Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire

Angel of the Overpass (Ghost Roads, #3)

by Seanan McGuire

The third book of the Ghost Roads series returns to the highways of America, where hitchhiking ghost Rose Marshall continues her battle with her killer—the immortal Bobby Cross.

Lady of shadows, keeper of changes, plant the seeds of faith within me, that I might grow and flourish, that I might find my way through danger and uncertainty to the safety of your garden. Let my roots grow strong and my skin grow thick, that I might stand fast against all who would destroy me. Grant to me your favor, grant to me your grace, and when my time is done, grant to me the wisdom to lay my burdens down and rest beside you, one more flower in a sea of blooms, where nothing shall ever trouble me again.

Rose Marshall died when she was sixteen years old and on her way to her high school prom. She hasn’t been resting easy since then—Bobby Cross, the man who killed her, got away clean after running her off the road, and she’s not the kind of girl who can let something like that slide. She’s been looking for a way to stop him since before they put her body in the ground.

But things have changed in the twilight world where the spirits of the restless dead continue their “lives.” The crossroads have been destroyed, and Bobby’s protections are gone. For the first time, it might be possible for Rose to defeat him.

Not alone, though. She’ll need every friend she’s managed to make and every favor she’s managed to add to her account if she wants to stand a chance…and this may be her last chance to be avenged, since what is Bobby Cross without the crossroads?

Everything Rose knows is about to change.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

5 of 5 stars

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Angel of the Overpass is the third novel in Seanan McGuire's Ghost Roads series. If you haven't read this series, I strongly recommend picking it up, especially if you're a fan of ghosts, legends, and urban fantasies. If it wasn't apparent by this point – the Ghost Roads series is one of my favorites.

Rose Marshall – the woman with a hundred names. The Girl in the Green Silk Gown. The Phantom Prom Date. The Ghost of Sparrow Hill Road. It's been fifty years since she died, and her story has had plenty of time to change.

Rose herself has changed since that time. She may be a ghost, but that doesn't mean she's a static being. Granted, she has been on the run from Bobby Cross this whole time. He's the one who killed her, and even now, he's still hunting her. Yet now, he's lost his protection, and that evens the score.

A quick note before I begin my review: The events in Angel of the Overpass are heavily impacted by another series of Seanan McGuire. InCryptid and Ghost Roads share the same world, and the events of That Ain't Witchcraft, in particular, are going to change things up. You can read Angel of the Overpass without having read it, of course. But it will add a lot to the story. Take it from somebody who only this year binged all ten of the InCryptid novels.

"I'm tired of letting Bobby scare me. I'm tired of letting Bobby chase me. Really, I'm tired of Bobby, full stop."

Angel of the Overpass is the perfect third novel in this series. It's poetic, dark, and beautiful in equal measure. More than that, it's once again giving readers a chance to see the Ghost Roads. These roads are infinitely complex and will always be fascinating to learn about.

You see, they are an amalgam of all of our lore, plus a bit (read: a lot) of imagination from Seanan McGuire's side of things. The end result is an expansive world that I, for one, will never grow tired of.

This world feels more precarious and open to change than ever before (see my note above). It's added a new source of tension, but it's also added some hope. All of which is kicking off change left and right, not just in the world – but for many of the characters that we've come to know as well.

One of the dominant themes in Angel of the Overpass seems to be change. The world itself is changing, so it only makes sense that everyone and everything in it is changing as well. We already know that ghosts don't automatically stay the same from the moment they come into existence.

Now McGuire is simply driving that point home. Rose's quests have taken her to all different realms for the dead, yet there hasn't been a quest quite like this one. Not for Rose, and I highly doubt for any other ghost either.

There was something so fascinating and empowering about what Rose went through in this novel. More than that, it felt so...well, I was going to say human, but perhaps that isn't the right word in this instance.

Angel of the Overpass is a compelling read, one that will keep you on the edge of your seat right up until you finish the book. So plan ahead, and leave yourself plenty of room to read. Trust me on this one.

Angel of the Overpass is a novel that I have happily been waiting for, ever since the last novel (The Girl in the Green Silk Gown) dropped. It was well worth the wait, bringing about change and understanding in equal measure. It's a novel that does justice to the characters and to the fans who have been looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Thanks to DAW and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 11 May, 2021: Finished reading
  • 11 May, 2021: Reviewed