Another installment in the life of Lisbeth "gunnie" Rose, and really only 2.5 stars, it doesn't add anything new in the way of character development or world building. I could repeat my review of the 2nd book and it would work as well here! Written well enough to keep my interest, and somewhat of a page turner (other than that the ending is never in doubt so there's not much tension). These books are all simple comfort reading, good for an airplane journey or beach where you don't want anything demanding. Quite reminiscent of Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series, which I also got bored of after a few installments.

Got this from NetGalley because I love Gunnie Rose. If you are also a fan of Gunnie Rose's matter-of-fact, deadly, competence, and are fascinated with the dichotomy of her ability to read people's intentions without understanding the emotional reasons behind those intentions, then you will also love this book. Not only do we get more of Gunnie Rose being who she is, but we also get to see Gunnie Rose stripped of her beloved colts, thrust into dresses, and having to deal with the arcane politics of her grigori lover, Eli's, world.

Yes, we get to travel into the Russian Empire as Lizbeth must save Eli from high level political machinations involving the Tsar. She gets to spend alot of time both with her sister, who isn't as little or helpless as she presented herself to be in Segundo Mexia, and another grigori named Felix who resents her and then grudgingly comes to respect her competence.

Oh, she also has to win over Eli's mother!

I missed some of the gunfighting and Eli's magic-working from prior books, but for those of us shippers we get some quite satisfying developments (referenced after the fact, although a bit of lovely kissing) at the end of this story.

A fine addition to the Gunnie Rose saga. Don't start the series with this book, however, do yourself a favor and follow along from the beginning. The Gunnie Rose we get here is a mature, self-confident one not only in her ability to kill, but ability to navigate who should be killed. I enjoy this version because i've journeyed along with her since she was just a hired gun on a crew ;)

Book 3 (please let there be a book 4). I really like Lizbeth - she's pretty straightforward. Especially with who she kills. After getting a coded letter from her sister she heads off to the Holy Russian Empire to rescue Eli from prison. No-one knows why he's been arrested and there's no trial on the horizon (dodgy). Cue plots and questioned loyalties and struggles with social etiquette as ever. Still Lizbeth manages to charm the right people just about enough.

Disclaimer: I received this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

The signature of the Gunnie Rose series may be how quickly we are dropped into the plot. Here, as in the previous two books, author Charlaine Harris doesn't waste any time getting things going. While the tension is high and every moment is fraught with danger, in The Russian Cage, Lizbeth Rose is without a crew and the mission is personal as she heads into the Holy Russian Empire to rescue her former partner, Eli, from prison.

As in the previous books, everyone is suspect. Not only is that exhausting for Lizbeth, it is exhausting for the reader. It would be nice if she could make a few allies on her travels, or spend some time in Texoma where she has family and friends. Constantly looking over your shoulder makes you old before your time, and just about the only time 20-year-old Lizbeth seems her age is when she is in bed with Eli. For most of this book, he's in jail, so needless to say she is pretty grim much of the time.

Set in an alternate 1930's North America, these books are urban fantasy Westerns with a female protagonist. While readers get to share in Lizbeth's delight in new 20th century treats like elevators, phone booths, and ice cream, this is a world where many people are poor. The glimpses we have into domestic life, whether Lizbeth's own in Texoma, her sister's upbringing Mexico, or the homes she visits in the HRE, really fill in the blanks, making it seem more real. Maybe a little less shooting and a little more focus on the people and their circumstances would allow us to become more attached to the world Harris is creating.

Fan websites have hinted that the Gunnie Rose series is set to be a trilogy. I hope that's not true. There is a lot more story to be told here. While we've been to a lot of the new North America, we haven't visited Brittannia or the new (larger) Canada. And Lizbeth isn't yet 21. As a reader, I hope there are many more installments in this series and Lizbeth's easy death is a long time coming.

I'm a big Charlaine Harris fan, having happily read my way through her Sookie Stackhouse, Aurora Teagarten and nearly all her other series. Her Gunnie Rose series is a bit of a departure for her as it focuses on a dystopian alternative history time in America. Many the other typical elements of her novels are present-- a heroine who handles herself with aplomb, a form of fantastical or magical being, and a fair amount of action that while violent is not overly upsetting.
The Russian Cage is the third book in the series. Having read the other two books in the series, it was easy for me to know what was going on, but I'm not at all sure that if you hadn't read the other books, it would work on its own. The book is about how our heroine Gunnie Rose, must rescue her friend/lover Eli from being imprisoned. We meet Eli's family and get a sense of how his part of the country (the former states of California and Oregon now renamed The Holy Russian Empire) has developed in Harris's version of alternate history.
I enjoyed this fast-reading book, it was creatively concepted and engaging, but do suggest others read the other two books in the series first.

