Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire is the third story about Rose, murdered by a vengeful Bobby Cross and her quest to put and end to his hunt. As always, the author is entertaining.

Man, this was an amazing read! I was thinking that this book would deal with what Antimony did in That Ain't Witchcraft, with the Crossroads as we knew it being destroyed. And it did, and I loved the tables being turned on Bobby!

It's like Bobby can't learn. And he vacillates between wanting Rose to be fuel for his car, and wanting Rose it seems, and he never learns that she hates him either way. I was really excited to see how things would change, now that he was no longer protected.

Of course, things aren't easy, because the crossroads being gone has also affected the Ghost Roads and the Twilight. I had a really great time going on this adventure with Rose! And oh, was their final showdown fantastic!

One minor but important part of this story, was her relationship with Gary. I mean, he carried a torch for her, to become her car, but he did it without asking, after they'd experienced very different things in the 50+ years they'd been apart. They didn't know who the other was. So while that wasn't totally resolved, it's started on it's way, and that was really great!

I would kinda love a 4th book. With all the changes in Rose's life, I would love to see how everything turns out! I loved everything that happened, and I really hope that we get more, because I have such a great time reading her stories!

This was a really great read, and I would love to have more!

I’m an enthusiastic fan of Seanan McGuire’s “Ghost Roads” series. I love the inventiveness of the world, the plot twists, and the ghostly-but-eminently-human narrator, Rose Marshall. A half-century ago, Rose was on her way to her high school prom when she was run down and killed. The driver was teenage heart-throb movie star, Bobby Cross, desperate to ensure his immortality through a crossroads bargain that requires him to keep driving a car that runs on the fuel of human souls. Bobby’s been on Rose’s trail ever since, determined to feed her soul to his car. Meanwhile, Rose’s prom date, having lived a long life regretting her loss, has become a ghostly car that communicates with her through his choice of tunes on his radio. Got all that? Now the crossroads themselves have been destroyed, and the realms of the ghosts have become increasingly unstable. And Bobby’s getting closer.

Rose may be dead, a “hitch-hiking ghost,” but she still retains her compassion and her gift for deep friendships. She’s capable of both growth and self-sacrifice, and her personality shines through the pages.

Absorbing and highly satisfying, Angel of the Overpass lifted my own spirits. I’ll come back to this series again and again.

Rose Marshall died at the age of sixteen as she was on her way to her prom. That was 60 years ago. Now she's a Hitcher ... a hitchhiking ghost who travels along the crossroads.

The man who killed her was Bobby Cross - once an up-and-coming movie star who sold his soul to live forever. Of course he didn't know that would mean forever driving in his car, fueled by the souls of ghosts he can run down - sending them to their final resting places. But the one ghost who's gotten away, was his first ... Rose Marshall. All she needs to do is touch his car, and she'll be another victim, so for six decades, Rose and Bobby have played a cat and mouse game while he consumes more and more souls to stay alive forever.

But Rose is approached by one of the grand spirits over seeing this twilight realm, and confesses to Rose that the crossroads are dying and along with it, Bobby Cross's protection. Finally Rose can get her revenge without fear of becoming fuel for his ghost machine.

Rose asks for protection and assistance to bring Bobby down, which is granted, but when you ask for favors from those in high places, be prepared to pay the price.

I wasn't more than halfway through this book when I decided that I really like this series. Really like this series. I know McGuire's October Daye series is popular and I enjoy that, as well as the InCryptid series, but I think this is my favorite series from McGuire (as written by McGuire ... I might like her Newsflesh series [as written by Mira Grant] a little more, still).

Angel of the Overpass takes the series to a new level and it's quite a thrill ride. On the surface it's a pretty direct story - it's time for Bobby Cross to go, and Rose should be the one to do it. We get the set-up, the chase, and the big final battle. Each of these segments is an energetic build up to the climax and that climax is about as thrilling a battle as I've read in any fantasy story.

This alone makes the book a really great read, but the denouement brings about a change that sets up a new direction for the series and I'm really excited about it. I want to read the next book ... now! (But I have to wait for it to be written.)

Looking for a good book? Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire is the third book in the Ghost Roads series and it's a fast-paced, high energy book with a dramatic change in multiple characters.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

Seanan is always a must-read for me. I did have a hard time with the first book in this series--Sparrow Hill Road--because it was a little disjointed. But that was entirely due to the fact that it was originally published serially as short stories over a year!

I've been so thrilled to see her return to Rose and the development she's undergone. She's such a strong character.

Unfortunately, I'm not caught up on the InCryptid series, so I did miss that bit of background, beyond what we're given in this installment. This book is a super solid entry in the series and I can feel Rose getting ready to do more. Seanan's a master at tying up plots and paving the way for new ones, so I'm very excited to see where Rose goes next! (Seeing her showdown with Bobby Cross is worth the price of entry here!)

I was anxiously awaiting this sequel and it did not disappoint. While I don't think I had quite the chills the first in series gave me, I did still feel the spookiness of McGuire's writing. The original conflict of the series has been solved, but new problems arose, so I am interested to see where those go.

It took me a little bit of time to get into this installment. I liked it, especially the ending, but I did struggle to engage with Rose's story this time. However, once things got closer to the end, the action really picked up. I like the way Rose's character has evolved, and I found this evolution to be in tune with her character.

"I have no idea what kind of timeline I'm working with here, but I know what's riding on my success: Bethany's existence, Gary's freedom, the safety of the living people that I love, and yeah, my vengeance. I do this and maybe Bobby Cross goes away forever. I do this and maybe I can get a little peace." (23% through on my Kindle)

Rose Marshall was 16 years old the night Bobby Cross ran her off the road. Rose became the Phantom Prom Date, the Angel of the Overpass. Bobby chased after her wanting to use Rose as fuel for his gas tank the way he had so many other ghosts. His car, his eternal youth and handsomeness were gifts from the Crossroads. Now Bobby has been threatening all Rose holds dear. The Crossroads are gone. Bobby is no longer protected. Rose may have a good chance of getting her revenge. But to do so, she will need to contact some heavy hitters and call in some favors.

Seanan McGuire manages to ratchet up the tension in the story and keep it up for long periods of time. Rose has more than one adventure and relives some memories as well. Always the tension is there. There were times I had to put the book aside for a little while to give me a break from it. As the book goes on, the stakes get higher and higher.

And just when you think things will go on the same as always, things change for Rose. It becomes clear along the way that she is brave and valued by more than one entity. And if she succeeds, there will be far reaching repercussions.

The Book is well plotted and well written. I gave it 5 out the 5 stars. If you enjoy your fantasy heavy on the ghostly side, this series would make a great read for you. I would not recommend this as a standalone. There are events and characters from previous books that come into play and previous knowledge makes it richer. It's definitely worth a read.

Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire is the third book in the Ghost Roads series. It was published May 11th, 2021 by DAW.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Angel of the Overpass (Ghost Roads) by Seanan McGuire
Review by Sam Lubell
Daw Trade Paperback / eBook ISBN/ITEM#: 9780756416898
Date: 11 May 2021

Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire is the third book in the Ghost Roads series about Rose Marshall, the Phantom Prom Date, who became a hitchhiking ghost after Bobby Cross hit her with her car in 1952 in a small town in Michigan. Rose can gain a physical body for a short time by convincing someone to lend her their coat and can only take what is given to her freely without payment. Despite what some legends say, she does not kill those who give her rides; instead, she helps guide the dying to their afterlife.

But Angel of the Overpass is also a sequel to That Ain't Witchcraft, book eight of the InCryptid series, which even has a guest appearance by Rose. In that book, Antimony Price made a major change to the ghost roads mythos. Angel of the Overpass deals with repercussions of this for Rose and Bobby Cross.

