I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author returns with the fifth installment in the bestselling Gunnie Rose series as sisters Lizbeth Rose and Felicia as well as brother Eli and Peter, are reunited in Texoma only to break apart before the Wizard’s Ball held in San Diego, which will determine all their fates.
Following the murderous events of the “gripping…thrill-ride” (Karin Slaughter) Serpent of Heaven, Lizbeth Rose is awaiting the arrival of her sister Felicia and her husband’s younger brother Eli in Texoma. Both needed to leave the seat of the Holy Russian Empire in San Diego after Felicia’s burgeoning wizardly power in death magic became the reason for kidnapping and assassination attempts from her mother’s family of high-powered wizards in Mexico.
Yet bad news has traveled ahead of them, as Eli is called back to San Diego, taking Peter along with him, splitting them apart in more ways than one as their enemies’ plans for revenge come to fruition. In this fifth installment in the beloved and bestselling Gunnie Rose series, #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris has crafted a family drama of murderous and magical thrills.
I’ll admit to not having read this entire series. I began with my review of book #4, The Serpent in Heaven. This series is an alternate history Western where the United States has been broken into pieces after a second civil war and the west coast has come under the control of Russian royalty. I’ll admit that the actual history of that time period (WWI) is fuzzy for me.
To be honest, this series didn’t grab me and I don’t plan to read any more. I admire Charlaine Harris for her body of work, and her writing is technically solid and well-crafted. Her characters are unique and believable. This book in particular is an Old Western mystery novel with some interpersonal relationship drama tucked inside.
It’s a good book. Something about it just hasn’t taken the extra step of grabbing me enough that I’d want to go back and read the entire story over the rest of the books sitting in my queue. Unfortunately, the older I get, the larger that queue becomes and the higher the standards for a book or series getting pulled to the front of it.
If alternate history, Westerns, or homicidal family members are your bag, though, you wouldn’t be wrong to pick this one up. You can get it from your local shop or via the widget below.