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Gunnie Rose #2
A Longer Fall
NUMBER ONE 'NEW YORK TIMES' BEST-SELLING 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 THE 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.
Number one 'New York Times' best-selling author Charlaine Harries (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.
©2020 Charlaine Harris Schulz (P)2020 Recorded Books
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.
Number one 'New York Times' best-selling author Charlaine Harries (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.
©2020 Charlaine Harris Schulz (P)2020 Recorded Books
291 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 14, 2020
1671 people are currently reading
12975 people want to read
About the author
Charlaine Harris
207 books37.1k followersCharlaine Harris has been a published writer for over forty years. Her first two books were standalones, followed by a long sabbatical when she was having children. Then she began the Aurora Teagarden book, mysteries featuring a short librarian (eventually adapted for Hallmark movies). The darker Lily Bard books came next, about a house cleaner with a dark past and considerable fighting skills.
Tired of abiding by the mystery rules, Harris wrote a novel about a telepathic barmaid that took at least two years to sell. When the book was published, it turned into a best seller, and DEAD UNTIL DARK and the subsequent Sookie books were adapted in Alan Ball's "True Blood" series. At the same time, Harris began the Harper Connelly books. Harper can find the bones of the dead and see their last minute.
When those two series wound to a close, the next three books were about a mysterious town in Texas, called Midnight.
A change in publisher and editor led to Harris's novels about a female gunslinger in an alternate America, Lizbeth Rose. The Gunnie Rose books concluded with the sixth novel.
She's thinking about what to write next.
Tired of abiding by the mystery rules, Harris wrote a novel about a telepathic barmaid that took at least two years to sell. When the book was published, it turned into a best seller, and DEAD UNTIL DARK and the subsequent Sookie books were adapted in Alan Ball's "True Blood" series. At the same time, Harris began the Harper Connelly books. Harper can find the bones of the dead and see their last minute.
When those two series wound to a close, the next three books were about a mysterious town in Texas, called Midnight.
A change in publisher and editor led to Harris's novels about a female gunslinger in an alternate America, Lizbeth Rose. The Gunnie Rose books concluded with the sixth novel.
She's thinking about what to write next.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,081 reviews
February 9, 2020
A soft 3 stars here. Review first posted on www.FantasyLiterature.com:
Charlaine Harris’s GUNNIE ROSE series has already merged Old West, Russian magicians (called “grigori” in a nod to Rasputin), and alternative history; the setting is mid-twentieth century North America, in which the United States has fractured into multiple nations, including the “Holy Russian Empire,” with Tsar Alexei at its head, taking over what used to be California and Oregon. In A Longer Fall, the second book in the series, the pre-civil rights era deep South gets pulled into the mix.
Lizbeth Rose, a 19-year-old gunnie (gunslinger), is traveling by train with her new security crew from Texoma, the Texas region Lizbeth calls home, to Louisiana. Their crew of five is in charge of transporting and protecting a crate that contains … well, they don’t know, but it’s vastly important for some reason, and apparently everybody and their dog wants what’s in that crate. It’s all nice and boring — other than a gunfight that’s over as quickly as it began — until the train blows up. Their train car tumbles sideways, people with knives and guns and smoke bombs attack, and Lizbeth and her crew try desperately to save the precious crate from being stolen.
Now Lizbeth is stuck in the small town of Sally, Louisiana, trying to figure out how to complete her mission when all of the other members of the Lucky (or not) Crew are dead or injured. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, she immediately runs into Ilya (Eli) Savarov, the handsome grigori that she met and clicked with in the first book, An Easy Death … thus enabling Lizbeth and readers to enjoy a side of romance along with the grimmer task of tracking down the missing crate. But Eli’s own mission in Sally overlaps with Lizbeth’s in ways that Eli can’t or won’t explain.
Lizbeth’s task is made more difficult by the townspeople’s racism and sexism. While blacks are no longer slaves in Dixie, there’s segregation and widespread prejudice. Women are expected to fall within a certain mold; Lizbeth, to her deep disgust, finds that in order to be accepted in hotels and restaurants she has to wear a dress and nice shoes rather than her jeans and boots, and hide her guns in a purse or under her skirt.
I felt like A Longer Fall had a lot of potential that it didn’t quite reach. While the novel starts with, quite literally, a bang, the whole middle section of the story dragged badly, with Lizbeth and Eli just going from place to place, eating at restaurants (southern food impresses Lizbeth and she spends an undue amount of time describing her various meals), and having mostly-pointless meetings and lots of sex. What seems to be a friends-with-benefits relationship ends up much more fraught with feelings, but it’s never entirely clear why a deeper attachment has developed between Eli and Lizbeth.
Once I hit the three-quarter mark the plot started progressing more rapidly, but the ending carries its own set of problems. A “white Savior” theme that had been simmering since the mid-point of A Longer Fall reached full boil, complete with what’s arguably a resurrection scene. If that was intentional symbolism, it was oddly done, particularly since there’s such an incongruence between a public message of brotherly love and nasty private behavior. And after this brief pause for a rousing rendition of “All You Need is Love,” the plot jumps straight back to killing people. It’s cynical and muddled, and prior plot and character development wasn’t enough to fully justify the final twist. In fact, a lot of the key plot turns needed more foundation-building, fleshing out details and exploring motivations more deeply, to make them really work. As it is, the plot relies too much on coincidences and a critical bit of deus ex machina action to move it along.
While the main plot is wrapped up in the end (although I can’t help but wonder how permanent the magic-driven resolution will be), the romantic relationship is left hanging. It’s seemingly dead but since there’s at least one more book pending in this series, it’s safe to assume Eli will be back again. I’m still interested in seeing where the series goes next — the Holy Russian Empire is my guess — but my expectations are tempered.
One final comment: It’s never clear what the title of A Longer Fall has reference to, and when I contacted Harris on GR to ask, she demurred (“I’m having too much fun reading all the guesses”). Since I haven’t actually seen any guesses about this title online, even after searching, I’m hoping some other readers of this book will share their thoughts and ideas!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC for review!
Content notes: gritty and violent, with torture and murder; sex scenes are non-explicit; a couple of F-bombs.
Charlaine Harris’s GUNNIE ROSE series has already merged Old West, Russian magicians (called “grigori” in a nod to Rasputin), and alternative history; the setting is mid-twentieth century North America, in which the United States has fractured into multiple nations, including the “Holy Russian Empire,” with Tsar Alexei at its head, taking over what used to be California and Oregon. In A Longer Fall, the second book in the series, the pre-civil rights era deep South gets pulled into the mix.
Lizbeth Rose, a 19-year-old gunnie (gunslinger), is traveling by train with her new security crew from Texoma, the Texas region Lizbeth calls home, to Louisiana. Their crew of five is in charge of transporting and protecting a crate that contains … well, they don’t know, but it’s vastly important for some reason, and apparently everybody and their dog wants what’s in that crate. It’s all nice and boring — other than a gunfight that’s over as quickly as it began — until the train blows up. Their train car tumbles sideways, people with knives and guns and smoke bombs attack, and Lizbeth and her crew try desperately to save the precious crate from being stolen.
Now Lizbeth is stuck in the small town of Sally, Louisiana, trying to figure out how to complete her mission when all of the other members of the Lucky (or not) Crew are dead or injured. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, she immediately runs into Ilya (Eli) Savarov, the handsome grigori that she met and clicked with in the first book, An Easy Death … thus enabling Lizbeth and readers to enjoy a side of romance along with the grimmer task of tracking down the missing crate. But Eli’s own mission in Sally overlaps with Lizbeth’s in ways that Eli can’t or won’t explain.
Lizbeth’s task is made more difficult by the townspeople’s racism and sexism. While blacks are no longer slaves in Dixie, there’s segregation and widespread prejudice. Women are expected to fall within a certain mold; Lizbeth, to her deep disgust, finds that in order to be accepted in hotels and restaurants she has to wear a dress and nice shoes rather than her jeans and boots, and hide her guns in a purse or under her skirt.
I felt like A Longer Fall had a lot of potential that it didn’t quite reach. While the novel starts with, quite literally, a bang, the whole middle section of the story dragged badly, with Lizbeth and Eli just going from place to place, eating at restaurants (southern food impresses Lizbeth and she spends an undue amount of time describing her various meals), and having mostly-pointless meetings and lots of sex. What seems to be a friends-with-benefits relationship ends up much more fraught with feelings, but it’s never entirely clear why a deeper attachment has developed between Eli and Lizbeth.
Once I hit the three-quarter mark the plot started progressing more rapidly, but the ending carries its own set of problems. A “white Savior” theme that had been simmering since the mid-point of A Longer Fall reached full boil, complete with what’s arguably a resurrection scene. If that was intentional symbolism, it was oddly done, particularly since there’s such an incongruence between a public message of brotherly love and nasty private behavior. And after this brief pause for a rousing rendition of “All You Need is Love,” the plot jumps straight back to killing people. It’s cynical and muddled, and prior plot and character development wasn’t enough to fully justify the final twist. In fact, a lot of the key plot turns needed more foundation-building, fleshing out details and exploring motivations more deeply, to make them really work. As it is, the plot relies too much on coincidences and a critical bit of deus ex machina action to move it along.
While the main plot is wrapped up in the end (although I can’t help but wonder how permanent the magic-driven resolution will be), the romantic relationship is left hanging. It’s seemingly dead but since there’s at least one more book pending in this series, it’s safe to assume Eli will be back again. I’m still interested in seeing where the series goes next — the Holy Russian Empire is my guess — but my expectations are tempered.
One final comment: It’s never clear what the title of A Longer Fall has reference to, and when I contacted Harris on GR to ask, she demurred (“I’m having too much fun reading all the guesses”). Since I haven’t actually seen any guesses about this title online, even after searching, I’m hoping some other readers of this book will share their thoughts and ideas!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC for review!
Content notes: gritty and violent, with torture and murder; sex scenes are non-explicit; a couple of F-bombs.
November 8, 2019
A LONGER FALL by Charlaine Harris is the second book in the new Gunnie Rose series. This series spans several genres including urban fantasy, western, alternate history, and thriller with magic adding another level.