Former movie star Bobby Cross, who made a deal to stay young and handsome by using ghosts to fuel his unique muscle car, continues to chase Rose both because she got away from him when she first became a ghost and because her long existence gives her exceptional power that would power his car for a long time. In this book, he gives her an ultimatum, surrender her protection and stop running or he will target her friends. He even points out that this would save the existence of other ghosts. But now Bobby has lost his protector and, at the urging of the Queen of the Routewitches and with permission from the Lady of the Dead, Rose has the opportunity to turn the tables on Bobby and end him once and for all. Can she do this and remain true to herself and her role as a hitchhiking ghost?

An interesting subplot is her relationship with Gary, her former prom date, who has turned himself into a ghost car in order to reunite with Rose, who is unsure how she feels about him and resents how he made this decision without consulting her. What seemed like a happy ending for the pair in book two, now seems a little less happy and not so much an ending. Another subplot is Rose's own identity as events push her beyond the limits of a hitchhiking ghost.

As always McGuire remains compellingly readable. She is a pure storyteller who excels at creating series that start off as fun adventures but gradually reveal a darker, complex mythos behind the façade. She writes interesting, likable, competent characters and puts them in interesting situations.

Some readers may find the start of the book to have a bit too much explaining of the backstory, especially for those who have read all the preceding books, even with McGuire making it interesting, not a dry history lesson. This may help new readers, although I still would recommend people read the first two Ghost Roads books and That Ain't Witchcraft (at a minimum) before tackling Angel of the Overpass.

The close of the book provides a fitting ending for the whole Ghost Roads series. If they do continue, I would expect they would have to be rather different, possibly with a new central character (in the same way that the InCryptid books use different main characters) or with Rose in a different role.

I recommend Angel of the Overpass and the Ghost Roads series so far to readers who want modern-day fantasy with a more complex backstory and world building than just the idea of a fantastical element added to the world we know.

Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire: Enthralling
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

I loved the first two books in the Ghost Roads series, Sparrow Hill Road and The Girl in the Green Silk Gown. I am in awe of the world building in this series, the many layers and mythology that runs through it. I also really like Rose Marshall, the protagonist, a sixty or so year old ghost who died on her prom night when she was sixteen years old, hit by a car driven by Bobby Cross. It is no mystery that Bobby Cross wasn't an ordinary man out for a drive that night. He had been purposefully looking for victims he could kill and turn into fuel for his ghost-run car. It was the price of his staying young--a deal struck with a Crossroads ghost years before.

Things are a bit different in the twilight world now, the one where the restless dead often can be found living their lives, since the Crossroads have been destroyed. And this means Bobby Cross, who has been hunting and tormenting Rose and others all these years, has no more protection. Rose is tired of being hunted by Bobby who insists she belongs to him--she is the one who got away. Turning the situation around, she decides to go after him. But it will cost her and it will take the help of friends she has made along the way.

I continue to love the world building and I adore Rose. I was excited to get the opportunity to read and review another book in this series. I enjoyed the overall story and was happy to see the direction the novel took in the end. I liked exploring more of the different layers in this series' world and meeting new characters and visiting with familiar ones. I was a bit disappointed in Angel of the Overpass though. There were moments when I felt there was too much repetition and the story lagged in spots. I hadn't realized this series was tied to another of the author's series, the InCryptid series, which I have yet to read. I guess I had better start reading that one soon! While Angel of the Overpass wasn't my favorite in the series, I did enjoy it and hope there will be more Rose Marshall novels in the future.

Angel of the Overpass is a novel I didn't expect to come across. I thought Rose's background arc was wrapped up with The Girl in the Green Silk Gown. This story picks up after the events of That Ain't Witchcraft, with the Crossroads dead, realities readjusting, and Bobby Cross has lost his lifeline.

Just as the world setting of this story has changed, Rose is also inevitably changing.

Parts of this book felt like I had read it before, and others seemed completely new. It tackles the results of people making choices for themselves without considering others, and the unrealized choices that shape oneself.

