A.G. Slatter

For fans of Naomi Novik and Katherine Arden, a dark gothic fairy tale from award-winning author Angela Slatter. Harrowing and beautiful, this is the grim, fairy-tale gothic you ve been waiting for CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN, New York Times bestselling author of Ararat Long ago Miren O'Malley's family prospered due to a deal struck with the mer: safety for their ships in return for a child of each generation. But for many years the family have been unable to keep their side of the bargain and have fallen into decline. Miren's grandmother is determined to restore their glory, even at the price of Miren's freedom. A spellbinding tale of dark family secrets, magic and witches, and creatures of myth and the sea; of strong women and the men who seek to control them.

All the Murmuring Bones

Beatrice

All the Murmuring Bones was an instant favourite. This is a truly spellbinding book that kept me up way too late into the night. The author's rich prose slowly drew me in until I was so immersed into the story that I completely lost all sense of time and space. It had been a long while since I was so absolutely and utterly sucked into a book! 

I was definitely reminded of Naomi Novik's and Katherine Arden's books, two authors who wrote some of my favourite fantasy novels - and a rare instance of a blurb actually making a connection I agreed with. This book takes its time, so might not appeal to people looking for a fast-paced read, but it just worked for me. I really connected with the author's style and I ended up enjoying even the detours. I loved how the O'Malley's traditional stories were woven in throughout the book: while for the most part they weren't fully adding to the plot, they gave extra depth and insight into the family's history and traditions.

The gothic atmosphere and folkloristic elements (such as mer-folk, selkies, ghosts, and so many more) worked beautifully together to create a dark and intricate world. The world-building does take a bit of a back seat in favour of character development, but I didn't mind too much since I usually prefer the latter anyway. I do love a good family secret, and this book was chock-full of them! I was kept being surprised, and even though I had suspected where a few of the plot lines would end up, the way they were developed was still incredibly satisfying.

Character-wise, the book mostly relies on Miren to carry the whole thing. And she's entirely up to the task! I didn't immediately love Miren and found her too passive and bland for my liking, but her top-notch development quickly made her one of my new favourites. By the end, I fully admired Miren's strength of character and spirit, unbroken despite all the pain she suffered in life, and her quick wit. She was constantly undermined and underestimated by all those around her, and yet despite that she persevered in forging her own path. 

Overall, this was an extremely pleasant surprise, completely exceeding my expectations, and a book I can see myself gushing about for a long time yet! Might be particularly appreciated by lovers of dark folklore and fairy tales, strong character development and just enough magic.

CW: this book contains mentions of abuse, violence (including against children), murder and incest.

For more reviews, visit Book for Thought.

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Janice Hopper

What would you do to get what you wanted? What would you do to find out who you really are?

This book asks those questions. A family has staked their wealth and livelihood on a bargain. A child was left behind in trade for something valuable. The story of the bargain, and the story of the child and what she grew up to learn is this book.

I loved the writing here, the quiet acceptance of the fantastic when it appears. A lovely bit of writing that keep me very entertained.

I really enjoyed this book as a whole! There were times it felt very slow and I think that’s my own fault considering it’s been a long time since I picked up a novel that wasn’t action packed or full of romance. I really enjoyed the family tales and myths woven into everything happening. 

Rebecca Rust

A. G. Slatter

"Orphaned as a young child, Mirin O'Malley has been brought up by her grandparents on their isolated, rambling estate Hob's Hallow. Long ago her family prospered due to a deal struck with the mer, the terrifying creatures who live in the depths of the sea: safety for their merchant ships in return for a child of each generation. But for many years the family have been unable to keep their side of the bargain and their fortunes have suffered as a result. When Mirin's grandfather dies, her grandmother puts in train a plans to restore their glory - but at the price of Mirin's freedom. Finding amongst her grandfather's papers evidence that her parents may still be alive, Mirin is determined to escape and discover the truth about her origins. This takes her on a treacherous journey to Blackwater, the estate her parents built when they fled Hob's Hallow, but on arrival Mirin finds the estate in decline and her 'Uncle Edward' in charge: where are her parents, and who is this Edward Elliott really? A story of mystery and magic and the strange creatures that lurk beneath the waves."--Provided by publisher.

Emma

Fantastic story! Magic and myth weaved into reality. Family secrets and a journey for answers. A very satisfying read.