The story begins with our protagonist Lizbeth Rose (Gunnie Rose) on a train heading from Texoma to the country of Dixie with a new gunnie crew guarding a crate they need to deliver in Sally, a town in Dixie. By the end of the first chapter there has been an explosion and the train has been derailed near their destination. What started as an easy protection job has now evolved into something else. Lizbeth’s friend from book one, Eli Savarov shows up shown after the train derailment and they join forces to continue the mission. Both Lizbeth’s weapons expertise and Eli’s magic are needed to help them succeed. Who are their friends and who are enemies?
Dixie has some very old-fashioned beliefs that women should be wearing dresses, not pants. Additionally, this book takes on the underlying themes of racism and social stratification. There is not quite as much action in this book as in book one in the series, but there is still plenty of it as well as a couple of slightly steamy, but not graphic scenes.
Charlaine Harris is one of my favorite authors and she did not let me down with this unique addition to the new series. The worldbuilding is fantastic and the characters are compelling. Lizbeth's motivations are believable and well-drawn and the secondary characters were well-rounded and enhanced the story. Lizbeth is a strong, and capable female protagonist. The plot twists were believable but several were unexpected. The story moved at an appropriate pace. The scenes were well described and gave me a clear sense of place.
I recommend that those that are interested in this series read the books in order. The first book in the series explains the alternative history aspect that is not fully explained in book two. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you like blended genre books, then this may be a book that you would enjoy.
Many thanks to Saga Press / Gallery and Charlaine Harris for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
The story begins with our protagonist Lizbeth Rose (Gunnie Rose) on a train heading from Texoma to the country of Dixie with a new gunnie crew guarding a crate they need to deliver in Sally, a town in Dixie. By the end of the first chapter there has been an explosion and the train has been derailed near their destination. What started as an easy protection job has now evolved into something else. Lizbeth’s friend from book one, Eli Savarov shows up shown after the train derailment and they join forces to continue the mission. Both Lizbeth’s weapons expertise and Eli’s magic are needed to help them succeed. Who are their friends and who are enemies?
Dixie has some very old-fashioned beliefs that women should be wearing dresses, not pants. Additionally, this book takes on the underlying themes of racism and social stratification. There is not quite as much action in this book as in book one in the series, but there is still plenty of it as well as a couple of slightly steamy, but not graphic scenes.
Charlaine Harris is one of my favorite authors and she did not let me down with this unique addition to the new series. The worldbuilding is fantastic and the characters are compelling. Lizbeth's motivations are believable and well-drawn and the secondary characters were well-rounded and enhanced the story. Lizbeth is a strong, and capable female protagonist. The plot twists were believable but several were unexpected. The story moved at an appropriate pace. The scenes were well described and gave me a clear sense of place.
I recommend that those that are interested in this series read the books in order. The first book in the series explains the alternative history aspect that is not fully explained in book two. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you like blended genre books, then this may be a book that you would enjoy.
Many thanks to Saga Press / Gallery and Charlaine Harris for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
March 27, 2022
Not quite as good as the first book, but still quite good.
February 9, 2021
This is the second book in what is turning out to be an excellent series. I strongly recommend starting with book one which sets the scene for this Urban fantasy/Western set in an alternate America.
In A Longer Fall Lisbeth Rose is on the road again, this time guarding the delivery of a chest. It becomes apparent that the unknown contents must be very valuable to someone when the train she is on is blown up and the chest disappears. The best bit is the return of Eli who is a great character and has some very amusing dialogue with Gunnie Rose.
As with the first book I really enjoyed the world building, the characters, the humour, and the magic system which is developing in each book. The ending leaves us right up in the air, so I am very glad I have the next book ready and waiting.
In A Longer Fall Lisbeth Rose is on the road again, this time guarding the delivery of a chest. It becomes apparent that the unknown contents must be very valuable to someone when the train she is on is blown up and the chest disappears. The best bit is the return of Eli who is a great character and has some very amusing dialogue with Gunnie Rose.
As with the first book I really enjoyed the world building, the characters, the humour, and the magic system which is developing in each book. The ending leaves us right up in the air, so I am very glad I have the next book ready and waiting.
November 15, 2022
The Longer Fall by Charlaine Harris
Gunnie Rose series book 2. Alternate history. Should be read in series order.
Lisbeth Rose is hired to protect a crate without knowing what it contains. What was supposed to be easy, turns into a massacre as the crew is killed and crate is stolen and Lizzie finds a society in Dixie that’s volatile.
Gutsy and confident, Lizzie is swift on the draw and the Gunnie you want at your back. It’s a fast moving story that will keep you at the edge of your seat as each threat and gun battle has you breathless.
🎧 I listened to an audiobook version narrated by Eva Kaminsky. The performance was dead on with the suspense and horror of the massacre coming through clearly. Voice variations are well done and distinct. I listened to this at my preferred 1.3.
Gunnie Rose series book 2. Alternate history. Should be read in series order.
Lisbeth Rose is hired to protect a crate without knowing what it contains. What was supposed to be easy, turns into a massacre as the crew is killed and crate is stolen and Lizzie finds a society in Dixie that’s volatile.
Gutsy and confident, Lizzie is swift on the draw and the Gunnie you want at your back. It’s a fast moving story that will keep you at the edge of your seat as each threat and gun battle has you breathless.
