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    An Easy Death
    An Easy Death
    An Easy Death
    Audiobook9 hours

    An Easy Death

    Written by Charlaine Harris

    Narrated by Eva Kaminsky

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    #1 New York Times bestseller Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse mysteries, True Blood, Midnight Crossing) delivers the first thriller in a new trilogy that presents a chilling alternate history of the United States where everyone believes in magic-but no one is sure whether they can trust it. Gunnie Lizbeth Rose has been hired by a pair of Russian sorcerers as both their local guide and muscle through the small towns of East Texas as they search for a distant relative of an infamous sorcerer whose bloodline can help save their emperor-in-exile as an ever increasing number of assassins tries to stop them. After the assassination of FDR in the 1930s, the US collapses and is picked off by the UK, Canada, Mexico, and Russia. We find ourselves in the southwestern states now known as Texoma. It is here that the gunnie Lizbeth Rose tries to piece out a life, running security on runs from Texoma, across the border to Mexico where work and prospects are stronger. When two Russian magicians come looking for a man named Alex Karkarov, they hire Lizbeth to find him or his family, but there are problems: The man they're looking for is dead, but he has a daughter they now need to find, as an ever-growing set of sorcerers and gunnies do not want them to succeed. It's a good thing Lizbeth is a deadly gunfighter; too bad she hates sorcerers, even the ones she has to learn to rely on. #1 New York Times bestseller Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse mysteries/True Blood, Midnight Crossing) returns to fantasy in a taut thriller set in a United States where magic is an acknowledged truth, but disreputable.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateOct 2, 2018
    ISBN9781980000136
    Author

    Charlaine Harris

    Charlaine Harris is a New York Times bestselling author who has been writing for over thirty years. She was born and raised in the Mississippi River Delta area. She has written four series, and two stand-alone novels, in addition to numerous short stories, novellas, and graphic novels (cowritten with Christopher Golden). Her Sookie Stackhouse books have appeared in twenty-five different languages and on many bestseller lists. They’re also the basis of the HBO series True Blood. Harris now lives in Texas, and when she is not writing her own books, she reads omnivorously. Her house is full of rescue dogs.

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    Reviews for An Easy Death

    4/5

    215 ratings25 reviews

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    • 3/5
      It took awhile to get invested in the story. The first few chapters I almost put the book down,but eventually I got hooked on the story

