The nitty-gritty: A solid follow-up to An Easy Death, unfortunately I wasn't as wowed by this book as other readers.

I really had high hopes for this book, since I loved An Easy Death so much, but I felt the plot in this sequel lacked the excitement and punch I was looking for. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of things I loved about A Longer Fall, which I’ll go into below, but overall I was a little disappointed, especially with the ending.

The story revolves around Lizbeth Rose, a “gunnie”—gun for hire—who has just joined a new crew called the Lucky Crew. Lizbeth and her fellow gunnies have been hired to protect a crate on its way to the town of Sally, but before they make it to their destination, the train blows up, injuring and killing scores of passengers. Lizbeth suspects that someone is after the crate and what’s inside (which is a mystery to the crew) and the train was attacked as a distraction. Sure enough, in the confusion of the aftermath of the accident, the crate disappears.

Lizbeth is nothing if not tenacious and thorough, and she knows she won’t get paid for the job unless she finds the crate and takes it to the drop off point. Struggling with her own injuries, Lizbeth is surprised to find an old acquaintance has arrived to help out: Eli Savarov, a grigori (wizard) from the Holy Russian Empire. Strangely enough, Eli knows all about the crate and his mission seems to intersect with Lizbeth’s. They decide to join forces to locate the crate, but navigating the conservative town of Sally has its challenges. Posing as husband and wife, Lizbeth and Eli find themselves caught up in a battle in between two different factions in Sally, trying to stay alive long enough to set things right. 

Lizbeth is by far the best part of this book. The story is told from her first person point of view, and her odd brand of blunt, wry humor permeates every sentence. She’s a first-rate gunnie and a cold-blooded killer, but when she and Eli get to Sally and have to blend in while they search for the crate, Lizbeth is horrified when Eli makes her change her wardrobe. I loved the scenes where she’s wearing dresses (probably for the first time ever!) and bitching about it:

“Today I wore my pale blue skirt with little white flowers, and the white blouse. I felt like an idiot.”

I also enjoyed Lizbeth and Eli together in this story, although I have to admit that Eli is a bit too sexist at times. In An Easy Death, they sort of hooked up but then separated at the end. Now that Eli’s back, of course he wants to resume their relationship, and Lizbeth doesn’t seem to mind at all, although she’s wary of him ditching her again. Lizbeth has an odd, standoffish way about her. She’s happy to jump into bed with Eli whenever the opportunity arises, but she comes across as emotionally flat. I like to think it’s because her lifestyle is so violent and she doesn’t want to endanger the people she loves, but at times this emotional disconnect bothered me. I also didn’t care for the way Eli kept so many secrets from Lizbeth. I mean, they’re working and sleeping together, yet he coyly keeps refusing to tell her what’s going on with the crate.

I love the world that Harris has created, a sort of post apocalyptic, Wild West with Russian wizards. The world-building was much stronger in the first book, probably because the author was trying to set the stage. In this book, she backs off the world building details and focuses more on the plot, so I didn’t get as strong a sense of the world I loved so much. The elements are there, but Harris only mentions certain things in passing, assuming readers will already know what she’s talking about. This story is a rather tightly focused one, as most of the action takes place in the town of Sally, but Harris’ world is huge, and I was craving some of the more exotic locations and details from the first book. 

Finally, the ultimate mystery of the crate and its contents was a bit of a let-down, I have to admit. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I was hoping for something more exciting and less social commentary. It’s hard to talk about because I don’t want to spoil the story, but after all the casual violence and murder in this story—and most of it at the hands of Lizbeth and Eli—I feel like Harris had a change of heart at the end and tried to turn the story into feel-good, “we can all get along” sort of plot that just had me shaking my head in confusion. Maybe you can attribute it to the weirdness of Sally, I mean Lizbeth hated that town and couldn’t wait to leave. Still, the resolution just fell flat for me.

Overall, I finished this book with a “ho hum” sort of feeling, although you'll see plenty of rave reviews on Goodreads, so maybe it's just me. However, despite my lukewarm reaction, I’m still on board for more Gunnie Rose stories. What the book lacks in the plot department, it totally makes up for it with the characters, the humor and especially Lizbeth’s voice. I’m already anxiously awaiting the title and cover reveal of the next book!

