A Longer Fall
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4.5 • 129 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns with “a gripping, twisty-turny, thrill ride of a read (Karin Slaughter) 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 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. She is tasked with 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 straightforward 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.
“Another winning series from a sure-bet author” (Booklist) Charlaine Harris (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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The second installment in Harris's Gunnie Rose series (after An Easy Death) does little to expand the alternate world it's set in, resulting in a disappointingly flat fantastical analog of the Jim Crow South. Lizbeth Rose has joined a new crew of mercenary guards tasked with protecting a crate as it is moved from Texoma to Sally, a town in Dixie. When their train derails just short of their destination and the cargo disappears, Lizbeth suspects betrayal within the crew. As Lizbeth goes undercover to retrieve the crate, her erstwhile lover, Eli, shows up with a plan to help the black population of Sally rise up against the white family that controls the town. The cultural differences between Lizbeth, a Texoman gunslinger; Eli, a magic-using Russian prince; and the denizens of Sally are hinted at but underexplored. That revolution is stirred up by external forces instead of arising from within the oppressed black population, meanwhile, veers uncomfortably close to white savior narratives. Readers will be left unsatisfied.
Customer Reviews
Solid
I liked this- easy read.
Great book.
It's so nice to be able to read a fantastic book that has a good plot and adult characters who actually make decisions like real people. There are so few books like that. The setting was pretty strange when I read the first book. Now, I find it is authentic and enjoyable. I hope there are many more to come. The down side is that I read it in one sitting and now it is over. But, like so many of her books, I will reread it many times. The critics who didn't like this book are just plain crazy.
Favorite New Series
Favorite Character: Lizbeth and Eli as a team.
I loved them both in the first book, and I loved them even more in the second book. Both live by a strict code, will kill when necessary, and love complicatedly. Eli is a magician from the Holy Roman Empire (which used to be California), and Lizbeth is a gunslinger from Texoma (formerly Texas). Together, they make a different kind of magic. They solve mysteries together, and it takes both to be successful.
What I Loved About A Longer Fall
The setting is incredibly detailed. It is set in Dixie and holds many of the same features as the real deep south that the reader will recognize along with the unique twists that the story brings. It’s both relatable and disturbing, and I laughed when the main characters discovered the very southern ”one meat and two sides” meal and wildlife, such as alligators.
Book Two is still taking on bold subjects. With the setting being Dixie, it was no surprise to me that the bold issue in this story is racism and the inequalities that still existed once slavery ended. It’s an illuminating look at the history of racism in our society as well as the world in the novel.
I loved that the main characters grew from book one to book two. They have become even more complicated with their hopes, and dreams are starting to come out a small little bit at a time, particularly Gunnie Rose, who, by her very nature is pragmatic to a fault. You also start to see glimmers of the inner conflict of Eli, who is usually calm, relaxed, and together. They both have solid walls built up, and I loved that I witnessed some small breaks in both of their walls.
A Longer Fall is very fast-paced. I finished it more quickly than I expected because I could not stop flipping those pages eagerly and rapidly. There is a special something about the story that makes me feel like I do when I take the first bite of a delectable dessert. It hits just the right spot.
What I Wish About A Longer Fall
My only wish about the story is that it had ended with more loose ends tied up – not all loose ends – just a few more. I enjoyed the way Book One ended and was surprised that book two ended with so many questions.
To Read or Not to Read
This book and series will appeal to fantasy book lovers, mystery thriller book lovers, and even lovers of historical fiction, so everyone will find something they love about it! A must-read!!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.