I kind of can't believe I'm saying this, because it's never happened to me with a Seanan McGuire book before...but I think I have to call this one a DNF. Honestly, I'm assuming it's a problem with me and my headspace rather than the book - how can a McGuire book not be excellent?! - but I did get so tired of the repetition of Rose's lectures to the reader. It felt like the same things were being said over and over, the same points being driven home until I just couldn't take it any more. Plus, it's clear that Angel of the Overpass takes place after some big events in McGuire's InCryptids series, and while Angel tries to explain things for those of us (like me) who aren't current with the InCryptid books...well, at least for me, it didn't quite work. And I'm just not up to reading the entire InCryptid series so that I can make sense of what's happened between Green Silk Gown and Angel.

I really want to try coming back to this at some point - the Ghost Roads have been one of my favourite series - but right now? I fail.

Seanan McGuire is one of a handful of authors that I've got on personal automatic pre-order, so I was *delighted* to receive this ARC! Thanks DAW and NetGalley!
Now, out of all of her series, I *should* love the InCryptid books the best. And I have enjoyed the first 4 of the 10, but I just haven't gotten into them as much as her other works and keep getting distracted by other books and haven't picked up the next one. The Ghost Roads series, including Angel of the Overpass, takes place in the same world as InCryptid and some of the characters have been mentioned in the first two GR books. This is taken *much* further in AotO, in which a Pretty Big Event apparently happened in one of the InCryptid books I haven't gotten to yet, which directly drives the plot of AotO. I don't like jumping into the middle of a series; while the incident *is* fairly well explained by the second half of the book, it was still a disappointment. The rest of the book is the fantastic characters and world building and poetry that are Seanan's trademarks. Unfortunately, I can't bump this up to four stars, even though I very much want to.

Angel of the Overpass is the third of the Ghost Roads novels focusing on Rose Marshall, a ghost with a very full afterlife. The nature of her death (being hit and killed on the side of the road on the way to her high school prom) helped make her a ghost with a particular type of haunting (she's a phantom hitchhiker) but it's also made her a target over the decades from her murderer, a man (named Bobby Cross) who made a deal at the crossroads for eternal life. As with any of Seanan McGuire's novels, Angel of the Overpass is not about just one thing but if it was, it would be about Rose's potentially final fight against Bobby Cross and his attempts to end her life (again).

The Ghost Roads are a side series to McGuire's Incryptid novels - Rose Marshall is a minor side character there, but up until Angel of the Overpass there was minimal crossing over back to Rose's story. That changes here because the inciting incident takes place in the eighth Incryptid novel (That Ain't Witchcraft) - which presents a small barrier to entry - less so if you've at least read The Girl in the Green Silk Gown and Sparrow Hill Road, but this isn't a start novel it's the culmination of a journey.

Angel of the Overpass lives on the last third of the novel - if you've read enough of Seanan McGuire you'll be perfectly at home throughout the this novel but McGuire sets up that last act so well that even if you're "only" enjoying the ride you'll be strapping yourself in for that ending. Seanan McGuire escalates so well (spoilers, I guess, but there's a ghost dinosaur and it *works* for reasons). As a general rule, I enjoy the Ghost Roads but I don't love them like I do her Incryptid novels - but that ending - oh, that ending. It was glorious and wrenching. Seanan McGuire knows glorious and wrenching.

I love Seanan McGuire’s novels and I couldn’t wait to dive into this third volume. We follow the events that happened in InCryptid, since Antimony took over the Crossroads. Rose is given the opportunity to finally take action, something she has never been able to do until now, and kill Bobby Cross, the man who murdered her when she was just 16 years old. But this quest will be far from easy and she will have to make important decisions. She will also meet deities who will expect something from her.

I had a good time with this novel and was glad to see that Rose finally had her chance to get revenge after all these years. I wonder if the author will come up with more stories, I’ll be curious to see how the characters deal with the aftermath of this novel.

Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire

Short version: one of the best books of 2021 for sure!

Long version: I came to Seanan McGuire late - I didn’t realize that she and her pen name, Mira Grant, were the same person for a long while. I found Mira Grant when Parasite was nominated for the Hugo award and my librarian bought all of that year’s best novel Hugo nominees for the library’s ebook collection. I loved Parasite, devoured the Newsflesh trilogy, and then went looking for more. I was too intimidated to start one of her long running urban fantasy series, so I picked Sparrow Hill Road, which I believed at the time to be stand alone. I loved it so much! It was lyrical, haunting, utterly amazing. I was hooked.