🎧 I listened to an audiobook version narrated by Eva Kaminsky. The performance was dead on with the suspense and horror of the massacre coming through clearly. Voice variations are well done and distinct. I listened to this at my preferred 1.3.
January 6, 2020
Western gunslinger woman, Russian Mob type wizard, dead bones, train robberies, slavery, bloodhounds, backstabbing, dead bodies and alligators. The West is indeed a wild place in this series. A good continuation of the series with many open ends when it’s done.
Liz is back and she’s working to guard a box traveling on a train with a new crew. Things happen as they do often on trains in the Westerns, bullets fly, people die and Liz is left bewildered. Till Eli shows up out of the blue looking worse than the last time she saw him in Mexico. There are questions, but they’ll have to wait because somebody just got murdered and Liz wants to stay alive. This town they are stuck in is not welcoming. Together again, the pieces slowly come together in many ways.
I like Liz and Eli. I like them working together, each of them is different enough to make the usual unusual. The sex scenes are not up to Ms Harris’s ability, she choose to make them there but not interesting. I would have liked to see a little R rated sex, it was so PG. I will read the next book because of them.
It’s hard to place this in a time. My brain needs to nail it down, old west/modern/future. the mix of old West and modern throws me off sometimes. It felt forced in bits, trying too hard to be a Western and yet not. I’m not loving the world, but I love the characters.
Liz is back and she’s working to guard a box traveling on a train with a new crew. Things happen as they do often on trains in the Westerns, bullets fly, people die and Liz is left bewildered. Till Eli shows up out of the blue looking worse than the last time she saw him in Mexico. There are questions, but they’ll have to wait because somebody just got murdered and Liz wants to stay alive. This town they are stuck in is not welcoming. Together again, the pieces slowly come together in many ways.
I like Liz and Eli. I like them working together, each of them is different enough to make the usual unusual. The sex scenes are not up to Ms Harris’s ability, she choose to make them there but not interesting. I would have liked to see a little R rated sex, it was so PG. I will read the next book because of them.
It’s hard to place this in a time. My brain needs to nail it down, old west/modern/future. the mix of old West and modern throws me off sometimes. It felt forced in bits, trying too hard to be a Western and yet not. I’m not loving the world, but I love the characters.
January 6, 2020
I really enjoyed the first book in this series. It wasn't something different and slightly strange and a whole lot entertaining, which is why, when I saw A Longer Fall, I didn't hesitate to pick it up.
This had everything I loved in book one and just expanded on it. More magic, more danger, more adventure and more romance. I truly am in love with the world that Harris has created and so very glad that I decided to take a chance on this author again because this series really is one that all her fans, old and new is going to love.
I love the old timey western feel to it. The almost apocalyptic eeriness to the world she has created while still making it seem familiar and believable. The characters are rough and tough but still soft enough to be endearing and make you want to root for them to make it through one horrific fight scene and adventure after another.
Truly a stand out series that I am so glad I get to read and so glad I took a chance on.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
This had everything I loved in book one and just expanded on it. More magic, more danger, more adventure and more romance. I truly am in love with the world that Harris has created and so very glad that I decided to take a chance on this author again because this series really is one that all her fans, old and new is going to love.
I love the old timey western feel to it. The almost apocalyptic eeriness to the world she has created while still making it seem familiar and believable. The characters are rough and tough but still soft enough to be endearing and make you want to root for them to make it through one horrific fight scene and adventure after another.
Truly a stand out series that I am so glad I get to read and so glad I took a chance on.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
May 9, 2020
A Longer Fall by Charlaine Harris is the second book in the historical western fantasy Gunnie Rose series. Yes, this series is a rather weird mix of genres with a western setting in an alternate version of the United States that not only houses gunslingers but also those that can wield magic.
As with most fantasy series this second book has picked up after where the first had left off so it’s best to read the series from the beginning for the most enjoyment. In the first book of the series readers were introduced to Lizbeth Rose who is a gunslinger in an obvious man’s world making her work that much harder to succeed at her chosen job.
This time around Lizbeth Rose has joined an all new crew in what should be an easy job but of course things are never easy in Lizbeth’s world. All the crew was supposed to do was transport a crate but soon Lizbeth finds herself in the middle of a massacre as the crate is stolen away from the crew.
Ok, I will first admit that I picked up this series in the beginning strictly based on author only since I’ve never been a huge western fan but having read a few different series from Charlaine Harris and enjoying them curiosity killed the cat so to speak. When finished with the first book I was impressed at the originality of mixing all sorts of genres into this series so I just had to come back for book two and this one was just as action packed and entertaining as the first… this again coming from someone not a huge fan of a western but Ms. Harris has made it fun.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
As with most fantasy series this second book has picked up after where the first had left off so it’s best to read the series from the beginning for the most enjoyment. In the first book of the series readers were introduced to Lizbeth Rose who is a gunslinger in an obvious man’s world making her work that much harder to succeed at her chosen job.
This time around Lizbeth Rose has joined an all new crew in what should be an easy job but of course things are never easy in Lizbeth’s world. All the crew was supposed to do was transport a crate but soon Lizbeth finds herself in the middle of a massacre as the crate is stolen away from the crew.