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This was an interesting start to a series
      I liked how straight forward lizbeth is.
      I really liked the different take on history and magic as well
    • 5/5
      Excellent well written suspenseful the land the people the culture is so real it's like Charlene had a dream about the place before she wrote about it beautiful
    • 5/5
      Very nice set up. Looking forward to the next book.
    • 5/5
      Very enjoyable listen. I'm so happy Scribd has all three books in this series. If you like Sookie, give this a try. Gunnie Rose is another smart, stubborn, interesting woman who's really fun to hang out with. Her world is very different, it takes a bit to unfold, then suddenly you’re staying up way too late to hear more.
    • 4/5
      Historical fantasy taking place in an alternative history where the Spanish plague of 1918 made the United States of America fall apart into different nations, one of them being the Holy Russian Empire (HRE) led by the Tzar who escaped from Russia. The Russians brought with them an acceptance of wizardry, training and utilizing magic talents.Lizbeth is a citizen of Texoma, where she makes a living as a gunner, running refugees from Mexico north, offering bodyguard work and killing to keep her clients safe. SHe is hired by two wizards from HRE to escort them on a quest to Mexico to find a third wizard.Lizbeth was a good companion, and the alternative history setting ok. That and the plot kept me reading and engaged, but not really interested enough to seek out the next book in the series.
    • 3/5
      This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.---WHAT'S AN EASY DEATH ABOUT?I've tried this, and it gets too detailed (read: dull), so I'm going to borrow from Simon & Schuster's website: In a fractured United States, a new world where magic is acknowledged but mistrusted, a young gunslinger named Lizbeth Rose takes a job offer from a pair of Russian wizards. Lizbeth Rose has a wildly fearsome reputation but these wizards are desperate. Searching the small border towns near Mexico, they’re trying to locate a low-level magic practitioner believed to be a direct descendant of Grigori Rasputin. As the trio journey through an altered America—shattered into several countries after the assassination of Franklin Roosevelt and the Great Depression—they’re set on by enemies. It’s clear that a powerful force does not want them to succeed in their mission. Lizbeth Rose has never failed a client, but this job may stretch her to her deadly limits.THE WORLDBUILDINGIt's always interesting to see how someone launching an SF/F series introduces the world and its rules (eh, even in Crime/Non-Genre fiction this can apply), in this case, the Alternate-History, too. Harris takes a pretty bare-bones approach, on pages 3-4 you get a decent sketch of where this Earth's history diverged from us and a hint about the resulting politics. A few details will be added along the way, but not many (all that you need, and not a word more).Throughout the book, she tosses in just enough to get you through the magic system, although most of that is left vague and mysterious.You might be curious about several other things—both on the history and magic front. But you don't need to know about it for the novel to work, and Harris is just focused on Lizbeth and her clients. The rest just doesn't matter.It's both frustrating (as someone who is curious about more than a few things) and refreshingly satisfying (who needs the info dumps and background?).SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT AN EASY DEATH?I enjoyed it. I think of all the books I've been recommended for this 12 Books Challenge, Zane's is most likely to get me to read another by that author/in that series.* I'm very curious about what a second Gunnie Rose adventure looks like—how it differs (and how it doesn't) from this one.* Although, to be fair, if a second book in the King Oliver book was actually out, it'd probably be a tie.Gunnie's a compelling character, that's for sure. But, like the world-building, Harris has been sparing with the details about her. I think a lot of my conclusions about her so far are based on my preconceptions and assumptions about characters like her more than on what Harris provided. The differences in my mind between her and Shining Smith (for example) are mostly based on genre and the time setting of the books. What I do know, I like—and I want to fill in some of those missing details. I'm not sure either Gunnie or Harris are going to be all that forthcoming with the details, they seem to be playing things close to their vests.The Alternate-History stuff was interesting enough, but it's not going to bring me back by itself. The idea of California-Oregon-Washington making up a Holy Russian Empire is intriguing, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure we're going to get more about it than what's provided in this novel. As for the rest? Eh, I could go either way.But the sparse and stark, Depression-era territory of Texoma and the pseudo-Western atmosphere and storytelling possibilities? That's a draw I feel, particularly with Gunnie around.But that's for the series as a whole. What about An Easy Death? If in the first chapter or so you decide you want to see what happens to Gunnie, you're going to be in for a fun ride featuring some good action scenes, a mysterious quest, and strange magic. If you're not particularly interested in Gunnie's character by the end of Chapter 3? Close the book and move on.
    • 5/5
      I hardly know how to categorize this -- alt history, just post Great Depression, where the US has fractured into a totally unrecognizable continent. That gives it a post-apocalyptic feel. The setting, Texahoma, and the main character's livelihood of gunslinging give it a frontier flavor, too, despite the occasional modern tech that crops up (cars, trains, a notable refrigerator). Gunnie Rose has the pragmatic personality traits that I so miss from Sookie Stackhouse -- there is a lot of violent killing in this book, but much like with that series, the main character accepts it and moves on and survives and really, deeply appreciates whatever small pleasures (a bath!) come her way. I found myself giggling at more than one point, and cheering for her prickly and unyielding personality many times.

      The wizards from the Holy Russian Empire are another flavor of weird and troubling, and I'm not quite sure what to make of them and their court, but I am already a dedicated fan of Gunnie Rose, and I look forward to her continuing adventures.

