The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris is the third book in the Gunnie Rose series, and I haven't read the first two books, so there were adjustments to be made about missing background.
Nevertheless, this was an action-packed...?--I'm not really sure what to call this genre, but it was full of action and magic. :)

My favorite series by Harris is the Harper Connelly series. But for heaven's sake, Harris must never get up from her writing desk; she is prolific!

Read in Feb.; review scheduled for March 3

NetGalley/Gallery/Saga Press

SciFi/Fantasy? Feb. 23, 2021. 304 pages.

In an alternate future, Lizabeth “Gunnie” Rose goes to the Holy Russian Empire, now located in California and Oregon. Her goal is to help her sister, Felicia, find her boyfriend, Prince Eli. Eli, who is also Lizabeth’s former partner, is locked in The Russian Cage. But how can a Gunnie (or gun person) like Lizabeth free him when even carrying guns on the streets there is illegal? She will have to rely on her growing magic skills—and luck.

Though it has taken a bit longer to get into Ms. Harris’ Gunnie Rose series of books, I am really beginning to feel at home in this strange world. The characters are as unique as the setting. Plus, as the Sookie series proved, eventually the author will have you believing something as silly as fairies, if you read enough of the series.

Expect to have to use your imagination and suspend some belief while reading this book. If so, you too will be enchanted by this completely different fantasy world that is populated by realistic characters just trying to survive. 4 stars for The Russian Cage!

While you can read this as a standalone, the series is better read in order. Thanks to Gallery Books, Saga Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I did not know this was a part of a series so when Netgalley sent me the digital arc I devoured the previous two books because how could I not? It's Charlaine Harris. I love her books.

I think reading the books in succession made the whole experience a better one. I enjoyed it so much. I love the world-building and intrigue built in all the books. I love the whole mix of adventure, intrigue, magic, history and romance in here.

I love the protagonist, Lizbeth Rose, she is such a distinctive personality and I love how the author has added dimensions to her character making her so likeable and real. In this book, Lizbeth is in a new environment whilst working towards her goal of releasing Eli. I was rooting for her and now can't wait to read more and I can't wait to see how things progress with Lizbeth and Eli.

This book moves the story along really well and now I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lizbeth Rose is back and off on another adventure. Eli is in trouble and she travels to the Holy Russian Empire to save him. Along the way new and old characters play a part in the story line. There is tension but not as much as I expected. I enjoyed seeing Eli's family and watching Lizabeth interact with both high and low members of the government. All is well that ends well so that is true for this part of the story. More to come so we will see what happens next.

I never reviewed it, but I enjoyed A Longer Fall significantly more than An Easy Death . I found that the series kind of hit its stride, and I knew more who Lisbeth was as a character. And I'll also say, it helped that I read the second book not too long before reading this third installment. I remembered pretty much everything, the motivations behind things, and the world itself.

This series is, frankly, entertaining and enjoyable. Lisbeth is a badass with a soft heart who you cannot help but root for. (Also, the new covers are gorgeous.) The alternate history is developed a lot more in this installment, and we learn so much about the Russian faction. I must say, overall I am so impressed with the author's alternate history in the series as a whole. It's quite imaginative and well-thought out, and is one of the biggest highlights for me.

Overall, this installment (and the rest of the series) has a bit of something for everyone: Romance, family dynamics, gray morality, a strong female main character who is really likable, mystery, political intrigue, friendships, and really I could go on and on.

Bottom Line: I've always been a fan of Harris's work, but this is unquestionably her strongest series to date.

This is the third book in the series and it picked up where the last one left off. While you don’t need to have read the previous books, I think you’ll enjoy it more if you have.

This series is a dystopian western. It’s part science fiction, part magical world, and part alternate history. Harris again does an excellent job of creating a unique world that you won’t question.

I recommend this series if you are looking for something just a little bit different.

2/23/2021 Hurray, Lizbeth Rose is finally on her way west! Unfortunately, she's going after receiving news that her one-time partner Eli -- or Prince Ilya Savarov to the rest of the denizens of the Holy Russian Empire -- has been thrown into jail for reasons unknown. The news has been conveyed to her via a coded letter from her younger half-sister Felicia, who's being trained as a wizard in exchange for providing the occasional life-saving blood transfusion for Emperor Alexei. Lizbeth hops on board a train, unsure of what she'll meet on the western seaboard of what was once the United States, as she seeks to uncover the truth and free the man she still loves.

This third book in the alternate history Western series starring the gun-slinging Lizbeth Rose features all the rough and tumble shootouts and brawls of the other books but amps up the court intrigue, as Lizbeth has to not only go undercover but also endear herself to the most powerful people in the HRE. I finally got to see my Asian people, even if they don't figure largely in the narrative; still, representation matters. You probably could enjoy this book without reading the first two in the series, but I don't particularly recommend it. Book I: An Easy Death sets up not only a 1930s where the assassination of President Roosevelt meant the splintering of a nation unable to recover from economic collapse and widespread influenza, but also filled us in on the background of our heroine. <a href="http://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2021/02/18/a-longer-fall-gunnie-rose-2-by-charlaine-harris/">Book II: A Longer Fall</a> explored the era's version of the Deep South, the virulently racist and sexist Dixie. Now Lizbeth is on Eli's home territory, looking to bust him out of jail and, perhaps more dauntingly, meet his mother and sisters for the first time.

The Russian Cage is a very fun, fast-paced novel, tho I didn't think it was as much a page-turner as ALF. It's really nice to have Lizbeth be the one who has to come in guns blazing to save the man she loves, aided by the people who love him, even tho some of them could take or leave her. Lizbeth figures Eli has been thrown in jail due to political intrigue, so the real reason is an unpleasant surprise. Worse, it doesn't allow her to escape the machinations of the imperial court. On the plus side, it does give her the chance to get to know the surprising Felicia better, and to realize that shunting her little sister off to the HRE maybe wasn't the kindest choice she had had available to them.

As always, it was nice to see the ways Charlaine Harris matter-of-factly presents different sexualities and mores, as she has throughout this series. This book specifically tackles mental health as well, recognizing that not everyone is capable of handling with aplomb the often terrible situations they're forced to endure in the early 20th century, while refusing to judge them as deficient for it.

I do hope this isn't the end of the series, as most nowadays seem to come in batches of three. While the Gunnie Rose books can read complete as a trilogy, I really enjoy Lizbeth's universe and very much want to know more, as well as to read of her ongoing adventures. There's nothing quite like it on the market today: a kick-ass heroine who makes sensible choices even as she fights for what's right in a milieu at once familiar but decidedly different from our own history. Tho perhaps we can pick up again after she's had a chance to relax for a while: if any fictional heroine has ever deserved R&R, Lizbeth certainly has!

The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris was published today February 23rd 2021 and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9781481494991">Bookshop!</a> Want it now? For the Kindle version, <a href="https://amzn.to/3dvthQu">click here</a>.

NetGalley ARC

I took COVID quarantine as an opportunity to do a Charlaine Harris reread. I was able to reread Lily Bard, Harper Connelly, Sookie Stackhouse and Midnight Texas. It was definitely a highlight of an otherwise inactive summer. I love Harris's strong, competent, level headed heroines as well as the sense of community and edgy plots.

The third book in this series takes us to The Holy Russian Empire capital of San Diego. Lizbeth hears that her lover Eli has been jailed in the HRE and rushes to save him. She enlists the help of her sister Felicia, Grigori Felix and Eli's family. Along the way she crosses paths with the Tsar and Tsarina and gets involved in Russian politics. The plot is fast moving and there is plenty of action.

While I've definitely enjoyed the Gunnie Rose series, it is not my favorite. Lizbeth is a fine protagonist, I like her plainspoken ways and strong sense of self. The series lacks the community of Bon Temps, Shakespeare and Midnight and the strong relationships of Harper Connelly. I think Harris may be concentrating more on the concept than characters, which is fine. The concept is a lot of fun and I enjoy learning more about the Disunited States of America. I hope in the next book Lizbeth and Eli can solve a mystery a bit closer from home so we can learn more about her part of the world.

My Review:⭐️⭐⭐/ 5 stars

I read the first book last week and then this new 3rd installment by Charlaine Harris. I know I know I know- I missed the 2nd book, A Longer Fall. However, Harris writes in a way that it was pretty easy to pick up from where it left off. I have always loved the Sookie Stackhouse books - so I wanted to love this new series. It starts off with Gunnie Rose (Lisbeth) receiving a mysterious, cryptic letter from her sister Felicia from the Holy Russian Empire (based in San Diego). This is an alternative history novel where the US is taken over by Russians in the west coast, Mexico in the southwest, Canada in the north, and Britannia in the east with Dixie in the former American South. Her love, Prince Eli, is imprisoned without any cause and no one is allowed to visit. Lisbeth immediately rushes to San Diego to save him and finds herself teaming up with Felix and Peter, using royal politics and deception (instead of just guns) to rescue Eli.

As much as I wanted to love this, I thought it was just ok. I enjoyed the first book a bit more - this one fell flat for me only because the plot to save Eli was a bit lackluster. I was never into their chemistry and felt it was a bit forced. Also Lisbeth’s development in this story is also lacking - she seemed one dimensional, we get it, she is a tomboy, doesn’t wear dresses ever, loves her guns, total badass at shooting and protecting herself, awkward in social settings/relationships...I found some parts of the book that were just mundane and went too long. If you enjoyed the previous book in the series, then you will probably like this, but this one is definitely not for me.

Thank you to Gallery Books / Saga Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review !

US Pub Date: February 23, 2021 - Happy Pub day!

Nobody writing today builds a world like Charlaine Harris, nor does anyone else write a more thoroughly badass, competent woman. This trilogy was fantastic. I hope Harris gets a contract to continue this series. I would dearly love to read more of Gunnie Rose's adventures.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this terrific book for my review.

I listened to both of the previous books in this series on audiobook, and I did miss that immersive experience with The Russian Cage. I still thought this latest installment was great, though. We pick up right where we left off, and I love that continuity. Lizbeth travels to the HRE to try and get Eli out of jail. I had been very curious about the Holy Russian Empire prior to this book, and was thrilled that nearly the whole book took place in the former California. As always, Charlaine Harris has a gift with dialogue and humor that especially sparkles here. I can't wait to continue with this series.
4 stars


Thank you to Gallery/Saga Press and Netgalley for the advance copy of the book.

Lizbeth "Gunnie" Rose is back, and she is a changed young woman. This latest story in the Gunnie Rose series has a mystery and lots of action, but it also has a different Lizbeth from the one l met in the series' first book. I love the depth Lizbeth's maturing adds to the series, and I hope you will too!

From page 1, I noticed that the whole tone felt different in Lizbeth's story's latest installment. It is more sedate and reflective as the cracks in Lizbeth's armor gave me peaks into the very soul of a character who works very hard to keep everyone out. She is almost 21 and has been adulting since she turned 16, and she joined her first gang. But she has been too busy protecting her heart, soul, and everything of personal importance to truly let readers in. Finally, through her relationship with Eli, I witnessed her grow and change into a more mature young woman in this story's installment. Wow, the character blows me away with the new depth and intriguing layers.

I love that Felicia, Lizbeth's sister, played a more significant role in this story. Finally, I learned more about her and found that I enjoy her fiery determination and how she leads with her heart. She acts as a beautiful foil to Lizbeth, reflecting and making lifestyle differences shine. I hope that I will get to see a lot more of Felicia in upcoming stories and continue to witness her part in her sister's growth and maturity.

I also enjoyed finding out a little more about how this world, an alternate timeline of our world, came to be. Each story, so far, finds Lizbeth in a different country that was once the USA. The US separated into five other countries, each with its unique identity – New America, Holy Russian Empire, Texoma, Dixie, and Brittania. Very, very slowly, the reason for this is coming to light, and I find it fascinating, mainly, I think, because of how divided the country is in our current timeline.

The mystery of how and why Eli finds himself in jail and the resulting action and suspense as Lizbeth work to get him out kept me on the edge of my seat. I love the innovative plans Lizbeth creates using magic and her skills to think on her feet and turn every situation sunny side up. When Gunnie Rose is in her element, I have to sit back, relax, and enjoy as the story unfolds.

If you are looking for a fantasy series that will help you reflect on what's going on around you, the Gunnie Rose series will help you see things differently while you sit on the edge of your seat, waiting to make sure everything turns out ok.

