers at that, can't pass under the radar in Dixie. Posing as a married couple, the two hope to find the crate and fulfill their respective missions.

I have been a fan of Charlaine Harris' particular blend of genre-bending fiction for a while now. I enjoyed the Sookie Stackhouse series (at least the majority of them) and particularly liked the Midnight, TX, and Harper Connolly series. The blend of alternate history, action, magic, romance, and an appealing lead in Gunnie kept me interested and involved throughout. I am already looking forward to the next in the series. I hope that Eli and Lizbeth can work out the differences in their relative "stations" in life and make a go of it. Since Eli is out of favor with the other Grigori so it might be possible. The differences are more in her head than in his, I think.

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

RATING-4.5 rounded up to 5

I’ve been looking forward to this second book of the Gunnie Rose series for a long time—after all, I loved An Easy Death and couldn’t wait for round two with Lizbeth, our badass gunslinging protagonist who makes a living as a mercenary in a post-apocalyptic, western-inspired alternate version of the United States. That said, I’m glad I kept my expectations somewhat in check, because A Longer Fall was probably not what it could have been. Entertaining, yes, but I wouldn’t say it takes the story or characters to the next level the way a sequel should.

When our story begins, Lizbeth has just signed on with another crew to escort a convoy and its cargo from Texoma to a town called Sally in Dixie. It was supposed to be a routine job, but enroute to their destination, their train was ambushed, many travelers were killed, and a precious crate with its mysterious contents was stolen. Her employer dead and her friends gravely injured, Lizbeth sets off on a mission to hunt down their attackers and discover what it was they stole that was important enough to kill for. That, and she’ll need to recover the box and make an actual delivery in order to get paid.

With the arrival of Eli Savarov, a grigori wizard from the Holy Russian Empire—and Lizbeth’s sort-of old fling—she knows she’s on to something big. Turns out Eli already knows about the missing crate, and he’s in town to find it too. Teaming up, the two of them pose as a married couple to investigate, Sally not being the kind of conservative place to tolerate a single, unaccompanied woman poking her nose around in their business. In fact, the town isn’t really too tolerant of anything, with sexism and racism very much alive and well in its people.

And well, that’s really all there is to the story. Up until the final few chapters, we mostly follow Lizbeth and Eli around town as they try to turn up any clues about the stolen cargo. Considering how dazzled I was by the setting in the first book, seeing so little of it this time around was a bit disappointing, and it was due to the limited scope of the story. While good sequels tend to build upon previous books, further developing the advancing the overarching plot of the series and its characters, A Longer Fall keeps us mainly in a holding pattern. In a way, it feels lacking in its “sequel status” and comes across half-hearted.

Speaking of which, I just didn’t feel whatever it was that was supposed to be between Lizbeth and Eli. Their relationship was downright bizarre, and calling it a romance doesn’t feel quite right. Hardly a chapter can go by without us being constantly reminded that the two of them have no future, even as they go at each other like rabbits. If there was supposed to be some tension, I just didn’t feel it. And I kept waiting, hoping that their strange dynamic would build up to something worthwhile, and well…I won’t spoil how things turn out, but let’s just say I was far from satisfied.

Then there was the ending, which felt so incongruous that I could probably take up a whole page just describing how surreal it all felt. First was the crate. Funny enough, I had been forewarned by other reviewers about this, but apparently I was still inadequately prepared because I literally let out a snort of incredulity the moment Lizbeth was confronted with the contents of the crate for the first time. Even more random was the novel’s overall resolution. After spending nearly three hundred pages with all manner of violent and brutal characters in this merciless blood-soaked world, I suddenly felt like I was thrust into the middle of one of my kids’ PBS cartoons. Just a really weird, jarring way to tie everything up.

And yet, despite what might seem like my trashing of the novel, I don’t want to make it sound like I didn’t enjoy myself or that this was a bad book. Because it wasn’t, really! I had a good time with it, and it was a fast read—perfect for when you’re in the mood for something mindlessly light and fluffy, perhaps.

Thing is, I had expected something a little more substantial. A Longer Fall didn’t quite deliver in that sense, mostly coming across like “just another book in a series” but it was still very entertaining, and at no time did I feel like it wasn’t worth reading or that it was wasting my time. To be honest, I actually had a lot of fun with the story, even if it meant a few chortles at its expense. At the end of the day though, I’m looking forward to more of Gunnie Rose and here’s hoping the next book will have more oomph.

