All The Dead Shall Weep by Charlaine Harris
Gunnie Rose #5
Fantasy/Alternate History
September 5, 2023- Gallery/Saga Press
Review by Angela
I’ve enjoyed the Gunnie Rose series so far. The first three books focus on Lizbeth Rose, the fourth on her sister Felicia, and now we finally see them on the page together, with their POVs featured in alternating chapters.
This book starts slowly, with Felicia and Paul, Eli’s brother, arriving in Texoma for a visit. There is tension between Lizbeth and Eli, but readers soon realize the couple has recently experienced a loss. Then suddenly things go a bit sideways after a militia shows up out of nowhere with questionable motives, and Eli and Paul take off after them. Lizbeth and Felicia follow, out to rescue their men.
I wasn’t sure where this book was going because Eli and Paul spend so much time off-page, with Lizbeth and Felicia kind of doing everyday things by themselves, while the brothers are off doing who knows what. There’s some angst as Lizbeth believes Eli to have left her and Felicia keeps getting would-be suitors for the upcoming ball. But, really- I had no idea. The story kind of ambled along until the BIG THING that happens at the very end.
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as its predecessors. I think it might have been the pacing. There is a bit of a shock at the end of the book, that I did not see coming. This book moves Felicia’s character arc along more than any other, so I’m convinced the next book will feature her back at school, still fighting off suitors and maybe finding another love interest. I’m still not quite sure how old Felica is- I know their father kept her from maturing, so she looked quite younger than her actual age. In the previous installment, she finally begins to mature and age, her appearance changes and she begins to develop. For some reason I thought she was closer to 18-but in this book, Lizbeth mentions her being 15 several times. I was taken aback by the mention of age, and then her relationship with Paul. I know this is an alternate world, but… no. I’m hoping someone else who has read this series can help me clarify.
Grade- C
Content Notes- Blood. violence,, death
I haven’t read All The Dead Shall Weep yet but it is next on my list though. Eli’s brother’s name is Peter, not Paul. And as for the whole age thing with Felicia, she isn’t sure of her true age, but she tells Lizbeth that she was 15 in The Russian Cage. Peter is younger than Lizbeth though, who is 19. They never mention his actual age, but from bits and pieces here, I would guess he is 17. So, that’s not too weird for me, especially considering the way that Felicia had to grow up. She is a lot more mature than Peter. I think its weirder that Peter had this huge crush on Lizbeth since they met in the first book, when his interference resulted in Lizbeth being shot. He held on to that crush up until he found out that Eli and Lizbeth were together in The Russian Cage. Now he just moves onto her sister? It’s weird.