Another hit from the author. The third book in this series is another mesmerizing thriller. Excitement and suspense from page to page. Already looking forward to the next book in this series.

Third book in the series, you could read this without the previous, but you'd miss how and the history of Lisbeth becoming Gunny Rose and her relationship with Eli. We have met most of the characters before and in this edition we learn a lot about them, especially her sister. Eli has been imprisoned in the now HRE based in San Diego, and she's getting him out no matter what. It is non-stop action, trying to make plans on how she will achieve her goals. The people around her may not be appreciative of her skills, but they learn to respect her and her abilities. Once the action starts, it becomes a page turner to find out what's going to happen next. Appreciation to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced read for an honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this third book in the series! Lizbeth travels to the Holy Russian Empire, formerly San Diego, to try and rescue Eli after he has been arrested. We get to reacquaint ourselves with her half-sister, Felicia, young Peter, Eli’s brother, and Felix, a fellow Grigoriyan. Lots of intrigue and adventure! Highly enjoyed it and highly recommend it!

WOW! Another wonderful Gunnie Rose novel.
This time, Lizabeth "Gunnie" Rose goes to the Holy Russian Empire, formerly known as California to get her lover, Eli out of jail.
Once there, she begins to understand the intricate ways in which royal courts are manipulated.
And she must free Eli.
Ms Harris authors another great novel, full of suspense, blood shed, magic, and humor. Two thumbs way up!

I do feel that you should read the other two books in this series before tackling this one, so that you get a good background, before jumping into the deep end.

Lizbeth Rose is off to California aka the Holy Russian Empire to save Eli her beloved and break him out of prison. She gets help along the way from her younger sister Felicia, and Felix who also has a romantic stake in Eli's welfare. I haven't read the previous boos An Easy Death or A Longer Fall but I enjoyed the story all the same. I haven't been keeping up to date with Charlaine Harris’s books although I loved the Sookie Stackhouse series. But when I realized she had a new urban fantasy series with a gunslinger as a heroine and that the latest was available for trial through NetGalley, I had to give it a go.

The The worldbuilding was pretty interesting, the Tsar Alexander suffers from hemophilia and must keep distant relatives of Grigori Rasputin nearby to supply him with blood transfusions. Lizbeth's sister Felicia, is one of them and in return she gets to attend a prestigious school for young Russian wizards or “grigori.” Lizbeth luckily is resistant to magic and thus can hold her own against her adversaries. But she first has to unravel the local politics and who has framed Eli, why and for what purpose.

This is a 3.75 stars which I will round up to a 4. I was expecting more of an Old West feel which I didn't get in this installment. But it was a very entertaining blend of action, adventure and romance, with a surprising emphasis on family ties both on Lizbeth and Eli's side. My only complaint is lack of personal development on the characters' side.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley.

The Russian Cage is one of my Most Anticipated Reads of 2021 and it did not disappoint! Charlaine Harris' third installment of the Gunnie Rose series, fans will heave a sigh of relief at the supposed Happily Ever After at the end (knowing Charlaine Harris, the adventures of Gunnie Rose are not done so that HEA may be tentative).

The Gunnie Rose series is a fantasy sub-trope all of its own, with a slight Steampunk feel in the Old (New?) West where the Russian Romanov family rules what is now California and Oregon. Gunnie Rose travels to rescue her love Prince Ilya who has been wrongfully imprisoned and much gun-slinging and shenanigans ensue.

Definite five stars, with a series re-read now moving to the top of my To Be Read pile.

E-book/Rural Fantasy: I really enjoy this series, but I still cannot figure out the year. I take into consideration technology lags, birth control, and social mores; as in there is no commercial air flight, there are not enough children & people with VD, and homosexuality is about as acceptable as it is in our present day. For this third book in the series, I am thinking the early 60s. I think.

In this installment, Lizbeth Rose is off to Cali to find out what is going on with her man, Eli, and check on her sister. Things are no calmer than they were in Texoma and revenge and/or murder are on everybody’s mind that she encounters. As usual, the body count is high. I like this book more than I did book 2.

Harris is an excellent writer. There are a lot more characters in this book with Harris giving personalities to all of them. I read this book in less than a week because it really captured my attention. I want to thank NetGalley for letting me read an advanced copy in lieu of and honest review.