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

Since this was the second book in a series I quickly found the first one on Kindle Unlimited and start to read it. After finishing it I decided to start book 2 even though I wasn't nearly as excited as I originally thought I would be. The moves quickly with it western feel mixed with magic and endless blood shed that some how Lizbeth survives over and over again.

Fans of Charlaine Harris will love this new series as for this readers I still trying to figure out if I love it or hate it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of Charlaine Harris A Longer Fall

REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Kelly
NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4
A Longer Fall is the second installment of Charlaine Harris’ Gunnie Rose series.

A Longer Fall picks up a few months after the end of An Easy Death. We catch up with Lizbeth Rose (aka Gunnie Rose) and her new crew of Gunnies. We find them on a train headed to Dixie with a package. Dixie is not a place the Lizbeth would normally want to be but the package needs to be delivered. What should have been an easy sit on the box and deliver turns out to be not so lucky for the Lucky Crew. A train derailment leads Lizbeth and her crew facing enemy after enemy. But in the midst of all the chaos a familiar face emerges. One Lizbeth never thought she would ever see again.

Eva Kaminsky does a great job again bring these characters to life. I really enjoyed having her read this story to me. I do hope that she stays on for the rest of this series.

I really enjoyed this book and I am already looking forward to the next installment in this series. Lizbeth is a great character and I enjoy watching her grow as a person. I have high hopes for what might come next in this series.

Note: I would recommend reading this series in order. I think you could read book two without book one but there is a lot of history that you will miss if you don’t.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley, Edelweiss & Gallery / Saga Press in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

I really like the characters in the book, but the world they live in? Not so much. Ms. Harris sure can tell a story though and it was an enjoyable read. I recommend reading book one first.
Many thanks to Saga Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Gunnie Rose returns in the second book of the series, recovered from her last battles and working with a new crew. They were hired to take cargo to Dixie and have almost made it there when the train on which they are traveling is attacked. Gunnie is injured, but not badly. When she makes to the town, she has lost some of her crew and the cargo, but she does run into Eli, the grigori she had a run in with before.

This book has all the hallmarks of a Charlaine Harris book - strong female characters, magic, action, and violence. This is probably my second favorite series by her after Lily Bard.

I am not exaggerating when I say that Charlaine Harris is one of the top 5 world-builders writing today. She is also a dab hand at writing complicated, interesting women of whom Lizbeth Rose is arguably the most badass. Her books never disappoint.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

“Everything was boring until the train blew up”, says Lizbeth Rose, a gunnie or a hired gunslinger, in A Longer Fall.

The United States has broken up into several smaller nations. Gunnie Rose is working with a new crew moving a mysterious crate from Texoma to Dixie when the train is blown off its tracks. After being shot and bludgeoned in the head, Gunnie Rose passes out.

When she arose, she was on the side of the toppled train. Some of her crew were dead and the remaining members were wounded. Leaving the crew leader guarding the crate, Gunnie Rose helps two of her crew get to the town’s hospital. When she returns, the leader is dead and the crate is gone. Suddenly, an old friend arrives to both help her find the crate and hire her to find the crate’s owner.

Since reading my first Sookie book, I have always enjoy the author’s writing style and this book is no different. She brings an immediacy to each plot that compels you to keep reading. In addition, her characters feel authentic and include real human strengths and weaknesses among their traits. Setting a thriller in an alternate history that feels simultaneously in the future and in the past is intriguing and innovative.

While I enjoyed reading A Longer Fall, I was confused for a while at the beginning. I felt like I began reading in the middle of the book. The plot, the setting, and especially the characters of this book rely heavily on the reader knowing what happened in the first book in the series. Therefore, I would not recommend reading this book as a standalone. With only that caveat, I recommend this book for those looking for a thriller with an innovative setting, great realistic characters, and paranormal fantasy aspects. 4 stars!