      Advanced reader's copy provided by Edelweiss

      Read it again, loved it even more.
    • 5/5
      In a dystopia set in a fractured United States, nineteen-year-old Lizbeth Rose makes her living as a gunnie. She lives in Texoma which was formed from Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and a part of Colorado. It is a lawless time with bandit gangs roaming the land,After Lizbeth's crew is killed trying to bring a group of displaced settlers north, Lizbeth is hired by two grigori - magic-users from the Holy Russian Empire - to try to locate a man named Oleg Karkarov. Lizbeth needs the job and the money offered and takes the job even though she already knows the fate of Oleg Karkarov. She shot him dead when he returned to the area. After all, he had raped her mother when she was just sixteen resulting in Lizbeth's birth. As she travels with Ilya "call me Eli" Savarov and Paulina Coopersmith who are both wizards sent to track down this Karkarov because he's a descendant of Rasputin whose blood is the only thing about to keep Czar Alexi I alive. And if they can't find Karkarov, a direct descendant of his will do nicely.However, there is another faction which doesn't want Eli and Paulina to succeed and who have sent other grigori to stop their mission by killing them. Luckily, Lizbeth has a bit of magic herself along with her prodigious skills with a gun to keep her clients and herself safe.This was an excellent story with great worldbuilding. There were excellent descriptions of the people and places they saw as they hunted for Karkarov's brother and possible daughter. The story was filled with exciting magical battles and gunfights. It is also a romance of sorts since Eli and Lizbeth seem to be building a sort of relationship. Eva Kaminsky did an excellent job with the voices and pacing of this story. This is the first in a four-book series. I'm eager for more of Lizbeth's adventures.
    • 4/5
      While not a western, technically, considering the year, this book is written in a violent, rough-and-tumble “western” setting. But with a young female protagonist (with a pretty big chip on her shoulder and shooting skill to spare) and…. Wizards. Intrigued, started, finished. Book 2 coming up!
    • 4/5
      An Easy Death by Charlaine HarrisGunnie Rose series, book 1. Urban fantasy western. Alternative history and magic. Lizbeth, aka Gunnie, is hired by two wizards for a search. As they are targeted everywhere they go, Gunnie must ask more questions and be more cautious when guns are fired, secrets revealed and bodies pile up. The heroine has mad skills and determination. At only 19 years old. She is the take no prisoners type and fire first. Fast moving action with twists and hidden connections. Zombies take on the form and disguise of family. Win the game or die action. Remarkable world building. Excerpt:“ Paulina had taken off in the opposite direction. She returned with some green stuff she said was edible and good for you. It was a plant I’d seen before but never tried to eat. I watched her take a bite first; that was how much I trusted Paulina. The leaves didn’t taste bad, a little peppery. Since they were fuzzy, the feeling of them in my mouth was not pleasant. But fresh green stuff is hard to find the farther south you go, and my mom had always told me it was important to include vegetables in your eating habits. I hoped I was healthier after I’d made myself swallow a mouthful. It was like chewing a caterpillar.”Excerpt for An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris #bookclubread #Hydernation #charlaineharris
    • 5/5
      A New and exciting Book, hopefully another Series, A USA that vastly changes due to FRD's Death, Great depression and a world that has also Magic Users.

      Couldn't lay it down.. Hopefully there's more then the One Book, Charlaines put out another Winner..

    • 5/5
      An enjoyable read - the world is completely different from her other series... the plot is kinda straight forward, but entirely engaging. You do end up caring what happens in the end... I will read more in the series.
    • 3/5
      Harris’ take on dystopia is interesting. I want more Eli and Lizbeth.
    • 4/5
      Well, I loved this! I have been a huge fan of Charlaine Harris's work but I haven't picked up any of her new books since the Sookie Stackhouse series ended. I have re-read a couple of the early Sookie Stackhouse books but I guess I was more than a little upset by how that series ended so I took a break from her work. I decided that it was time to give her books another chance and I must say that I am very happy that I picked up this book. It was an incredibly enjoyable read from beginning to end.This book's setting is an alternate America in the 1930s. America has been broken up into several different countries and some areas are rather wild. Lizbeth Rose works as a gunnie, or hired gun. She takes her job seriously and will do whatever it takes to complete her mission. She finds herself without a crew and decides to take on a job offered to her by two Russian wizards.This story was really exciting and there is a ton of action to go around. Gunnie Rose seems to be able to protect her charges very well even when they are not cooperating. I loved Gunnie Rose. She is a little rough around the edges but she is incredibly smart and knows when to keep her mouth shut. She never stops trying no matter how the odds are stacked against her. Eli and Paulina were also wonderful characters. Paulina and Gunnie didn't always see eye to eye which made for some rather interesting scenes.I would highly recommend this book to others. I loved the Old West setting along with the alternate world that is very different than what is in the history books. This book was filled with action, wonderful characters, a bit of romance, and an interesting mystery. I cannot wait to read more of this exciting series.
    • 4/5
      In an alternate USA, where events have left the USA fractured and much smaller a certain lawlessness has people relying on hired guns for travel. After a coming back from a bad trip where she lost her team but got most of the people safe where they needed to go she isn’t ready to take another assignment, but she does. Two magicians from the Russian controlled West coast are looking for descendants of Rasputin to help with the Tsar’s blood problems. Lizbeth does her best to keep them safe even when they don’t give her all the info she needs. A good solid story with an interesting universe and I can’t wait to read more about her.

      Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss

    • 5/5
      An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris and narrated by Eva Kaminsky is a book that is totally different than what I thought it would be. This has an alternative history and it has magic as part of life. It is a rough life like cowboy times but they have some cars and occasional electricity. This world building is amazing! Truly strange and fascinating! The characters are very intriguing too! Our gal of the story is paid to escort people through the wilderness or from one place to another. It is a dangerous business to be in. She ends up taking magic users. This is a very suspenseful, unique, and wild ride through this bizarre world and I loved it!The narration was absolutely brilliant! Great job!
    • 3/5
      This one has a little bit of everything. Magic, romance, the wild west, alternate history and science fiction. Entertaining.
    • 5/5
      A delightful book. This could easily be Charlaine’s best work yet (and I’m a big admirer of hers). A thrilling and thoughtful western dystopia, where there was so much voice and attention to detail it was like having a telepathic link to Gunnie Rose. It was very easy to mosey through this book to the end. Very eager for a sequel.
    • 3/5
      Ms. Harris's newest book. It was good. This book is about a gunnie who gets hired by wizards to find someone. Lots of violence and some sex (not graphic). I liked all of the characters and the story flowed just fine. It wasn't as good as Sookie or Midnight, TX but it was an enjoyable read. Ending was good as well.
    • 3/5
      In this new alternate history series by the author of the Sookie Stackhouae and Midnight Crossroads trilogy, the 1930s United States has been fractured into separate countries during the Great Depression and after the assassination of FDR. Governance of various regions of the United States have been assumed by other countries, including Canada, Mexico and Russia. A nineteen-year-old female gunslinger mercenary named Lizbeth "Gunnie" Rose has been recently hired by two Russian gregoris (wizards) to serve as a bodyguard as they search for a descendent of Rasputin whose blood could save the tsar's life. However, others with their own gregoris and gunnies are not eager for these three to save his life.Gunnie Rose, who started her career as a hired gun by killing her father. She is a gunnie, quick to pull a gun, with a code of ethics who has never failed a client. Although the novel has elements of fantasy, its setting in the southwestern country of Texoma reminds the reader more of an example of the western genre. Overall, an enjoyable beginning of a series that I will continue to read.
    • 4/5
      Excellent book by Harris. I hope there will be a follow-up about the Lizbeth Rose character. The mixture of alternate history and magic really worked in this Western environment. Being the Southwest, it felt very fresh. The characters were interesting and I liked that the action figure in this one was female. Although generally speaking, Harris always has strong female characters. This is noted a Book 1 at Amazon so maybe there are more to come.
    • 4/5
      Fun and brutal western take on alternate histories. Tough, badass woman, bloody killings, and more.
    • 4/5
      Charlaine Harris's post-dustbowl apocalypse setting has the surviving Russian court ruling from San Diego, the east coast states returning to British dominion, the south as Dixie, the north industrial belt taken by Canada, New America on the prairie and Texoma, the starting region of the story between it an what remains of Texas that the Mexicans haven't take back. Young Gunnie(Lizbeth) Rose uses her abilities with firearms in a crew that protects travelers from bandits and other dangers of travel. Though there are trucks and telephones, this still has a 19th century feel, though by way of Mad Max. Gunnie is a solid protagonist, the action is fast, the scenery weil sketched, and the opposition unrelenting.
    • 5/5
      In an alternate history, Franklin Delano Rosevelt was assassinated before he could be elected and therefore did not enact the policies to end the Great Depression. As a result, Canada has taken much of the northern part of the country and Mexico has reclaimed Texas. Magic exists but it is allowed only in California which is now the home of the Holy Russian Empire under the Romanovs who escaped the revolution back in Mother Russia. Poverty is rampant in what is left of the US and travel is very dangerous thanks to the large number of robbers infesting the highways. As a result, gunslingers have become common as bodyguards for travellers who can afford them. Nineteen-year-old gunslinger Lizbeth Rose or Gunnie Rose has worked for several years with the same people and, thanks to both luck and skill, they have managed to survive the dangers but their luck finally runs out on what should have been an easy job. Gunnie Rose is the only one of her crew to survive. She is offered a job escorting two grigoris or Russian wizards to Mexico in search of a relative of the recently deceased Rasputin - his blood was the only thing keeping the young Romanov prince alive and now they need someone else with the same blood type. Rose is at first reluctant partly because she is mourning the loss of her crew, partly because she, like most people, fear their magic, and partly because she has a secret that, if it should be revealed, could make this trip extremely dangerous for her. Eventually, though, she accepts their contract, a decision she will live to regret assuming, of course, she survives the journey because not everyone wants to see the quest succeed and these antagonists are also wizards and they have magic that is at least as powerful as that of the grigoris she is escorting.An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris is one fast-paced kick-ass take-no prisoners thriller full of magic and excitement. Gunnie Rose is a whip-smart protagonist and the action never quits. This is the first in a series and I loved every minute of it - I am already looking forward with great anticipation for the next book.Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review