Ok, I will first admit that I picked up this series in the beginning strictly based on author only since I’ve never been a huge western fan but having read a few different series from Charlaine Harris and enjoying them curiosity killed the cat so to speak. When finished with the first book I was impressed at the originality of mixing all sorts of genres into this series so I just had to come back for book two and this one was just as action packed and entertaining as the first… this again coming from someone not a huge fan of a western but Ms. Harris has made it fun.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
January 15, 2020
This is second in the kind of series that builds over time. So you definitely want to read in order.
Being a series makes this easier to review because if you liked the first, you'll probably enjoy this one as well. I really like Lizbeth and I was thrilled when Eli showed up and they teamed up again. The Dixie setting in an alternate universe that is post US Civil War but with Dixie being its own country with its own political and cultural system means that we're deep in the era that produced Jim Crow and the story revolves around that deep-seated racial segregation and the struggle for equality.
While Harris does a decent job keeping that plot flowing and avoiding easy answers or trite characterization, the translation into alt-history made it still feel a bit removed or remote. At least for me. Maybe that's because Lizbeth and Eli are ultimately outsiders so Harris couldn't really go into the political and structural issues you'd need to know to feel like their actions had any lasting effect at all.
And it doesn't help me, personally, that the ending remained ambiguous on the one continuity thing that really matters to me ().
So this ends up a wobbly four stars because for all my qualms, it's still a great action-adventure story in a fascinating setting and characters that I love. Also, I had such a difficult time putting it down I can't really justify a tepid "I liked it".
A note about Steamy and Chaste: Eli and Lizbeth do it. Like a lot. But there's zero explicit sex on page. There's some mild body-care when they're injured and that includes intimate body parts coming into it, but nothing that really fits "steamy", there, either. So there's enough that even I can't call it "chaste" but not so much that I can call it "steamy". So neither label applies.
Being a series makes this easier to review because if you liked the first, you'll probably enjoy this one as well. I really like Lizbeth and I was thrilled when Eli showed up and they teamed up again. The Dixie setting in an alternate universe that is post US Civil War but with Dixie being its own country with its own political and cultural system means that we're deep in the era that produced Jim Crow and the story revolves around that deep-seated racial segregation and the struggle for equality.
While Harris does a decent job keeping that plot flowing and avoiding easy answers or trite characterization, the translation into alt-history made it still feel a bit removed or remote. At least for me. Maybe that's because Lizbeth and Eli are ultimately outsiders so Harris couldn't really go into the political and structural issues you'd need to know to feel like their actions had any lasting effect at all.
And it doesn't help me, personally, that the ending remained ambiguous on the one continuity thing that really matters to me ().
So this ends up a wobbly four stars because for all my qualms, it's still a great action-adventure story in a fascinating setting and characters that I love. Also, I had such a difficult time putting it down I can't really justify a tepid "I liked it".
A note about Steamy and Chaste: Eli and Lizbeth do it. Like a lot. But there's zero explicit sex on page. There's some mild body-care when they're injured and that includes intimate body parts coming into it, but nothing that really fits "steamy", there, either. So there's enough that even I can't call it "chaste" but not so much that I can call it "steamy". So neither label applies.
January 14, 2020
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
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.
Initial Thoughts
I had a great time with this book! I love this alternate universe that Ms. Harris has created and Lizbeth is a wonderful character. The book opened with a bang and the momentum never stopped. There were some pretty awesome moments and a few surprises. I can't wait to see what will happen next in this entertaining series.
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.
Initial Thoughts
I had a great time with this book! I love this alternate universe that Ms. Harris has created and Lizbeth is a wonderful character. The book opened with a bang and the momentum never stopped. There were some pretty awesome moments and a few surprises. I can't wait to see what will happen next in this entertaining series.
August 16, 2022
This is the second book in the Gunnie Rose series - an urban fantasy/alternate history western story. I think the story is continuing to grow and I definitely want to keep reading this story. I love the character of Gunnie Lizbeth Rose a strong woman comfortable in herself guarding folks or things and shooting people when necessary to protect them. This book starts with Lizbeth being a part of a new crew delivering a crate to someone in a small town where women who don’t wear dresses aren’t safe and black people are treated more like slaves than the free people they are. Of course she bumps into Eli (their story couldn’t have been done) and the two of them have quite the adventure. Westerns aren’t my favorite, but if more western heroes were like Lizbeth I might like them a little better.
March 10, 2021
4.5 Stars for A Longer Fall: Gunnie Rose #2 (audiobook) by Charlaine Harris read by Eva Kaminsky. This is a great series. I’m really looking forward to the next book. The narration is great too.
February 23, 2024
A Longer Fall takes place in an alternate history world of Charlaine Harris making. With all of Harris’ world building its complex and masterfully done. The former United States has fallen victim to foreign governments that have taken back chunks of territories that they previously held.
Rose, a Gunnie for hire, has taken a position protecting a trains cargo. When the train is derailed and most of the crew dead, Rose finds herself in Sally, where Eli Savarov shows up to help her. Rose has no idea what she was protecting but it must have been important and very dangerous because she finds herself facing the Russians.
Eli and Rose pretend to be married as they sift through the players of Sally and who might be behind the murder and theft of the protected item. With magic there is mayhem and with mayhem there is danger all around.
