Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire

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SPARROW HILL ROAD open thread!

To celebrate the release of Sparrow Hill Road, here. Have an open thread to discuss the book. Judging by the comments I'm seeing, some of you've have had time, while others received review copies.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS.

Seriously. If anyone comments here at all, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. So please don't read and then yell at me because you encountered spoilers. You were warned. (I will not reply to every comment; I call partial comment amnesty. But I may well join some of the discussion, or answer questions or whatnot.) I will be DELETING all comments containing spoilers which have been left on other posts. No one gets to spoil people here without a label.

You can also start a discussion at my website forums, with less need to be concerned that I will see everything you say! In case you wanted, you know, discussion free of authorial influence, since I always wind up getting involved in these things.

Have fun, and try not to bleed on the carpet.
Tags: open thread, sparrow hill road
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  • 61 comments
Love the initial 'nod' to the Price family, made me totally smile.
Yay!
I love Rose, and loved going back to her world again! I had a bunch of thoughts, having just finished this morning!

- I missed the Halloween story, especially with it being referenced in one line somewhere else. I dunno if that's one of the changes in Rose canon or if it just didn't have a place in this formatting, but I missed how creepy and cool the whole notion was.
- Larry's story, the strigoi, and Gary coming back were all so familiar and wonderful and reassuring. Love them. :)
- I didn't remember Amy as much, for some reason, but she and Mary were two of the most interesting random side characters, I thought. I also really liked the killing of Route 14, and the notion that it was all twisted around the simple ghost of one dead hitcher! For some reason I expected it to be something bigger and more terrible, and it was really cool to have something so potentially threatening be caused by just one lost soul.
- Rose as psychopomp is awesome in general, and becoming so much more powerful and important because she's accepted her role as Bobby Cross' opponent is really cool and affirming.
- For some reason I never realized before how female-heavy Rose's stories are. I enjoyed seeing the gender balance tip a little more heavily in the direction of the main character (and of my gender; yay, seeing ourselves represented!), and that so many of the powerful alliances, friendships, and interactions were between women.

I'm excited for when I can have a dead tree copy to pet and put on my shelf (ebook was faster for immediate reading). :)
See, that's why I kept saying "don't save the original stories, don't re-read them, don't acknowledge them." The Halloween story didn't happen, not like that, and not in this timeline. So while I'm sorry that it had to be cut (boo), I'm going to be really reluctant to even think about a sequel until people stop bringing it up, because the second volume would be even more divergent, and require not expecting that story to have happened.

Mary and Amy were both new to this volume.

Yay, dead tree editions!

dragondances

3 years ago

I fully admit my first reaction upon reading was "I have GOT to work this into Car Wars somehow." Without giving anything away, I outlined my idea to the DM - I'm grabbing him a copy of the book at the signing this weekend, but he's already raced through the Kindle version, and agrees with me. Besides, the name of my car is a ref to one of your works, so I was halfway there already :3

As for the stories themselves, I admit I was in tears when it came time for the car to get crushed. Actual literal tears. It was so beautiful and wonderful and poignant - I'm not often moved to tears, but this was fantastic and one of the most emotionally moving things I've read in ages. Simply beautiful. I love the way you've created this world and populated it with so many fascinating characters, and all of the worldbuilding that's gone on. I worked a job a few summers ago that required a lot of time on the road and a lot of time spent around truckers, and I learned a lot. You've captured the essence of things perfectly, and I applaud you.
Hee!
I think I missed the thing about don't acknowledge the previous stories- is there a link to that anywhere convenient?

I picked up my copy today and took it to the nearest cafe to read over cheeseburger and chips. It seemed appropriate :)

There isn't a convenient link, there's just me saying, over and over again, that those stories are no longer canon, that they've been heavily rewritten and in some cases thrown out entirely, which means that if you come in expecting certain things, you're going to be disappointed. Those things never happened to this version of Rose.

sparrowpunk

3 years ago

vixyish

3 years ago

sparrowpunk

3 years ago

vixyish

3 years ago

Oh man-- I love the nod with the "old Healy place" and trying to place the time line-- *laughs* and going "well, gee, I wonder why it's haunted..." and then I cry a little. I love how Rose is, how she talks-- how different the stories are and how it all swirls together. Woooooow with the car. My roommate heard me shout at that part and I just stared at the book, Oh, Rose....

