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A review by tessa_talks_books
An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris
5.0
An Easy Death
Favorite character: Lizbeth Rose
I picked Gunnie Rose because she is fierce, loyal, and follows a strict gunnie code. She loves with her whole heart and fights with an unabashed determination. Life is simple in her eyes. She’s a good shot, and she knows it, so she uses that skill to earn money to live. It’s that simple.
Honorable mention: Eli.
Eli has a quiet strength and is loyal to a fault. He listens intently and loves completely. He doesn’t need apologies, as he understands what drives people and readily accepts that.
What I Loved about An Easy Death
Charlaine Harris is a master of world-building, and this new series is no exception. No detail is too small from the characters’ interaction with their world to a brief history lesson on where and how history changed. I had no problem understanding this alternate reality, and once I let go of facts as I know them, I was able to immerse myself completely in it. The setting is the 1930ish, and the wild, wild west mentality is still going strong as the environment dictates a need for that kind of on the spot law enforcement. And, in walks Gunnie Rose. She transports and protects travelers who hire her gang to do so.
The story is an intriguing mix of fantasy (magic does exist in this world, and it came over with the Russians who now control California and surrounding areas), history (albeit an alternate account), and mystery thriller. No aspect is skimped on in favor of another, so Harris truly manages to marry three prominent literary genres. I think this blend will allow for more mass appeal, and her extraordinary writing deserves to be noticed and read by many.
Another of Harris’ strengths is strong, relatable characters that evoke strong emotions in the reader, and I, for one, experienced that. It was hard to pick a favorite character because they all were my favorite characters, no matter how minor of a part they played. They each had strength and moxy, loyalty, and skills, and were people you would want beside you in a harsh environment without a doubt.
As a thriller, I found the story to read very fast and delightfully so. I was never slowed up by world-building, even though there is plenty. The pages flew as I hopped from one adventure to the next with Gunnie Rose. This world is bold, and Harris does not shy away from bold topics. Instead, she handles them with grace and quiet strength that stays true to the characters. This new America is a harsh world, and bad things happen in harsh worlds, so they have to be tackled head-on.
To Read or Not to Read
I didn’t know what to expect when I started this novel. I was granted book two by NetGalley and jumped at the chance to read the first book in the series when I was alerted to a sale. The truth is, I probably would have gotten it anyway but who doesn’t love a book sale. I wondered if it would be kind of like Firefly, which was a Nathan Fillion show that mixed space travel with a wild west theme. Though Firefly was great, the Gunnie Rose series is vastly different. It’s a new world – a magical world – where gunslingers and wizards work side by side, each comfortable in their wheelhouse.
Favorite character: Lizbeth Rose
I picked Gunnie Rose because she is fierce, loyal, and follows a strict gunnie code. She loves with her whole heart and fights with an unabashed determination. Life is simple in her eyes. She’s a good shot, and she knows it, so she uses that skill to earn money to live. It’s that simple.
Honorable mention: Eli.
Eli has a quiet strength and is loyal to a fault. He listens intently and loves completely. He doesn’t need apologies, as he understands what drives people and readily accepts that.
What I Loved about An Easy Death
Charlaine Harris is a master of world-building, and this new series is no exception. No detail is too small from the characters’ interaction with their world to a brief history lesson on where and how history changed. I had no problem understanding this alternate reality, and once I let go of facts as I know them, I was able to immerse myself completely in it. The setting is the 1930ish, and the wild, wild west mentality is still going strong as the environment dictates a need for that kind of on the spot law enforcement. And, in walks Gunnie Rose. She transports and protects travelers who hire her gang to do so.
The story is an intriguing mix of fantasy (magic does exist in this world, and it came over with the Russians who now control California and surrounding areas), history (albeit an alternate account), and mystery thriller. No aspect is skimped on in favor of another, so Harris truly manages to marry three prominent literary genres. I think this blend will allow for more mass appeal, and her extraordinary writing deserves to be noticed and read by many.
Another of Harris’ strengths is strong, relatable characters that evoke strong emotions in the reader, and I, for one, experienced that. It was hard to pick a favorite character because they all were my favorite characters, no matter how minor of a part they played. They each had strength and moxy, loyalty, and skills, and were people you would want beside you in a harsh environment without a doubt.
As a thriller, I found the story to read very fast and delightfully so. I was never slowed up by world-building, even though there is plenty. The pages flew as I hopped from one adventure to the next with Gunnie Rose. This world is bold, and Harris does not shy away from bold topics. Instead, she handles them with grace and quiet strength that stays true to the characters. This new America is a harsh world, and bad things happen in harsh worlds, so they have to be tackled head-on.
To Read or Not to Read
I didn’t know what to expect when I started this novel. I was granted book two by NetGalley and jumped at the chance to read the first book in the series when I was alerted to a sale. The truth is, I probably would have gotten it anyway but who doesn’t love a book sale. I wondered if it would be kind of like Firefly, which was a Nathan Fillion show that mixed space travel with a wild west theme. Though Firefly was great, the Gunnie Rose series is vastly different. It’s a new world – a magical world – where gunslingers and wizards work side by side, each comfortable in their wheelhouse.