Oh, how I love the delightfully straightforward Lizbeth Rose. Her internal dialogue is just too funny...like listening to a relative with no filter who finds little humor in the fripperies and folderol of "society". This third installment of the series features Lizbeth's adventure to the Holy Russian Empire to rescue her love, Eli. Along the way, we get to learn more about her sister Felicia and frenemy Felix. Although it feels like this series may be ending here, I'm hopeful for more...especially if Felicia takes over as the main character. I adore this quirky alternate universe and the characters that Charlaine Harris has created!

The Russian cage
Charlaine Harris

4.7/5 stars
**And there was bacon, That smell would wake up anyone in the world. If there’s such a thing as heaven, I bet it smells like bacon.**

Set on the Holy Russian Empire, which used to be California and Oregon once, the time or age seems to fit the modern age. Texoma which is Oklahoma and Texas as one is where our MC begins her mission.

The main character Lizbeth Rose is a gunnie which doesn't mean she's an assassin but that she'd do anything to safeguard her cargo. Now Eli is her cargo and to get him out of prison she's ready to do anything even wear dresses for it.
From what we first learn about Lizbeth she's a tomboy not because she wants but because she's had a hard life. She's independent but also soft when it comes to her complicated feelings for Eli. She sympathizes with Alice, Veronika, and Lucy even though she doesn't understand what they're going through. This book somehow shows a woman can be delicate yet hard around the edges. I fell in love with Liz almost the instant I started reading, she's such a intricately woven character who has more layers to her.

Felicia and Felix we're unique characters Felicia more than Felix. She loves her sis even though she abandoned her within two days of meeting her and she also lied about her age to everyone just because she could observe from the background. She's the epitome of innocence at first but we can she her smartness as the story progresses.

With tastefully crafted sentences, it's written with an eye to detail that is not burdensome or information overload. I also love how the author has given life and voice to every character, because of the depth of the main character we can see everything and understand everyone's POV.

Now about humor.... We have funny scenes wich would make u smile but not laugh outright because this is an intense book you have to be all in to get the full effect of it.

It's a book I'd very much recommend, if you love intense characters and more action then this is your book to pick!
It releases on 23rd February 2021!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this amazing book.

I was so excited for the third book in this series and I was not disappointed! I liked that this book was set mostly in the HRE instead of Texoma, I liked that it introduced new places for Lizbeth to kick ass. If you’re a fan of the Gunnie series or any of Charlaine Harris’s other series, you will love this one!

The book is a good sequel for the series, the characters evolve and we see lizbeth grow even more, it was a pleasing read if a bit predictable.

I jumped at the chance to read The Russian Cage because I love, love, love the Gunnie Rose series. I know the author is best known for writing the books that were the basis for True Blood, but this series was my first time reading Charlaine Harris and these books are so good! They are the perfect escape (even if the path that lead to Gunnie's world isn't something I want to ponder too closely) and The Russian Cage is an excellent third series entry and strong enough to be an introduction and great read for those who missed the first two books. A solid, well written genre book that has high crossover appeal and can serve as a series entry point.

The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris is the third book in the unique and engaging series: Gunnie Rose. This book starts off where its predecessor, A Longer Fall, left off.

This is a great series. It is part alternative history, part science fiction, part fantasy, and part historical fiction. It is a whirlwind, and keeps me engaged with each additional book. The characters are flushed out and embellished on within this installment, and I think it goes a long way in that it adds depth and investment into this new and emerging series.

I look forward to seeing how things develop in the next installment.

4/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

I haven't read any of Charlene Harris's work since the Sookie Stack house series ended, so The Russian Cage seemed like a fun read to try. With the help of the map in the front I quickly picked up on the characters and the setting: Elizabeth Rose, her sister Felicia, and Felix, a former member of her crew, who want to get Eli released from arrest in the Holy Russian Empire. Eli's mother and sisters are introduced and we get to know about his family as well as how the Holy Russian Empire works.

This was a fun romp, with one glaring consistency issue that struck me (spoiler alert.) After all the discussion of using nulls as guards where the grigoris are imprisoned, LizaRose successfully imprisons the null guard Hubble and Felix promptly uses magic to shut her up.

Other than that, this was a fun light read.

So I hadn’t read the previous books in the series, which I’m about to rectify, but I saw Charlaine Harris’s name and I knew I had to read this. I’m so glad I did because this was a great action packed story. I loved Lizbeths no nonsense character, and even though I missed her and Eli’s relationship in the previous books, you can still feel the emotion in this book even though their relationship isn’t the main focus in this story. I loved all the other characters, although Peter did annoy me sometimes and even though the ending was tidy, I feel like a forth book could be in the works.