Author Charlaine Harris has created such a fabulous protagonist with Gunnie Rose that it’s hard to believe that she’s done it all before with Sookie Stackhouse. The inner dialogue is unrivaled joy and some of the best I have ever read. THE RUSSIAN CAGE continues the saga where it left off, with the same characters and basic plot. If it’s been awhile for readers then there isn’t quite enough info offered to catch up; the backstory is not provided. The tale moves quickly and this alternative world is juicy and engaging. This is a great series and worth reading. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

An absolutely riveting installment in the Gunnie Rose series. Action packed and filled with the pragmatic wit of Lizbeth Rose. I found this book to be a complete page turner....no dull spots, all in service to the story. You won’t be able to put it down. Harris is in fine form here, it’s a very deftly told tale.

Okay, I’ll start this by saying I actually didn’t know this was the third book in the series when I requested it. Granted, it was easy enough to figure out what had already happened.

It was a fun enough story, Lizbeth, Felicia, and Felix were entertaining, Eli was super flat in my opinion, and I honestly didn’t care about their relationship at all. I suppose that might be because I didn’t read the first two?

The writing was flat for me. I’ve read many of her other series, this one just isn’t for me.

Regardless, I’m glad I read it, thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I was able to jump right into this third installment of the series and be able to follow the story line, characters and really enjoyed the book.

Charlaine Harris is a go to author for me. She consistently offered well written stories with characters you can believe, while entertaining. Her supernatural alternative history always holds together because she answers the questions with credulity. She tells a good story.

I just want to say a thank you to Galley books and Netgalley for sending me the e-arc for this book. When I requested this book I didnt know it was the third book in the series so decided to read the first book and I didnt regret it. I fell in love with the characters Lizabeth Rose and Eli. I straight up binged the first two books and I was so happy to finially get to this book. I enjoyed the writing and the new characters that were introduced. I wish that for some of the characters there should have been more written to their background instead of focusing so much on lizzie. My favorite character that popped out to me in this book was felicia . I hope we get more of her in the next book. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends

It's a testament to Harris' writing that I jumped into this series at its conclusion and I still fell in love with the characters. Lizbeth Rose is a bit of an odd character, yet it's all the things that are different about her that made me interested in following her story. And the characters that Harris surrounded her with add to the interest factor. There's so much depth to even characters that I thought would just be placeholders or plot elements that I'm actually hoping that there's more exploring to be done in this world. Poor Felix needs his story told!
I loved how the plot slowly unravels to make little revelations that turn out to be huge details in the big picture. It keeps the pace fast without getting too intense, slowly gaining speed until the big action sequence towards the end.
The way some things got resolved did seem a tab rushed. A couple of plot points seemed to have somehow been quietly taken care of 'off screen' that I would have liked to read about, but it works with how Lizbeth is as a character and it leads to the best payoff possible for her and Eli.
Overall, it's a very satisfying resolution to a creative and original alternate history/gunslinger story. For sure, one to check out if you're a fan of Harris or original ideas.

Many happy thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press!

I like that these books pick up right where the previous one left off. While An Easy Death took place while traveling, and A Longer Fall took place in Dixie, The Russian Cage is all about Lizbeth coming to the Holy Russian Empire and learning how to navigate there. Out of the three books I felt this was the most interesting because we get to learn about the HRE and we get to find out more about Eli’s family, Felix, and Felicia. I can’t wait to see more adventures involving Felicia because she is awesome.

In this book Lizbeth’s mission is to get Eli out of prison and in order to do that she has to do a lot of planning with Felix and learn how to deal with royalty and politics. Watching Lizbeth form new acquaintances and strengthen friendships is part of what makes this book so great. Felix is definitely someone I want to see more of and in this story you learn to empathize with him. The pacing of this book is pretty fast with a lot of action. Most people will be happy with the ending if not a little unsettled. Somehow I don’t trust it, but I'm in for the ride. Honestly in the next book I hope we can see Britannia and more of Iron Hand Security. This was an exciting read and I recommend it highly.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books/Saga Press for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

I truly enjoy historical fiction and books with alternate histories. And Charlaine Harris is a true master with words.

She creates worlds that you get swept up in so fast and easy.

There's a great balance of descriptions, character writing and action. It feels like everyone will be satisfied with this.

Fans of her previous works are, of course, going to devour this and love it, or so I personally think. For me, I am a big fan of True Blood, and tho I have yet to read the Sookie Stackhouse series in full, there's no room for disappointment for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery/Saga Press and Ms. Harris for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. An honest review was requested but not required.

I have really enjoyed Ms. Harris’s new Gunnie Rose series: it features my favorite type of character, a fierce, whip-smart, pragmatic heroine with serious skills who isn’t afraid to put her money (or her guns) where her mouth is. The side characters have become a little more fleshed out too, as the series continues. (Felicia is my particular favorite.)