I enjoyed A Longer Fall. Harris provides a twisted tale of deception, sexual chemistry and lots of dining. Guess they needed a lot of fuel to help with their sexual interactions. I did think the ending was abrupt but left me wonder what will happen with Rose next.
I received this ARC copy of The Long Fall from Gallery / Saga Press - Simon & Schuster. This is my honest and voluntary review. The Long Fall is set for publication Jan. 14, 2020.
Charlaine Harris
FRONTLIST | January 14, 2020
9781481494953, 1481494953
Hardcover
$26.99 USD, $35.99 CAD
Fiction / Fantasy / Paranormal
320 pages | Announced 1st Print: 100K
Series: Gunnie Rose
Rose, a Gunnie for hire, has taken a position protecting a trains cargo. When the train is derailed and most of the crew dead, Rose finds herself in Sally, where Eli Savarov shows up to help her. Rose has no idea what she was protecting but it must have been important and very dangerous because she finds herself facing the Russians.
Eli and Rose pretend to be married as they sift through the players of Sally and who might be behind the murder and theft of the protected item. With magic there is mayhem and with mayhem there is danger all around.
I enjoyed A Longer Fall. Harris provides a twisted tale of deception, sexual chemistry and lots of dining. Guess they needed a lot of fuel to help with their sexual interactions. I did think the ending was abrupt but left me wonder what will happen with Rose next.
I received this ARC copy of The Long Fall from Gallery / Saga Press - Simon & Schuster. This is my honest and voluntary review. The Long Fall is set for publication Jan. 14, 2020.
Charlaine Harris
FRONTLIST | January 14, 2020
9781481494953, 1481494953
Hardcover
$26.99 USD, $35.99 CAD
Fiction / Fantasy / Paranormal
320 pages | Announced 1st Print: 100K
Series: Gunnie Rose
November 21, 2019
A Longer Fall is book two in Harris’ Gunnie Rose series which envisions an alternate reality where President Roosevelt was assassinated and the country broke apart into smaller ones with the east coast (12 of the 13 original colonies) aligning with Britain and the West Coast becoming the new Holy Russian Empire loyal to the Tsar and filled with orders of Grogori (magicians).
Lizbeth Rose (or Gunnie Rose as she is known) hails from Texoma, a new nation created out of Texas and Oklahoma and is a fierce gunwoman despite her small stature. Here, Rose sets out on a railroad with a new posse she just joined up with to protect a crate on its way to Dixie, the new country made up of the former Southern states.
The beginning of the book is a major blast and yes literally a blast. The action of the posse and in carrying out its task and recovering from what happens is great action-packed writing. After that, the plot line sort of peters out, losing its purpose.
This series has great promise from its alternate universe, which really isn’t taken advantage of so much in this novel, to the great characterization and narrative voice of the one and only Lizbeth Rose.
Lizbeth Rose (or Gunnie Rose as she is known) hails from Texoma, a new nation created out of Texas and Oklahoma and is a fierce gunwoman despite her small stature. Here, Rose sets out on a railroad with a new posse she just joined up with to protect a crate on its way to Dixie, the new country made up of the former Southern states.
The beginning of the book is a major blast and yes literally a blast. The action of the posse and in carrying out its task and recovering from what happens is great action-packed writing. After that, the plot line sort of peters out, losing its purpose.
This series has great promise from its alternate universe, which really isn’t taken advantage of so much in this novel, to the great characterization and narrative voice of the one and only Lizbeth Rose.
December 27, 2020
Exactly what you’d expect from a shoot em up romance book.
Just like book 1 we meet up with our loveable, if sometimes morally abject Gunnie Rose, and guess what? She's in trouble, lol. This series is like Firefly but without the space; so you know a western but updated and not set in the Old West time period.
If you love Charlaine Harris' Sookie series then you are sure to love this. It has a bit more guns, no vampires, but all the jokes, wit, and violence of Sookie's series. Just an all around fun, engaging, little read. This book helped get me back into the groove of reading again after the drought that has been 2020.
Additionally, this series would make a great tv show! I sure hope Harris is in talks with HBO or Amazon Prime already!
Just like book 1 we meet up with our loveable, if sometimes morally abject Gunnie Rose, and guess what? She's in trouble, lol. This series is like Firefly but without the space; so you know a western but updated and not set in the Old West time period.
If you love Charlaine Harris' Sookie series then you are sure to love this. It has a bit more guns, no vampires, but all the jokes, wit, and violence of Sookie's series. Just an all around fun, engaging, little read. This book helped get me back into the groove of reading again after the drought that has been 2020.
Additionally, this series would make a great tv show! I sure hope Harris is in talks with HBO or Amazon Prime already!
November 20, 2020
Just as good as the first. I really like Eli.
October 23, 2022
Lizbeth karakterini seviyorum ama kitap ... yani ... eh.
January 8, 2020
Release Date: January 14, 2020
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Alternate History | Urban Fantasy
While I’m really enjoying this series, I felt like A Longer Fall was VERY SLOW. It took me quite a while to read this one and while I WAS interested in all the action that was happening, I have to admit much of it dragged for me. Am I shocked? Not really. Her books, while being favorites of mine, always manage to either excite me to the fullest or make me feel indifferent. This book falls in the latter.