Eleanor Luhar

A dark fairytale featuring twisted, evil mermaids? Yes, please!
I may have set my expectations a little too high, though. Don't get me wrong - this is a good book - but it's just not quite what I was anticipating. The book follows Miren O'Malley, an orphan who's grown up with her grandparents. When her grandfather dies, Miren is promised to a cousin for marriage by her very own grandmother. The O'Malley's are a family who takes pride in their name and their 'pure blood'. But then the grandmother dies, too, and Miren doesn't want to marry her jerk cousin. So when she discovers letters from her parents - who are very much alive - she goes looking for them.
It's an interesting adventure, with assassins and kelpies. And Miren does find the house her parents ran away to - but all is not what it seems.
While there are a few mentions of mermaids, as well as a mermaid queen, there wasn't as much about them as I hoped. The twisted O'Malley tales are great (and creepy), but it's definitely not /about/ mermaids. As in, they're not really the main plot. Again, it's pretty well written and definitely an interesting take on the genre, but not quite what I was hoping for.
That said, it is still a good book. The stories about the mer spread throughout the book were possibly my favourite parts. There were a fair share of magical creatures, too. I wasn't overly sure about Miren herself - she seemed to lack emotion a bit, in my opinion. But overall, I'm glad I read it and I would recommend it to anyone who likes dark, gothic tales. 4 stars!

Elizabeth Garza

There was a whole heck of a lot of false advertising with this book. I was expecting a bigger mermaid presence than there was. The book is also VERY character-driven, so if that is not your cuppa, then you probably will get bored with this one. The various magical creatures in here were fun to read, and the author does this really beautiful blend of story and family history within the book. So, if you were an eager mermaid fanatic eagerly reaching for this book, just realize, you're not getting as much mermaid-ness as you are probably hoping for.

Heather Harrington

I liked the darker atmosphere, but there was almost too much going on plot wise that it was difficult for me to get fully invested in what was happening.

Mousumee

⭐⭐⭐ - I am sad to say that All the Murmuring Bones didn't live up to my expectations and I primarily blame the marketing of the book for this underwhelming response from me. The book was touted as a gothic fairytale and while it had both folkloric elements and a few primary components of a gothic mystery, together, they didn't quite have the intended affect. 

The language had an antiquated feel which lent itself nicely to the folk elements but the storytelling had many flaws and that kept pulling me out of the story every so often. The use of Celtic and Gaelic mythical beasts throughout the story had me comparing All the Murmuring Bones to the Winternight Trilogy which was peppered with Slavic folk creatures. But while the latter did it successfully and added a heavy dose of creepy vibes, All the Murmuring Bones did not achieve the desired results. The way the folkloric elements were weaved into the narrative of the runaway protagonist felt jarring, disjointed and like reading two separate stories. 

The gothic elements were confusing too. The creepy family manor by the sea was discarded early on, never to be revisited. The story shifted base and found a new manor which was lacking, to say the least. But what I liked least in the novel was how the characters were written. The protagonist was confusing. Her personality changed to suit the pace of the story. Oh and every time someone posed a problem in her life, she dealt with them rather swiftly and easily. In the end, nothing truly was a challenge to her. Everything was just so convenient for her that I never felt invested in her life.

Kaeli Wolf 

The writing style of this author feels similar to that of Alexandra Bracken. I love the story idea and it was very well executed! The dialogue is real and would definitely encourage me to read more by this author.

Jagoda Nowak

The book tells the story of an O’Malley family. The family made a deal with a mermaid a long time ago to ensure their prosperity, and in return, they always gave one child to see. But for many years there were no spare children, and so only three O’Malley’s remained. The book begins with Aoife, the last true O’Malley, who in an attempt to restore her family’s fortune, decides to wed her granddaughter, Miren, to Aidan, a relative of O’Malley. But Miren doesn’t want to marry.

I really enjoyed this book. I love the world-building and the history and stories of the O’Malley family that are intertwined during the book. I really liked how the magical creatures were present in the human world – kelpies, mers and ghosts were present in the story without making the world seem magical. Most of all though, I loved the characters. Aoife was a cruel woman with a lot of ambitions and stubbornness, but I really liked her character. Miren had an awful life, but she was clever, and she was a strong female character who, despite a lot of setbacks, decides to have her freedom.

What is more, I really enjoyed discovering the secrets of each O’Malley family member as the story progressed. I really liked the writing in this book, and how all the secrets unravel and were connected to each other. I felt that the book could be a bit longer, and I felt as if though some scenes were unnecessary for the plot so they wouldn’t seem like they had no aim. And there is a couple of characters I would like to know more about. 

All the Murmuring Bones is a dark and mysterious book with elements of magic, and I really recommend it. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rebecca Harwood

Anja ✨

Jenna Grasteit

For fans of Naomic Novik and Katharine Arden, a dark gothic fairy tale from award-winning author Angela Slatter. 'Harrowing and beautiful, this is the grim, fairy-tale gothic you've been waiting for' CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN, New York Times bestselling author of Ararat Long ago Miren O'Malley's family prospered due to a deal struck with the mer: safety for their ships in return for a child of each generation. But for many years the family have been unable to keep their side of the bargain and have fallen into decline. Miren's grandmother is determined to restore their glory, even at the price of Miren's freedom. A spellbinding tale of dark family secrets, magic and witches, and creatures of myth and the sea; of strong women and the men who seek to control them.

All the Murmuring Bones

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