I love the diner, I love the rules and the people she meets. I loved this addition to my collection of awesome Seanan stories. :)
I am so very glad.
I LOVE IT. the four part broke my heart many times that eve today at school I could see references everywhere. The mandrake Bravo (claps loudly) Bravo. what I would like to ask, is Mary the same aunt Mary from incryptid? DID I SAY I OVE IT. I LOVE ROSE
Yes, she is.

marooux13

3 years ago

I'm not done yet, and my eyes are 'virginal' for the purpose of this book- I've never read the 'early draft' stories you wrote that were out there previously (and I even made sure to 'warn' friends that do have them NOT to 'read them again' before this book because of what you've said regarding that... but I digress. I have to say, the concept of the hitchiker ghosts I find to be so clever and ... it just plain makes sense. Is that weird? I simply adore the mythology you've created to explain them, and the rules of the road, rules of the dead, rules of the living... I am smitten. OK, enough gushing praise for now, I need to go finish the book.
I adore hitchhiking ghosts. That's why I wrote this. :)
I kept hearing echos of Dear Thomas in some of the phrasing. That was fun. While I read about Rose in her first appearance I still really liked seeing Sparrow Hill Road out. And I can't wait to ask my friend if he's realized it's not a new universe...
Hee hee hee...
This was delicious! This is a much more tightened-up story than the early canon draft, though I felt like I missed the suddenness of the Bobby Cross fear from earlier, when Rose didn't remember as much. Still, I gulped it all down like a milkshake with a burger :D
I am very glad!
Finished last night. Loved it! I have to admit I was hoping there'd be a little bit of the Healy-Price-es since I really want to know how Rose got involved with them (I assume that's canon since it's in other released books?)

The only downside to the book is it made me tear up a few times on public transport...which is actually a bonus but it takes explaining sometimes.

Loved Mary and Amy and leaving the story where you did makes me hope very much that you do decide to do another Rose book!
There was never going to be more about them: this isn't their book, and having any more than the mentions you got would have made this their story, not hers. This had to be hers.

herefox

3 years ago

I just finished reading! I loved it all, and when I got to Gary the Car I was both giggling and tearing up. THE SWEETEST.
Yay!

acelightning

May 10 2014, 17:13:29 UTC 3 years ago Edited:  May 11 2014, 03:31:36 UTC

I just got the book last night, and I've only skimmed it - but as the daughter of a truck driver, I've got to know more about this mythos you've created!

Two things I want to mention right now:

1. I thought what you did with the old, sappy song Tell Laura I Love Her was hilariously funny. I can't wait to find out if you gave similar twists to Teen Angel and Last Kiss. (Of course, Rose Marshall herself is second cousin to the title character in The Story of Laurie.)

2. I live quite close to part of the Atlantic Highway that was... and I'm a witch...

3. Binary scent signatures... gee, where have we seen that before? :-)

4. And now I'm certain that you've read the same mythology sources as Tom Siddell.

Rose is mostly "Bringing Mary Home," if you're looking for a song to connect her to.

As to binary scent signatures, well. There's BPAL, and Conjure Oils, and every winemaker ever, and...Rose needed a sense that wasn't dulled by death, and historically, for the dead, it's smell. That's why we burn things for the dead.

I don't know Tom Siddell.

acelightning

3 years ago

jenfullmoon

3 years ago

acelightning

3 years ago

Thank you so much for these stories, I enjoyed the originals in their time and I really enjoy and appreciate the new and canonical versions.
Yay!
Rose and Gary. Just...Rose and Gary.

I never got to read the original stories (and I won't go looking for them as you've asked us not to), but this was a beautiful story and may actually be my favorite of your books to date. The mood, the narrative style, the characters, Rose's personality, the ghosts, the world, the rules - it's all perfect, and I can't imagine meeting Rose any other way. Here's hoping we get to see more of Rose in the future! (Your schedule and commitments permitting, of course!)

