The Russian cage

Review by Booklist Review

Lizbeth Rose receives a letter from her half-sister Felicia. At first, it seems like an ordinary thank-you, but she soon works out that the letter is a code and that Eli, Lizbeth's lover, is in prison in San Diego, the headquarters of the Holy Russian Empire. Eli, or Prince Eli Sararov, is an ally of the Russian Tsar, so Lizbeth is confused about why Eli is imprisoned. Upon arriving in San Diego, she discovers that it is not just Eli who is in trouble. His mother, two sisters, and his brother Peter are also in danger from forces both political and personal. With help from Felicia and Eli's friend, Felix, Lizbeth sets out to rescue Eli and his family. The third Gunnie Rose novel (after A Longer Fall, 2020) is a solid addition to the series. Fans will continue to overlook the sometimes murky world building and a glossed-over minor plot-hole in favor of this fast-paced adventure of Lizbeth and the return of the mysterious and gutsy Felicia.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

A hired gun accustomed to working dangerous but impersonal protection jobs puts it all on the line to save the man she loves in Harris's eventful third Gunnie Rose fantasy (after A Longer Fall). When Gunnie Lizbeth Rose receives a coded letter from her preteen sister, Felicia, telling her that the wizard Eli Savarov, the man Lizbeth loves, has been imprisoned by the Holy Russian Empire, Lizbeth immediately sets out from Texoma to save him. Upon arriving in the HRE, she finds that Eli's arrest is largely political, and to save him she'll have to work together with Felicia, Eli's friend Felix, and Eli's family. The plan they land on requires Lizbeth to involve herself in the HRE's politics, which means casting aside her comfortable boots and jeans in order to blend in with royal family. Though the ensuing prison break plot falls into place too easily and quickly, there is rarely a dull moment. Fans of Harris's daring heroine will be pleased to accompany her on her latest adventure. Agent: Joshua Bilmes, JABberwocky (Feb.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by Library Journal Review

A young gunslinger in an alternate America, Lizbeth (aka Gunnie) Rose faces down the Holy Russian Empire, which has her estranged partner, Prince Eli, in its clutches. Too bad her magic is a despised power; she'll need it. From the New York Times best-selling author of True Blood fame; with a 75,000-copy first printing.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

In Harris' third novel set in an alternate, fractured America, bodyguard/gun for hire Lizbeth Rose must travel to the Holy Russian Empire to stage a risky prison break for her sweetheart, Eli Savarov. Lizbeth is still recovering from having been shot during a recent mission with Eli (who is a grigori, or wizard), during which she found out she had a half sister named Felicia Karkarov. The last time Lizbeth saw Felicia was when she put Eli and the girl on a train to the Holy Russian Empire (formerly known as California and Oregon) after a daring shootout with a group that wants Czar Alexei dead. When Lizbeth receives a coded letter from Felicia with news of Eli's imprisonment, she hops a train to the HRE, confident that she'll hatch a plan to spring him from jail along the way. Luckily, she'll have help from some capable allies: Felicia, who is attending the Grigori Rasputin school in San Diego; Felix, a grigori whose power for raising the dead comes in mighty handy; and Eli's very proper mother and sisters, who are much tougher than they look. She'll need all the help she can get in one of her most dangerous, and personal, missions yet. Harris takes some time to introduce readers to the Holy Russian Empire, and Lizbeth delights in getting to know her sister better, but once the action starts, it rarely lets up. The no-nonsense, rough-and-tumble Lizbeth is not afraid to pull the trigger, especially when protecting those she loves, no matter the cost. An entertaining addition to a consistently fun series. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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Chapter One CHAPTER ONE I sat at the table in my cabin, my sister's letter in my hand, and read it for the third time. After that, it was hard to sit still. Part of my head was making a list of the things I had to do now. The other part still couldn't believe Felicia's message. I'd gotten a letter from her right after Christmas, a thank-you note for the deerskin jacket I'd sent her. Getting another letter this soon after the first one had been a surprise. As I'd walked out of the Segundo Mexia post office, I'd stuffed it in my pocket, figuring it was full of chatter about what the students had done for the rest of the holiday. Holy Russian stuff. I hadn't felt any need to hurry back up the hill to my cabin, and I'd put away my groceries before I'd opened Felicia's letter. Dear Sister , Felicia began. Thanks so much for the warm jacket. It is eligant! Right away a bell had started ringing. From eleven-year-old Felicia's very first letter to me, every word had been spelled correctly (her handwriting had steadily improved, too). Her whole class had to write letters home at least once a month--at least, those who had homes--and they had to keep a dictionary beside them while they wrote. Felicia had underlined the misspelled word. Just in case I didn't notice. Too bad I can't use it now. It was lovely and warm. I know you spent a lot of time with it. It's stored away in a box until you can repair it. With it . Not working on it . She'd had to put away her deerskin jacket? Why? I knew winters weren't really cold in San Diego, but surely a jacket...? I wish you were closer, so we could talk face-to-face. Maybe you could visit. Let me know! I remember when I met you in Mexico, and you sent me here to the HRE. That was a great day with good companions. I hope you're well and you feel like traveling again soon. Your sister Felicia I hadn't spent much time with my sister--hardly any, in fact. But I knew some things about her. Not only was she smart, she was devious. Felicia expected me to figure this out. All right, working backward. The "good companions" we'd had on the train platform in Ciudad Juárez were Klementina and Eli, both wizards from the Holy Russian Empire. Eli had been on a mission to find descendants of Grigori Rasputin, since Rasputin had died. The wizard's blood had been keeping Tsar Alexei alive. Felicia was Rasputin's granddaughter by one of his bastards. Klementina, ancient and powerful, had come to check on Eli's progress. She wasn't the only one. A group of grigoris who wanted to topple the tsar had shown up to stop Felicia from reaching him. The aged Klementina and I had held them off while Eli and Felicia boarded the train to the Holy Russian Empire. Klementina had been killed. I had survived. Eli and Felicia had reached the HRE. So that left Eli. Eligant. Felicia was telling me that she couldn't see Eli any longer. That now he was in a box. She couldn't mean a coffin; I could "repair" it. I stared at the letter for at least three minutes before I understood. Eli was in prison. Felicia hoped I could get Eli out. She wanted me to come bust him out of a cell. My mind raced ahead, much as I told myself to slow down. I'd have to take a train, probably several trains. I needed to go to my mom's house and fish my money out of the hidden hole in the wall in my old room. I hoped I'd have enough. I actually rocked on my feet, torn between running back to town to visit my mother and Jackson and packing my stuff here and telling my nearest neighbor, Chrissie, I'd be gone for a while. In the back of my head, I knew the smartest thing to do was to sit tight. Eli was resourceful; he could get out of this dilemma by himself. But I knew I wouldn't do that. Excerpted from The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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