This is the third book in the Gunnie Rose series. Lizbeth receives a letter from her sister Felicia with a secret message telling her that Eli is in jail. She embarks on a mission to Holy Russian Empire with a goal to free Eli from jail. She meets several old friends and also Eli's family and the Tsar and Tsarina.
The writing style is a mix of rather short and precise sentences and dry humor. And I like dry humor. Lizbeth sure is a character like no other. The birth of the Holy Russian Empire is explained in this book and I found it quite fascinating. The Grigoris and their magic powers are also interesting. There is a lot of plotting, fighting and deaths. The ending was good, but I am quite curious to see what the future holds for Lizbeth and Eli.
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for a copy of this book.

This is the third book in the series, which should be read in order. This book picks up where the second book left off. The setting is a dystopian United States that feels a lot like the old westerns that I saw on TV when I was growing up, only with sorcerers and other magic users, California is now part of the Holy Russian Empire, and the United States is gone - broken up into different countries, each with their own law. Or little law. Mexico is still to the south and Canada is still to the north.

This fictional United States diverged from our reality in the early 20th century after a terrible epidemic killed a lot of people, combined with what sounds like the great depression of the 1930s. The regions sound familiar - among others, there is Dixie, Texacoma (Texas and Oklahoma), and the Holy Russian Empire whose head is the Tsar. There are magic users and non-magic users. Magic is a tool that can be used in many different ways - to heal, for combat, and to conceal. There are very few social safety nets, and lawlessness is common. This is where gunnies, or hired guns, come in.

Lizbeth Rose is a gunnie, a hired gun. She usually works with a crew, who are hired to protect people or cargo, as travel is very dangerous, particularly between towns. In this book, Lizzie receives word that her lover, Eli, is in prison and in danger. Lizbeth has to travel to this place where she is out of her element, having to wear skirts and unable to carry her guns. Lizbeth also gets to see and get to know her half-sister, Felicia, better.

I loved this book, and highly recommend it and the series. Charlaine Harris has concocted a new world by seemingly throwing Russian oligarchs, a flu epidemic, magic, assassination, southern and western American culture, the great depression, gunfighters, and intrigue into a blender. I can't wait to read more.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley, and have voluntarily written this review. These are my own opinions of the book.

This book is the third in the Gunnie Rose series, and I would highly recommend reading the first two before diving into this one. The Russian Cage picks up right where the previous book left off. Lizbeth gets a mysterious letter from her sister Felicia. Based on clues in the letter, Lizbeth heads off to San Diego to find out why Eli is in jail and to help him get out. Similar to the first two books, there are lots of scrapes and adventures, mysteries to solve, dangers to dodge, magic to thwart. Only this time, Lizbeth isn't allowed to carry her guns! It's illegal to carry them in the Holy Russian Empire, so Lizbeth has to make do with other weapons and tricks. It's interesting to see how she navigates the challenges she faces without her normal weapons of choice. It's funny to see her navigate the big city and things she's not used to, like elevators and trolley cars. Some of my favorite scenes are where she interacts with Felicia, her little sister.

If you liked the first two books, this one is more of the same, and I enjoyed the change of location to San Diego. You get to meet Eli's family and most of the plot involves the politics and scheming of the royal family and the noble people of the Holy Russian Empire. There is plenty of Lizbeth's typical frank, blunt way of speaking and acting. This book is filled with action and adventure, with not a lot of character development or moral to the story. There are times when Lizbeth deduces something and I had no idea where it came from or how she figured it out. I just decided to roll with it, accept what she stated, and enjoy the ride, rather than try to analyze what her thought process was. This is another entertaining entry in the Gunnie Rose series!