Thanks to Saga Press, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The sequel to An Easy Death is just as good as the first one. Lizbeth is working with a new gang and they are guarding a crate to be delivered in Dixie. This part of the former United States doesn’t seem to be the best place for her, but a job is a job. When the train is attacked, members of the gang killed or seriously wounded, and the crate stolen it seems the perfect time for Eli to show up and partner with Lizbeth to get the crate back. Eli knows what is in the crate and who sent it but not who it is going to. You get more back history on the Russian royal family and their connection to Dixie. I enjoyed the book and I want to see more stories in this weird West.

I wanted to love this book, but a lack of solid world building, characters I could root for and an underlying message that wasn't cringeworthy made that impossible. Granted, I didn't read the first book in the series, and that might have helped me understand the world a little better. But the universe this takes place in is an awful place. Like Game of Thrones awful. Like why would anyone want to live here, let alone come here as an escapist fantasy. Since such a large portion of the book revolves around Lizbeth and Eli's relationship, it reads to me like escapist fantasy. Unfortunately, the rest of the book is mired in racism and misogyny that you might as well be in Westeros. At least there you get consistent world building throughout the series.

The Gunnie Rose series takes place in an alternate time line, the details of which are left vague in this book in favor of Lizbeth and Eli eating. Again. Be prepared for a play by play of every meal they eat together. Over in Texas, nobody is batting an eye at the gay man and his partner. Just east in Louisiana, segregation, misogyny and slavery(YIKES!) in all but in name is still alive and well. Already the setting was starting to lose me because I cannot envision a world in which Texas is that much more progressive than the rest of the South. Oh, and people from Mexico still need smuggled to New America. Because in this universe Texas is the epitome of fairness and equality.

Next, we have the characters. Lizbeth is our main heroine who's supposed to be this amazing sharpshooter. But she's so dull. After an initial shootout in the beginning, she spends two-thirds of the book playing dress-up as a "proper" Dixie lady, eating ice cream, and playing amateur detective. Eli, our romantic lead, has no personality outside of I must remain distant and mysterious to our main character. I'm starting to see the appeal of Jaime from Outlander now. There's something very alluring about a love interest who talks to their partner. Remember when I said the universe was Game of Thrones levels of horrible to the people who live there? Be prepared for any characters that have a sliver of personality to die so Lizbeth and Eli can go sample five flavors of ice cream. Then go have sex and never have a serious conversation about anything, let alone the plot.

Speaking of the plot, there isn't much of one. Lizbeth is transporting some mysterious cargo to Dixie. The cargo gets stolen after the train wrecks. The vast majority of the book is Lizbeth wandering around trying to figure out where this crate went without even knowing what's in it. Eli knows, but he's not talking, because.... it makes him sexier if he withholds vital plot information?

Delving into the cringe inducing elements would be too much of a spoiler. However, if the solution presented here is a writer's solution to racism, maybe they should refrain from writing about racism.

Skip this book. It has none of the magic of the Southern Vampire Mysteries and is too bogged down by the mindset of the people of Dixie to be an enjoyable read. I almost vomited when one of the villains(?) said they couldn't rape a married white woman. Two stars, only because I managed to finish it. Mostly I was waiting for something interesting to happen, but I regretted it by the time I was done.

I was a fan of this author’s Sookie Stackhouse series, but I haven’t read anything by her since. This series seemed interesting, and I picked up the first book. I liked it well enough to read the second. The author has a way with words that make you see everything going on just like you are there, and this series is no exception. I feel like I’m in an alternative western with magic, and you survive by your wits or magic. In this installment, Gunnie is with a new crew guarding a crate, things happen, and she runs into an old friend. I think Gunnie is an interesting character as is Eli, but sometimes I feel that they don’t really fit together but then something happens and I see it. Sometimes the book feels too much like a western, but the writing is so engaging, it’s hard to put down. I liked this plot and book better than the first one. If you liked the first one, you will definitely like this second. If you haven’t tried the series, you need to; it’s very unique and addicting. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

I loved the first book in this series. This one wasn't quite as good but it was still good to see Gunnie Rose again. The themes of racism and slavery seemed very topical but the book as a whole started to veer more to the romance novel than my preference. I hope the series turns back to the first book again!

