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.
I love everything about this book. I really love all of Seanan McGuire’s books but the Ghost Roads novels in particular have a flavor that is undeniably good. One of the reasons is the way the story is set up, just like any number of ghost stories I read as a young teenager. As an author, Seanan adds in the little details that makes the novel more enthralling than others would, each chapter heading that gives you a clue about the direction of the story, and characters recalled from the first novel. All of the ways she weaves the story together along with unforgettable characters makes these must read novels for me. I’m a sucker for a good ghost story and in the hands of Seanan McGuire, these are excellent ghost stories.
The other reason that this novel is so compelling and impossible to put down is the main character, Rose Marshall. Her voice, her adventures, and her goals all make you root for her. A ghost seems like an unlikely hero but Rose is impossibly good at being a hero, and a character that is willing to step up when others wouldn’t is a recipe for success. Rose is sarcastic, troublesome, and a fighter. And truly, I think if I were a ghost, I’d want to be just like Rose.
Finally, whether there are other books planned in the series, I love the way the story grabs all the details from the previous two books, brings them together in a way that makes the book an absorbing read even if you aren’t as familiar with the Incryptid series or even have read the first two books. The conclusion is about as satisfying an end as any I’ve read, brings changes to the character and the world, and yet, leaves matters open enough that if Seanan McGuire writes another book in the series, we will all read it to find out more of Rose’s fate along with the other ghostly residents of the Ghost Roads. And if this is the final end, it was a blast reading.
If you love paranormal, love ghost stories, run and pick this up. It is well worth it and while you’re at it, pick up the first two as well. I highly recommend the deeply engaging and wonderful world of the Ghost Roads
Rating: 5 out of 5 roads
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