Gunnie Lizbeth Rose has already traveled from her native Texoma through Segundo Mexia and straight on into ACTUAL Mexico (book #1) and into Dixie (book #2) so it stands to reason that book #3 would feature further adventures into one of the new principalities that comprise the former USA. This book – as you could easily guess from the cover – has Lizbeth traveling to the Holy Roman Empire (the former California/Oregon/maybe Washington?). Since Texoma seems to be a dry, hot, dusty, vaguely run-down sort of place, the lushness of the city is an exotic treat for both the reader and, obviously, for Lizbeth. Eli (Lizbeth’s sometime boyfriend/love interest) is in trouble, though, so Lizbeth isn’t there for the scenery. Her outlook is all business as she works to get to the bottom of things and rescue Eli. Along for the ride is enigmatic grigori Felix (who debuted in A Longer Fall), Lizbeth’s half-sister Felicia, Eli’s brother Peter, and more. The Russian Cage really provides the opportunity for some of these half-described characters to grow and shine.

Ms. Harris’s style, from my experience in these books, as well as the Grave series and Midnight, Texas series, is more “tell” than “show”. I’m used to it by now but I think that it works the best here, where Lizbeth is such a pragmatic straight-shooter. I can just envision her dry inflection as she runs through plans in her business-like manner. The little bit of whimsy at the end of the Russian Cage, went a long way to humanize a character that could otherwise come across as a bit flat in affect.

I think book #3 wrapped up Lizbeth’s and Eli’s story nicely as a definite HFN (I’m assuming, in case book #4 wasn’t picked up). However, I see on Goodreads that a book #4 is in the works. I’m glad to hear it. There’s definitely room here for more adventures; Lizbeth hasn’t been to Britannia, for one thing, or much into New America. There’s also plenty that Ms. Harris could do with Felicia; Felix and Eli’s family still have stories to tell, and I can’t think that either Lizbeth or Eli would be content just sitting around in Texoma playing house. I look forward to seeing where Ms. Harris plans to take her characters and I hope to go along for the ride.

This is the third book in this interesting and intriguing series and it is every bit as enjoyable as the previous two.

In The Russian Cage Lizbeth discovers that Eli has been imprisoned and she races to California, which in this alternate history is the Holy Russian Empire, to rescue him. She finds herself to be a stranger in a strange land but fortunately has friends to help her, including her younger sister, Felicia.

There is a lot of very entertaining world building for this part of the country which is ruled by the Tsar and has lots of modern attributes which are unfamiliar to Lizbeth. Customs are different too and, as in book 2, she sometimes finds she even has to wear a dress.

This is a very easy, fun read with lots of action, great characters and a good story. I hope the author is going to continue with the series.

Another exciting, action pact addition to the series as Lizbeth races across the country to save/break Eli from prison and set to right again the unfavorable light his family has found themselves in after the failed plots of the father. Lizbeth find herself with a lot more on her plate then she ever could have imagined and her sister has been keeping some secrets. Loved it!

The Russian Cage is the third novel in Charlaine Harris' Gunnie Rose series, a series set in an alternate history. A world where magic exists and the political landscape of America is vastly different from what we know.

Eli is in danger. Lizbeth Rose, aka Gunnie Rose, knows this thanks to the letter her half-sister sent her way. Rose has two options. Sit at home and trust Eli to find his own way out of danger. Or make her way to the Holy Russian Empire and bust him out of jail herself.

We all know which option Rose is going with. Enter a world of politics and deception that Rose has never seen – or hoped to see. The dangers she will face will all be in the name of love. And perhaps a little stubbornness.

“I stared at the letter for at least three minutes before I understood.
Eli was in prison.”

I can't believe it's finally here! Gunnie Rose quickly became one of my favorite series (yes, I know – I probably have dozens of those), and I've been counting down the days for this beauty. The Russian Cage picks up almost exactly where A Longer Fall Left off.

More than that, it does so with gusto. The introduction is one of those that immediately sucks the readers in. At least, readers that are invested in the story of Rose and Eli. Eli's circumstances sort of demand attention, don't you think?

In a way, this is the novel I've been waiting for. We finally get a glimpse of the Russian Empire, and the politics it brings with it. I won't go into the details, because spoilers, but it was refreshing to see!

While the main perspective is Rose's (a character I adore), there are some changes as far as the secondary characters are concerned. It's a bit of a good news/bad news scenario. This is a chance to see more of those already introduced in the earlier two books, which is fantastic. The bad news is that there's a lot less of Eli. After reading the description, you can probably guess why.

