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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
Our time with Gunnie Rose has come to an end! Though, she was so much more than a gunnie, and I loved reading her exploits and adventures. While I am sad the series is ending (it is my favorite from this author), it felt fitting end in so many ways I can't tell you about because that would be a spoiler. I love how the timeline stays connected to what we know as actual history. I always enjoy the slight twists on the real world and this was no exception. I will miss Lizbeth and wonder occasionally what she is doing. I know she is fictional, but she felt very real!
Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
What a ride! The Last Wizards’ Ball is a fast-paced finale that pulls you straight into the action and never lets up. Charlaine Harris once again proves her talent for weaving unique magic systems and alternate history into a world that feels both gritty and captivating. The atmosphere? Immaculate. The world-building? Honestly, phenomenal. Every page had the weight of a final chapter, and the stakes were high in all the right ways.
That said… I’ve had to sit with the ending. This is the close of the Gunnie Rose series, and while I respect that not every story wraps with a neat bow, I couldn’t help but feel just a little let down. Gunnie herself? Her ending felt earned—true to the hard-edged, fiercely loyal character we’ve followed since book one. But Lizbeth’s arc… oof. It felt like all the growth she’d been through across five books got dialed back right at the finish line. After everything she endured, I was hoping for something more impactful, more reflective of how far she’d come. Instead, her transformation felt muted—there, but subtle to a fault.
Still, if you’ve been along for the full ride, this finale is absolutely worth the read. It delivers tension, rich world-building, and a sense of closure… even if it leaves you wishing for just a bit more.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Charlaine Harris continues to weave intrigue, romance, danger, and suspense into the sixth and final installment in the Gunnie Rose alternative history series, The Last Wizards’ Ball. Lizbeth Rose and Prince Eli Savarov function as chaperones to Lizbeth’s sister Felicia during the week-long Wizards’ Ball where young magical practitioners from across the globe hope to make a romantic match and strengthen alliances.
The ball is being held in San Diego this year, but war and violence are on the rise in Europe. German and Japanese wizards are also courting Felicia, and some don’t want to take no for an answer. As the situation turns deadly, Lizbeth needs to protect her sister while navigating a world that is pulling Eli and Felicia in different directions.
Lizbeth is capable, loyal, brave, generally even-tempered, and a great shot, and has nerves of steel. She’s more relaxed when she’s not in a social situation so the ball week full of festivities is not in her comfort zone. Felicia has a gift for languages, and has and has gained confidence in herself and her abilities. She has the power to kill and to restore life. Eli was born an aristocrat and longs to be back in the good graces of the tsar. He’s not good at sharing his feelings and often fails to communicate. Other characters play secondary roles with varying degrees of depth.
Charlaine Harris is known for excellent characterization and fantastic world-building and she delivers on both of those points in this book. I was easily transported to the depicted events. Family drama, political intrigue, magic, romance, communication issues, war, and many more threads are explored during the novel. It’s also one that causes the reader to think about life, love, duty, community, and family. Exceptional characters, intense fight scenes, and thought-provoking situations made this an entertaining read.
Charlaine Harris is one of my favorite authors and she did not let me down with this conclusion to the series. The characters are compelling, led by strong and capable protagonists. While I hoped for a different ending, the ending was in keeping with the somewhat dark alternative history theme.
Overall, this book was suspenseful and action-packed. It should delight those readers who enjoy alternate history, action adventure, and fantasy novels that have a strong female lead character. However, be aware that it is also unsettling at times. The first novel in the series explains the alternative history aspect that is not fully explained in the succeeding novels. I can’t wait to read my next book by this author.
Saga Press – S&S / Saga Press and Charlaine Harris provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for July 22, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
The ball is being held in San Diego this year, but war and violence are on the rise in Europe. German and Japanese wizards are also courting Felicia, and some don’t want to take no for an answer. As the situation turns deadly, Lizbeth needs to protect her sister while navigating a world that is pulling Eli and Felicia in different directions.
Lizbeth is capable, loyal, brave, generally even-tempered, and a great shot, and has nerves of steel. She’s more relaxed when she’s not in a social situation so the ball week full of festivities is not in her comfort zone. Felicia has a gift for languages, and has and has gained confidence in herself and her abilities. She has the power to kill and to restore life. Eli was born an aristocrat and longs to be back in the good graces of the tsar. He’s not good at sharing his feelings and often fails to communicate. Other characters play secondary roles with varying degrees of depth.