So I was thrilled when DAW and NetGalley gave me an eARC for Angel of the Overpass, the third (but I hope not concluding) book of the series. This one picks up on where we left off with Rose Marshal, the hitchhiking ghost, in the last volume, The Girl in the Green Silk Gown. This novel also follows up on some world-shattering events from the Inncrpytid books (specifically the final Antimony book) that have massive repercussions for the ghost roads. I wondered, reading this book, if Seanan McGuire had sold it to her publisher as a chance to resolve dangling plot threads and provide closure to some storylines, because the book manages to do that incredibly well. The first novel was a fix-up, as the material had originally been published as connected short stories. That format seemed to result in some inconsistencies and didn’t always have enough room to allow some of the ideas to breathe, especially related to Rose’s high school sweetheart. This book satisfied tremendously on all fronts.

Two things I must point out that made me sqee, which I will try to keep as spoiler free as possible. 1) dinosaur! 2) there was a moment in the book that didn’t mean much to Rose, but meant the world to me as a fan of Sarah from Incrpytid.

What are you waiting for? Go buy this right now!!!

Thank you to Netgalley, DAW, and the author for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

Frankly this book was a 2 star book for me all the way until about 75%. A good solid 4-star end could not completely lift a book that I felt ambivalent about for so long, though, and frankly I'm glad the story is turning in a new direction because otherwise I think it would be curtains on Rose for me.

Seanan McGuire has an incredible imagination and I am continuously impressed by the breadth of imagination in her fantasy worlds. And as previously stated I was very interested in the upcoming change of direction for Rose. That's a creative decision that I think will pay off big-time. We all knew that the Bobby situation couldn't go on forever, so, this seems appropriate. It's a good place to leave Rose if Ms. McGuire chooses to move on from the character. I'm also proud of Rose for doing the difficult but right thing and parting ways with an old friend. Making hard choices and following through is something I can respect. And, let me just say, oh my heart, the dinosaur, <3 <3 <3 Freaking adorable!!!!!!

But for all the good parts there were... a lot... of bad parts. Unfortunately I felt that during the majority of the book, nothing really happened. Rose did a *lot* of inner-monologue-ing, mostly about same stuff she always talks/thinks about: her life/death, her role in the world, Bobby is an a-hole, she really wants a burger/coat/ride/malt/etc. Rose also did a lot of posturing vis a vis other ghosts/undead characters, which, question: was she this unsufferable/sanctimonious before? Or does this sort of attitude come with "age"? Rose seems to be... ALWAYS RIGHT, and everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, from newbie ghosts to sort-of ghost friends to her very own patron goddess, is WRONG and NOT LISTENING to her which is reeeeeal unfortunate because, Rose is ALWAYS RIGHT. Wow, Rose, I guess you're taking the "teenager" part of "Phantom prom date" real seriously. Frankly she got on my nerves several times.

I'd really like to see where Ms. McGuire takes the series from here, but I hope the books have a little more action and a little less conversation, next time.

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. I will begin by saying that while I have not read the first two Sparrow Hill books, I am familiar with Rose from the Incryptid series, so while I could tell that I was missing back story, I did not feel like I was being left behind by the story. Whether this would hold true for someone who randomly picked this up off the shelf, I can't say. However, this story is compelling from the very beginning. Rose is a character that will grab hold of you with both hands, and demand that you listen to her. She is angry, defiant, and has spent the last seven decades trying to outrun her murderer.
I stayed up far too late trying to finish this book, and it resulted in some freaky dreams, but it haunted me for the rest of the next day until I could finish it. Seanan McGuire is a talented and prolific author, and her speed has not hindered this book at all. Rose is infused with so much rage and urgency that the reader is also compelled to follow along to see where she leads you. This book was interesting, exciting, and an absolute blast to read, and I cannot wait to see more of Rose's adventures.

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.