So on with the story. In the latest installment of the Gunnie Rose series we find that Lizabeth is once again fighting for her life. After a train derailment and a missing trunk (that may or may not hold Holy remains) Lizabeth finds herself in a predicament that could cost her and those she holds dearly, life. Remember Eli from the first book? Well, he’s back as well! He and Lizabeth must work together before the town of Dixie turns into a chaotic mess. Gun fights, magic, and so much more ensues and readers are taken on another fantastical adventure! Even though I personally found the book to drag in some areas, there is a TON of action within this one and Charlaine writes it in an exciting way. So, if you like your books with a ton of it you won’t want to miss this one.
The ending of A Longer Fall felt a bit unsettled and I hope Charlaine has plans to continue the series as I have many questions. I know many readers will feel the same.
Will I continue this series? You bet! This one may not have been my favorite, but it WAS GOOD. Plus, I’m a diehard Harris fan and will read anything she writes!
_________________________________________
LET’S CONNECT – YOU CAN FIND ME ON:
MY BLOG | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BOOKBUB
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Alternate History | Urban Fantasy
While I’m really enjoying this series, I felt like A Longer Fall was VERY SLOW. It took me quite a while to read this one and while I WAS interested in all the action that was happening, I have to admit much of it dragged for me. Am I shocked? Not really. Her books, while being favorites of mine, always manage to either excite me to the fullest or make me feel indifferent. This book falls in the latter.
So on with the story. In the latest installment of the Gunnie Rose series we find that Lizabeth is once again fighting for her life. After a train derailment and a missing trunk (that may or may not hold Holy remains) Lizabeth finds herself in a predicament that could cost her and those she holds dearly, life. Remember Eli from the first book? Well, he’s back as well! He and Lizabeth must work together before the town of Dixie turns into a chaotic mess. Gun fights, magic, and so much more ensues and readers are taken on another fantastical adventure! Even though I personally found the book to drag in some areas, there is a TON of action within this one and Charlaine writes it in an exciting way. So, if you like your books with a ton of it you won’t want to miss this one.
The ending of A Longer Fall felt a bit unsettled and I hope Charlaine has plans to continue the series as I have many questions. I know many readers will feel the same.
Will I continue this series? You bet! This one may not have been my favorite, but it WAS GOOD. Plus, I’m a diehard Harris fan and will read anything she writes!
_________________________________________
LET’S CONNECT – YOU CAN FIND ME ON:
MY BLOG | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BOOKBUB
November 27, 2020
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.
Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!
Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!
January 10, 2023
Second book in the series - still great characters! The entire story moves quickly and finishes with quite a bang. Each new character makes me wonder about their back story and how they’ll fit. I’m definitely hoping Eli makes an appearance in book #3 😉
Charlaine Harris remains one of my favorite authors!
Charlaine Harris remains one of my favorite authors!
January 20, 2020
Fantastic sequel. Really sad for the long wait til the next one. Love Lisbeth and Eli.
December 7, 2019
I'm finding this series to be very intriguing. First, the heroine is kind of a badass. She's a gunnie who's starting to become famous with her ability to shoot and being the last one standing. Nothing seems to faze her. She has a good sense of right and wrong but she also has no qualms about killing people when they need killing. Lizbeth is only 19 years old and that girl is as cool as cucumber. She's the biggest reason I'm enjoying these books.
The storyline is just as intriguing. In the first book, I described Lizbeth's world as like an old western set in modern times with fantasy thrown in there. It's still the same in this book, however when her job takes her to the town of Sally, they are thrown back into the old ways. It's weird to say that when this already seems decades old as it is. What I mean is that the town of Sally has a certain outlook on gender and race that we all know was there back in our old western world. It's not anything Lizbeth is used too and it hinders her ability to do her job.
There's a lot of action going on in this book which means a lot of killing. The magic used in this series sometimes give me the heebie jeebies. They have a dark tone to it even when it seems to be used for good. All of these elements combines into one unique series and I'm hooked. I'm looking forward to the next book.
The storyline is just as intriguing. In the first book, I described Lizbeth's world as like an old western set in modern times with fantasy thrown in there. It's still the same in this book, however when her job takes her to the town of Sally, they are thrown back into the old ways. It's weird to say that when this already seems decades old as it is. What I mean is that the town of Sally has a certain outlook on gender and race that we all know was there back in our old western world. It's not anything Lizbeth is used too and it hinders her ability to do her job.
There's a lot of action going on in this book which means a lot of killing. The magic used in this series sometimes give me the heebie jeebies. They have a dark tone to it even when it seems to be used for good. All of these elements combines into one unique series and I'm hooked. I'm looking forward to the next book.
November 12, 2019
After the first book in this trilogy, I didn't expect very much. But I am so totally hooked on anything Charlaine writes that I just felt that I had to read this!
I tend not to like westerns and the first book was a total oater! This book mixes things up a little by getting Lizbeth (Gunnie Rose) into a different country -Dixie -on a new job. And everything is going as expected (blood and gunfire everywhere) until the train she and her new crew are on, blew up. Gunnie and her (mostly) deceased crew were guarding a crate and that is all I'm going to say about the guts of this book except for this one thing -Eli shows up, naturally! You can't have a Charlaine Harris novel without a little romance!