Lizbeth Rose returns in this third book, After recieving a letter from her sister, Lizbeth sets off to the Holy Russian Empire (HRE) to get Eli out of jail. While there, she meets Eli’s mom and sisters and enlists the help of his brother, Peter, and friend, Felix. Felix meanwhile wants to marry one of Eli’s sisters and hopes that helping to get Eli free will gain him favor. Through a series of exhausting events (at least on Lizbeth’s part), this trio sets about business.
Opinion
Charlainne Harris is one of my absolute favorite “one click” authors. She does paranormal so well and approaches it through fresh eyes. Her characters have such interesting abilities and the worlds she creates are definitely mystifying.
This book (and series) has such a natural flow to the plot that the reader finds themself enthralled. This story reaches out and grabs you by the horns and holds on until you finish. There will never be a Charlainne Harris book that I pass up. She is that good.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Charlaine Harris's The Russian Cage is the third book in her Gunnie Rose urban fantasy series, set in or around the 1930's in an alternate history. It has a definite Western feel to it. The United States fell apart during the early 1900's after the worst flu epidemic the world had ever seen along with a period of depression. What was once California and Oregon is now a part of the Holy Russian Empire, the place the Romanov family fled to during the revolution. It is the last place Lizbeth wants to go, but when a letter from her sister arrives with a hidden message that Lizbeth's friend Prince Eli Savarov has been arrested, Lizbeth does not hesitate to make her way to San Diego to find out what is going on--and what she can do about it.

The Holy Russian Empire appears to be the most advanced and wealthy of the various regions of the former U.S. readers of the series have encountered so far. Lizbeth feels out of her element, not used to the luxuries and protocols of the area. She's not at all happy having to give up carrying her guns when out and about and has little patience for the formalities of interacting with society and royalty. She is not really sure who she can trust but knows she is limited without help. She turns to her sister and an old acquaintance.

I loved the first novel, An Easy Death, but this one is probably my favorite of the three books in the series. Lizbeth proves yet again how strong, smart and resourceful she is even when completely out of her element. She has good instincts which rarely let her down. The Russian Cage gives readers a closer look into Eli's family and the role Grigori's (magic users) hold in the Holy Russian Empire. We also get to know Felicia, Lizbeth's sister a bit more, although it is obvious there is still a lot to uncover there. She's attending school in San Diego, learning to master her Grigori abilities.

The world building in this series is well done and interesting, from the history to the cultural and social aspects. Like the other books in the series, The Russian Cage is full of action and adventure and was an entertaining read. I had no idea what direction the story was going to take and just went along for the ride. I highly recommend reading this series in order as each one builds on the other. I enjoy spending time with Eli and Lizbeth and hope this won't be the last I see of them.

The latest installment of the Gunnie Rose series sees Lizbeth traveling to the Holy Russian Empire to save her wrongfully imprisoned lover, Eli. As far as plot and character engagement, it felt more lively than the first 2 books. The pace was faster and easier to move through, with few lull points. Another improvement from previous stories. However, the plot felt similar to one Harris’s books from the Sookie series, Living Dead in Dallas, which also takes the heroine to a different city to rescue her lover. Which still has an air of confusion and uncertainty. Lizbeth and Eli don’t feel like a united pair, even with this story bringing them closer together. There were some minor plot holes, that didn’t go anywhere and were just forgotten in the big picture. Overall, The Russian Cage moves the story along, and gives a little more depth to the characters and the alternate history Harris has created.

*I received this title as a free advance digital copy and this does not influence my review or opinion.

I am a long time Charlainne Harris fan and I admit I’ll give anything she writes a read. Normally alternative histories are not my cup of tea, but the premise of this alternative America with magic and politics is very well done. I enjoyed books one and two of the series and was excited for three.
I found that it picked up well after book two. I was excited to see Lizbeth on another adventure, this time in the Russian Empire. A much talked about location not previously seen in the other books.
It was less of a slow start then book two, though I admit the real exciting bits did not happen until the end of the book. But, I was not bothered by this, the book was interesting enough to keep me reading. The ending felt like this could be left as a trilogy, but I really hope there are more to come.
Overall, it was a quintessential Charlaine Harris book for me, the type of book you curl up with and finish within a couple days (or even a day).

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press for the ARC

This wasn't my favorite of the series but a lot of things are wrapped up. I love Lizbeth. She is an intriguing character who is exactly what she seems and isn't apologetic about it. Eli took me awhile to warm up to but I liked him better in this one. While there is plenty of action, the side characters are what held my attention this go around. I really want more Felicia. There are a lot of hidden depths there and I think she would be great for her own set of books set in this world.