In this alternative history, the United State has been divided up into several independent regions. The atmosphere is similar the Old West, but magic is the heavy-handed influence that is both feared and appreciated.

Lizbeth Rose is a favorite character. She is a Gunnie – a hired gun. She shoots first and usually, does not even need to ask questions, so confident is she in her ability and her purpose.
"The blond one pulled his shiny new gun, and I killed him."
Note, she doesn’t aim, doesn’t fire. She just kills him. This efficiency of words is characteristic of Lizbeth. It is also refreshing and serves to move the plot along at quite a clip.

Lizbeth is an interesting woman. In essence, to make a living, she often has to kill. While she does not seem to regret the need, it does not harden her. She is vulnerable, honest and determined to set things right.

Early in the story, the man who hired Lizbeth dies and the package is stolen. Lizbeth needs the money so she is determined to find who the package was to have been delivered to. Enter old friend Eli, grigori (wizard, magic-wielder, sorceror, etc.). Eli also has a vested interest in the delivery of the package, so they team up. I liked the pair working together in An Easy Death, so I was please to see Eli again. He has a history, as does Lizbeth, so keeping them together means we get to learn more about them. Off they go to the prudish little town of Sally, where grigori are feared, women who wear pants are frowned upon, and blacks are second-class citizens. The town’s unwritten rules are enforced in not so subtle ways by the rich and powerful.

This is a story of bigotry, ideals, hope and change. Who determines what is right? How does change happen? In fictiondom, change is a lot easier than in real life, so even though I was rooting for Lizbeth and Eli and the good people of Sally, I thought the ending was, hmm, silly. Well, I liked what happened, but it was too easy.

5 stars for A Longer Fall. I thing you would benefit from starting with An Easy Death, if you have not read it, but it is not necessary. I am hooked on this series and will continue to follow it.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I had a great time with this book! After enjoying the first book in the Gunnie Rose series, An Easy Death, I was pretty eager to jump back into this alternate world and go on another adventure with Lizbeth. The action in this book started right away and I found it to be a rather fast-paced novel. I found it impossible to put this book down and ended up reading it in a single day.

Lizbeth is working with another crew at the start of this book. Her crew has been tasked with delivering a crate to Dixie. It should be an easy job. But of course, things go wrong. Lizbeth is trying to hold things together when a familiar face shows up to help. She must work to find the crate and complete the crew's mission.

I liked this book just as much as the first one. Gunnie Rose doesn't give up on any mission and she seems to be able to instinctively know who should be trusted. The town she finds herself in has a lot of problems and tensions are high. She must work with her ally to find the crate and deliver it appropriately but she seems to find difficulties at every turn.

There were a few surprises in this book. The book takes place almost entirely in Dixie which is a different environment than what we saw in the first book. I had a great time trying to figure out exactly what was going on and how Lizbeth would complete her mission. I love the growth that we have seen in her character throughout the series.

I would highly recommend this book to others. This is an original and exciting story with wonderful characters and a bit of magic. I cannot wait to read more of Gunnie Rose's adventures in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Gallery / Saga Press via NetGalley.

Only Ms. Harris could mix Jim Crow south and Russian wizards in a book and have it make sense! I love this quirky view of an alternative history. I only wish the solution were as simplistic as it ends up being in the book. Gunnie Rose is as close to a western as I am likely to get. Reading about her aversion to skirts and acting like someone who needs a man to keep her safe was rather humorous. I was also intrigued by Ms. Harris and Gunnie Rose's obsession with ice cream. This helped put the fictional time line in perspective with actual US history. I enjoy how Gunnie Rose comes across as a hardened person yet is so very compassionate and always strives to do the right thing. It is a delicate balance and think Ms. Harris does a great job of presenting this complex character!

A Longer Fall by Charlaine Harris 4 stars

A follow up to An Easy Death (Gunnie Rose #1) this book starts with a train trip and soon escalates to an explosion. Gunnie Rose is on another job to escort a crate to Dixie; what follows is an steady moving plot that take place in an alternate Dixie (South) that treats Blacks like lesser human beings. She also meets Eli again and he is holding on to a lot of secrets that affect her and the original job.

