The Russian Cage (Gunnie Rose, #3)

by Charlaine Harris

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of The Russian Cage in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks