Quirky Cat
Written on Jul 5, 2018
The Girl in the Green Silk Gown is the second book in the Ghost Roads series. Anybody that’s read the first novel (Sparrow Hill Road) will immediately recognize where that title came from. I wonder if all the books from this series will use a different name used to describe the ghost of Rose Marshall?
I only recently discovered this series, and I have to tell you that I’m totally hooked. So much so that I actually almost regret the fact that I got an advanced copy for it, because now I have that much longer to wait for the next book.
It’s been so long since I found a ghost series that I was able to sink my teeth into. The world is so complex and intricate, as are the ghost roads themselves, the rules each ghost abides by, and so much more. All this combined results in a wonderfully written and immersive series.
If you haven’t read or heard of this series, I strongly urge you to stop and give it a try. Also, definitely read them in order, you don’t want to miss anything. I promise.
You know you’ve found a fantastic book when three hundred odd pages of writing passes by in the blink of an eye, leaving you feeling like you only read a few dozen. I inhaled this novel, I swear. Same for its predecessor, actually, so that’s not terribly surprising.
Rose Marshall is a stubborn, determined, and charismatic ghost. She’s compelling and well written, and more than anything she’ll always follow the rules of being a hitchhiking ghost. She also still wants to get revenge on Bobby Cross, and who can blame her? Rose is painfully aware that each moment Bobby is allowed to roam free is another chance that he’s found a new victim. It’s actually a terrifying thought.
I’m still looking forward to Bobby Cross getting what’s coming for him. But honestly I’m okay with his plot not being resolved right away. Seanan McGuire has done a fantastic job with his character. He’s a constant threat to Rose, always lingering in the back of her thoughts, and yet he never feels overused. At no point have I hit a point where I felt like we’ve been shown his character too many times for him to be threatening. If anything it’s the opposite.
With the conclusion of the last novel, I had some questions on how they were going to handle certain things. Like the introduction of Gary. His inclusion was handled seamlessly however, never ignoring him when he was in a scene and giving plausible reasons for his absence. I’m more relieved than I’d like to admit about that.
There were so many twists and turns in this novel that I really wasn’t expecting. I won’t list any examples, because I don’t want to spoil them, but trust me when I say you should get ready for a wild ride. I will say that I absolutely loved the inclusion and modification of folklore and mythology. Seanan McGuire used some classic mythology stories and managed to modernize them; this helped them to fit the world she created, but more than that it made the story her own. It was beautifully done.
Now that I’ve finished the book, I find myself a little depressed at the thought of it. That’s how you know it was good – finishing it felt like I was losing a friend. I can’t wait to get more information on the next in the series, even though obviously I know I’m going to have to do just that. On the bright side there’s several series by Seanan McGuire I haven’t read yet, so I’m going to dive into those to help pass the wait (hopefully I love them as much as the ones I’ve read!).
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