I liked this book even though it bogged down in the middle. But persistence pays off to a great end. Like the Sookie Stackhouse series, I think the relationship between Gunnie and Eli will be one that takes place over several books and maybe without a happily ever after. Eli has to take care of his family and due to his father treason, he is not in favor at the Tsar's court. Gunnie is trying to be independent and hiding that she has magic blood (maybe literally). It will be interesting to see how this series progresses in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and Saga Press (Simon and Schuster) for this ARC.

I really enjoyed the first book and was looking forward to this one. I honestly am unsure what I think of the second installment of this series. Gunnie is a complex character and is developing. The reader knows there is much more to her than what's on the surface and the author is slowly revealing her depths. I liked having Eli back as I really liked him the first go around.
I think the world building is where my issue lies. The concept is intriguing and unique. However, there isn't much in the way of explanation. This is an alternate history which is interesting. But there really isn't an actual timeline given. Is it just an alternative past era? Is it more current times that are a result of past events and magic? At times it reads like the 1800's and sometimes it seems like the mid 1900's.
The plot grabs you from the first chapter. What's in the crate and why is it stolen? This brings Gunnie to a place that is unfriendly to say the least. The pacing for this factor of the story is slow. The action kicks in about two thirds of the way through. The interaction between characters is the biggest part of the story until this point.
Some things are resolved. Things are set up for future books. There are several aspects that are left hanging from this book that don't seem to serve a purpose. Overall it's a good read and I will definitely read the next book. I highly recommend reading the first book before picking this one up so that you aren't lost.

"#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns with the second of the Gunnie Rose series, in which Lizbeth is hired onto a new crew, transporting a crate into Dixie, the self-exiled southeast territory of the former United States. What the crate contains is something so powerful, that forces from across three territories want to possess it.

In this second thrilling installment of the Gunnie Rose series, Lizbeth Rose is hired onto a new crew for a seemingly easy protection job, transporting a crate into Dixie, just about the last part of the former United States of America she wants to visit. But what seemed like a straight-forward job turns into a massacre as the crate is stolen. Up against a wall in Dixie, where social norms have stepped back into the last century, Lizbeth has to go undercover with an old friend to retrieve the crate as what’s inside can spark a rebellion, if she can get it back in time.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse mysteries and Midnight, Texas trilogy) is at her best here, building the world of this alternate history of the United States, where magic is an acknowledged but despised power."

Two of my favorite authors having books come out this week? It's almost more than I could hope for!

The second book in Harris's newest series, Gunnie Rose, was a let-down for me. Harris usually does a great job recapping relevant prior events (she has a lot of series) but this book hardly had any and it made it more difficult for me to follow and care about what was going on in this book. I don't care for this world/setting (dirty and rough in all the wrong ways) and I don't like Lizbeth as a character (odd way of thinking, doesn't stand up for herself and what she wants). Unfortunately this will be the last book in this series for me.

2 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2020/01/13/

A Longer Fall is the second Gunnie Rose book by Charlaine Harris; set in a olden but fractured United States, where people behave much the same way they do today. Differently.

Lizbeth Rose, fresh off the trouble with wizards and blood and death from An Easy Death, has joined up with a new crew, this one just as inherently disposable as the last. And we’re not through the first chapter before bodies start dropping. Hired to deliver a crate of mysterious origin and product to Dixie, Lizbeth and the crew hop a train and set off east. But when the train is hijacked (or blown up) and half her new crew murdered, Lizbeth must once more pick up the pieces, carrying through with the job in place of her friends.

But life is a lot different in Dixie, where a person is judged more on their skin color and gender than on how well they can shoot. To navigate the politics and bias, Lizbeth must fit in. And to fit in, she has to take on a disguise. Luckily, there’s someone familiar around to help her deal. Enter the Grigori Wizard, Eli Savarov.

