The Russian Cage

December 7, 2020
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

December 15, 2020
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.

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January 1, 2021
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.

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