The plot twists are where this novel really shined. Okay, that and the setting, but that much is obvious at this point, right? The variety of twists was a delight, with some balancing out Rose's adventure, and others bringing more complications into the mix. It was, dare I say, the perfect balance.

I am not sure if The Russian Cage is the last Gunnie Rose novel in the series. I can see it going both ways, and can likewise see myself being okay/thrilled with either option. On the one hand, this felt like a natural ending point. On the other hand, I will never say no to more Gunnie Rose. No seriously, I won't do it!

There is nothing about this series that should call to me, and yet I enjoy it so much. In this one, Lizbeth heads to San Diego in the Holy Russian Empire to save Eli thanks to a cryptic message from her half sister. Charlaine Harris has a way of writing that is very folksy and frank, and I love the way it's used in this book and series. You really must read these books in order to have any hope of understanding the world here- it took me quite awhile to really understand the geography and timeline- but it's worth it as this series continues to get better.

I was so excited to be chosen to review this book! I love the series so far and the newest installment did not disappoint.

The story was well paced and I was able to read in a few sittings. I was engaged and interested for the entire time.

Quick, easy read with interesting characters that starts the action right as the previous book ends. This is the third book in the Gunnie Rose series which has her dashing off to California on a rescue mission after receiving a coded letter from her sister.

I hoped for more of the romance element that was more prominent in the previous novel but enjoyed the character development for Felecia and how Lizbeth had to rely on new skills to navigate in an unfamiliar environment and spring Eli from prison. I felt the pacing of the book was a little lopsided, packing the real action all into the last third of the book. There was also one confusing plot hole regarding magic and a null character.

The world-building is a little clunky. I should be used to it by the third book but every time I have to do math or think "Wait if they came over in the 1910s and so-and-so is 30 now, that must mean it is in the 1930-40s?" "Did they have telephones in houses? Or cars?" it takes me right out of the action of the book. Would still be interested to read more about Lizbeth and Eli or Felecia in any future installments.

This was the best Gunnie Rose book yet! In total honesty, I recently read/reviewed An Easy Death and A Longer Fall, Books 1 and 2 in this series, specifically because I signed up to read this ARC without realizing it was the third book. BUT I wanted to be fair to this book by starting at the beginning, and I’m so glad I did! With each book, I learned more about the characters and became more invested in their happiness.

I don’t read a lot of Westerns (alt-history or otherwise), but I loved Lizbeth’s straightforward attitude. Even though she wasn’t emotional, she felt strongly about those she loved and wanted to do right by those under her protection. And I loved her relationship with Eli! He was such a softie but still a believable dude.

This book also had the most interesting story of the series. The issue with the czar finally came to a head, and the action kept me hooked until the very end. I was happy with the ending and would be satisfied if the series were complete. (Although I’d also be interested to see our heroes again, perhaps getting Lizbeth’s younger sister out of a magical bind!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

Gunny Lizbeth Rose receives a coded message from her sister Felicity. Eli has been imprisoned in the Holy Russian Empire. Lizbeth heads there to sus out the situation and get him out. I’m not sure how I feel about this book/series. While the story is very good, there is something a bit off. I like the characters but not that much. It’s like I’m standing off to the side observing them but I’m not really engaged or involved with them. The world building is a little shallow and not very fleshed out. The action is built up but things happen quickly and are a bit anticlimactic. Don’t get me wrong, I liked this but I felt like it was a detached tale without a lot of human emotion to it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is the third book in the Gunnie Rose series, one that keeps getting better as it goes along. We have already met the main characters in the earlier two books, Lizbeth Rose, Prince Eli, and Lizbeth's sister Felicia, so we don't have nearly as much background to establish. While I imagine you could read this without having read the previous two books - it's still a good adventure story - it would make much more sense and be a better book with the background established in the earlier books. Plus, they're good reading as well, so why miss out!

In the first two books, Lizbeth and Prince Eli wind up teaming up in the process of resolving a problem, with Lizbeth being hired by Prince Eli in the first book, and the two of them each having a mission in the second book, that coincides. In this book, Lizbeth gets a message from her sister, letting her know that Prince Eli is imprisoned in the Russian empire (California and Oregon in this alternate history) and needs help. Lizbeth heads off to the Russian empire, to rescue him.

As in the second book, she is having to operate in an unfamiliar context - she has to dress differently, deal with different social norms, can't openly carry weapons. While this can be a handicap, it also gives us a chance to appreciate her cleverness and ability to improvise - and she does it admirably!

I can certainly see this series continuing - although, for those who hate cliffhangers, this book does end, without leaving the reader frustrated! It's just that it's easy to see how there could be further adventures, perhaps exploring some of the other regions of this alternate version of the North American continent.

I like this author and have read almost all of her series. I like this series. I enjoy the alternate reality version of America. Sometimes the extra backstories are just long and drawn out.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.