He is more than happy to see Lizbeth around, having been dispatched to Dixie on his very own secret mission. But will his intervention save her life, or just muddle it up more? And even if they locate the crate, what will Lizbeth do about it? And—maybe more importantly—Eli?

Okay, so where do I start?

I like Eli Savarov as a character. His interactions with Lizbeth provide an excellent dynamic. More so, even, in this book than the last. I would never have put him in this book, though. I mean, I didn’t really care for the story itself, but we’ll get to that later. This is about establishing a likable, new character for a potentially lengthy, episodic series. And it is. The ending proves it. Introducing the same surprise character in back to back books makes it less of a surprise. Even more so if they’re a love interest, which Eli definitely is. Shouldn’t have used him in the second book, pretty much.

The story. At first, the story of A Longer Fall is pretty catchy. Stolen crate full of unknown goods by a mysterious assailant. Shady dealings in Dixie. A familiar face, a good team dynamic, enough action. It actually took me a while to figure out why exactly the story put me off. The answer is complicated. This really would’ve worked better as a suspense or horror novel, but it’s not written like one. There’s not enough expense. Or horror. The pace is too quick for that. The thriller-fantasy aspect that worked so well in the last novel doesn’t work here. And once the pace really starts to pick up, the thrill just isn’t there. The mystery is good, but it’s never really explained. Even in the end.

The plot itself is… what is it? In the beginning it was lacking. Details were few and far between. A detailed, well-written setting is absent once again. Description is once more at a minimum, with more time given to dialogue. If one were to build suspense from the mystery within—that would be one thing. But it’s mostly not. There’s dialogue up to the action-y parts, and that’s it. Little substance is ever given to the mystery, or the suspense.

The story begins to fall apart around the three-quarters mark. Before that, some interesting and curious choices were made. There were plot-holes, questions left unanswered. I had a pretty good handle on what was going on, but then some things happened. Off-the-wall things. Without spoilers, it’s hard to describe. But the ending was weird. Not what happened, just how we got there. It felt unrealistic. To say the least. Definitely felt forced. And then, like the author just wanted to continue writing an episodic, shoot-em-up series.

This choice (or choices) ruined a lot for me. Up to this point, the book wasn’t that bad. The characters were certainly a plus. Lizbeth had quite an arc, though I won’t get into it. And definite character development. Then we get to 75% and it all goes out the window. Later, she even pulls a full 180. On a dime.

Dixie provides an interesting setting. I did NOT like it. It wasn’t badly written or anything. It’s just, that time, it… it’s, well… An old southern feel. Women and men have different places. Different roles. And never shall the two meet. “Coloreds” are often treated like dirt, following the abolition of slavery. But in a place like Dixie, which had seen the fall of the Union government—why did it stay abolished? Reading through, there certainly doesn’t seem like there’s a reason. But it’s never addressed, never explained. I hated Dixie. HATED it. Not just because of the inequality, the feel, the description—but because there are so many things about it left unexplained. So many holes in the world-building. It was just a classic southern place, with inequality and plantations and drawl. BECAUSE. I didn’t think An Easy Death did a great job of world-building Texoma, so right when we had the option of fixing it up in Book #2—we turn around and half-ass some other place.

TL;DR

A Longer Fall probably seemed like a better idea than it ever turned out to be. A thriller that just didn’t thrill. A mystery that left too many questions unanswered. A bit of character development and growth thrown out at the end for no discernible reason. A frankly lazy bit of world-building. The ending definitely soured me. More, I guess. It’s not like I’d expected a happy ending, but the end here was forced. It’ll continue the series, though it will certainly continue without me. I can’t recommend this, but it appears I’m one of the few. Oh well, to each their own.

Gunnie Rose is back and hired on too a new crew, her job, protect and insure delivery of a crate to the town of Sally in the country of Dixie. With no idea of the cargo, Gunnie just wants to complete the job and get paid. But that would be a boring story and Charlaine Harris does not write boring stories. As she gathers a cast of characters to complete her journey, Eli comes back into her life. Charlaine Harris is well known for her well developed characters and their ability to make the reader part of the story. Read this book and become another Harris fan!