Lizabeth joined a new crew hired to escort a chest to the town of Sally in Dixie. Right outside of town, a train is blown-up, the crew is attacked, and the crate is stolen. Lizabeth wakes up to see a face from the past who is in town in relation to the crate's arrival. The two team-up and hunt down the crate, creating chaos and consternation all over town before they leave. A nice follow-up to An Easy Death!

I am enjoying this book. It's exciting enough to hold my interest. It is about Lizbeth (a gunnie) who was hired to protect a chest. The rest of her crew gets killed and the chest gets stolen. Then a piece of her past shows up who is also concerned with the contents of the chest. So they team up to track it down. I like Charlaine's writing style. It's not overly wordy. Although I did not read the first book in this series, there is enough background information to get the picture without retelling the whole first story. I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher. My opinions in my review are entirely my own.

Another fabulous book by Charlaine Harris! I just really love this series about a gunnie named Lizbeth. I loved the first book, and I really enjoyed this one too. It was great that the author brought to life things that really matter- women's rights, African American's rights, how we can't be a judge and jury just because we don't like someone, etc. I am so rooting for Lizbeth and Eli in the next book! Can't wait!

I have been a Charlaine Harris fan for years, and I've read every book she's written. The new Gunnie Rose series is not my favorite, but it definitely has elements of paranormal mixed with real world that Charlaine is so good at writing. The main character is a hired gun, protecting folks as they trek across America. Without spoiling anything, I will say that the supernatural elements give this story a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed the story, and the characters were well thought-out. I enjoyed seeing a woman fulfilling a traditional male role, and I'm sure the rest of the series will be just as entertaining as the first 2 books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for sending me a free advanced reader copy of this book for an honest review. A Longer Fall debuted January 14th.

Oh man, I’m falling in love. There’s nothing like a book by my hero, Charlaine Harris, to do all the things–thrill, terrify, and inspire love and hate and everything in between, all with rock-solid prose. The first book in the Gunnie Rose series, An Easy Death, was a very solid four-star read for me, and A Longer Fall takes it to the next level.

If you’re not familiar with the series, it follows sharp-shooter-for-hire Lizbeth Rose on her perilous adventures in an alternative history America that’s been split into multiple countries: Texoma, New America, Dixie, Britannia, the Holy Russian Empire. (I might have missed one in there.) Since this is a book by Charlaine Harris, there’s more than a dash of magic sprinkled over the book (there are real wizards here who work real magic), as well as a good dose of mystery and thriller elements. I’ve long thought that the Western genre is due for a reboot, and this genre-bending series feels like a perfect step in that direction.

I’ll admit that it took me a little bit of time to warm to the main character in An Easy Death, as she is over-the-top practical and straightforward. In this next entry in the series, I really felt the characters got their moment to shine and grow. Yeah, yeah, the plot’s good and all, but it’s on a book’s characters to propel a book from good to great. As the book wrapped up, I was on Goodreads immediately searching out info on the next book. The good news is that it’s coming; bad news is that I can’t find a date listed. Mehhhhh.

Basically, if you are looking for a genre-bender or you’re a Harris fan, you should be reading this series. I loved it, and I’ll be first in line for a copy of the next book.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am going to start this review off by saying I am a bit biased for Charlaine Harries. I have and I will read anything she comes out with (including her grocery list!) A Longer Fall feels so much different than most of her series. There is less magical and fantasy (although there is some mixed in) and more realism. I really enjoyed the first installment of the Gunnie Rose stories. I love how Harris doesn't make things easy for her heroines. They struggle.. They struggle a LOT.

I loved the honest take Harries took with this story. She took the issues of today and built an immersive story around them. We are a split US country at the moment and she built this amazing dystopian world around it. The pacing of this book is wonderful. It was fast and kept the story exciting and thrilling. It keeps you at the edge of your seat.

I really just could not put this book down. I just wanted to stay in this world that Harris created and keep reading. I cannot wait until the next book! As with any Charlaine Harris, you can’t get too attached to the characters as no one is safe!!!

Thank you so much to Charlaine Harris, Saga Press Publishing, and NetGalley for making this review possible.

This tale is different from Mr. Harris' other books. It was not full of magic and the paranormal. Those elements were sprinkled within. This book of intrigue, freedom fighting, a saint, love and hate was amazing. There are parts that will lose you, do not give up the read is worth it. Maybe there is hope for Lizbeth, Felix and Eli.