I think I liked this book more because I knew now what to expect. How the New America was divided-and the historical facts.
This book involves uncomfortable facts about Dixie and you need to think of the deep south in the earlier and middle part of the last century. A lot of this plot includes uncomfortable truths. (At least for a person my age, they are uncomfortable) This book does have a unique way of dealing with prejudice against blacks and those that are a bit different. I do so love books with magic! Think of Gunnie in her jeans and guns...you'll see what I mean.
I do heartily recommend that you read the first book or you will be a little lost in this one although it does a good job of recapping (to the point that if you read the first book just before this one you are going to be able to do a lot of skimming).
The mystery is totally a cool one. I would never in a million years have ever guessed what was in the crate the crew was guarding! There is sex in this book, but not the ultra graphic sex some authors get into. Some people may become offended by some of the storylines -but you really have to remember the historical era of America this book was portraying.
*ARC supplied by the publisher.
February 9, 2021
What a great surprise this series has been. Well written fast paced story with a pulpish feel to the characters. Interesting alternate world. Very entertaining read and i can't wait for the next book to come out. Very recommended
April 30, 2020
Girl looks for missing box with her ex.
She is a sharpshooter. He is a wizard.
They live in an alternative timeline where it's the wild wild west but with cars.
Sometimes they kill people. Sometimes they eat icecream. Mostly, they run errands.
Ladies and gentlemen, I've just provided about 85% of the contents of this book.
You're welcome.
50 pages in and I was ready for this book to be over.
I'm not giving it two stars because I accidently won it in a giveaway not realizing it was the second of a series that I have not read. Or the fact that I didn't understand any of the callbacks to the first book and I don't know who half the characters are.
I'm giving it two stars because the writing style made it seem like the narrator was being interrogated by the police. Like she was recounting to an officer an incident where she's the primary suspect and is trying to keep it all straight by being vague and elusive. Just cool, calm, completely nondescript.
I found nothing about this story moving or even interesting, besides the overall alternative history gambit. Everything else was just boring. There was more consumption of food then character development. It seemed like every other scene was them looking for a place to eat or sleep. It made the overarching goal of "looking for missing box with unknown contents" to feel even less important.
She is a sharpshooter. He is a wizard.
They live in an alternative timeline where it's the wild wild west but with cars.
Sometimes they kill people. Sometimes they eat icecream. Mostly, they run errands.
Ladies and gentlemen, I've just provided about 85% of the contents of this book.
You're welcome.
50 pages in and I was ready for this book to be over.
I'm not giving it two stars because I accidently won it in a giveaway not realizing it was the second of a series that I have not read. Or the fact that I didn't understand any of the callbacks to the first book and I don't know who half the characters are.
I'm giving it two stars because the writing style made it seem like the narrator was being interrogated by the police. Like she was recounting to an officer an incident where she's the primary suspect and is trying to keep it all straight by being vague and elusive. Just cool, calm, completely nondescript.
I found nothing about this story moving or even interesting, besides the overall alternative history gambit. Everything else was just boring. There was more consumption of food then character development. It seemed like every other scene was them looking for a place to eat or sleep. It made the overarching goal of "looking for missing box with unknown contents" to feel even less important.
February 2, 2020
For other fun bookish stuff, check out my blog!
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.
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.
February 11, 2020
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2020/02/10/...
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.
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.
April 14, 2021
The narration was quite good—it started out as a pleasant listen while out gardening...
An Alt history, the US is now broken up in to various countries, one is "Dixie", and while slavery is still technically abolished, the existing social structure has remained vastly unjust. The solution to prevent a small town from bursting into widespread race based violence is so absurdly simplistic as to be insulting. Characters I found intriguing in the first book were less so here, likely because the entire premise was a facile mess rather than anything intrinsic to them. Except for Lizbeth's vernacular, the incessant use of "real" as an adverb made her intolerable: The string beans tasted real good. My head was hurting real bad. Fine, it's been established. She's real under-educated. She's real plain spoken. But this makes the book real dull.
An Alt history, the US is now broken up in to various countries, one is "Dixie", and while slavery is still technically abolished, the existing social structure has remained vastly unjust. The solution to prevent a small town from bursting into widespread race based violence is so absurdly simplistic as to be insulting. Characters I found intriguing in the first book were less so here, likely because the entire premise was a facile mess rather than anything intrinsic to them. Except for Lizbeth's vernacular, the incessant use of "real" as an adverb made her intolerable: The string beans tasted real good. My head was hurting real bad. Fine, it's been established. She's real under-educated. She's real plain spoken. But this makes the book real dull.
January 28, 2020
Such a great read. I’m in love with this series but hate the endings. I want my HEA damnit or at least the promise of one. I imagine I have to wait a year for the next book and that’s going to suck. In this day, I’m spoiled with binging. I’m afraid I won’t really remember the characters well when the next book comes around.
November 27, 2019
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, this was really great! The right amount was f action, the right amount of steaminess. Harris just gets better and better as each series develops!
Wow, this was really great! The right amount was f action, the right amount of steaminess. Harris just gets better and better as each series develops!
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