<3
Rose and Gary are one of my favorite couples. Strange as that sounds.

phoenix_singing

3 years ago

Yay!! Got a signed copy (and a cupcake!) Saturday, and finished reading it Sunday. (hey- I had to do something while waiting for MRK and Marie Brennan)

My only previous Rose story was Ghost of Bourbon Street, so I am now chortling with glee at the thought of how Dominic will react when Rose introduces him to her boyfriend.
It will be...fascinating.
I read the old stories so long ago I don't remember them much other than the barest details of Bobby Cross and Gary the car. Hope that's good with you :)

Anyhoo, what a ride (literally). I also choked on the destruction of Gary's car. What an afterlife to pick, sir. I did like how the cars had souls and cared about their riders. Made me wonder about my car, which hopefully bears with me despite my flubs here and there (and my mom freaking BREAKING THE SUNROOF yesterday!!!! So much for setting boundaries....).

Still wondering about the Price/Healy connection, though I was amused at the Price guide to the afterlife at the end. And how Rose is going to eventually beat Bobby (with her own car?)....
That's great with me!
I loved every bit of this book. Thank you, Seanan, for writing about Rose and her world.

I am curious as to whether you've lived in the UP and/or the Columbus area, because the bits that reference both area are so true to my own experiences.
I have not, but I have lots of friends from there.

jammiesest

3 years ago

Popping back in to say, I'm pretty sure Sparrow Hill Road helped break my writer's block: I tried the first-person, present-tense style on the world's most obstinate muse, because I'm desperate to get her story out of my head and onto paper where it belongs, and hot damn, it WORKED. Hello, my first 3200 words in...uh...a sad number of years. Five? (Writing and I have not gotten along very well lately.)

I may or may not end up writing this novel, and if I do, it may or may not end up being in that style, but I think my writer's block finally broke. So if this thing ever makes it out into the world, it's at least partially because of a thing you wrote. And if it doesn't, hey, I'm writing again, I've got that piece of my heart back, and it's still because of a thing you wrote.

So, thank you for writing things.

That is amazing!

I am so thrilled!!!

kassrachel

May 13 2014, 18:24:58 UTC 3 years ago Edited:  May 13 2014, 18:25:30 UTC

Just finished it, and I totally adored it.

The mechanic / routewitch who crushes the magicked car so that Gary can be with Rose -- that whole scene is just about the most awesome thing EVER.

Also, I really love your love of Americana -- diners and cheeseburgers and jukeboxes and asphalt and prom dresses and all. ♥

Also I really love what you do with the trope of the deeper roads which underlie the roads we know. Ghost roads, the Shadow Roads Tybalt walks -- they make all of creation into a palimpsest where the easy-to-spot narrative is almost always concealing an older road which is underneath.
I re-read that scene three times! :)

seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

I finished it last night. (Only 1:15am, so not too late. :)

Firstly, I have to say that the rewrite has really improved what was already a good read. The individual stories hang together as a whole much better than before.

Merging the Tommy and Laura stories into one disappointed me at first, as the sudden realisation of who had caught Rose, and why, was delicious. But I thought they worked better together in the context of a book as opposed to a serial.

I was about half-way through before I remembered there was one story from the original which I'd liked much less than the others. The tone just wasn't the same as the rest. Then I remembered that you'd said that one story was being left out, so I hoped... And it wasn't there. It seemed weird to be pleased that I wasn't reading one of your stories...

I loved the way this book turned out. Rose is funny, heartbreaking, smart, strong and vulnerable all at once. I really hope that there will be more adventures with Rose (and Gary, of course!).

Thank you.
You are so welcome.

Thank you.
I got my copy today, but I nearly missed it on the shelf as I wasn't expecting it to be in the "bigger" format paperback. Not that this is a complaint - just an observation!

I read the first 2 stories on the train ride home - I really liked the one about Amy. Looking forward to reading the rest of them this weekend.
Yay!
No links, because I don't want to get tagged as spam, but when I had the chance to create custom nail polishes, one of the ones I made is a green with green and gold glitter, and I called it "Rose Marshall".
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

jammiesest

2 years ago

The only 'early' version of these stories I had read was the first one... and oddly I didn't like it. *lol* But I had faith in your writing and picked up the book, and really liked it. Good stories, very clever writing.

Will we see more Laura? I found her story interesting, and would like to see WHY she's still after Rose, considering Tommy set her straight on Rose 'killing' him....

Will we ever see a sympatetic Bobby Cross story? I mean, YES he's evil. But he's also kinda hosed in that I THINK he's trapped in what he's doing too....
It's hard to say what we will/won't see, since right now this is a full stand-alone. But maybe!

shanejayell

2 years ago