This is a book for big Harris fans. It's pacing is slow and it's not as fun as Sookie's stories, but it is good in it's own way. 2.5 stars.

First, thank you to the author, the publisher, and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for my opinion. I am a huge fan of Charlaine Harris, HUGE. I’ve read every single book, every single character, and then I’ve re-read them, again and again. I was truly shocked when I discovered I’d been granted an ARC because, well, I’m such a fan. I had read the previous installment of Gunnie Rose’s story when it was released. It was the first book in the series, my first introduction to the character, and...it was a rough book for our heroine. I was thrilled to pick this book up and dive back in to a continuation of her story. Those who have read the previous novel will probably enjoy this one with a deeper appreciation than someone who is new to the series. For purposes of a) reading a good book and b) continuity, I’d definitely recommend you read An Easy Death first.

I was thrilled to see our friend Eli make another appearance during the course of A Longer Fall. I was also again struck by how determined, persevering, and tough Gunnie Rose is throughout this new adventure of hers. She reminds me a bit of Lily Bard from Harris’s Shakespeare series. You know this woman is going to do whatever it is she needs to do. She’s very pragmatic and practical - and she takes her job seriously, folks! No spoilers here except to say I’d hate to be one of her coworkers. Now enjoy the ride. I know I did, and I’m already looking forward to book 3!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
5 Intriguing Stars

Spoiler-Free Review

A Longer Fall is the second installment in the Gunnie Rose series, and cannot be read as a standalone without massive confusion, as it's a true continuation.

I must admit, I struggled with An Easy Death, but the issues I had weren't as present in A Longer Fall. I gave the continuation a chance because I was intrigued by such an original story, crossing my fingers that it was the first book curse. Sometimes if the first book is amazing, it's hard for the second to live up to the expectations. Sometimes when the first book is so-so, the continuation rocks me off my feet. The latter is what happened in this case.

Gunnie Rose has a dystopian feel, in regards to the US falling and being split up and taken over by several nations. Set in the depression era, with civil rights and women's rights issues from the time making a heavy presence in the series. This is set to the backdrop of Russian magic users to add a paranormal twist.

The pacing was rapid this go around, exciting and thrilling, without being slowed by too much inane information – there is still quite a bit of everyday events, but it added more to the story than taking it away, as previously.

Read in two sittings, I didn't want to put A Longer Fall down, when I struggled to stay interested in the previous installment. Lizbeth finds an unexpected ally in Dixie, as she tries to protect, then reclaim a crate she was employed to protect.

Never get too attached to characters, as they might not be long for this world. Expect Lizbeth to be the gunnie she was born to be, shooting and asking questions later. The survivalist. Expect betrayals, assassination attempts, and high-stress situations. If racism and misogyny are hard for you to swallow, the historical accuracy of Dixie was difficult to read but well written.

There is more emotion this time around, as Lizbeth showed rare bursts of insecurity and her strong need for connection with Eli. These moments of humanity were what was missing from the debut in the series, creating a more well-rounded Lizbeth Rose.

By the end of the novel, I sat there for a few minutes, wishing upon wishing I had the third installment, needing to know what happens next.

Highly recommended to Charlaine Harris fans, and those looking for something highly original and intriguing. My advice, An Easy Death was a hard book to enjoy. Stick with it, then grab A Longer Fall – you won't be disappointed in the amazing shift from book to book.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
I love Charlaine Harris’ imagination and this series is quite possibly the most original – and most bizarre – of all the weird and wonderful worlds Harris has written. I’m still not quite sure I understand exactly where and when these books are set but the dystopian alternate reality is fabulous. I fell hard for Lizbeth Rose and her altered reality and I really loved this story.

I’m equal parts in love with and completely confused by the setting of this story. The Dixie where Lizbeth’s train crashes is definitely Southern but it exists outside of time. I can’t quite explain it – I’m not sure the actual novel fully manages to explain Dixie – but it’s an oppressive, backwards, and claustrophobic place that Lizbeth finds herself trapped in.

Lizbeth herself will feel more familiar to longstanding Harris fans. Despite her violent profession, Lizbeth is a mannered and moral Southern lady and I love the many conflicting elements of her character.

I love the way fantasy characters are gently mixed into this already dystopian world. This is a world where wizards and Russian Tsars are somehow part of a dis-United States and somehow it all works.