Charlaine Harris is known for excellent characterization and fantastic world-building and she delivers on both of those points in this book. I was easily transported to the depicted events. Family drama, political intrigue, magic, romance, communication issues, war, and many more threads are explored during the novel. It’s also one that causes the reader to think about life, love, duty, community, and family. Exceptional characters, intense fight scenes, and thought-provoking situations made this an entertaining read.
Charlaine Harris is one of my favorite authors and she did not let me down with this conclusion to the series. The characters are compelling, led by strong and capable protagonists. While I hoped for a different ending, the ending was in keeping with the somewhat dark alternative history theme.
Overall, this book was suspenseful and action-packed. It should delight those readers who enjoy alternate history, action adventure, and fantasy novels that have a strong female lead character. However, be aware that it is also unsettling at times. The first novel in the series explains the alternative history aspect that is not fully explained in the succeeding novels. I can’t wait to read my next book by this author.
Saga Press – S&S / Saga Press and Charlaine Harris provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for July 22, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The synopsis mentions it twice, but I don’t want to believe it- final book struggles here. Things were building to something big over the course of the series and I was all anticipation to see just what that ‘big’ would be. Charlaine Harris has crafted an impressive alternate history world that includes those who wield magic and places where the wild west is alive and well.
The Last Wizard’s Ball is the sixth Gunnie Rose installment and continues the storyline that started in book one. Definitely not a good place to dive in.
The Last Wizard’s Ball opens with Lizbeth and Eli in San Diego living at his family home with Felicia to escort her around to all the society function related to the Wizard’s Ball. Things are tense when the first event is interrupted by a hail of arrows all directed at their group including Felix with Felicia as the target. Other incidents mount up and tensions between certain factions add to it. The Germans and Japanese are allied in efforts to go to war against England and her allies and this carries over to the magic users at the Ball.
Lizbeth feels hampered by her lack of knowledge and sophistication needed to navigate this world and keep Felicia out of danger and from making a mistake with her love life. Her frustration rises when she realizes Eli and even Felicia are keeping secrets from her again. The world is a powder keg waiting for a match and this includes Lizbeth and Eli’s marriage.
The Last Wizard’s Ball was a book for which I had high expectations. I appreciated the diversity of this alt-history world and the excitement of the wizards of the world coming to one place- all the political intrigue and power matches getting ready to take place. Felicia is powerful and has come into her own- she’s the belle of the ball and that comes with its own dangers. Lizbeth, Eli, and Felix have to stay alert for danger to come from rivals or from those who covet Felicia for power.
My first check came from the introductory note promising messy drama. I’m never a fan of unnecessary drama and any actual warning before the book starts about drama just seems ominous.
My second check came from the realization that Eli is at his secret holding again, sneaking off to secret meetings, not explaining even when his loyalty should be to Lizbeth and Lizbeth is back to turning into a pressure cooker and getting the hives over having to be in Eli’s world so she’s constantly cranky, looking for fault, and refusing to see anyone’s perspective except her own. She does a tit for tat and keeps her own secrets and flings ultimatums while she’s het up. And, my wariness mounted as events and behavior unraveled further. I wondered if they were under some curse or something because it was like they were trying to destroy their relationship and, even for them, they were exaggerated versions of their worst moments. Even Felicia wasn’t behaving consistently with how she’d earlier been portrayed and was trying to burn down her relationship with her sister.
But, it got worse for me. I’m frustrated because I can’t give examples and speculate on all that I questioned because of spoilers and there is also a very good chance that I’m feeling a minority opinion.
This book went directions that left me amazed and not in a positive way. But, I went beyond frustration to loathing when I got to the very last pages where so much that was previous was exploded and tossed aside with this big wide highway of open-ending. I’ve never read a series that had such a wide-open ending. And, that was what finished the series. I was left with one big why??? Let’s spend five books getting you to fall in love with these characters and establish these relationships and then toss it all into a windstorm and see where it falls.
I get it. Authors write the book and its their story to tell. But, a reader/listener gets vested, too. I really wish I could unknow that last chapter- that I could have hope of an alt-ending for an alt-history series. I’ll conclude by reiterating that I’m only one reader reaction and I know anyone who made it through the previous book will feel compelled to grab this one up. Hopefully, their experience will be pleasanter than mine.