I have to say that I should have started this series at the beginning. Nothing is explained or recapped at the start of this second book, so my head was completely spinning for the first few chapters. I eventually caught up but I’m sure I’m still missing parts of the story. Readers need to start with the first book, which hopefully offers more of an introduction to this weird and wonderful world.

This is book 2 in the Gunnie Rose series ( An easy death, book 1) and it's another remarkable read by Charlaine Harris into the world of the unknown. Lizbeth is back as a hired gun, protecting a crate going from what used to be Texas to Dixie. This is a alternate history book set in the US that has now reverted back to the ways of the wild west. Add a Russian wizard, train rides, slaves, dog and dead people you have all the makings of a classic Harris read. I enjoy Gunnie Rose and the life she lives to stay alive. You can read this as a stand alone but it will read so much better having read book 1. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.

This is the second book in a new fantasy/paranormal series and the author doesn't miss a step in getting the action started. Lizbeth Rose, a young gunslinger (gunnie) for hire is running with a new crew. They've been tasked with a seemingly easy job of running a crate to Dixie, a place where social norms have reverted back to the last century. Just before they reach their final destination, the crate is stolen in a heist that costs over a dozen lives.

Ever the dedicated Gunnie, Lizbeth goes undercover in the dangerous and backwards land to find the crate and finish her job. She is aided in her efforts by an old friend who she isn't sure she can trust, but is out of options. As she gets closer to finding answers, many lives are put at risk, including Gunnie Rose's.

This is another wild ride for Gunnie Rose. Supernatural elements are still at play, the bad guys are more insidious, and the stakes are higher than ever. Lizbeth is forced to dress and act like a lady, among people who believe that women should be seen and not heard. As you can imagine, not wearing her gear and guns does not sit well with Lizbeth. But once she realizes just how dangerous Dixie is, and that her actions can have severe. and possibly deadly, consequences for others, she bites her tongue and toughs it out.

As with most Harris books, there is always a bit of sexual tension between people who are very different from each other. This romance is a nice relief from the action. I'm not sure how many books are expected in this series, but I can't wait to read the next one! I highly recommend you read this series.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was not familiar with Charlaine Harris' latest series, Gunnie Rose, until I got an ARC of A Longer Fall from NetGalley. This is the second in the series. That's an awkward place to jump in; however, it was fascinating and made me eager to get a copy of the first, An Easy Death.

The world of Gunnie Lizbeth Rose, a 19-year-old mercenary, is an altered 1930s America. (Alternate history is generally a pretty good place to start for me.) The Great Depression and the assassination of Franklin Roosevelt have fractured what was the United States into several smaller countries. Magic and wizardry are also elements of this world, though they are more accepted in some places than others. A mission takes Lizbeth into Dixie, a backwards Southeastern country where magic is frowned upon, women must wear skirts, and black people are treated barely better than slaves.

Lizbeth is an appealingly scrappy character whose main goal is to survive in a hostile world. I believe I would have understood better what was going on if I'd gotten familiar with Gunnie Rose and her on-again-off-again love, a noble-born Russian wizard named Eli, in an Easy Death. However, there is lots of action, lots of magic, some suspense, and a bit of romance. I expect this to be a fun and long-running series.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a great sequel to the first book in the series -nice continuation of some previous plot items, but I think I would have known whats going on anyway. I also liked that it was very different from the first book as far as plot - it wasn't just the same story rehashed.

The story starts on a train. Lizbeth has been hired by a new crew, and they are taking a mysterious chest to Dixie, which does not sound like a nice place to go (and turns out that is correct). All goes well until it doesn't :). Lizbeth is left with the problem of discovering what happened and why and fixing things as best she can.

I like exploring this alternative world. Dixie is pretty eerie - especially with the way people are treated. Magic is a part of the world, but resented by many people. And of course there was lots of action. Some behind-the-scene questions remain unanswered, but I suspect they will be illuminated in future books.

I am going to be in the minority here but i found this book really boring. I am not sure what the author`s point of this book was. The characters were not well developed at all. I couldn't even figure out what time period it was. The world was very underdeveloped. The main character Lizbeth "Gunnie" Rose was dull as could be and the love interest Eli, a wizard, had potential but there was not enough told about him. And even the sex was dull. Just when the two characters start to develop the book ended! What a serious disappointment.